Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-09-22
MAY DEVELOP POWER
FROM SNAKE RIVER
Pullman Chamber VIII Place Data
in Hands of Government Inyesti-
gators--Possibillties for
Electric Power

With a view to interesting capital
in the development of the ilateut
power of the Snake river, the Pull
man Charmer of Commerce, through
a committee appointed To- that pur-
pose, will place in the hands of a
party of government engineers who
will next week investigate the pos
sibilities of the Snake for power pur-
poses, all available data concerning
, the county and will present the en-
gneers with an outline of the posi-
bilities of such development. The
| local committee will cooperate with
the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce
and like organizations from other
towns interested in the project, and
it is probable that delegates will he
sent to impress upon the engineers
the need Of Snake river power de-
yelopment and the wide scope of the
benefits that would follow.
The matter was called to the at
tention of the Pullman chamber at
its Tuesday noon session By ]. M.
sponslye chord and resulted in the
appointment of the committee, with
full power to take such action as Ii
deemed necessary. The Lewiston
people are very active in the matter
and every effort will be made to ia
vorably impress Uncle Sans expert
Investigators, it being believed that
a favorable report, accompanied by
the necessary data, will go long
way toward enlisting capital in the
development of the Snake river.
Whitman Garfield Columbia and
Asotin counties in Washington and
Nez Perez and Latah counties in
Idaho are vitality interested in the
nature of the report submitted and
each county will do its part toward
accomplishing the desired end. 1T Is
expected that the engineers will
reach Lewiston next Monday, but
their arrival may be delayed few
days.
Upon Mr.. Reds suggestion the
data to be placed in the hands of the
engineers include the number OF
acres in cultivation in each county
interested, the nature and amounts
of the various products typical of
each county, the number Of towns
and the population of each. The fact
that the Snake river is the natural
drainage. for the vast area of con-
tinguous territory and therefore the
natural and proper outlet for Trans
pOrtation will be called TO ,he at
tention Of the investigating party.
The undeveloped condition OF our
manufactures, and the great scope
of the possibilities in this line with
available electric power at reason
able rates will be mentioned, as will
also the possibilities for the installa-
ton of electric roads as feeders for
river transportation and other roads
throughout the adjacent country.
The Whitman county figures will
show that of the 1,345,12O acres In
the county, 950,548 acres are i'm
proved, while the unappropriated
and unreseryed government lands
total 5167 acres. Farm lands con-
stitute 88.1 per cent of the total
acreage, there being 1905 different
farms, of an average of 383.7 acres.
The population of the county is APP
proxmately 10000, and farm lands,
improved are worth from $40 to
800 the acre. The average precipi-
tation throughout the county Is close
to 20 inches and the average mean
temperature is AZ degrees.
Eighty-fiye per cent of the total
acreage has been proven ideal for
grain growing. and Whitman county
leads the world in grain production,
the annual crop being around the
$1,000, 900 bushels mark. The county
assessor estimates the annual pro-
ductlon of wheat as 9,7O4,OOO
bushels, Of oats 3,514,100 and bar
ley 1,072,230. Fruit and vegetable
raising, dairying and stock raising
are also important Whitman county
industries.