The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-09-01
THE BUILDING OF THE RUPEES

The Rupe family at Sterling are
just completing a fine two-story
house on the farm we told about in
our Agricultural Edition of last De-
cember, For the information of peo-
pie who did not read it, and to fresh
en- the memory of those who did, we
review it briefly.
Twelve Years i'm Idaho
Mr.. Rupe came into this county
from Rocky Ford, Colorado, dead
broke, travelling with a team of
horses and a camping outfit. He had
a family and went to work for wages.
Later he got a job with the construc-
tion gang on the American Falls
canal, Mrs. Rupe got employment
cooking for the construction camp,
the children were a busy bunch and
won favor with the men by doing
errands, and Mr.. Rupe with an eye
to future fortune took a piece of
Carey land that cost him SO cents
an acre for land and $40 an acre for
the water right. They worked hard,
lived hard, tried hard, got to farm
ing on the land, always raised good
crops, always had some misfortune,
were always cheerful and charitable,
scarcely ever paid their debts on
time but always kept paying till they
got even, and always met their mis-
fortunes with calm courage and
sweet temper. Once when Mr.. Rupe
was pretty hard up and had spent
his money for doctor bills, he asked
a merchant for credit and was re-
quired to give a mortgage on his
team and wagon. Rupe had I'M
bounded faith in his fellow mar and
gave the mortgage on his outfit to
secure the payment of a trif1ing gro
Gerry bill. When it became due the
payment was demanded and he ask
ed for more time. The merchant
seized the property and had it sold
on the street without notice and it
was bid in by somebody for a song
and the grocery bill paid, leaving him
nothing. Mr.. Rupe was left figura-
lively afoot, yet he never was heard
to say a harsh word about the mer-
chant. He heaved a great sigh and
said, "Well, that was the agreement,
but l thought he ought to have given
me another chance to "a my team.
1t was all I had to make a living
with" Mr.. RUPEES friends and neigh
bors were bitter in denouncing the
merchant, but Rupe concentrated his
thoughts On how to get another team
and keep the wolf from the door.
People Wanted to Know
After we published the story last
fall, entitled, "The Coming of the
Rupees" they received letters from all
over Christendom, asking various
know if there was any more land to
be had out there, or any more con-
.struction camps where people with
the right kind of pluck could make a
start in the world. The Rupees
answered all the letters carefully and
did a lot of boosting for Bingham
county.
Went Back Again
A short time ago when the editor
of The Republican was in the Ster-
ling country studying the crops and
resources of the land, he steered his
Tin Lizzy' out to the Rupe farm,
and we don't think they will care
if we tell you what we saw
View of the Farm
Besides the little grove and the
old house and stable that were on
the place last fall, there was a fine
two-story house painted light gray
and ready to be inclosed. 1t had a
full basement with cement floor in
process, two full stories with closets
and halls and bath. The plasterers
were putting on the first coat. and
there was every indication that the
harvest would be celebrated with the
removal from the old house to the
new. The fields waved with an abund-
ant crop, and scores of hogs and
happy shotes were feeding in the big
pastures. The second crop of hav
was just ready to cut, and stood in
dense green 80 inches high. The
grain was heavy and the sugar beets
were good but not a perfect stand.