The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-02-11

A line neW-SOn arrived at the nome
of Mr.. and Mrs. Paulson, February /.
All concerned are doing nicely.
Mrs. Graham, of Blackfoot, has
been spending the week as the guest
of Mrs. /. N. Meyer.
Mrs. Thomas Blackburn returned
Saturday from Pocatello, where she
spent the week attending the House
keepers convention.
H. s. Pen is among those who are
on the sick list this week.
I John Weaver, of Pingree, was
down this way Saturday attending to
some business.
Dewey Blackburn is spending a
few days in Blackfoot, visiting rela-
tives and friends.
1t is reported that Mrs. Oscar Rice,
Jr., is seriously ill.
Mr.. and Mrs. A. J. Snyder return
ed Saturday from Pocatello, after a
very pleasant visit with their daught-
err, Miss Marion, who is attending
the Idaho Techinal college.
Ed. Hutchinson has gone to Black
foot to help shovel out the trains,
which were stuck on the desert.
Mr.. and Mrs. Nathan Tanner have
rented their ranch to some party
from Blackfoot and they are now
preparing to move to Blackfoot,
where they were formerly located.
Mr.. Tanner has broadened out and
his interests have become quite ex-
tensive since they came here, but for
some time they have felt the burden
Of caring for the ranch, it being too
much for a man of his year, and at
times he thought seriously of dispos-
ing of it entirely. Altho their re-
moval may be only temporary it is
with keen regret by their ueighbors
that they are going.
Mrs. ralph Davis entertained the
Domestic Science club at delightful
dinner party at her home, Wednes-
day, February 2. 1t was such a
dreadful day, one of the worst dur
ing the blizzard, that the hostess had
begun to fear that no one would
brave the storm, but by 1 o'clock
the guests began to arrive and in
short time they were all assembled.
Immediately after the dinner a short
business meeting of the club was
held, then in the way of a program,
Mrs. l. n Meyer reported on the,
"Civil Service Bill. Mrs. Andrews
responded with a short talk on,
Citizenship" and Mrs. Wiltamuth
gave one of her entertaining read
ings. Those present were Mesdames
Line, Snyder, Chandler, Edwards, A.
Shelman, Leach, Isaac, E. N. Wells,
Ernest Wells, Meyer, Wiltamuth,
Berg, Andrews and the Misses Leach
and Edwards. Mrs. Graham was
visiting guest.
The dry farmers here are having
some distressing as we'll as thrilling
experiences during this winter. The
dry farms are all located out beyond
the American Falls canal on the
desert and are not within easy &C
cess of supplies or mail. A number
of the settlers, who could find en-
ployemnt for the winter left the
farms for the winter months, but a
greater majority remained on their
homesteads. Early in the fall good
many Of them were trying to dispose
of their stock on account of no hay
or grain to nourish their horses and
cattle thru the winter. Last year
was such an unusually dry year that
the dry farming in this section was
practically a failure and now that
this deep snow has come on, and
winter has lasted so long most Of the
stock is perishing and some of the
people are in dire need of food. One
man who arrived here last week on
horseback from the dry farm district
known as Wild Horse, which is west
of here, reported that people in that
vicinity had supplies and were
wintering fairly we'll. He said the
snow was five feet deep with drifts
to a much greater depth. He en-
countered much difficulty and it was
a hard struggle to make his way
thru. He was on the way some 16
hours and reached here late at night.
Next morning the blizzard was still
waging such a gale he thought it
impractical to attempt reaching home
with his horse. During the next two
days he improvised some snow shoes
and left for home and his wife and
family, who were beyond any means
of communication from here. No
one from that direction has been in
since. Toward the north of us, many
of the settlers are reported to be in 1
distress, but as yet, no one has been
successful in getting thru the drifts.
This is one of the many harships the
new settlers have to cope with. Few
realize, except those who have had
the experience, what privations are
endured on the new farm. From the
financial side of it the expense of
clearing the sage brush, the machin-
cry and buying of stock are all heavy
membranes. Then with few
failures Of crops, or intrusion of pests
either insects or rabbits, we some
times wonder how the new settler
has the perseverance to stay with
it. While the recent storms are un-
usual and the old timers inform us
it is the worst we have had here for
20 years, it will no doubt teach us
to be better prepared for winter next
year. However, while the dry farm
ers are now enduring so much, they
have the consolation Of looking for
ward to bumper crop this year, un-
less some unseen obstruction presents |
itself.
Our farmers are progressive and
equal to every occasion as was thu