The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-08-13

Editors note: Inc following
article was ublished last winter in
serial form under the heading, "If
were capitalist" and has recently
been referred to in the paper and
elsewhere in discussions of what
might be done with the fairgrounds.
P. G. Johnston proposes making the
fairgrounds into an agricultural
school and Shelley man states that
he has an article in preparation tell
ing what he thinks should be done
with them. Besides all that, there
is another worthy project on foot,
which this article has some relation
to, and for these various reasons
it is reprinted, on the theory that it
manner of things and then act on
what seems to be the best:
If Were Capitalist
If I were capitalist living at
Blackfoot l would do a very foolish
thing. Men of sound ideas would
say was a sucker. and I would ad-
NIT that it was true. Still I would
go on and be foolish, but I would
find certain amount of satisfaction
in it, and my satisfaction would in
crease with the years.
I would buy the fairgrounds, in
Guiding the municipal skating rink,
which nobody appreciates, and I
would do something with it that only
eleven persons would commend me
for at first, and which would lose
me money until two years after the
end of the war. But would look
to the future and be content.
AS I said before, If I bought the
fairgrounds some people would call
me sucker, but it is nice to be a
sucker sometimes, one finds SO much
satisfaction in having the last laugh,
and in watching others hedge"
while one unravels the knots of a
problem.
In buying the fairgrounds should
assume that Blackfoot Is going to
keep on growing land that the rising
generation will be better than the
retiring generation because they
have better opportunity and better
training. would organize my ven-
ture so could do some Of the train
ing myself and should believe that
it would be well done because l did
it. II course, that is egotistic, but
certain amount of egotism enabled
Cyrus Field to lay the Atlantic cable,
and l would think we'll of Cyrus.
When I got my deed to the fair
grounds I would not do just like
Editor Nelson of the Kansas City
Star did with his real estate venture;
I would do it on a plan Of my own.
In designing improvements at the
fairgrounds I would use three maps,
one to show my own ground, one to
show the town and one to show the
rivers and mountains. / would plat
1t 80 it would be easy for the city
council to accept 1t as part of the
city. There would be one block
where I would reserve the alley
space thru the block as part of the
city, and they would wonder little
at that, but would let them read
my will one at time and then they
would look pleasant and vote to
adopt the plat as offered. After the
meeting a couple of the councilmen
would suggest making stock COM
pany and selling some stock.
would reply that stockholders would
become dissatisfied before the plans
were carried to maturity, and that
they would hang back and hinder the
enterprise. Then they would ask
me if didn't want to take in part
ner or two and I would reply that
was so constituted that I always
wanted to be free to act within the
hour that l got a good notion, and
that I never liked to lose time con.
sulting partners.
Whatver l did with the rest Of
the fairgrounds / would keep that
one central block open. l would moi
even raise trees on it, excepting foul
pine trees of the variety that Mrs
Blanche Eldredge has at her from
door on the Bridge street side Of
her home, the largest pine tree there
Perhaps it is Colorado blue spruce
but whatever it is l would set foul
of them in that block, and people
would ask me why set them so fal
apart, and l would just make SOM
klddish reply. Senator Thomas Sc
the tree l spoke of, and have al
ways liked him better for havin,
added that beautiful tree to tn
town as soon as he came.
l would arrange with the cit,
council and the water company t.
let me lay the sewer and water pipe
upon the usual conditions land
would file applications for four new
telephones and four additions
homes to be lighted each month 70
=. sixty months. That would be con
n sidered foolish detail, but woul
enjoy doing these foolish things be
cause it is fun to bank on ones owl
judgment and see how we'll tn
larger matters fit in with the smalle
ones as one goes along.
Having arranged for water, drain
age, lights and telephones / woul
Il try to contract with a teamste
VI friend of mine, who is o. K, an
have him excavate one full basemen
a week for five years or about thai
M I would arrange with plumber, VIII
VI is no crank or robber-let's see,
ia there one? yes, there is-to lay on
sewer connection week and insta
NJ all plumbing fixtures for one hous
MI a week for five years or thereabou
M would arrange similarly for on
B cement basement week, one hous
MIA a week, having if possible capabl
man to build each part, and l woul
s let no man build chimney under
guaranty bond equal to the value {
the house; this because we have 6
many poor chimneys in town.