The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-11-15

w - 1S8AvO0
into BLACKFOOl
THE IDAHO REPUBLICAN WANT
i A GRAVITY SYSTEM AM
| SPRING WATER FOR BLACK
| FOOT.
| Thirteen miles southeast O
Blackfoot by crooked wagon road
and about ten miles across as a pipe
line would run, or perhaps eigh
miles as the crow flies, is Fifty
Springs. 1t is a little cove in The
| foothills, of perhaps twenty-acres
| from which flows a stream of clear
! spring water that would just about
I'LL a flume four feet wide and two
feet deep, flowing at rate of few
miles an hour.
Fifty Springs is situated Just
above thesformer site of Ft. Hall
school in Lincoln valley, is several
hundred feet above the farms in
Lincoln valley and nearly a thousand
feet higher than Blackfoot.
The water of Fifty-Springs is
used to irrigate meadows and fields
down the valley to the northward
fgom the former school, and east
ward from Blackfoot. The water is
all the private propery of the Indian
farmers and could only be acquired
by purchase or voluntary agreement
or by condemnation proceedings to
fix the price under an unwilling sale
in a process that is spoken of as ex-
ercising the, rights of eminent do
main. If the water OF Fifty-Springs
should be purchased by the City of
Blackfoot and were taken away
from the farms the land might still
have good values to be operated un-
der dry farm methods or it might
be practical to water it by flowing
wells, there being indications that
such wells can be made.
The means of conducting the wat
ers of Fifty-Springs to Blackfoot
would be by a pipe line following
the edge of the bench on the west
erly side Of Lincoln valley to a point
On the ridge just about east of the
southerly side Of the town Of Black
foot and then cross the ridge and run
westward into Blackfoot.
Fifty-Springs is now used to water !
something like a thousand acres of (
ands along Lincoln creek, and what
s not used on the land wastes away |
,r sinks in the creek bed. II it were
,iped into Blackfoot without loss,
Ind storage facilities afforded at q
uitable level on the foothills to store4
ii that comes and yet afford pres
ure for fire fighting in town, it, II
would probably furnish enough for
omestic purposes and for sprinkl-
ng lawns for a town as large as
'lackfoot will be in the next forty
r fifty years.
The waters Of Fifty-Springs are
lightly warmed by natural or sub
erranean heat, and do not freeze
4 winter until exposed to the
1eather for great while. Travelling
IN miles underground and being ex-
osed to the air for while in the
forage reservoir enroute would &;
robably cool it sufficiently to make
suitable for drinking purposes.
1t were considered better to cool
further than the exposure named,
refrigerator plant could be con-
at the crossing of the Black
'ot river, where it could be led thru
,ils of pipe packed in perpetual ice
ken from the river each winter. J
Few cities have such awealth of
,ring water situated at a suitable
lstance an dat suitable level above
le town, with foothills conveniently
Gated to afford storage facilities I
I'D altitude for high pressure. There
e no engineering difficulties in the
ay OF constructing such a line. s
here is no rock, or lava in the way,
high ridges to tunnel thru, no
,ep canyons or valleys or streams
cross or go under. There is no .
ck or lava underlying the own it.
If that would afford any obstacles r
laying water system. 1t is all
,sy excavation that would yield to
b plow and the pick and shovel or
ench machine. Modern equip a
ent for trench digging and for ex-
waiting reservoirs by means of the -
cam shovel and dump cars, would ,
AXE construction work cheap and :,
pid. M
Blackfoot's men might find in it a
oblem they would enjoy working
j. II it cost too much for the city u
bond for, the plucky men Of
ackfoot might pledge their own
oney and credit jointly with the s
" government to bring about the
rchase of Fifty-Springs and the
Instruction Of the water system and R
sctric plant If it should be found
asible. Blackfoot's men get along
tier and are more worthy when
ey have some large problems to
cupy their attention and their q
ergy ,and a fine water system like
fty-Springs would afford, would be
monument to the builders and r,
'uld greatly stimulate the growth
the town.
WHO CAN VOTE TUESDAY "
The qualifications for the voters
the coming bond election, rela- r.,
g to the purchase of the Blackfoot VI
ter works, are that any person .,
% has either real or personal pro- oi
rty on which he or she has paid
,es or against which tax has been -,
led or assessed and a lien exists, IL
We the right to vote. If a husband -
=