The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-06-30
BLACKFOOT DID THE
SMART THING

Blackfoot did a fine thing this
June when it decided not to turn its
back on the chautauqua, but to keep
it coming. 1t looks now like it was
a settled policy to have the annual
feast of reason and things intellectu-
al, at two seventy-five per-the price
of a trip to the next town and back
in case they had these entertain
ments and we did not.
If one town turns down the chau-
tauqua, or if they all do 1t, they lose.
People are bound to get hungry for
intellectual feasts, and they will go
somewhere at greater sacrifice OF
time and money, to get them, or they
will stay at home and settle into q
rut.
There is a circumstance in neigh
boring town that illustrates the eff
feet of turning our back on things
we ought to be on good terms with.
The story may or may not be true,
but the effect is there and the les
son holds true.
Town Got Fooled
Down at American Falls good
many years ago there was something
Of a boom, and the locality seemed
destined to become the greatest
wheat shipping station in America,
which it did. 1t seemed destined to
become one of the great power cities
of the country, which it did. 1t
seemed destined to become a great
factory town, which it did not. 1t
takes something more than water
fall to make a manufacturing center.
While all these things were in
prospect, one Mr.. Wedel decided to
build a hospital in the town and he
received some encouragement. Local
men said it would be good thing
and they wanted to help. The site
was selected on gentle eminence
near the river shore, at the head OF
the main street. 1t was to be an I'M
posing structure facing the town and
the depot. When trains were passing
thru on the transcontinental line,
this institution would face them from
it's eminence. Men said it was good
and they would put coins into the
treasury to help build it.
Town Fooled the Man
1t is easy for men to say they will
do their share and yet when the
committee arrives and says, verify
we have come for it, and we will take
it in cash." some men retrench. 1t
was so in this case. Men retrenched.
Wedel was ready to lay the founda-
tons of the building, and, seeing the
lack of help he was to get from the
town, he told the superintendent of
construction to just turn the blue
print half around, and go on with the
work, so the completed hospital
would face the river shore and the
distant bluffs out toward Aberdeen
fourteen miles away, and have its
back to the town of American Falls
and the main street and the trans
continental trains passing thru.
The building was completed &C,
cording to plans. only it faced the
other way. 1t faces that way yet
Local men admit that it faces Alb,
erdeen, but people out there need g
telescope to connect it with their
landscape. They admit that its back
is turned to American Falls and the
main street Some of them admit
that Mr.. Wedel was peeyed about
sonnet hing but not all of them admit
that. there was any change in the
plans when the hospital was built
They say it is the logical way for il
to face-towards the river, and that
seems true when one remembers Cap
tain Rudd and the excursion steam
er he promoted" to operate on tbs
river between American Falls ant
Blackfoot But the steamer never
was completed. 1t was tied to tree
on the river bank, and the nearest il
ever came to fulfilling it's scenic mis-
sion was to haul gravel to build
roads for iitneys. Dry farms became
drier, wheat shipments fell off un.
til the monster signboard by the rail
road tracks was no longer bearing 9
true message when it told of thai
town being the largest American
shipping point for wheat.
But American Falls has it's gen
fuses. They painted over the whea
sign and put on new lettering tt
say that where this town stands there
is going to be dam and the larges
storage reservoir in America. The!
are going to store more water ant
ship less wheat.
Getting back to our own situation
and chautauqua, Blackfoot did no
retrench. 1t isn't going to take wa
ter. 1t isn't going to handle an!
less wheat. 1t isn't going to have
the chautauqua turn its back to the