The Caldwell tribune., 1920-01-06
Ern. Eag|eson, Certain That
Reclamation Plan 0mits
Consideration Of Boise,
Arouses Ire Of Caldwell
People.

People.
Caldwell aroused greeted state
ment circulated in Boise and thruou,
Ada county last Friday and Saturday
which emanated from the hand and
pen of Mayor Ern. G. Eagleson OF
Boise and which arraigned the already
we'll formulated plans for the reclama-
tion OF southern Idaho because Boise
had not been chosen as the center OF
the new agricultural empire. His
statement of signal importance to
Canyon county people and particul-
arly those interested in the develop
ment of the Black Canyon project,
is as follows:
1T is a conclusive, mathemati-
cal cinch that if the Bruneau
tract Is given the prior claim on
the American Falls storage water
and the little 35,000-acre Black
Canyon project be irrigated from
the Boise river, the Mountain
Home Orchard -Sunnyside and the
greater Black Canyon projects
cannot be reclaimed in a life
time"
This is the assertion made by Mayor
Ern G. Eagleson in a public letter
now being sent to the people of Boise
and Ada county, in which the mayor
goes into detail in explaining the
present status of irrigable land sur
rounding Boise and charging that
present plans of the state and United
States, if completed, "will mean be-
yond question that the great sage
brush plains between Emmett and
Bliss the lowest in elevation and with
the best climate of any reclaimable
lands in the Snake valley, amounting
to something like 100000 acres must
go unreclaimed for many, many years
the greater part of it perhaps for
all time"
How Boise May Suffer.
Moreover" he says, "there are ap-
proximately 100000 acres of addition
al land between Bliss and American
Falls which also would probably have
an effected water supply because Of
the proposed Bruneau development"
Following in part is the mayors
letter:
AT present it would seem that ev-
cry possible act of omission and COM
mission on the part of our state and
national reclamation services is work
ing against the reclamation of these
arid lands surrounding our city, not
because the heads of those depart
ments have a special desire to dis
criminate against the lands or the
people upon them. but principally. be
cause the settlers in their poverty and
isolation cannot organize and the bus
mess and professional men in ad
joining towns like Boise are doing alb
solutely nothing of positive nature
in their behalf.
Bad News for Boise.
&C. G. Allen, secretary Of the Mora
irrigation district, has recently re-
ceived notice from the United States
interior department that the head Of
ficials of the United States reclama
ton service no longer contemplate
the reclamation of that district,
to some l4000 acres of
land almost adjoining the city on the
south. If these officials can secure
the money they will, instead, use Boisc
river water to reclaim approximately
$4,000 acres of the lower end OF the
Black Canyon project and leave about
$4,000 acres of it (the part nearcs,
Boise) to go unreclaimed On the
part of the state the Idaho reclama
ton commissioner has recently re
quested of the secretary of the inter
ior, that the United States reclama
tion service withdrawal covering tn
Bruneau project be cancelled and tn.
a Carey act segregation for 5S4.l>
specially selected acres of it.
Economy Is Claimed.
"The claim is made by those inter
ested in the Bruneau and Black Car
son projects that the waters can be
applied to those lands as outlined
.bove for less per acre than to
my other lands, and therefore such as
ash economy should prevail. III
hese irrigation plans are allowed 10
,e consummated, Boise's future gen
rations will surely say that we OF tn.
resent day were visionless, apath
tic, and by a false economy comm