Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04
BONNEVILLE SPENDS
FIVE MILLIONS FOR
IMPROVEMENTS
Another Two Million Could Be
Added if Farm Building Is
Taken Into Confederation
Under Handicaps.
BIG ACREAGE PREDICTED
Heavy Snow FAN This Winter
Means Agricultural Develop
ment--Idaho Falls Building
Very Rapidly.
BIG ACREAGE PREDICTED
BY NJ. B. YEAMAN.

Idaho Falls, Jan. 3.-The new year.
1920 finds Idaho Falls and Bonneville
county in the middle of a building and
reconstruction program Of q total val
uation Of $5.O0o,00O which estimate Is
conservative and were a close canvass
Of the situation made 1t Is more than
probable Than another $2,000,000 could
be added to the total as farm improve
ments of which there are many in the
way Of modern homes, barns and ST.
lost have not been taken into consider
alton nor their value added to the
budget.
Even the cold weather did not stop
building though that work has slowed
up to a considerable extent and many
ambitious plans have been deferred
until spring when work can be done
to greater advantage.
UNPRECEDENTED DRY YEAR.
Idaho Falls and Bonneville county
suffered some handicap the past sea-
son on account Of the unprecedented
dry year which reduced the average
farm productions; that fact though
seemingly has had no effect toward re-
tarding progress and the approaching
season will be one of the greatest de-
velopments that the community has
ever witnessed.
The heavy SHOWS, the heaviest at this
season of the year that there Is any
record of means abundance of water
for irrigation and of moisture for tho
hundreds of thousands of acres of dry
farm lands which have added material
ly to the wealth of the community as
whole. There will be greater acre
age cultivated In the upper Snake river
valley In 1920 than ever before, and 1,
| predictions mean anything the heaviest
| crop Produced; prices will prevail from
| all accounts which will mean that
| there will be millions of dollars avail
| able for improvement, progress and de-
velopment.
BUILDING ACTIVITY.
1t is problematical what the census
man will do to Idaho Falls though the
| optimistic prophets talk of an official
count of from ten to twelve thousand;
the conservative prophet contents him
self with probable eight to nine thou
sand.
| If the building of homes is a cri-
| terion the vision of the optimistic
| prophet will be well taken for theri
have been fully thousand private res
| licences built the past ten years OF
| since the census was taken and thev
will average five to the home which
| would give Idaho Falls an additional
five thousand with which the commu.
4 nifty was credited in 1910 10 the ten
thousand total may not be far wrong.
With the agricultural country ada
cent to Idaho Falls prosperous as all
have the right to predict it will be thu
/ present year, Idaho Falls as the center
of that community, will feel the good
effect.
The official figures the past year
from records on file will show that
building permits for homes within the
corporate limits of Idaho Falls for the
year 1919 totaled about 250. There is
every reason to believe that the pres
ent year will show as great number.
RUNS INTO BIG FIGURES
Taking $4,000 as an average value OF
the ESQ homes built and the avera u
Is low estimate and the ESQ home,
to be built during the present veal
gives the nice total OF $l,5O0,00O FROM
that source alone. In addition thert
are the courthouse in course of con.
struction at a cost of $3.50, 900, the new
Presbyterian church building, one ol
the handsomest buildings of its kind Id
the state at $4,000, the immense grain
elevators built by the Midland Eleva
tor company, at cost of 100000 and
with a grain capacity of 10000 bush.
els and with the great Touring mill Il
be built by the company at a cost ol
100000; the additions TO the Idaho
Falls high school neraing completion al
Continued on Page Sevenl