Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1921-10-14

moral and financial. He will find d real home
And old Mother Nature Will likely throw in health
strength and happiness for good measure
One of the photographs reproduced herewith
shows Royal N. Allen Of the Chicago Motor club
welcoming William d. Scott, leader of the cara
van. Mr. Scott used to live in Minneapolis. Then
he went to Boston. Later he became a successful
sales manager in Brooklyn with home at 230
Decatur street. He is a middle-aged man, with
W1fe and two children. During the war he made
O reputation as ''four-minute man." He had
made up his mind to drive to the West this sum-
mer, buy ranch hang up his hat and grow up
with the country. Several of his neighbors grew
interested and asked to go along. And that's how
the colony idea started.
Then Mr.. Scott wrote to commercial clubs and
state and county officials in different parts of the
West. Gov. David w. Davis of Idaho responded
promptly with definite offer Mr. Scott went to
Idaho and made study of land in Twin Falls
county, along the Snake river. Here's the way
Mr. Scott tells it:
"That settled 1t. When | saw that land knew
it was just the place was looking for, and Inn
medately took an option on 5,120 acres. The land
was offered to me at the uniform price of $125 an
acre, with water rights, $50 acre to be paid
down at purchase and the balance within ten years
at per cent interest.
'This whole land project is supervised by the
state. It is financed by the Idaho Farm Develop
ment company, the president of which Is p. T.
Meredith, who President Wilson's secretary
the proprietor of an agricultural newspaper In
Des Moines Ia. Mr.. Meredith and his associates,
Incorporating under the Cary act, spent $625 600
developing these tracts. The waters of three trib
utaries Of the Snake river draining the watershed
of the Jarbidge mountains II miles southwest
ward from our colony were damned and I'M
pounded in the Cedar Creek reservoir. Thence o
steel fume leads the water down through the
canyon Of the Little Salmon river irrigating the
lands which we have taken up for our future
am 70
about three miles by six.
"This irrigation enterprise Immediately made
marveousy fertile many thousands of acres which
heretofore had been merely sagebrush prairie
The area had been used only as cattle range and
was one of the most sparsey settled districts In the
state With irrigation, there isn't better country
for growing alfalfa, onions and the famous Idaho
potatoes On farms in the same neighborhood and
. enjoying like advantages to ours there have been
grown world record crops of alfalfa, wheat to the
tune of 90 bushel the acre, and potatoes rating
as high as 642 bushels to the acre.
SBuh nearest railroad town, is about -
miles from the most distant ranches of our colony.
1t is a lively town only nine years old, but with
about 1000 population. A fine road, which is more
than 90 miles long and which runs directly through
our tract, connects Bull with the mining town
Of Jarbidge Out of the Jarbidge mountains the
Guggenheim interests have taken more gold than
all the yellow metal yielded by Alaska The town
Of Jarbidge is the natural center Of that rich coun
try, and our colony will be its nearest source of
supply with good road running straight into It."
Mr. Scott returned to Brooklyn bubbllng over
with enthusiasm. His enthusiasm was infectious.
He was besieged with applications for member.
ship. But the 5.120 acres will make only 12S
tracts of 40 acres each. So weeding-out process
was begun. Every prospective member was put
through the third degree. The rule was laid down
that every accepted member must be 100 per cent
American; must have at least $4,000 In cash;
must be able to take care OF himself and family
until the first crops are marketed, Even then the
129 members of the colony were quickly secured
In the meantime. the Idaho people, who had evil
IDENTIFY taken shine to the Brooklyn people were
doing their part. Governor Davis visited Brook
Ign and addressed meeting of the colonsts The
E3uhl chamber of commerce sent Ben H. Bushman,
one OF Its leaders and secretary of the Rotary club
With offers Of service from the chamber and the
club. So the deal went through without hitch