The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-03-08
Settlers on Reservation Affected

them, which, of course, is true. Al
|, in little more territory than what
has already been mentioned, but al
; it is to have a vital affect on the de-
velopment of this section for the
present, and perhaps for all time, we
explain at length.
Probably no irrigation system has
even been built for what it was
estimated to COST The nearest ap-
proach. to it was probably the case OF
the Jackson Lake reservoir, esti-
mated by F. A. Banks, to cost $685.
900, and actually built by him for
$4,000. The estimated cost of the
Boise Project was $45 per acre, but
the actual cost was $87 per acre.
The Yuma Project estimates were for
$35 per acre, but actual cost was
$105, and the settlers could not con-
sistently ask the government to meet
the higher costs just because the
government consented to father the
management of it and advance
money for construction when they
did not have it. 1t has been pretty
much the same on all projects
litigation, washouts, accidents, seep-
age, leakage, lobbying to secure new
| legislature to meet unexpected con-
tingencies, all these things and
many others, have added to the
original estimates of the cost, and
altho people came from everywhere
to buy and go to work under what
was believed to be the true cost, yet
when it came to facing the new con-
ditions as they arose, the government
did not owe it to the settlers to pay
the additional costs. If it did it
would have to collect it from other
people not interested in the project,
and that would be wrong.
American Falls Project
When the Skeens started the
American Falls canal, they saw a
prospective profit of a million dollars
in the project, and they staked their
fortunes on it and went broke in a
few years. The settlers had not yet
come, and nobody but the promoters
lost. Then came the Sweets and the
Bothwells and the McConaughys
and other millionaires, and they
pushed construction and brought set
tiers upon the land and had them
paying in moneys, and they all came
to embarrassments together because
it cost so much more than anyone
expected. Then they sold bonds and
secured the aid of bunch of
moneyed men of Rockford, ILL.,, and
got what was considered plenty of
money, but it was not enough, and
all the moneys paid in by a genera
ton of new settlers was not enough |
and the canal is still bonded and re-
bonded. The history of the enter
prise is very much like the history of
the Northern Pacific railroad-it |
broke all the capitalists that touched |
it for a long time and then for a !
period it drained the various treas |
uries till they cracked, and when 1t
began to create wealth at full capa-
city it poured out such treasures that
it astonished even those that believed |
in it the most.
The Peoples Canal
The Peoples canal was built by an
of settlers without the
or backing or fathering
of the government, and they had the
same series of surprises and disap-
washouts and litigation
and clogging of the canals with will
lows and silt, and nobody but them
selves could be called in to bear the
burden.
But for a long time the settlers
on the FIT. Hall Project have been
enjoying the rosy side of a reclama-
ton project. The government built
q project and operated it for them,
and when there has been too little
water, the settlers sat back and de-
handed delivery, leaving all the
worry with the government. Now
the government says they need to do
some housekeeping and some re-
modelling If they are to have plenty
If water, and most of the settlers are ,
n accord with the plans. Others
,ay they bought certain definite
hings for q certain fixed price, and
hey want the goods. ,
History Of Project II
Twenty years ago Senator Dubois
discovered the natural resources for
storage reservoir and means of
water thru the Blackfoot
liver to point near the lands, with , ,
ome canals already built, and it ,
ooked SO easy and so cheap in COM !.
'arison with other projects that he :
to ask for federal ap- l
ropriation on account of its cheap q
ess and it's connection with the q
indian reservation. The water would
erve both Indians and white men
nd the white men would pay their :
hare of the COST At first he could 4
carcely get hearing on it, and he
ound he had to make an unusual Il
howing Of vaule and cheapness of II
obstruction costs if he was to get
he sanction of enough senators and
and department heads
. carry it thru.
Dubois was wise to the ways of II
fficial Washington, and he saw river II
nd harbor bills taking money out of II
he treasury and their sponsors later II
oming back and saying the appro-
riatiOns made had not proved to be II
nough, and that unless they could II