The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-10-23
A|MER|CANFALLS
FORCES FORWARD
At RAPID SPEED
Corporations Help Pay
Cost Which Otherwise
Farmers Would Have
To Pay

A bulletin issued by the Idaho Rec
lamation association, through its man.
aging director. Guy Flenner. contains
the following information as to de-
velopments at American Falls, site OF
the big reservoir, and is issued in re-
sponse to numerous mail inquiries"
"The work of grading the streets OF
the new townsite and of installing
water and sewer systems is now under
way. The work OF moving houses
from the old townsite to make way
for the reservoir will be undertaken
near the first of the year and is to be
completed by April |, 1923. There
are $50 buildings to be moved. mostly
residences. Practically the entire busi-
ness section of the new town it is be-
lieved will be new construction
Work on the dam will be commen-
ced about July |, next. The first ma
terial for this structure will come from
the big railroad cut made necessary
by change OF the o. s. L. grade and
trackage.
''In the neighborhood of SS00.000
will be expended at American Falls in
construction work, aside from the
dam, in the next nine to twelve months.
Big Help to Farmers
THE cost of the dam and reservoir
will be paid by farmers of the Snake
river valley and that cost has been
materially reduced through successful
negotiations with corporatins having
holdings at American Falls that must
be mved.
The arrangement with all property
holders contemplated a replacement
value In other words, through pay
ment or exchange OF property the
property owner would be made rcas-
onably whole by virtue OF the enforced
change.
'The cost of replacement as to these
corporations was very heavy. running
into hundreds of thousands of dollars
and if the procedure as to other classes
of property and ownership were fol-
lowed the cost to the farmers would
be extremely heavy on account OF
these necessary changes.
Negotiations were had with these
corporations. President Gray, of the
Union Pacific received reports cover
ing the entire situation and arrange
ments have been completed whereby
the Union Pacific will absorb very
considerable amount OF this expense
instead of standing on its rights and
forcing the cost onto the farmers. The
Mountain States Telephone Company,
whose plant and lines will have to be-
moved, similarly have consented to a
large absorption of the costs, thus
further reducing the cost OF the enter
prise to the farmers. The Idaho Pow
er company has also materially CO.
operated in the same connection. lnI
this way and in new construction ne
cessitated by building the reservoir I'll
will have contributed in development
much more than the amount paid Tor
its rights there.
Eastern Publicity
"The American Falls reservoir pro-
ject has received more publicity in
eastern newspapers and magazines
than any irrigation undertaking in the
history of the west Recently more
than fifty eastern newspapers carried
in their Sunday pictorial sections pic
lures of American Falls and stories of
the project, together with recognition
pictorially and otherwise, of the work
of this association on the project.
The Pathc and other movie enter
priscs have taken up with the associa-
ton plan to shoot" the moving of
the town; which will be shown inl
every movie house in the country.
while this publicity is centered on
American Falls the benefits will be
general in southern Idaho and will
stimulate interest in reclamation in the
east and middle west"