Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-01-19

no in 1881 and Familiar With
All Projects of State.
In my official capacity as Presi-
dent of the Idaho Irrigation congress,
am indeed pleased to extend TO you
all hearty and sincere welcome.
And want. at this time. to express
my appreciation TO the members for,
the honor they have bestowed upon
me by making me president, and
assure you all that 1 will do my best.
with your help. TO make this congress
a success, SO that We may all be bene-
flied BY the interchange OF thoughts
and ideas gathered from nearly every
irrigation project in the state and
from the men in charge They are
big men with big ideas and vision
for the future II is these men that
are working out the problems on their
projects that were started by the pro-
moters and construction companies.
and that they are making good is
proven by the thousands of ears OF
produce shipped annually from these
irrigated lands. that a very few years
ago was called The Great American
Desert
In 1881. I came to Idaho with my
parents. We came by wagon from
Kelton, Utah, to Boise. and from the
village Of Albion to Salmon Falls there
was not a house. where now the towns
of Burley. Hansen, Twin Falls. Filler.
BuhI and the beautiful and prosper
Gus Twin Falls project lies This was
all sage brush desert at that time.
and after crossing the Snake river
on ferry, the old emigrant trail was
just a cash in the sage-cOvered plains
until we reached Boise. On the bench
from Boise to below where Caldwell
now stands there was one house.
Since then the railroad has come. then
more new settlers. then irrigation on
2 small scale. which as time went on.
increased in size and scope until to-
day We are preparing 70 construct
the largest storage reservoir in the
world at American Falls. We have
the highest dam. the Arrowroek dam
So we are progressing. but We have
as yet merely scratched the surface
in irrigation development. and the
next twenty years viii make the ac-
cOmplishment OF the past forty years
look small
The responsibility for this develop
ment lies first with the promoter,
who obtains water rights. options on
the land. etc This he sells to some
bonding company: then It is the bond
ing company or the contractor who
the project; and as soon
as these men have completed the work
and received their money they are
gone and forgotten. But the engineer
is the first 70 prove the feasibility
Of the project. then lay out the work
for the construction to complete the
project He is the first 10 be damned
for any mistakes that are made either
by the promoter, bond holder or con-
tractor. also for shortage Of water or
4 flood; but he sticks because he has
1 vision. and secondly because rs
never makes money enough on tbs
Job to get away.
And. Gentlemen. 7 want 70 say now
hat the money involved ia any irri-
sation project IS the smallest thing
connected with IT, When we look
Onward and think of these projects
made 70 stand FOR an tine. the gem
ratior~ upor generations that win
ome. pass on. and others take their
Ilaces 10 produce the bone and sines
Z our country and 20 help feed ths
f0rid on the production from these
lnds. whaf does the cost of today
mount t0g ! saw q dam in China,
uilt of lava rock. tbat was con-
fracted four Thousand years ago ana
Is 'n ~ good condition today -
hen i S4s puilf Who SHOWS who
M huilief Ma 0F Nhaf r. rQsfi arf
ho can estimate Che Falae f has
80 io fat inhahlanis gn1af uf ana
~ o1l AF0Rrock iam iff eQ'sa
piecf az Teu Pals rloI.H aaa
.eY completes pgein ~ iNe Haff
IN Nss.nnins aaf VISION sIfaH
lNN N'tess ef sW' tH.f ft
i n 'h1 ansNf NN halH