The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-01-24
NAN WRITES HOME

: RAILROAD MAN WRITES HOME
3 Joel Priest, friend of everybody
? one who feels at home In every west
ern town, writes a letter to Black
, foot, and we share it with our neigh
; bors. Here 1t is:
Mr.. Byrd Trego, Editor,
Idaho Republican,
Blackfoot, Idaho.
} Dear Sir:
A few days before Christmas
went to our Boise depot to board an
eastbound train. Just back of the
locomotive 1 noticed an express re-
frigerator car. This aroused my
curiosity, so 1 proceeded to inyesti-
gate. That car was loaded with tur-
keys and it was billed to Providence,
r. l., 1000 miles away.
At many a Christmas dinner In
Providence an Idaho turkey glad
dened the eyes and appeased the APP
petites of Christmas jewellers, young
and old. And Providence was not
the only favored eastern city. We
shipped turkeys by express to Bos-
ton, to New York, to New Haven,
|
where people were hungry for the
real bird.
| A story went the rounds of the
| Idaho newspapers recently about a
farmer whose crops were invaded by
grasshoppers. His wife had invested
her savings in a flock of turkeys.
When the grasshoppers ate the
crops, she turned the turkeys loose
in the fields and they promptly ate
the grasshoppers. The turkeys, fat
tened on the grasshoppers that had
eaten the crops, were sold at proht
sufficient to save the farm. sort
of House That Jack Built" story
and a true one.
| Now, all this is by way of prelim-
mary to a little story OF a transfer
nation that is going on today in
many an Idaho farm home. 1t is
the story of the beginnings. at least,
of stable prosperity based on dairy
ing and poultry raising, two in
dustries that only a few years ago
were considered unworthy OF the at
tention of the men on the farm.
During the last three years ap-
proximately 5000 dairy cows have
been imported into Idaho. So rapid
has been the growth of the industry
that people in other states are now
looking to Idaho to some extent for
the restocking and replenishment OF
their own herds. Idaho cheese and
Idaho butter are commanding pre-
MUM prices in markets outside the
state and there is every prospect that
goes on.
The production of eggs and poul-
try in Idaho has been increasing
rapidly. The years shipments, de-
tailed in the statement below, show
that we moved $50 cars OF eggs.
Each car of eggs contained 400
crates of thirty dozen. Minimum
cars of butter and cheese contain
900 pounds. The movement OF
poultry shows forty cars, but this is
not indicative of the total shipments.
because by far the greater part OF
the poultry business moves by ex-
press. The following showes the
number of cars and where shipped to
for the year ended July 81, 1928:
California-Butter, 1870; cheese,
20; eggs 81; poultry, 16; total 313.
Colorado-Eggs, l.; total, 1.
Idaho-Cheese, 8; eggs, l; total,
Illinois-Butter, Z; cheese, g.;
eggs 1; poultry, l. total, II.
Missouri-Buttor, 2; poultry, l.,
total, 3.
Butter, L; cheese, 1;
eggs, 3 total 5.
Nebraska-Butter, 2; eggs, 10;
poultry, A.; total, %.
Nevada-Cheese. 4; total, 4.
n,rff
total, %.
eggs, 8 total, 10.
Utah-Cheese, FL; eggs, z; poul-
try, 1; total, 20.
Washington-But 20; cheese,
26; eggs, s.; poultry, II; total, So.
Wyoming-Cheese, 1; total 1.
Total cars butter, ITO; cheese,
139; eggs, $50; poultry. 40; grand
total, 499.
l hope l may be pardoned for
pointing with pride to the Union
Pacific Systems part in all this de-
This company has joined
in movements toward bringing ex-
pert dairymen to the state to inter-
est Idaho people in an industry that
we believe is destined to become one
of our greatest assets. We have
kept men in the field helping to es-
tablish markets, advising with those
who contemplated in engaging In
this occupation, and have in all cases
given our friendly support to COM
enterprises having for their
purpose the working out of dairy
problems We believe the year upon
which we are just entering will wit
ness a continuance Of the past pro-
gress.
With all the compliments of the {
season, It
Sincerely, /
JOEL PRIEST.