The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-09-18

years, and always warming up more
to the project. But l comprehend
1t more clearly as i think of the
American Falls reservoir and its
promoters. Let me tell you of one
mans part in it, and perhaps you
can apply it to other things that
have engaged mems lives and .ener-
gies.
o. H. Barber is the editor of the
American Falls Press, and has been
ever since they started that stupen-
dOus enterprise that killed the town
for the past fifteen years-the re-
servoir. Mr.. Barber can't help be-
ing a booster, and he boosted for
the new idea-storing the floods and
the winter flow of the biggest treas
ure running to absolute loss out of
Idaho into the sea. AS soon as 1t
came to be seriously considered,
men began to hesitate about invest
ing money in American Falls be-
cause of the proposed dam and sub
merging the townsite. What was
the use to buy or build or repair or
paint at American Falls pending de-
cision about the dam. Everything
slowed down and dragged along in
suspense, and for the past two or
three years while the government
has been buying and condemning
property it ceased to be taxable be-
cause it is government proptrey, and
now there is SO little left to tax, just
few property owners have to pay
all the cost of administering the
city and it's schools That makes
them anxious to get out from under
the load and they offer to sell for
almost anything, and that makes 1t
easier for the government to buy the
rest of it, and CORRESPONDENCE hard
er for the city council and the school
board. Everything that Mr.. Barber
and the rest of the enterprising fell
lows have done to achieve success
for the big reservoir has served to
disarm themselves afterwards. Mr..
Barber became commissioner of i'm
migration under Governor D. w.
Davis, and when his term expired
he thought he ought to go back and
take up his work of excommunicat-
ing himself for the sake OF the re-
Is that what you call, ''the |
lure of the west?"
Mr.. Barber was the greatest wag
in the Press club, and one of his |
friends wagged back at him about
to American Falls. Mrs.
Barber advised against it, saying |
hat he always worked too hard
here and the harder he worked the
ess business he had, but now that
le was seeing things-visions of the
greatest of irrigation systems, he
wanted to get into the fray in the
days of the panic and help
)ut the reservoir across, which he
lid.
This friend of his warned him in
| fable that ran like this: There
vas an editor stranded in a dead
own and after having failed in all
attempts to arrange for supper or
! bed, he CHANGED to pick up piece
If lead pipe at an alley crossing.
md he decided to use it on the first
likely looking man that came along,
irst knocking him down and then
filing his pockets. He overlooked
he fact that it was the soft or flex-
BILE lead, and when he swung it at
lis intended victim it hit him across
he back of the neck and wound
round like soft taffy, slipped out
# his own hands and the man ran
way with the weapon wound
round his neck The editors final
fort had cost him all he had left,
nd the man he expected to get re-
urns from saw no reason to thank
i'm
Mr.. Barber listened to the fable
nd said it was clever, and that it
you'd probably prove reasonably
rue. Then he picked up and start
d over to American Falls to try to
ee that the dam was built SO feet
Ugh SO it would back the water up
he valley for thirty miles. The gov
rnment is now letting contracts for
and Mr.. Barber looks
nd acts about ten years younger
nd enjoys contrasting the dam q
lille long with the soft lead pipe 1
round a mans neck. The lead pipe {
J passing; the dam will last a thous-
nd years.
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