White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-02-15
PUBLICITY FOR DAM
IS NOW NATION WIDE

The following excerpts are taken
from recent issue OF the Christian
Science Monitor Boston, Mass.) on
the proposed Priest Rapids develop
ment. After describing the location,
size and estimated cost of the dam,
the article goes on to say:
"Dr. Charles Stcinmetz was re-
sponsible for the way i'll which this
project is being carried out, although
he did not originate the idea. He
personally investigated the Priest
Rapids proposition and through his
/! recommendation the General Electric
Company went into it.
/ The plan is to make Priest Rap
I, ids the western center for the electro
chemical industries. AT present these
! industries are centered at Niagara
Falls. The new plants and factories
will supply General Electric pro-
ducts, not only to the west, but they
expect to have all Asia for their
market as, WELL
"Of vital, i, though secondary inn
portance, is the irrigation system
which will reclaim 10000 acres of
sagebrush desert now owned by the
company. This land is covered 100
feet deep with volcanic ash, and
needs only water to make it as
fertile as that in the Imperial Valley,
which it much resembles. At pres
ent it is barren and treeless, with no
vegetation but sagebrush and that
only two or three feet high. The
climate is hot. The sun shines 800
days in the year. There is very
little rain. During the winter, which
lasts only a month and a half, the
temperatures sometimes gets down
to zero, and once i'll while there
is half an inch of snow. Spring comes
in February. During the summer
the temperature runs up to 120 de-
grees; i'll October this year it ran
up to 90 degrees. All this, too, is
much like the Imperial Valley.
Irrigation, which will be done by
means of pipes laid under ground
will make it possible to raise any kim
Of crops-alfalfa, corn and cotton
/ BY covering the ground with greer
crops and by creating large bod,
of water, the climate will be some.
what modified, it is thought.
Hint $4,000 Population
| The land will be divided into
farms, which are to be sold at mod
crate cost. Whether the water will
be paid for. by an annual rental o
sold outright, its cost included il
the initial price Of the land, has no
yet. been decided Farms may b,
bought for one-third cash, the bal
ance to be paid during a period O
20 years.
This farming country will be th
agricultural hinterland for the ney
city to be built at Priest Rapids.
$4,000.
: @4I;4---..Much Of the building will prop
ably be done with the tufa rock
since there is no timber immediatel
available. This rock, which is .
volcanic origin, is of peculiar con
stituency; it can be sawed into shap
like wood, and nails can be drive,
into it, yet when hardened it be
comes durable building material.
| Congress granted the water rights
to the company three years ago, ans
much preliminary work has alread,
been done, and now only the Fedora
Power Commission permit is needed
before construction starts in earnest
This will probably be about the frs
of March.
"The Milwaukee and the Grea
Northern railroads are to be straight
ened near Priest Rapids, and viii
pass over bridge ON the dam. Al
though this road is electrified, ant
others in the vicinity are considering
electrihcation, it is autl1oritativel.
stated that no power will be solo
to any Of them, as the company viii
be able to use all that it can develop
Financing the undertaking was
done with the utmost secrecy, il
order to keep the market stable ant
prevent wild speculation. Only re.
Gently has any knowledge of wha
has been going on for several year.
leaked out The exact whereabouts
of the company headquarters II
| Washington was known to only 1(
men, such was the effort to guard the
secret.
"The city and plant are to be Oh
the east bank of the river, at the
swiftest part OF the rapids The dan
crosses on three islands, one channe
at time to be built.
The factories will be cooled ar
tihcia1ly to make them comfortable
to work in.
"The region is in the same lati.
tude as Aloostook County, Maine.
city which is, in fact, already on pa.
| per. Its plan is similar to that oi
Washington, d. c., with main ave
nucs radiating from a common center
Typical of the modern ideas which
are being worked out in every line
of activity is the way i'll which geo
graphy is to be taught in the school.
there. Instead OF textbooks and map.
studied in a classroom, the pupil.
will be taken out of doors to Z
| 10-acre field where, modelled in re
lief and colored appropriately, they
| find huge map of the world, OF
which they can actually move from
place to place.
The $4,000 employees of the var
ious factories will live in this city
but it is expected that in five year.
fits population will have become
| Postal Inspector r. G. Mel
lish was in White Bluffs Mon
day going over the proposed
extension Of the rural ronte
The rules do not permit inspec