278 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



line running between San Francisco 

 and Portland. 



The land owners have found it neces- 

 sary, owing to the lack of transporta- 

 tion facilities, to confine themselves to 

 the cattle industry and the cultivation 

 of hay. Alfalfa yields from four to 

 five tons per acre. The lands produce 

 heavy crops of grain, apples, peas, 

 plums, cherries, and peaches, and the 

 smaller fruits are successfully grown. 

 Sugar beets raised as an experiment, 

 show a high percentage of sugar. 

 Most of the vegetables, and especially 

 onions and potatoes, yield bountifully. 

 The streams and lakes abound with 

 trout, while ducks of every kind and 

 geese tempt the huntsman. 



Progress on Eelle Kourche Project. 



Construction work on the Belle 

 Fourche project has commenced in 

 earnest, two camps having been estab- 

 lished, one at the head of the inlet 

 canal for work on that canal, and one 

 at Owl Creek reservoir site for work 

 on the dam and the first section of the 

 outlet canal. 



Bids have been requested for the 

 construction of a double circuit tele- 

 phone line connecting each of these 

 headquarter camps with the town of 

 Belle Fourche. It is proposed to drill 

 an artesian well at each camp, as the 

 surface water is unfit for domestic 

 use during the greater part of the year. 

 The buildings are so located and con- 

 structed that they can be utilized by 

 the gate-keepers after the project is 

 completed. 



The successful bidder for the con- 

 struction of the inlet canal has be- 

 gun work and 1,000 barrels of cement 

 have been received and tested. 'Final 

 location of six and one-half miles of 

 canal has been completed, and con- 

 siderable surveying and other pre- 

 liminary work accomplished. 



The party situated at the dam site 

 ,1ias made a general reconnaissance of 

 the area around the dam and about 

 ico holes have been bored to obtain 

 information as to the location of ma- 

 terial and amount of same. One 

 gravel bed containing 15,000 cubic 



yards of gravel was located for use 

 in construction work. 



Stream gaging for the season was 

 begun on April 1st, twelve stations 

 visited and checked, gages repaired 

 and one cable station established. New 

 stations were established one on Hot 

 Creek and one on Beaver Creek. 



malting a SJew Town in Idaho. 



Resolutions have been passed by the 

 State Land Board, of Idaho, pledging 

 the cooperation of the state in the mat- 

 ter of laying out and disposing of lots . 

 in the new town of Heyburn, on the 

 tract included in the Minidoka irriga- 

 tion project. 



At the suggestion of Governor 

 Gooding the subdivisions were ex- 

 tended half a mile farther west than 

 in the original design. The railroad 

 siding of the Oregon Short Line Rail- 

 way has been constructed and the de- 

 pot site located. 



The town was named in honor of 

 Senator Heyburn on account of his 

 deep interest in the Idaho projects in 

 general and the establishment of this 

 municipality in particular. 



It is probable that the Secretary of 

 the Interior will place certain lots in 

 both the government reserve and the 

 state subdivision on the market in the 

 near future for this purpose. Prac- 

 tically all of the land on the north 

 side is now taken and the peeople 

 are living on their claims. Trains 

 are running as far as the river and a 

 large construction crew is located at 

 the town site. Several business men 

 are desirous of locating at this point 

 and many private individuals have 

 signified their wish to buy lots for resi- 

 dence purposes. 



A committee appointed by a mass 

 meeting of citizens for the purpose 

 has drawn up resolutions asking for 

 the immediate opening of the trnvn- 

 sites. It is recited that the settlers 

 will be subject to great hardship, re- 

 sulting from their inability to obtain 

 supplies if the town is not opened 

 soon, and that business men who de- 

 sire to locate will go to other points. 

 The work which the settlers might 



