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Show I g r-rrr-r i.i. ' '- nim nn ! .1111-1 mi IDAHO. B 3 j ciif f j (By H R. MERRILL.) I A few years ago Preston, Idalio, con- u ' ' r,i .i .i sun parched liome- t , mI- mi ill'' !: :i: : .hi ''h -n.- i - lagebrusli flat. The shallowest well was bo deep that horses wero takfn to Benrrlver to to watered Instead of watering them by drawing ihe bad-llni bad-llni liquid From t lie m mentions ! pthfl A little later the canals reach ed the flat and u town hopan to form; men of lon foresight saw that here wa to be built a center for the cxten alire farming region upon every side, and l ii o Oneida academy was located i-.f, and st.irU' headquarters were permanently established Those two . did rnucb toward drawing people peo-ple to this particular town Proston, bowever, waa j-iill greatly handicapped handicap-ped by lack r,t good drinking water as the wells were tilled with surface wator u.nl heallh conditions were not r. nnr! ; Then one day a city election was .held and officers were elected who l were not afraid to spend hard earned I money foi dire necessities, h spring was secured and a water system was installed at what, in those days', seemed seem-ed to bo tremendous cost. An exten-J sive sidewalk system was also plan-, ; ned and carried out. Freston rptrench-' rptrench-' ed for a time. People got the idoa thai they had spent to the limit and thai all was well, even though the streets were veritable 'bog holes for! several months every year I Then one day another city election was held People had decided that the time had come for more expend!! lures for the new necessities A city! board was elected pledged to a progressive pro-gressive program. These men showed that the) meant business for almost before the election echoes had died ! away bids were being called for fori I the parking of the square and the paving pav-ing ol the streets The suddenness of the attack almost look ihe breath away Immediately great verbal wars began to he waged, but the work vent on. l'n ston v is in the molting stage. The old feathers hail become obsolete and out of style. Nine blocks were placed m the iinproveemnl district and I bonds were issued to ooer the cost of the work Five of the nine blocks: tare ro be paved in full and four, in i the residence district, are to be parked in the middle. The F. J. Moran Con-' 'striicticn Co, of Salt aLke City, was 'given the contracts and work began before be-fore peopla could raise any substantial substan-tial objection Nothing but the best ever satisfies Preston, therefore, bitultthie paving Is to be used This carries with it a f he-year he-year guarantee. The business district was not satis fled with new paving it) the street! alone. Therefore, the old sidewalks ; which were becoming rather shabby,, wore torn up and new twenty foot sidewalks side-walks were laid in their place. YVhon 1 the ork Is finished Preston will present pre-sent a very metropolitan appearance. I The underground comfort station which was begun by the former board is now completed and adds much to I I the comfort and well being of Pres-1 ton visitors. A caretaker is employed permanently whose duty it is to see thai the station la kept in a elean and sanitary condition at all times. The public square, which is owned! by the church, but which has been' used by the city for man years, is beintr parked. An expensive under i ground sprinkling Bystem is being in-j illed bj the Manning Plumbing com-! pany The paving has added impetus k lh' sewer extension Many of the blocks! which are to be paved were not con-' i netted up wiih the splendid sower system which was Installed last year Uttder the direction of ih' former board. II P. Balr, of Lognn, came In to do this work, and while lure many other blocks petitioned to have i the sewer extended to them. In this way five and a half blocks of sewer . system have been added. These add- ' to those put in when the sewer was tirst Installed connect up almosl :.n ol I ihe central part of the city. In addition to the now sewer and paving system, a splendid and attractive attrac-tive lighting system is being put in by 'In Pinson Electric company of this City, Twenty-seven ornamental concrete con-crete lamp posts have been erected In the paved dlsiriet which add much to the beauty of the town In addition the present system will be much extended ex-tended in order that more of the streets will have the advantage of good light. At present water for all purposes is rather short, but for drinking and cullnnrj purposes negotiations arc now under way which when completed will furnish the city with an abundant sup ply of the best kind of mountain spring water. . nio eiiifii t is now on I ot whnn has for Its object the building of a bit: reservoir three or four miles out from Preston This reservoir will furnish water for about three thousand acres. Tlrffc roser . oir will be situated in what is known as the village of fxlendale The dam. Which will be about 'hn-e or four hundred feet long on top. will be located just a little above the L. C. Larson home. Owing to the fact that no rock foundation can be found, the dam will be built of dirt It will be about four hundred feet in thick ness and something Like seventy-five or o:ghty feet Inch. A .:.. eon about eighteen feet thick will be put through the center to stop seepage This reservoir reser-voir will make irrigation sure on the Preston and Whitney fats. This year Cub river water entirely failed after July first which out down the bet I yield to soni extent although 'he Mink creek water held up fairly well It is estimated that the proposed reservoir res-ervoir will cou about two hundred thousand dollars It is further e.stl-ni. e.stl-ni. ned that water from the reservoir, which will water about 3000 ai res, will cost about seventy dollars per acre Since the. dam will be so close to the land that future maintenance will be very light, this cost is extremely reasonable. reas-onable. The Preston, Cub River, and Worm Creek Canal company Is at present spending considerable money upon their ditch near the head prr paring par-ing it for greater service u filling the reservoir and in furnishing irrigation water next year It seems certain that as soon as late Irrigation water is nure thai a sugar factory will be built in the vicinity of Preston. The people have been calling for one very insistently and the water Situation, so the sugar companies said, was the only thing that prevented the Immediate erection of a factory. Although land in and near Preston is commanding a hiuh price at the present time, ii is certain that as soon as the reservoir is started and a sugar factory is assured prices wi'l almost double. Stock In ihe new reservoir may be purchased by any resident of Franklin county whether he has land under the project or not. It Is certain that many will invest In this gilt edge security simply as an investment, while others wlio do not now own land will buy v iter now with (he Intention of pro-cueing pro-cueing laml under the project later. Th outlook for Preston is brighter than it has im v been. Many splen did buildings are being built, which in dlcate that people are well satisfied with their home town. The Oneida academy is coming out this ye, ii with the announcement that, a complete business training will be given at the institution This means much to the community, for In the past many students have gone elsewhere to get what they can now procure at home. It is rumored thai plans are now un-t dor way for ihe bringing of Ihe nat-i ' ural hot water west of town ino the city where an up-to-date sanitarium Will bo built. Preston, situated as it is on the Yellowstone highway and at the end of two railroad systems. Is nn ; ideal location lor such an undertaking.! ' Many projects have been waiting up- ' on the appearance of more Irrigation! ; water and it is safe to predict that in' the near future many new factories will be bulk in this vicinity The soil and climate are Ideal for the produc-i produc-i lion of almost any kind of crops. Preston has a live commercial organization orga-nization and considerable harmony ex-' . isis between the different elements of the i . All are united in an t fforl ! j to make of the city one of the mosti progressive in the state of Idaho. |