South Idaho Press from Burley, Idaho • 4

JACK AKSISSCri: Alfr poiGwyedl ibmn dispirited If cays 4 burley, Idaho, Wednesday, June 20, 1973 SOUTH IDAHO PRE5S OSJrCniAL PAG2 5 SGOTI! IDAHO FilESS Daily serving two of the fastest growing counties on the Snake River Plain New Schools Pollution Control Con states rely on water agreements? another enough to proceed with meaningful negotiations, the President suggests. After Nixon's return from Iceland, he appeared haggard. But he explains this wasn't from worry over Watergate but from lack of sleep in Iceland. He found it difficult to sleep in the land of the midnight sun because even the blinds couldn't shut out the brightness at night. Friends who ask how they can help with the Watergate problem get only an appreciative shrug from the President but no specific suggestions.

He will leave it to them, he says, to decide what statements they wish to make in his support. The mention of John Mitchell or Bob Haldeman causes the President merely to shake his head, as if he doesnl know what to think of his two former close advisers. The President insists he had no advance knowledge of the Watergate break-in or the obstruction of justice. "Stupid," is the kindest word he has for the Waterbugging. He recalls that he thought the best politics last year was to attend to the presidency, that he left the political tactics to "the boys." But to all who ask, Richard Nixon makes one thing perfectly clear.

He has no intention of resigning. Fish Tale For guppy lovers at the highest reaches of government, the taxpayers provide pet fish and an aquarist to attend them: The aforesaid aquarist, known less loftily as a fish-tank tender, is, Floyd Crawford. His calling in life is to service some 40 fish tanks that the National Aquarium has loaned to senators, representatives and other pampered poobahs of government. Some of the fanciest fish Blue Moons, Angel Fish and Kissing Gouramis have been consigned to Vice President Agnew's domain. It's not Agnew who is infatuated with Kissing Gouramis, we have been informed, but his aides.

White House press secretary Ronald Ziegler, who refers to his liberal critics as "bleeding hearts," appropriately keeps Bleeding Heart Tetras in his office aquarium. However, the efficient Ziegler won't permit his office routine to be interrupted by the care and feeding of his blushing fish. The visiting aquarist has strict instructions never to tend Ziegler 's fish tank while the great man is in the office. Perhaps the most menacing pet in the federal fishery is a miniature Black Shark on loan to George Gauzza, the Interior Department's boss of management operations. But of all Washington's famous fish fanciers, ronewas more devoted than the late FBI chief J.

Edgar Hoover, whose bulldog visage and staccato speech were the terror of crooks and Communists. But he was a softie when it came to his pet goldfish. WASHINGTON Personal friends who have visited President Nixon lately have found him more annoyed than dispirited over the Watergate revelations. What annoys him is the time 1 Watergate has taken from his preparations for the summit meeting with Soviet party leader Leonid Brezhnev. The President believes he established an understanding with Brezhnev in Moscow last year.

They now trust one 0m It ft mml flow from Wyoming by the compact. Recently, vast industrial development in the Green river basin has caused the neighboring state to question the tri-state agreement. Like Colorado, Wyoming is finding out that the water is a precious heritage, parceled away years ago for the benefit of Idaho. The critical difference between the Colorado Rjiver Compacfand the Utah-Wyoming and Idaho compact is that California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah have eagerly used and converted thef river rights which (hey won by the 1922 agreement. Idaho, meanwhile, takes the vast reserves of the Snake River and wastes much of it.

In the last three yearsover" 14 million acre feet of surplus water have flowed through Idaho tQ the sea. While we are using much of the water with new land openings, nothing significant in reclamation has reached Idaho since the building of Palisades Reservoir dam 20 years ago. About 50,000 acres a year are converted from brush to irrigable lands each year but very little of this land draws from the undeclared rights in the Snake Rivef If Idaho were actually using the treaty waters of the Snake, we would cn solid ground for rete 'ning That will be the crux of the Colorado governor's appeal to nullify the 1922 compact. The ceded waters are vitally interwoven into die economy and lifeblood of the lower river states. Again, the old axiom that using the resource establishes a right, expecially is this so with water, Any dirt farmer realizes this.

Bijit Gov. Love has -received non-partisan suppoYt for his efforts to nullify the compact, Ixvc contends that he could issue an executive decree to reject the Coiffpact and let thclederarcourtsr decide the issue, Some say that Colorado like Wyoming is "hemmed-in" by the compact. Whether Congress would reconsider the compact questioned by the Colorado governor is enigmatic especially in view of the use given to the water by the benefitting states. Idaho is not sitting in the same position because we not only neglect full use of these surplus waters but are doing little to formulate a use program in the years ahead. The state created the Water board in 1904 and today i is hamstrung by environmental forces working from Your age is showing Coni.y News Son Happened Yesteryear Three Western Governors have rejected the fund cuts for water resource development.

Leader of the trio is Gov. John Love It) of Colorado who has been joined by Jack Williams of Arizona and Calvin Hampton of Utah. Gov. Love voiced amazement at the failure to budget funds for nine Colorado reclamation projects approved by Congress eight years ago. Gov.

Williams, also a Republican, complained that the $832 million Central Arizona project approved five years ago was way behind schedule with only one single phase let to contract, amounting to $920,000 for the Buckskin lift and lateral pipeline from the Colorado Kiver near Parker Dam, Gov. Hampton, the lone Democrat, enumerated five other projects vital to Utah that would require funds for further reclamation development. The need lor industrial and municipal water on the Bonneville project was stressed by Hampton as a part of the Central Utah project. Gov. Love set a precedent in his remarks by threatening to nullify the 1922 Colorado Uiver Compact by which his state ceded 75 per cent of Uie flow of the Colorado river to the lower river states of Arizona, Nevada and California.

Here was a real bombshell in the status quo of western land development. The threat of nullity was made before the IHiblic works committee of the Senate's appropriations committee. Gov. Uwe sought five projects amounting to $3.1 million for his state, When Colorado ceded its waters, storage and power reservoirs at lakc Mead and on Lake Powell were made possible by building of the huge Hoover Dam and the Glen Canyon structures besides numerous smaller projects. Colorado is threatened with the use of its remaining 23 per cent river How by the urgency of developing salinity of the Mexican residue from the Colorado below California's Imperial Valley.

The Mexican govememtn has charged U.S. as violating treaty agreements relative to salinity nature of the Colorado river waters after the upper river stales have used and reused it many times and before it reached the international boundary. Delay in project development of upper slates has been approved pending development of salinity for the Mexican treaty. The Colorado governor's threat to nullify the 1922 Compact would mark an improtant test of interstate" compacts. These are approved by the participating states and congress.

Idaho, Utah and Wyoming presently enjoy a compact on Bear and Snake river waters which originate in Wyoming. Idaho receives SHi per cent of the Snake Geothermal (IDAHO STATKS.MAN A lot of excitement has been generated about the possibilities of geothermal power. The concept sounds wonderful; tapping the hot water and steam beneath the earth's surface to generate much needed electrical energy. The Haft River Rural Electric Cooperative in southeastern Idaho has blown the whistle on the enthusiasm and rightly so. There is much research and development to be done to determine the economic feasibility of geothermal generation of electricity.

The knowledge of the resource itself is limited, including its depletion. Edwin C. Schlender, manager of the cooperative, said "we are concerned about the uncertainty of the magnitude of the earth energies that are available for utilization in the valley," At the first chill of winter, he wouli deliver his special goldfish to tht National Aquarium to be looked after during the cold. But as soon as tht weather warmed, Hoover's personal bodyguard would appear to pick up the golden dandies. If one of his goldfish appeared ill, Hoover would order an aide to call the Aquarium for a diagnosis.

The aquarium is beseiged with calls from bigwigs about their fish problem One may want a red fish to go with the office decor. Others want their fish tanks moved from one side of the room to another, a maneuver that requires four men. One congressional office called six times in a single day about the illness of some Siamese fighting fish. fA Once, ben. uaioorne Fell, demanded a salt water tank, in which he wanted to display clams, lobsters and other marine life native to his home 3 state, the fish experts finally talked him out of it.

i Every morning, Aquarist Floyd Crawford climbs into his officia government truck and begins his rounds On a typical day, he might drop off some a food for Indiana Sen. Vance Hartke'sj Australian Rainbows, then clean ouQ" Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye fish tankr; In answer to an anxious call from Ohio Rep. William Mishall's office, Crawford. might examine the congressman red Swordtails and pronounce them sick with ich.

Then he might stop by Pennsylvania Rep. Joseph McDade's office and dip out a dead Angel Fish for a squeamish secretary. .3 Then he might drive downtown to in i spect the aquarium of the Interior; -j Department's communications director; Robert Kelly, who is down to two fish and is complaining about it. Next, there are; fish tanks at the U.S. Information Agency and General Services Adminstration that need tending.

There's one fish story the folks at the National Aquarium would rather not talk about. They supplied a government bigshot, whose name they don't or won't recall, with a tank full of African Rift Lake Cichlids. The official bred some little ones and then had the audacity to ask the Aquarium to purchase them from' him. Footnote: A spokesman claimed that the fish tank program is being phased out. The National Aquarium will not service tanks that change hands he said, and will install no new ones.

you admired chewed tobacco or smoked pipes or cigars rather than cigarettes.f You can recall when people expressedn surprise or dismay by saying somethingyj like, "What in tarnation is going on around here, anyway?" The preacher could hardly keep his I audience's attention if he didn't denounce hell out loud and in no uncertain terms at'' least a dozen times duringhis Sabbath i sermon. If your life depended on it you might be.f able to name one or two, but never three, i of the songs the Beatles made You feel something is missing on the mornings you wake up without a twinge of arthritis. if You don't like to have snapshots taken of you anymore because they remind you 1 No woman, including your wife, has ,,,.11 lu. I. or forehead for the last 10 years.

ueaaing mis column makes you want1.1 to cry. 4 about how the community of Burlev looked on the day the first lots were pl acedon sale. "As I remember, said Mr Condit, the town consisted of two stores and a large tent that served as a saloon. Those who wished to purchase property registered and if their name was drawn they were allowed to buy any of the remaining lots." Amazing as it sounds, Condit recalled that residential lots went for a $1 anJ business lots for $2. There was one other incident associated with that first day in the "birth" of Burley on May 1, 1905.

Frank Condit was ten years old at the time and he recalled how his father, mother, brothers and sisters all came in from Malta in a large wagon to purchase land for his son-inf law. Newspaper accounts at the time stated that several hundred people attended the land sale. The Condits camped out on some barren acreage a distance from the tract office, that today would bt)-in the heart of the city. 5j During the interview, Leo Handy also added an item that in- this writers; knowledge at least is new information ort the city. In most accounts the Opera-House has been referred to as beine located on the corner of Oakley and Main St.

That is correct, except that it was nott the first Opera House. The first such tVDe" of structure used for early day entertain father. It was constructed on one of the" IntR Mr HAnrlv mirrhacH nn that fimst. day of the town sale. This first Opera: House was erected where the present fire station now stands at the corner of Oniric onI 11th TS.U tainment center harl fl shnrt life AfW.

uu UIIVI AOlll. A 1113 11U111UC1 U11C dlLd furnishing considerable recreation for' tin. ri Atrti I me iicuKuuK tumiiiuiiiiy. lnciuuinKT frflvelinO chnua anA rfans.no it KitKnwl Ia w- "MV 1 IV. yuilVU, II UUi I1V.V.

vi tne ground on Labor Day, in 1905. After a few months of operation, the first, and then many years later, the second Operat House became victims of fire. "tic inaiijr iiiuic uiuucuui ui early area history told by Mr. Condit and I Mr. Handv which snare rtopa nnt nllnuu i recountins here.

FepJino that thetui I stones have considerable reader In terest, we hope to print some of these accounts in future columns. if you can NEW YORK (AP) You may not be ready for the scrap heap, but your years are showing ifr It makes yoU feel sad and sentimental when you read that Hank Aaron or anybody else will break the 714-lifetime home run total of immortal Babe Ruth. You will retire sometime in the 20th not the 21st century. You can remember watching a barber give three crew cuts in a row. In case a lady faints in public, you still know what to do to revive her.

You have seen a runaway horse. As a boy, your ambition was to be a fireman or a policeman. When you played cowboy and Indians, nobody wanted to play an Indian. A rich uncle was one who gave you a whole dime instead of a nickel on Sunday. The girls in your grammar school wore bloomers in gym class.

You never wore a pair of long pants before your 16th birthday. In your youth most of the older men Around Town fcft Idaho towns met in Pocatello and organized a state association of potato growers; and the Commercial Club's special fairground committee turned over to the city of Burley the possession of the grounds and buildings after many weeks of earnest and strenuous effort put forth by the committee and others who were interested in saving the property for the city government. In 1913 it was estimated that the 70 per cent of the automobile tax collected in Cassia County would amount to $300 which would pay interest on $5,000 worth of bonds at six percent. By bonding for $3,000 Cassia County could secure the use of the money for improving her roads, where if she did not bond she would receive no benefit from the auto tax collected. AL DAWSON His family can be credited as founding the town of Malta, an aunt was the individual who gave the community its name, and his father is believed to have been one of the schoolteachers instructing in the little log cabin now located on the museum grounds.

Frank Condit, from Humiston, Iowa, the past week has been visiting his boyhood sites and renewing aquaintan-ceships of his pioneer family, who Were among the early settlers of Cassia County. While here, Mr. Condit was a guest of his nephew and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Leo J.

Handy of Heyburn. The Condits in the 1800s lived in Little Sioux, Iowa and like some other early emigrants, decided to move to California. Frank was the youngest of seven children (four brothers and two sisters). He was born in Cassia County, Nov. 29, 1895.

JHis father, Leonard Merry Condit, and his wife, Mary Carmelia, left Iowa with their family by wagon train in the spring of 1881. They spent the first winter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Leonard Condit got a job "tailing up cattle." This included feeding, along with every morning getting the critters on their feet up from the deep snow. In the spring of 1882 the Condits moved on again, this time to the area around Bridge, on the border of Idaho and Utah. Father Condit got a job as a stage driver, and the mother took charge of the stage station. Although the present Mr.

Condit did not explain this point it must have been at this time that his family decided to give up the intended trip to California, and settle in Idaho. In any event, they arrived in what is now the Malta area in 1883. Leonard Condit hewed timber and with his own hands built a simple log cabin. Frank Condit reminisced, "It had a dirt roof and dirt floor, and finally dad put flooring in two of the rooms." The youngest son of this old pioneer also told how a small stock of merchandise was added for sale to the surrounding settler-s. Leonard Condit in time became discouraged with merchandising and decided to see if he could dispose of his stock to a storekeeper in Albion.

Frank Condit laughed when he recounted this episode. "When dad got to the merchant MP Just one year ago this week two area youths, Mike Matthews 11, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Matthews and Denise Savage, 15, Heyburn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Everett Savage, were recognized by the Cassia County Chapter of American Red Cross for courageouslife saving incident and work began on the new Skaggs-Albertson Drug Center and Supermarket. Five years ago a three day state high school rodeo began in Burley; Maria Holy oak of Burley represented Idaho at Girl's Nation held in Washington DC; and 4-H Service awards were presented to Marjorie Duke, for five years; Arlis Ferlic for ten years and Betty Walker for 20 years of service. Ten years ago the centennial celebration was in full swing with the pageant "Courage" in final stages of production, Buckaroo centennial square dance jamboree scheduled for the new Safeway store parking lot, a parade, a centennial film "Idaho" showing at the Burley Theatre, each organization planning their own special centennial programs, beards, long dresses and sun bonnets were a common sight on the city streets, and Centennial queen was Ruth Ann Loveland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Loveland.

It was also ten years ago that the Ponderosa Golf course was finished and Cloyd Taylor of Burley was elected president of the Idaho State Barber's Association in Boise. A hail storm that year, with stones an inch in diameter, flattened crops in a swath three miles wide and IS miles long in the farming area north of Oakley. years ago found an addition under construction to the south of the Union Seed Company in Burley; Le Page Lavton, deputy sheriff, was recommended by the county Republican central committee to succeed Saul Clark as Cassia County Sheriff; Miss Burley, Rena Brown was one of the finalists in the Miss Idaho pageant; and plans for the Idaho Youth Ranch were explained by the Rev. James R. Crow when he said that one contribution of $3,000 was on deposit in the Rupert bank for the first well to be drilled in preparation for the organization of the youth school Also that year Mr.

and Mrs. Henry Peterson, better known as "Pete and Marie" opened a root beer stand at 9th and Overland next to their cafe where they seved root beer, fountain menus, sandwiches, chicken in the basket and fish chips. David F. Weeks that year, Idaho state representative for the National Foundation for InfaitileParalysis was appointed assistant to the national director of fund raising for the March of Dimes. In 1943 ten thousand dollars was the purchase price for the John Scowcroft building opposite the freight depot, by the LDS church to be made into a stake warehouse to provide storehouse facilities for control of the Idaho region of which Burley was designated center, Also that year 32,000 rainbow trout were planted in the Oakley reservoir.

In 1933 Roy Davidson announced that he would again become the Ford dealer in Burley. About four years previous he had disposed of his business to A.M. Solomon after having sold Ford cars in' the county for 13 years. In 1923 representatives from various within and without its organization with little progress toward any concrete development. Eventually Idaho will have to face up to its need and role as a reclamation state, a basic heritage, or lose this surplus water to states with greater need.

It's that simple, i exploration The State Land Board has denied applications for leasing of vast land areas for geothermal exploration until it has more knowledge of the problems involved. i. Raft River is a Wtural for geothermal exploration because boiling hot wells exist there. Schlender believes that the Atomic Energy Commission can provide the initial research and development. Sen, Frank Church has suggested that the AEC construct a pilot plant.

The variables in geothermal power development -are many, depending on the temperature of the water and how it can be utilized. The amount of elec-ticity generated must be measured against other forms of generation. The environment must always be a key consideration. A pilot plant could answer a lot of questions. under Act of March 1879.

Idaho Code Legal notices Publlsherj v. General Manager). Editor N-wi Editor Advertising Manager Production Munoger Idaho Allied pallies. Official newspaper, Idaho. I in Albion to see if he could unload, he found that man to be a better salesman than he was, because instead of selling his own merchandise, dad ended up buying the Albion merchant's entire inventory." It was then with an expanded selection of goods that the Condit Mercantile store opened in a new building built at the crossroads of what was developing into a town.

The next step was the need for a post office, and it was because of this request that the community received its name. The government said they would grant the esta blish-ment of a post office providing a name Jor the community be given. Adeline Condit, a schoolteacher, and Frank's aunt, suggested the name Malta. This educated young woman, who was to become the town's first postmistress, had read of the beauty of this country located on a group of islands in the Mediterranean ana liking the name, suggested it. Thus Malta became one of Cassia County's historic communities.

Then there is the link of a Condit teaching in the log cabin that once was located in the community of Conant; later acquired by the Kelsey family, and last year donated to the Cassia County museum. Frank Condit and Lee Handy both recalled that Leonard Condit for a time taught school at Conant and they believe it was in the same log cabin that now stands at the museum. There were many other interesting antedotes related concerning those early days. Frank Condit remembers the area excitement on the heavyweight cham-pionship fight around 1900. He was not sure who the antagonist was but one was James J.

Corbett. The World Almanac records that, "on May 11, 1900, James J. Johnson knocked out James J. Corbett in the 23rd round at Coney, Island, N. (Strange both with same first names.) Frank remembers that the newspaper, three or four days after the bout arrived, was brought out to the hay field where a large crew were working.

"All operation-s stopifcd, said Mr. Comdit, "while my brother read to the assembled group the round by round account of the fight" Other reminiscence stories were related by both Mr. Condit and Mr. Handy on the founding of Burley. Frank told An Independent Newspapei outh Jdaho A consolidation and luccntor to Burlty Bulletin and Burley Htrold established 1904.

Published dally each utttrnoon Monday through Friday at 230 Eait Main Slreet, Burley Idaho (13318), Telephone 476-2301. Entered OS second class moll published each Tuesday pursuant Lloyd L. Hollinger Wm. F. MacKnlghr John Eberllne Michael FellHr W.

C. Withers Loren A. Joslyn Member of Associated Press, City of Burley, County at Cassia, to.