April 23, 2024 • 14 mins
Please enjoy I Bert Perine a great episode of the legendaryFrontier Fighters - A Classic Old Time radio Show.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Untier fighters, frontier fighters, menand women who broke new trails in the
(01:37):
romantic but dangerous Old West. Anytribute which historians of the future will prepare
for Idaho must include many chapters dedicatedto those men and women who gave so
generously of their youth, their hopes, and their dreams. Tribute must be
paid to a man who helped tremendouslyto make Idaho the fertile, prosperous state
it is today. Late in thenineteenth century, Charles Wolgemut and his wife
(01:59):
Letty were living on the north sideof Snake River at Jashone Falls. One
night, after the two had retired, they were awakened by a loud rapping
at their cabin door. Child,Well, Letty, what's the trouble?
Is someone at the door? Yeah? I know, stay here. I'll
(02:19):
soon find out who it is.Don't go to the door. It's all
right, I won't open it.Wine. Yeah, I'm always sorry to
wake you up this time of thenight there, but I had to.
Yeah. My name is Burt Karran. I've got about twenty five head of
cows out here, but I've beenmilking in the Wood River country. I
need water form and I wonder ifyou would know of a place in Snake
River Canyon where that many cattle couldwinter. You'd better get him the water
(02:42):
for you think about putting them infor the winter. Why cow? Maybe
it sounds silly, but I've beenselling milk of the miners. All right.
Just take your cattle around the hillthere and water them in the creek,
and come on back here yourself.Well, bydeed, you look pretty
tired. Oh thanks, we'll takeme more. We'll be waiting for you.
(03:04):
You know it's all right in me. Well, I saw the cows.
So he's telling the truth about that, Laddy. Anybody that sells milk
instead of whiskey to the miners can'tbe a dangerous character. I guess you're
right. I'll get him set.You know, Laddy, the more I
think of anyone selling milk to theminers, the more I think of it.
(03:27):
He's got a good head on him. Later that night, Bert Perrin,
with the enthusiasm of youth, confidedin Charles, welcome it a certain
plan. Maybe it's only a dream. As a welcome it, but someday
I'm going to make it come true. Dream sometimes have a pretty good way
of coming true. Ern if thisone would well, yeah, you know
(03:52):
that stretch of river that goes carryingits way through the canyon. Yeah,
Well, when you look west downthe river, you can see on both
sides for more than fifty miles they'reall sagebrush desert country. That's just a
dest country. You see it now. But if my dream comes true,
you won't. You'll see a fertilecountry that will bring farmers from all over
the country to farm ood. Parent. Now, how can you expect to
(04:13):
turn fifty miles of desert into afertile paradise? Age of miracles is past?
You know, there's always water,and water can work miracles in a
desert water, Yes, sir,water start up and dan water to flow
down into that desert country and takeit back from nature. For the next
(04:34):
few years of his life, theyoung Parin learned everything he could about irrigation
on every side. He asked questions, he probed, he sought. He
learned that an eighteen hundred and sixtya few farmers diverted small streams into patches
of desert and made it pay.Night and day he worked. He roamed
the countryside, planning, dreaming.He was trying to turn his team into
a vital reality, and on allsides he found interests, interest, but
(04:58):
not the necessary capital. The undertakingwas gigantic, and he heard many objections.
Are I think it's a fine idea, mister Parent, but almost everybody
here an idol or wish poor.He got no money for suchaty or sue
on mister Baron, or the salvationof this part of the country. Damn
(05:20):
would do the trick. But tofill them you've got to have money.
Ert, I don't think your planwill ever get beyond the blueprint stage.
You get the right idea, allright, but money, man, where
can you get enough of it?Undaunted by failure to attract capital to his
gigantic dream, Paren worked his ranch, but he refused to give up his
(05:43):
idea. Then one day he learnedthe visiting Idaho from Salt Lake City for
Sam Milner and Frank Knox. WhenKaren learned they were bankers, he lost
no time in outlining his scheme tothem. There it is, gentlemen,
I live with this idea night andday. Those stage brushed planes just have
to belong to the peace. Yeah, it sounds pretty fantastic, Pan not
fantastic mith, the Knox just alittle more than has ever been greened up
(06:05):
before. No, pen, it'simpractical from a money standpoint. There's a
minute, knocks, go ahead,paran. Look here's a man. Now
here's the place where the first damshould be. All this territory, more
than fifty miles on both sides ofthe river, is just waiting to be
settled. If you have water,you'll have farmers. If you have farmers,
you'll have produce. Produce, createsmarkets, markets mean railroad, Yes,
(06:29):
yes, yes, of course,but you'd have to have the entire
country which the dam is to influencesurveyed. I know that, mistha Knox.
Uh huh. And your idea wasthat mister Knox and I should furnish
the money for the preliminary surveys.That's it. And the next step would
be to organize the company and raisethe money to build a dam and canal.
And the cost of that well aboutabout one and a half million dollars.
(06:51):
Well, good day, mister panfor the Kleves cat you think a
million and a half in a wildschemelet, Well where a But it's a
day dream, I see, ormaybe someday somebody will wake up. Goodbye.
Thanks Well there Tern, that wasmister not speaking. I haven't said
a word. No, what doyou mean, Milner? Are you crazy?
(07:14):
You can't possibly see any good comingout of this scheme? Acts?
A lot of people didn't see anygood of people fighting their way out to
Utah. Well, there aren't anymore frontiers in Utah, but there are
here in Idoo instead of Indians.We're going to fight at desert. Like
they're not joking a young man.A man doesn't joke about opening his checkbook
to the tune of enough money tosurvey that much territory. Even for months
(07:46):
swept on. Suddenly the entire statewas talking Damns canals, irrigations, but
it was just talk. The monthsbecame years, and soon Bert Perrin was
no longer a young man, buthis dream was still young. Then even
Sam Milner began to wonder, heBert, I wonder if we're not twenty
five years ahead of our time?Sam, you're not losing faith? I
(08:09):
you, Well, there's no longera matter of faith. Bird, I've
always had that. But you knowwhat Middleton said about the money. But
he's just the first one. Hisword isn't gospel, that gospel Bird,
but his word may reflect the wordof the money crowd upon whom we've got
to depend. Sam, I've dreamedof best for plenty years. It's got
(08:30):
to become a reality. There's gottabe towns, farms, houses, railroads
where the sage brush is. Now, Sam, I can see it.
I wish you could see the millionin the ad that's gotta come to.
Yes, we've got to have faith, I suppose. But I'm getting old,
Bird. I don't know some wayI'm gonna get that money, show
(08:54):
the people with the money that adream isn't just made out of tense on
air. I'm gonna talk and talkuntil someone lessen. Burt Perron went to
Chicago in the Belise. He carriedsix hundred thousand dollars worth of bonds which
the parent Mular company issued, securedby farm contracts. He confronted hard headed
(09:16):
businessmen. His frankness sincerity made adeep impression upon those who listened to him.
One day in the offices of Trowbridgeand never I'll admit that all types
of Western irrigation schemes have been paidus up to now, and I think
you should know the truth of him. Here's mister burn. We know that
well enough. We've gone into itpretty thoroughly. Your honesties are times a
(09:37):
little embarrassing, your frankness engaging.But in spite of all, Lad Trowbridge
never would like to handle lad bondissue. But the entire six hundred times
is the whole issue. You see. We're not buying just bond, We're
buying the honesty, the sincerity,the genius of Burt Perrin. Well,
I had a lot of words readyto say. Where the thanks I've been
(10:01):
saving them for years? How theopportunities come to use them? I can't
never mind. Man, You've gota job ahead of you. Now.
We know you can fill it,because any man who's kept such a magnificent
dream all these years is held onto it through thick and thin, through
bitter years and discouragement, and fillany job. Mister Perrin, You've gotta
(10:26):
go out and sell Idaho of thenation. Overjoyed, Paris returned to Idaho
with all the pen up emotion ofyears. He and saddeln Aer watched watch
machinery come in, watch preparations forthe building of the damn, and finally,
one day General mister pen, misterMillner hta hotel I send for her
(10:48):
because I wanted to keep three shipsgoing twenty four hours a day. We
don't need every foot of floor spacewe can get you, bet, mister
Perrin. And see, I wantto hear something. Know what they're gonna
call the first hotel in trimport.I'm no good at different. Well,
it's going to be called the parenVotel. And don't go asking me why
(11:09):
yesterday Idaho could hardly feed herself.Today she's confident tomorrow her surplus will help
feed the nation. Sam is goingto be a mighty proud day for all
of us when they let the firstwater out of the dam, when it
flows into the canal, when itgives life to that desert we had who
damn good? No, Sam,not the idhod damn. The committee's already
decided on the name. What differencedoes the name make a lot? In
(11:31):
this case? Sam, They're goingto give it a name of desserts,
in honor of the man who sawthe desert not as a barren waste,
but as a green paradise. Sam. The Milner Dam will be a great
thing. The great day gone whenthe Millner Dam was to be dedicated.
From far and near. They camefor the opening of the great dams.
(11:52):
Farmers whose lens were to be irrigated, Merchants whose livelihood dependent upon the prosperity
of the farmers, men, women, children. The crowd stood waiting as
a man was introduced to them.And now we turn these controls over to
mister Ivy Parent, the father ofirrigation in Idaho, a man by whose
faith, vision and courage this MilnerDam is today made possible, a man
(12:18):
we all know and love her parentsfriends. At a time like this,
where's a futile I can only say, well that this is a great day
for all of us. Ride ofhome. The minute of this water goes
down the spillways and into the canals, fifty miles of parts desert will drink
(12:41):
the water to turn them into milesof green, fertile land. For you.
Through the spillways of Milner Dam,I get to America, a new
and conquered frontier. Ivy Current,the father of irrigation of Idaho, is
(13:05):
indeed a pioneer. He fought noIndians, nor did any of the things
we commonly associated with the pioneers ofthe West. But he did open a
new frontier of fifty miles of desert, opened it to prosperity and happiness.
Truly, he is a great frontierfighter.
Untier fighters, frontier fighters, menand women who broke new trails in the
(01:37):
romantic but dangerous Old West. Anytribute which historians of the future will prepare
for Idaho must include many chapters dedicatedto those men and women who gave so
generously of their youth, their hopes, and their dreams. Tribute must be
paid to a man who helped tremendouslyto make Idaho the fertile, prosperous state
it is today. Late in thenineteenth century, Charles Wolgemut and his wife
(01:59):
Letty were living on the north sideof Snake River at Jashone Falls. One
night, after the two had retired, they were awakened by a loud rapping
at their cabin door. Child,Well, Letty, what's the trouble?
Is someone at the door? Yeah? I know, stay here. I'll
(02:19):
soon find out who it is.Don't go to the door. It's all
right, I won't open it.Wine. Yeah, I'm always sorry to
wake you up this time of thenight there, but I had to.
Yeah. My name is Burt Karran. I've got about twenty five head of
cows out here, but I've beenmilking in the Wood River country. I
need water form and I wonder ifyou would know of a place in Snake
River Canyon where that many cattle couldwinter. You'd better get him the water
(02:42):
for you think about putting them infor the winter. Why cow? Maybe
it sounds silly, but I've beenselling milk of the miners. All right.
Just take your cattle around the hillthere and water them in the creek,
and come on back here yourself.Well, bydeed, you look pretty
tired. Oh thanks, we'll takeme more. We'll be waiting for you.
(03:04):
You know it's all right in me. Well, I saw the cows.
So he's telling the truth about that, Laddy. Anybody that sells milk
instead of whiskey to the miners can'tbe a dangerous character. I guess you're
right. I'll get him set.You know, Laddy, the more I
think of anyone selling milk to theminers, the more I think of it.
(03:27):
He's got a good head on him. Later that night, Bert Perrin,
with the enthusiasm of youth, confidedin Charles, welcome it a certain
plan. Maybe it's only a dream. As a welcome it, but someday
I'm going to make it come true. Dream sometimes have a pretty good way
of coming true. Ern if thisone would well, yeah, you know
(03:52):
that stretch of river that goes carryingits way through the canyon. Yeah,
Well, when you look west downthe river, you can see on both
sides for more than fifty miles they'reall sagebrush desert country. That's just a
dest country. You see it now. But if my dream comes true,
you won't. You'll see a fertilecountry that will bring farmers from all over
the country to farm ood. Parent. Now, how can you expect to
(04:13):
turn fifty miles of desert into afertile paradise? Age of miracles is past?
You know, there's always water,and water can work miracles in a
desert water, Yes, sir,water start up and dan water to flow
down into that desert country and takeit back from nature. For the next
(04:34):
few years of his life, theyoung Parin learned everything he could about irrigation
on every side. He asked questions, he probed, he sought. He
learned that an eighteen hundred and sixtya few farmers diverted small streams into patches
of desert and made it pay.Night and day he worked. He roamed
the countryside, planning, dreaming.He was trying to turn his team into
a vital reality, and on allsides he found interests, interest, but
(04:58):
not the necessary capital. The undertakingwas gigantic, and he heard many objections.
Are I think it's a fine idea, mister Parent, but almost everybody
here an idol or wish poor.He got no money for suchaty or sue
on mister Baron, or the salvationof this part of the country. Damn
(05:20):
would do the trick. But tofill them you've got to have money.
Ert, I don't think your planwill ever get beyond the blueprint stage.
You get the right idea, allright, but money, man, where
can you get enough of it?Undaunted by failure to attract capital to his
gigantic dream, Paren worked his ranch, but he refused to give up his
(05:43):
idea. Then one day he learnedthe visiting Idaho from Salt Lake City for
Sam Milner and Frank Knox. WhenKaren learned they were bankers, he lost
no time in outlining his scheme tothem. There it is, gentlemen,
I live with this idea night andday. Those stage brushed planes just have
to belong to the peace. Yeah, it sounds pretty fantastic, Pan not
fantastic mith, the Knox just alittle more than has ever been greened up
(06:05):
before. No, pen, it'simpractical from a money standpoint. There's a
minute, knocks, go ahead,paran. Look here's a man. Now
here's the place where the first damshould be. All this territory, more
than fifty miles on both sides ofthe river, is just waiting to be
settled. If you have water,you'll have farmers. If you have farmers,
you'll have produce. Produce, createsmarkets, markets mean railroad, Yes,
(06:29):
yes, yes, of course,but you'd have to have the entire
country which the dam is to influencesurveyed. I know that, mistha Knox.
Uh huh. And your idea wasthat mister Knox and I should furnish
the money for the preliminary surveys.That's it. And the next step would
be to organize the company and raisethe money to build a dam and canal.
And the cost of that well aboutabout one and a half million dollars.
(06:51):
Well, good day, mister panfor the Kleves cat you think a
million and a half in a wildschemelet, Well where a But it's a
day dream, I see, ormaybe someday somebody will wake up. Goodbye.
Thanks Well there Tern, that wasmister not speaking. I haven't said
a word. No, what doyou mean, Milner? Are you crazy?
(07:14):
You can't possibly see any good comingout of this scheme? Acts?
A lot of people didn't see anygood of people fighting their way out to
Utah. Well, there aren't anymore frontiers in Utah, but there are
here in Idoo instead of Indians.We're going to fight at desert. Like
they're not joking a young man.A man doesn't joke about opening his checkbook
to the tune of enough money tosurvey that much territory. Even for months
(07:46):
swept on. Suddenly the entire statewas talking Damns canals, irrigations, but
it was just talk. The monthsbecame years, and soon Bert Perrin was
no longer a young man, buthis dream was still young. Then even
Sam Milner began to wonder, heBert, I wonder if we're not twenty
five years ahead of our time?Sam, you're not losing faith? I
(08:09):
you, Well, there's no longera matter of faith. Bird, I've
always had that. But you knowwhat Middleton said about the money. But
he's just the first one. Hisword isn't gospel, that gospel Bird,
but his word may reflect the wordof the money crowd upon whom we've got
to depend. Sam, I've dreamedof best for plenty years. It's got
(08:30):
to become a reality. There's gottabe towns, farms, houses, railroads
where the sage brush is. Now, Sam, I can see it.
I wish you could see the millionin the ad that's gotta come to.
Yes, we've got to have faith, I suppose. But I'm getting old,
Bird. I don't know some wayI'm gonna get that money, show
(08:54):
the people with the money that adream isn't just made out of tense on
air. I'm gonna talk and talkuntil someone lessen. Burt Perron went to
Chicago in the Belise. He carriedsix hundred thousand dollars worth of bonds which
the parent Mular company issued, securedby farm contracts. He confronted hard headed
(09:16):
businessmen. His frankness sincerity made adeep impression upon those who listened to him.
One day in the offices of Trowbridgeand never I'll admit that all types
of Western irrigation schemes have been paidus up to now, and I think
you should know the truth of him. Here's mister burn. We know that
well enough. We've gone into itpretty thoroughly. Your honesties are times a
(09:37):
little embarrassing, your frankness engaging.But in spite of all, Lad Trowbridge
never would like to handle lad bondissue. But the entire six hundred times
is the whole issue. You see. We're not buying just bond, We're
buying the honesty, the sincerity,the genius of Burt Perrin. Well,
I had a lot of words readyto say. Where the thanks I've been
(10:01):
saving them for years? How theopportunities come to use them? I can't
never mind. Man, You've gota job ahead of you. Now.
We know you can fill it,because any man who's kept such a magnificent
dream all these years is held onto it through thick and thin, through
bitter years and discouragement, and fillany job. Mister Perrin, You've gotta
(10:26):
go out and sell Idaho of thenation. Overjoyed, Paris returned to Idaho
with all the pen up emotion ofyears. He and saddeln Aer watched watch
machinery come in, watch preparations forthe building of the damn, and finally,
one day General mister pen, misterMillner hta hotel I send for her
(10:48):
because I wanted to keep three shipsgoing twenty four hours a day. We
don't need every foot of floor spacewe can get you, bet, mister
Perrin. And see, I wantto hear something. Know what they're gonna
call the first hotel in trimport.I'm no good at different. Well,
it's going to be called the parenVotel. And don't go asking me why
(11:09):
yesterday Idaho could hardly feed herself.Today she's confident tomorrow her surplus will help
feed the nation. Sam is goingto be a mighty proud day for all
of us when they let the firstwater out of the dam, when it
flows into the canal, when itgives life to that desert we had who
damn good? No, Sam,not the idhod damn. The committee's already
decided on the name. What differencedoes the name make a lot? In
(11:31):
this case? Sam, They're goingto give it a name of desserts,
in honor of the man who sawthe desert not as a barren waste,
but as a green paradise. Sam. The Milner Dam will be a great
thing. The great day gone whenthe Millner Dam was to be dedicated.
From far and near. They camefor the opening of the great dams.
(11:52):
Farmers whose lens were to be irrigated, Merchants whose livelihood dependent upon the prosperity
of the farmers, men, women, children. The crowd stood waiting as
a man was introduced to them.And now we turn these controls over to
mister Ivy Parent, the father ofirrigation in Idaho, a man by whose
faith, vision and courage this MilnerDam is today made possible, a man
(12:18):
we all know and love her parentsfriends. At a time like this,
where's a futile I can only say, well that this is a great day
for all of us. Ride ofhome. The minute of this water goes
down the spillways and into the canals, fifty miles of parts desert will drink
(12:41):
the water to turn them into milesof green, fertile land. For you.
Through the spillways of Milner Dam,I get to America, a new
and conquered frontier. Ivy Current,the father of irrigation of Idaho, is
(13:05):
indeed a pioneer. He fought noIndians, nor did any of the things
we commonly associated with the pioneers ofthe West. But he did open a
new frontier of fifty miles of desert, opened it to prosperity and happiness.
Truly, he is a great frontierfighter.
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