Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-11-17
rnE KIND or COUNTRY idaho n
BOISE Cry. IDAHO TER,
Nov. 2d. 1874.

Nov. I'd, 1874.
EDs. COURIER I'll wish You had q
good live correspondent here. sthat
our Territory might occasionally be
Represented through the columns oi
the Ottumwa COURIER. Not alone
for our benefit, or for the benefit OF
our country, but for the benefit oI
those who propose to emigrate to
this place, that they might thereby
see the great advantage and disad-
vantage OF a Mountain home.
In former letters having given yonr
readers summary description of tho
great agricultural resources of the
Territory, together with minute
description of her rich auriferous
mines, it is only necessary for me to
treiterate now what | said then, that
| this is the best country west of the
Missouri River.
For Mountain country Idaho has
a mild. salubrious climate, well adapt
ed to fruit growing-a fact which the
farmers are now beginning to fully
realize. Besides all this. her soil
grows as good hay and grain, and as
much to the acre as any country. You
may now chose the oldest State i'm ex-
istence and with all this her people
seem to be continually complaining
about dull times. In fact money is
very scarce, owing. principally, to the
failure of the great California Bank,
which affected the money market to
such an extent that some of our most
permanent incorporated Mining Com
panies were compelled to suspend
Operations, which will probably not
be renewed again before next spring.
The great question that now seems
mostly to agitate or people, is: When
are we to have the benefit of a rail-
road? Measures have been repeated
ly taken to procure, through legisla-
| tion, large subsidies, for the speedy
erection of said road, which Congress
has failed to recognize from time to
time, which hope she will continue
to do until such times as we will have
more use for railroad.
Our mines, at present, furnish
US an ample market for all our home
productions in the way of hay and
grain. Boise City furnishes ready
market for wheat, oats and barley at
two cents per pound. Hay, good
timothy, brings $500 per ton. In
the vegetable line our market is over
| stocked, for which will put Idaho
against the world, from the fact that
we now have OH exhibition in B ise
City beets that will average one hun
dred and fifty pounds each, and dead
ones at that. 0ar great Agricultural
Fair, held at Boise City, ending on
the oath Of last month, was not alto
gether what the people intended that
it should be. However, the associa-
ton was to an enormous expense fit
ing up park for that purpose, which
is now in readiness for another year,
when the interests of our Territory
will be represented, and no doubt but
the most sanguine expectations of her
people will then be fully realized.
During the Fair the weather was
most beautiful, and many farmers
from abroad came with their families
and camped upon the ground. had
| the pleasure Of meeting q goodly
number Of our old Iowa friends,
among them were Mr.. Yaryan and
family, formerly of Wapeilo county,
whose friends will be glad to hear of
their good success, as they are doing
well. Also Mr.. Hooker, another old
timer from Wapelo county, a grand
son of the Hon. Martin Dickens. You
all know Mart, the old wheel horse
of the Republican party in Competine
township. Well, Mr.. Hooker is just
in from Owyhee county. where he
has spent the summer looking after
his quartz. interests. lie says times
are now reviving up little since the
California Bank has resumed opera
| tions.
| Wages for common manual labor is
from S35 to $50 per month in the sum-
mer season. Those who come here
depending on wages for a living, will
have to work for small wages during
the winter, or else lay idle during
that time. Our dry goods are mostly
shipped from tho east, and transported
from Betton by freight teams and
pack animals, distance ofsomething
over 300 miles, for which they receive
from two and half to five cents
freight.
Good horses and number one milch
cows demand good price. Cayute
ponies and beef cattle are too cheap.
Believing the most interesting part
of this letter will be the conclusion,
here propose to close.
Very respectfully yours,
j. S. McCLuNG.