Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1878-05-21
LETTER FROM ATLANTA
convincing Arguments in Favor of The Banner
Route to Salmon City Interesting Description
Of Trip to Yankee Fork.
ATLANTA, I. T., May ID, 1873.

" your paper Jnat meeting has
lately been held at Idaho City to CON
slider the subject Of wagon road
from that place to Yankee Fork. Now
| have just returned from Yankee
Fork, and still feeling an interest in
whatever concerns the welfare Of Ida.
no City and he people, propose to
state a few facts for the consideration
.of all concerned.
First, Them Yankee Fork District
contains more quartz lodges than any
other district Of equal size that have
yet'seen, and the lodges are richer on
the surface than the lodges OF any
other part Of the Territory; the ore
yielding, Oh an average, over $500
per ton.
Second: The District is large, being
twelve miles in width by about forty
miles long; and the formation porphy-
rite, indicating depth.
Third: Either Bonanza city or
Round valley will, inside of three
years. be the county seat of Gustav
county. which will then be the richest,
most populous and most prosperous
county in the Territory.
Fourth: Two roads, one from some
point near Coiinne, to traverse Lemhi
valley, aud the other from Boise city
to Yankee Fork, will be absolutely
necessary, and that at no distant day,
rs all the uecessarics of life, OF what
ever nature, must be procured by the
people Of that camp from either Lemhi,
Boise or the Upper Payette valley; or
from all three Of those yallies, when,
as | think will soon lie the case, the
population Of the camp becomes too
large to he supplied By either singly.
Then the questions to he answered, i.
the Government is to build the road,
are, Which is the nearest and best OF
the proposed routes? Over which can
a road be bni!t cheapest and quickest?
Which ronte is most central to the
Territory TO be guarded? From which
of the routes could the points 10 lie
protected or assailcd by tic army be
reached the quickest! Certainly. on
all OF these points, the advantages are
clearly in favor of the Idaho City aud
Banner route. Aud there are scarcely
mnc than half the numbcr 81 miles
of road to build over that that there
wonld be to build over either Of the
other routes; the distance from Banner
TO Yankee Fork being OILY 90 miles,
with - or 50 miles (across Bear and
Cape Horn valIics) Of perfectly level
country to pass over.
From Atlanta to Yankee Fork the
distance is 65 to 70 IN les. From Rocky
Bar to Atlanta, Is t. 30 miles But
as Capt. Bledsoe is engaged, or about
to engage, in constructing Toll road
from the Bar to Atlanta, it would be
fair, perhaps, to record only the dis
lance from the latter place-say 65 or
10 miles. OF this s Or 9 miles be-
tween this place and Salmon river are
so rocky that poor road, even, could
be gotten over it at an outlay of 81 900
or $4,000 per mile. On Salmon river
valley 3 miles of swamp would have
to be corderoyed or drained; three
large streams and numerous small
ones bridged, aud below that along
Salmon river and Yankee Fork, 25I
miles, graded, with more or less blast
ing. This latter work may be put
down OF a cost of 1000 per mile.
Another advantage in favor Of the
Banner route that should not be over
looked is its freedom Of toll gates.
Free roads cheaper living by enabling
and farmers to deliver freight