Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-12-11
OUR COUNTY FINANCES
A PARTIAL REVIEW OF THEIR
HISTORY.


How the Taxable Property Of This
County Has Varied In AmOunt-The
Sudden and Great Increase Caused by
the opening Of this Region--The As
scssment Rolls Since 1865.
The rate of taxation in Alturas
county has in the past 10 years ma
terially lessened, while also the coun-
ty Indebtedness has been reduced
There has been some complaint made
by taxpayers that the rate of taxa
ton the past year was too great for
profitable Investment Of capital in real
estate, merchandise, live stock and
mining property, but review Of the
tax lists for the past decade shows
that such complaints are not just, and
that the county finances are being
brought to a satisfactory basis, with
very encouraging prospects for the
future. In the early days Of the
county (from 1863 to 1869 Rocky
Bar was the center of population, and
with Happy Camp, Red Warrior,
Iuba City, and the gulches, contained
several THOUSAND miners. At that
time placer mining was at its hight,
and the diggings paid handsomely.
Rocky Bar grew apace and became
the county seat The placers finally
worked out, and the white population
decreased rapidly and was replaced by
Cinnamon who worked the claims
proftably many years, and even to-day
are working and securing pay from
the gulches, old creek channels and
benches of that vicinity. The quartz
mines were located in 1864 and 1865,
and found to be extremely rich in free
gold; many Of the miners going upon
the hills with gunny sacks, picking up
float quartz and boulders, and pound
ing out with spring-pole mortars as
much as $50 day to the man. The
Idaho mine started up a fifteen-stamp
mill, and soon other lode claims, such
as the Confederate Star, the Comstock,
Golden Star, Nishnu and Ada Elmore
began yielding, and times We're good.
But Encouragement caused failure
later and the camp went down. At
this period the population of the coun-
tv seat did not exceed 200, and the
Indians being in possession Of the
Fort Hall country, Camas Prairie and
Wood River, little ranching or stock
raising was carried on. The county
had built courthouse and Jail at
Rocky Bar worth about 500 which
cost $1,000, and also paid high rem,
for the Recorders and other Offices
Having very little income and large
expenses a debt was created which
ran scrip down to 80 cents on the dol
lar aud the outlook was very blue
Atlanta was mining camp of some
Importance and about $50 population
which lad prospered, but again be-
came depressed with the varying sue
cess of the mines. Yuba City was
entirely deserted, and all the houses
left vacant. Bonapartc shared the
same fate. Happy Camp was only
occupied by Chinese placer miners, and
Red Warrior was under cloud ano
|, contained only about 20 people.
In 1876 matters improved again
and the mines of Atlanta, Rocky Bal
and Red Warrior resumed production
About the same time Bonaparte re
vived, when shortly after Red War
rior again became almost deserted
from the ill-success OF mining ven
, lures there. In 1878 mining was no
actively conducted in the county, ex
cept in Atlanta, but year later al
the mines were again under Roadway
the production Of bullion largely in
creased. and has continued to increase
,, to the present time. The taxes col
lected ftom that section at present arr
: far greater than at any period since
1872.
During all these varying changes
, from comparative poverty to relative
) af1iuence, the county expenses steadil,
, increased, Notwithstanding the fire
5 quent depreciations of taxable prop
erty, and the. county debt grew apace