The Ketchum keystone. (Ketchum, Idaho) 1881-1884, 1882-12-22

Since tho destination Of the
Oregon Short Line Railroad has
become unquestionable to Wood
Riverites, it has occurred to many |
that the construction OF great thor
oughfare over the Trail creek range |
to Challis is A. essential to the
country's welfare as the one com
pleted last season TO Sawtooth and |
Vienna. The distance to Challis |
from this point by trail over said |
range is 65 miles, less than one half
the distance now traverssd 10 Black |
foot, and possessing over that route
the natural blessings of wood, water
and feed in abundance, Scores Of
roads in Idaho to-day are the result
Of triple the labor this one will re-
quire, and we doubt much if any
one was ever more worthy a thor
ough investigation, From this point
q natural, almost level road, follows
Trail creek distance of II miles,
and following the creek bed three
miles further, an easy grade would
reach the summit, But a little of
the latterdistaiice Would ruin through
q hard formation, willis the chief
part which would cohsist Of grad
ing along the gulch bed, could be
easily accomplished with pick and
shovel at a cost not exceeding 50
| per rod, and possibly, as whole,
falling considerably below that
amount. -Four thousand dollars
would be large estimate Of tho cost
| FROM this point to the summit,
| which 6hce attained, the lsbut is
materially complete. Thence fol-
lowing the lost River, first at a
slight expenditure iii clearing, and
theh on natural road, we pass by
way Of the Thousand Springs to
Richardson's which would be the
junction with the Challis road from
Blackfoot, Snow is never SO deer
on Trail creek range but what pas
sage il made easy
The advantages Of such an enter
prise wonld be manifold 1t woult
I give the Challis and the rich coun
try around it, first, direct communi
cation with railroad point less thar
: one.halt the distance now traverse,
to the Utah & Northern Second
a 1t would avoid thu lohgs tedious
d rough and dusty route over th
b lava beds from Blackfoot, by a shor
d cut and evidently intended by ma
t ture as a blessing and relief /
would furnish transportation in one
q half the time, at one-half the eS
n pense, aid We dare say in one-thif
i better condition from the railroa
j point. Thnd-ft would place a
o the disposal of vast mineral regio
a a thoroughfare with such easy trans
IT portation that miners, millers an
h prosBectors would be enabled t
It operate more extensively, gain NOR
Al rapidly, and develop which woul
otherwise remain unnoticed.
(, To Ketchum and Wood River il
"a advantages can hardly be enums
i ated To us would be opened u
# the patroliage Of snsther vast 7
j gioh Of mineral wealth /, ass ave.lr
(, of ceihihercs great ahd everlasting
> one whose trade and transiei
;. traffic would in timc enable us to r
is alize every propelling influence
. a progressive and flourishing eente
9 While to the teamster and gener
!, aivishser would be exchanged Il
i lava beds, i sagebfush desert al
i, land of thirst for route tbroua
! a comparative paradise, whe
II water, feed fuel, and everything
. abundant,
Perhaps the most expedie
means of grasping the enterpri
would be ia The formation of a sto,