Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-06-15
THE CANVAS PRAIRIE COUNTRY,


This country embraces about l
townships outside Of the reservation
1t is all surveyed and among the frs
who took up prescriptions and home
steads in North Idaho, were some o
the Camas Prairie settlers. They d {
this because that they then had mar
kes for surplus in the mines east o.
the prairie, The proceeds Of these
mines for years gave the Camas Prairie
settlers much in return for their pro
ducts and at quito high prices. This
gave to these settlers the means of i'm
proving their lands by ploughing
fencing, building, &C., And today nc
section of North Idaho shows any
higher state Of farm improvement than
does Camas Prairie.
This section lies between the Indi.
an reservation on the north and the
break of Salmon river on the south.
The timbered range Of Mt Idaho or
Florence mountains on the east and
Craig's mountain on the west, which
also contains much timber The pra.
irie proper contains no timber Of con-
sequence More than nine tcnths of the
land is good plough land with dark
and rich soil The climate is not too
cold for any crop Of the cereals, and
fruit grows luxuriantly in favored
localities. 1t is great stock raising
country, stock supporting themselves
on the range all tho year around,
except in few instances and keeping
fat. The capacity Of this section for
wheat growing is almost boundless.
Full nile-tcn,hs Of these IL townships
will produce wheat, averaging about
30 bushels per acre, If cultivated but
at the present there is no market &C.
cessibie to the farmers for their sur.
plus. A good railroad along the
south fork of the Clearwater would
open market for this prairie. The
number of pre-emptions, homesteads
and timber culture entries upon these
townships is about 600 the remain.
der is still open to entry. Ten of these
townships are capable of producing
oyer 5000, 900 bushels Of wheat annu.
all, If al cultivated in wheat, and pro.
portiouately less, as less is cultivated
There are on this prairie already two
towns Of Importance, Mt. Idaho and
Grangeville. Good schools are in op-
GRAFTON at these towns, and at several
other points on the prairie. The peo-
pie settled there are generally we'll to
do; they are energetic and cnterpris.
ing, and all new comers who 90 to
dwell among them are Hospitality re-
csived and welcomed to such hospitali.
ties as the country can afford. We
have often been among them, aud
know such to be the fact. When rail.
road facilities reach near Camas Pra-
irie, SO as to give them an outlet, that
country will grow and prosper equal
to any section of the northwest.
North and ives. Of Camas prairi, lies
the best part Of the Nee Perez reser. |
walton, the entire area of which OK.
ceeds 900 square miles, full 600 Of
which is good plough land and rich
and capable of producing full 80 bush
els OF wheat per acre ON an average.
Let this be cultivated, either by white
man or Indians! Its capacity to
produce annually, il cultivated in
wheat, would be over eleven million
bushels.
Now we have mentioned the Pot.
latch, the Weippe, the Delta, the Cam.
IS Prairie and the reservation lands,
all of which are tributary to railroad
up the Clearwater, and their capacity |
is sufficient for nearly twenty. FIVE mil
lion bushels Of wheat annually. Let
one'fourth of this he cultivated in
wheat and we will have over 5000, 900 |
bushels to freight over railroad, and
at 8 cent per bushel fr.i. hit, and in no
instance for distance over 80 miles
we would have for the railroad an an.
nual interest of 10 per cent. on $1,000.
900 capital. The road can be built
and stocked for less than half that
amount Of money.
We have not over estimated the ca