New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16
THE FUTURE OF NORTH IDAHO.

INCONVENIENCES OF AWKWARD bOJNDhflbs-
INHABITANTS ALMOST UNANIMOUS FOR UNION
WITH THE COMING STATE.
IRON AN OCCASION CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
LEWISTON, Idaho, June PA deal of stupidity
| and ignorance has been displayed by Congress in
fixing the boundaries of the Western States and
Territories In most cases where lines have been
| arbitrarily drawn upon a map without reference
| 10 the natural divisions of the country and the
probabilities Of future settlement the error Is now
beyond the stage of correction for when once
Territory gets admitted State there is no feasi-
| BILE method of reshapng its domain In one IN
stance, however, mistake operating to the serious
disadvantage of large number of people
can be Temedied without difficulty by single sec
tion in a legislative enactment. l refer to North
Idaho. When Idaho was set of from Washington
in 1868, the northern part of the new Territory
was almost unknown, and no one imagined that 1t
would ever have any value for agriculture. So the
boundary was made to consist of the imaginary line
of the 9TH meridian of longitude from the British
Possessions to the bend of the Snake River at Lewis
ton, whence it follows the river southwark to the
mouth of the Owyhee, aud then gets back on the
meridian and holds it until the southwestern cor
ner of the Territory reached at the Nevada line.
There is no objection TO the southern part of this
line but the northern part should stop at the crest
of the Salmon River Mountains. leaving the region
west of the Bitter Root and Ceur dAlene Mountain
range in Washington Territory. Washington would
thus extend eastward to Montana The present line
isolates three counties and part of fourth, whose
lines of travel and transportation all tend TO the
Pacific Coast and whose industries and business in
terests are identical with those of Washington.
Two of these counties are a part Of the
rich grain and pasture region drained
by the Snake River and its tributaries.
One is timber country lying around Lake
Pend dOreille in the extreme end of the Idaho pan
handle. and is traversed by the Northern Pacific
Railroad. The people of this region have nothing
IN common with those of the rest of Idaho save the
enforced political connection which they are eager
to break To reach the capital Boise City they
obliged TO make a detour of 600 miles, through
Washington and Oregon, most of the distance over
rough stage roads. The huge barrier of the Salmon
River Mountains eighty miles across effectually
cuts them off from South Idaho. Their grain sur
plus increasing every year, goes down the Snake
River and the Columbia to Portland, or is hauled
TO the new towns on the Northern Pacific line, and
their merchandise comes from the same points.
They sell many hundreds of horses every year, drv
ing them across the Lolo Pass in the Bitter Root
Mountains to find market in the mining towns Of
Montana.
The white inhabitants of these counties number
about 1000 and being remarkably prosperous
for people or new country. Jney pay cOnSlueI-
able sum as taxes into the Idaho treasury, for
which they get nothing in return. They have pc
toned Congress TO attach their section to Washing
inQton when it is admitted as a State. The dele
gate from Idaho opposes them in the interest OF the
South Idaho politicians who handle the tax funds.
In the counties affected by the proposed change there
is only one opinion. The entire population demand
annexation to Washington. They voted on the
question in $780, and cast 1,216 votes for annexa-
tion and only seven against. The bill now pending
in Congress. for the admission of Washin ITO II,
provides that North Idaho shall be embraced IN
the new State but the people here are afraid that
the general indifference of Congressman concerning
the Territories and the active opposition of the
Idaho delegate, will result in the dropping of the
annexation clause from the bill. They
are therefore very DESTROYS that their
case should be put before the
public of the East through the press.
Their situation is as would be that of the people of
New,Jersey if they had to go around on horseback,
or in stages, through New-York and Ohio to reach
capital in western Pennsylvania.
The early admission of Washington as
State appears to be generally desired by the
people Of that Territory, the only opposition com
ing from few who fear the increase of taxation
which must result In Territorial form OF Gov
eminent the Federal Treasury bears the cost of
the Executive the Legislature and the Courts,
leaving TO the people only their county and town
expenditures to provide for In 1850, Washington
had population of $4,000. No doubt the nnml-
grafton into the rch wheat country lying between
the Columbia River and the Bitter Root and
Cpur d. lene Mountains has, during the past two
years. added nearly twenty thousand 10 TINS
figure If North Idaho be included ID the
new State il will contain by the time 1t can hold
convention frame and adopt Con siltuuon and
present It's Senators at Washington at least 10 OOO
people. That would be al the earliest year Iron
next winter. Congress would run no risk OF Great,
ing a State with deficient population II II snOuIu
pass An enabling act at once Washington contains
the only large Of fertile land adapted for gen
era farming and lying in body TO be found west
of Dakota and the dense settlement of TINS region
by prosperous farmers Will inevitably 1oIiD" soon
after the com petiOn OF the Northern PACING RaL-
way. The Puget Sound region develops SLOWLY.
The timber Is too dense to he prohtably cleared on
for farms and agriculture there Is maVIer Oh
tilling narrow bottom lands along the creeks ana
little strips of tidal flats redeemed by
dikes East of the Cascade Range, however
much of the country Is open, rich and exceedingly
valuable for wheat culture and pasturage; l.,
The capital of the coming State Will be drawn
away from the Sound by the heavier vote east OF
the Cascades, and Will probably be established AT
Yakima City. For convenience OF access, wanna
Walla would at present be the best point out IL IS
only seven miles from the Oregon line. The East
Washington people would be glad TO trade tne
Sound country 10 Oregon for the portion OF tDat
State lying east of the Cascades, and thus make
great interior grain and pastuTage community, with
natural mountain boundaries. Perhaps the near
future will bring about the construction Of rail-
load across the Cascades, and thus unite the TWO
communities now separated by an Immense noun
tam barrier. Then IL may be found TO DE good
thing to have within the boundaries OF the same
state the Industries of numbering. hsmng, coal
mining and siIip-bulldlng on the sound, ana those
of farming aud stock-raislng IL the interior. AT
present however the division which gives part OF
the wheat country at the base OF the Blue Noun
tains TO Oregon and unites East Washington To the
Sound region with which u has nothing IN common,
is awkw ard and nconvenlent. 1t cannot wen DE
reuedIed, because Oregon is state, Out III admit
ting Washington Congress can easily help the
North Idaho people out OF their trouble by Joining
their section TO Washington Idaho, probably the
last OF the Territories except Wyoming that viii
l. Il. L.