Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-02-16
POPULATION, AREA, ETC, OF
NORTH IDAHO.

The question has been asked concern
ing North Idaho, what is the area, how
much available land for settlement,
her present population, and her latest
vote on the question Of annexation.
We have gathered up the statistics as
close as We could at this date and what
we give is as near correct as can be
made, without a new census of the pop
ulation, the last having been taken
nearly two years ago. Her gross area
Of the section Of North Idaho embraced
in Brentz' bill to firm a part of the
State Of Washington is about $4,000
square miles. The presumption filings
embrace 26l, 600 acres The homestead
filings embrace l46,349 acres, and the
timber culture filings embrace 42,747
acres, surveyed land open for settlement
600, 900 acres, unsurveyed and suscept.
IDLE of settlement 100000 acres. A
greater portion Of the remainder of the
whole area is rugged and mountainous,
with here and there small patches that
might be settled for agricultural and
stock purposes, but it contains several
rich mining districts, and may be re
garded as rich in minerals and is gen
orally covered with excellent timber.
The population Of the four counties Of
Nez Perez, Idaho, Shoshone and Root
enai at the last census of the spring of
1880, was returned as 6,9S3. The in
crease since then has principally been
in Kootenai and Nez Perez counties,
with considerable increase in parts OF
Idaho county. The closest estimate of
tho aggregate increase in all the coun-
ties give 400, so that it is safe to say
that the present population Of all the
counties of North Idaho will aggregate
IL, 400, exclusive Of Indians. Abou.
one in four Of this population will be
voters at the ensuing election. The
assessed valuation of property will not
fall short Of 81, 100000 and if proper
valuation be placed upon the railroad
property, this will be increased 81, $780,
600. The towns that have obtained
any celebrity are Lewiston, Mt. Idaho,
Grangeville. Pierce City, Washington,
Florence, Genesee, Moscow, Coeur d..
Alene,l Westwood, vetnor, and q few
others that are coming into being. Of
rivers it has the Salmon and branches,
Clearwater and branches, Spokane and
Pend d'Oreille and branches, all drain
ing the mountains lying east Of the
inhabited portions..of North Idaho, and
flowing west, the Salmon and Clear
water emp.ying into Snake river at the
western boundary of North Idaho and
the others running into tho table lands
of Washington Territory. Besides
these rivers there are several creeks
flowing in the same direction. Several
of these streams furnish water trans
portation of both timber, lumber and
wood from the mountains to the settled
country in both North Idaho and
Washington, and are the convenient
channels of commerce for the use Of
tho settlers. The vote of our people
in the fall of 1880 on the question OF
annexation to Washington as State
was 1875 for, and only against.
Owing to the storm Oh election day less
than l, 800 votes were polled in all the
northern counties on any question or
for any office, more than 500 are known
to have remained away from the polls
by reason OF the storm. All the plough
land Of North Idaho is as rich and pro.
duc:ive as the same amount Of land in