Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-11-03
WOOD RIVER.
HER ADVANTAGES GRAPHICALLY
DESCRIBED.

Her Mineral Wealth, Agricultural Fa.
cilities, Social Features, Etc, as Told
by the Receiver Of the HALEY Land
Office.
correspondence Oswego (Kas.) Independent
Haley is on Wood River, about rs
miles from where its waters flow into
the Snake river. 1t is a small stream,
no larger than the Labettc at or near
Chetopa. But, O! the clear, cool
water that rushes down this small
stream, which has descent of 20 feet
to the mile, is 50 grand, that to one
who is accustomed to the sluggish
streams OF Southern Kansas, whose
waters are green with filth and skum,
cannot help but admire the country
for even the pure, cold water; and
when we stand and gaze, upon this
pure, sparkling water as it rushes
down over the hundreds OF cataracts,
we feel as though we could drink al
ways and never have enough. The
fish that are found in all these streams
are very nl.e; they are the mountain
trout. 1t is pleasure to catch these
spry little fellows, and is no less
III asure to eat them when they are
properly served ON the table. But |
be eve | was speaking of Haley.
We J, Haley is little wooden town,
only two years old, regularly laid out,
but built up oflog houses, box houses,
few neat frame buildings, and some
brick and stone structures. A new
and magnificent courthouse is now I'M
der construction at a cost of $4,000
A three-story hotel, about the size of
Abbott House, of Parsons, is nearly
enclosed, and many small dwellings,
are in course of erection.
Now let me give you few prices
of both neccssarics as we'll as luxu-
ries. If you start out with your mar
ket basket to provide for dinner YOU
will be required to pay for Irish pota-
toes 3 cents per pound, sweet potatoes
Is cents per poun,l, beef % cents per
pound, and although the market is full
Of fruit, yet the prices run as follows:
Pears p cents per ponnd, green APP
pies 20 cents per pound, grapes 70
cents per pound, tomatoes % cents
per pound, peaches 70 cents per
pound. There is no nickel change
here, and rarely ten-cent piece is
seen or used. Punched coins 90 all
right. and Me xican as well as trade
dollars as good as any. | am told that
whisky at the bar is % cents drink
Ct merely throw in Ills last bit of in
formation for the benefit Of some O.
our Owcgo friends who have been talk
ing about coming up here.)
There is an immense amount o
business done here, as hundreds o
mining camps procure their supplies
at HALEY, this being the end of tn,
Wood River Branch of the Orcgo,
Short Line Railroad. Hundreds o
carloads of bullion and ore ar,
shipped from here to Omaha for smclt
ing aud refining. 1t is no unusua
thing to see at the freight depot ,o0'
bars OF silver stacked up awaiting
shinment; nor to See ten or fifteen :.
mule cams hauling bar silver from tn
smelters to the depot. There ar
plenty of lawyers here, plenty of doc
tors, and supcrabundancc of loaf
ers. I.aboring men alc in demand a
80 per day. Mechanics have beef
quite busy and in demand, bat worl
is now little slack. Carpenters gc
s. per day, stone and bricklavers =
per day, painters 81 per day, AM
brichmaker, from 81 to IS per day.
Now will speak of the surround
ing country that is tributary to Hal
lev. and which will contribute to tn
building up of a small city here i
the near ;turc First, the minera
country is one vast succession c
mountain ranges with here and thcr
small fertile valley, through which
wagon-road runs, over which supple
are hauled to the mines and miner;
brought from the mines. And the
from these small fertile valleys dozen
of narrow gulches reach up IN variou
directions where often wagon-roa
cannot be constructed, hence tn
pack mule and the train are brouy'
into use. 1t is somewhat amusing t
fresh kansan to see them load u
these trains Of pack mules. Box,
Of canned goods, kegs of nail
kegs of whisky and every conceivabl
thing is tied on the backs of thes
animals and one after another the
string Out forming IL line ii mile i
length, and they thus freight good
for hund:e Is OF miles up narro'
gulches and over m untain passes t
the various interior mines, and on IT
turn bring bags of ore to the snelter.
There is no end to the mineral i
this country. ! have visited severa
of the popular N mes near Haley an
have seen a million dollars worth ,