Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-09-20
WOOD RIVER VALLEY.
Its Mineral Wealth, Agricultural Fa.
ctlities, Social Features, Etc., as Seer
By q kaussn.

by = kansan.
Correspondence Osweso tKas.) Independent.
HALEY is on Wood River, about "a
miles from where its waters flow into
the Snake river. 1t is a small stream
no larger than the Labette ut or nea,
Chetopa. But, o! the clear, cool
water that rushes down this small
stream, which has descent of 20 fee,
to the mile, is so 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 nice; they are the mountain
trout. 1t is a pleasure to catch these
s..ry little fellows, and is no less
pl Asure to eat them when they are
pr perry served on the table. But |
be I've | was speaking of HALEY.
W. 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 un.
der construction ut cost Of $4,000.
A three-story hotel. about like the
Abbott House, OF Parsons, is nearly
enclosed, and many small dwellings
are in course Of erection.
What shall say for society? Well.
you know l was never much of a So.
ciety man when in Kansas. But now
that am in Idaho l am totally re.
l'eved from any OF the responsibilities
OF society matters. There are all
classes of people here, some very
wealthy and aristocratic. But when
shall inform you that there are 20
saloons running every day in the year,
and half as many gambling houses
running every day and every night,
and that the best of our business men
can be seen at the midnight hour seat.
cd at these gambling tables. you will
not wonder at my isolation from soci.
ETY.. Lawyers procure a retainer or
fee OF $2O or $50 from a client and
the first thing they do is to attempt to
double the amount by "bucking at the
tiger" Mechanics labor for six davs
at 50 per day; they then get $50 on
Saturday evening, and the first place
they go IS to gambling table, there
to double the amount made during
the week, or lose their weeks earn.
ings. Miners, who delve in the mines.
come into HALEY on Saturday evening
and remain until Sunday or Monday
morning, aud gamble away their hard. |
earned money. Yet after all this
there is but little drunkenness and
lawlessness. A drunken man is not
frequent sight, and calaboose and
police force is unknown to the order
OF things. yet occasionally a deputy
sheriff chucks man into the county
Jail.
Now let me give you a few prices
OF both necessaries as well 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 8 cents per pound, sweet potatoes
10 cents per pound, beef 25 cents per
pound, and although the market is full
OF fruit, yet the prices run as follows:
Pears 70 cents per pound, green an.
plies ~ cents per pound, grapes rs
cents per pound, tomatoes rs cents
per pound, peaches 25 cents per
pound. There is no nickel change
here, and rarely ten-cent piece is
seen or used. Punched coins 90 all :
right, and Mexican as we'll as trade
dollars as good as any. am told that
whisky at the bar is % cents drink.
| merely throw in this last bit of in
formation for the benefit of some of
our Owego friends who have been talk
ing about coming up here) I
There Is an immense amount of
business done here, as hundreds of
inning camps procure their supplies
It HALEY, this being the end Of tie
w GOD R'ver Branch OF the Oregon .
Short Line Railroad. Hundreds of
of bullion and ore are
shipped from here to Omaha for smelt.
ng and refining. 1t is no unusual
hing to see at the freight depot 1000
,ars OF silver stacked up awaiting r
'hlpment; nor to Set. ten or fifteen -.