Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-10-03
WOOD RIVER.
HER ADVANTAGES GRAPHICALLY
DESCRIBED.

Correspondence Oswego (Kas.) independent.
HALEY is on Wood River, about Il
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 a descent of 80 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 sire ans
are very nice; they are the mountain
trout. 1t is a pleasure to catch these
spry little fellows, and is no less a
pl asure to eat them when they are
properly served on the table. But
be eve | was speaking of HALEY.
We ], 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 at 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.
What shall say for society? Well.
you know l was never much of So
ciety man when in Kansas. But now
that | am in Idaho am totally re-
|leved from any of the responsibilities
OF society matters. There are all
classes of people here, some very
wea'thy 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
a fee of $50 or $50 from a client and
the first thing they do is to attempt to
double the amount by ''buckng at the
tiger" Mechanics labor for six DAYS
at IS per day; they then get $50 on
evening, and the first place
they 60 is to gambling table, there
70 double the amount made during
the week, or lose their weeks earn.
ngs. Miners, who delvc in the mines,
some into Haley on Saturday evening
md remain until Sunday or Monday
morning, and gamble away their hard.
EARNED money. Yet after all this
there is but little drunkenness and
|awlessness. A drunken man is not
4 frequent sight, and calaboose and
police force is unknown to the order
of things, yet occasionally deputy
sheriff chucks man into the county
Jail.
Now let me give you few prices
81 both necessaries as we'll as luxu-
lies. 1t you start out with your mar
Set basket to provide for dinner YOU
will be required to pay for Irish pota-
ocs 8 cents per pound, sweet potatoes
Is cents per pound, beef % cents per
pound, and although the market is iull
II fruit, yet the prices run AS follows:
ears 70 cents per ponnd, green APP {
lies ~ cents per pound, grapes %
ents per pound, tomatoes - cents ,
'er pound, peaches 25 cents per
pound. There is no nickel change .
'ere, and rare v ten-cent piece is
cen or used. Punched coins 90 all /
light, and Mexican as well as trade ,,
olars as good asa any. am told that
Whisky at the bar is % cents drink.
| merely throw in Ills last bit of in ,
for the benefit Of some of i
nr Owego friends who have been talk +.
ne about coming up hcre.) 3
There is an immense amount of ,,
BUSINESS done here, as hundreds of ?
mining camps procure their supplies /
t HALEY, this beng the end of the i
Wood River Branch of the Oregon !,
hort Line Railroad. Hundreds of y
ar-loads of bullion and ore are J,
hlpped from here to Omaha for smclt +
lg and refining. 1t is no unusual T.
hing to see at the freight depot 1000 :
ars OF silver stacked up awaiting
h'pment; nor to See ten or fifteen Il o 9,
'ule teams hauling bar silver from the !.
meters to the depot. There are =
lenty of lawyers here, plenty of doc ;,
'rs, and a superabundancc of loaf 81 ;.
RS. 1.aboring men are in demand at 6
) per day. Mechanics have been "
ute busy and in demand, but work W W
now little slack. Carpenters get
> per day, stone and bricklayers s. 70
er day. painters IS per day, and d. d,
'ickmakers from 81 to IS per day. r
Now | will speak of the surround
81,