Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-10-13
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 tKas.) Independent. !
HALEY is on Wood River, about rs
miles from where its waters flow into
the Snake river. 1t is small stream.
no larger than the Labette 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 so grand, that to one
who IS accustomed to the sluggish
streams OF Southern Kansas, whose
waters arc green with filth and skum.
cannot help but admire the country
Tor even the pure, cold water; and
when we stand and gaze upon this
pure, sparkling water as it PUSHES
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 II 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 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 aud stone structures. A new
and magnificent courthouse is now un-
der construction ut cost of $40, 900.
= 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 necessarics as we'll as luxu-
ries. Ii you start out with your mar.
ket basket to provide for dinner you
will he required t. pay for Irish pota-
toes ) cents per pound, sweet potatoes
ID cents per pound, beef % cents per
pound, and although the market is full
OF fruit, yet the prices run as follows:
Fears 20 cents per pound, green APP
pies 70 cents per pound, grapes rs
cents per pound, tomatoes 25 cents
per pound, peaches rs cents per
pound. There is no nickel change
here, and rarely ten-cent piece is
seen or used. Punched coins 60 all
right, and Me xican as well as trade
dollars as good AS any. am told that
whisky at the bar is rs cents drink.
Il 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 ferc.)
lhere Is an immense amount OF
business done here, as hundreds of
mining camps procure their supplies
at Haley, this being the end Of the
Wood River Branch of the Oregon
Short Line Railroad. Hundreds Of
carloads of bullion and orc are
from here to Omaha for smelt-
lug and refining. 1t is no unusual
thing to see at the freight depot l 900 |
bars OF silver stacked up awaiting
nor to See ten or fifteen r.
mule teams hauling bar silver from the
smelters to the depot. There are
plenty OF lawyers here, plenty of doc
tors, and a superabundance of loaf.
ers. l.aboring men are in demand at
IS per day. Mechanics have been
quite busy and in demand, but work
is now little slack. Carpenters get
30 per day, stone and bricklayers $,
per day. painters IS per day, and
brlckmakers from 81 to IS per day.
Now will speak of the surround
ing country that is tributary to Hal.
ey. and which will contribute to the
building up of small city here in
the near future. First, the minera!
country is one vast succession of
mountain ranges with here and there
small fertile valley, through which
runs, over which supplies
re hauled to the mines and mineral
'rought from the mines. And then
rom these small fertile valleys dozens
It narrow gulches reach up IN various
directions where often waron.road
annot be constructed, hence the
Jack mule and the train are brought
lto use. 1t is somewhat amusing to
fresh kansan to see them load up i
hese trains of pack mules. Boxes
t canned goods, kegs Of nails,
egs OF whisky and every conceivable
hing is tied on the backs of these
nlmals and one after another thew
frlng out forning line mile in
ength, and they thus fret rht goods d.
Or hundreds OF miles up narrow ]
u!ches and over m untain passes to II
ne various interior mines, and on re-.
'rn bring bags Of ore to the smcltcrs
There Is no end to the mineral in II
MS country. ! have visited several W
the popular mines near HALEY and $.
have seen million dollars worth of 8
70 ut one sight. There are hundreds