Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-11-20
WOOD RIVER.
Her Delightful Climate and Magnificent
Agricultural PrOducts-Large Pota.
toes and an Enormous Turnip-Etc.

Correspondence Oswego (kas) independently
HALEY, Idaho, Oct. 20, 1888.
Ed. Independent:-No doubt you
imagine that we are navigating this
country on snow shoes. But if so !
desire to disabuse your minds by CIV
ing you some items of
THE WEATHER,
which is very pleasant at this time. !
believe have said that it never rains
in Idaho. If so l have misstated the
facts for it has rained six days contin-
ually, and l supposed ere this we
would be completely showed in, but
the rain has ceased and bright sun
shine follows and the weather is de.
lightful. Stone and brick masons are
still at work, and even in the last two
days three new brick buildings have
been started, and the contractors agree
to finish them before Christmas. AL
though the snow capped mountains
meet your eye in every direction, yet
there seems to be but little prepare
ton to go into winter quarters. The
ranchmen have seafce,y begun har-
vesting their immense potato crops,
not fearing for a moment that they
will lose by the early freeze. We
have had only on one occasion ice
which froze to the thickness of win
dow glass. The days are quite pleas
ant ihost of the time and we need but
little FIRE IN our Office. We are blest
with ten hours out of each twenty. four
with Goods eternal sunshine" and he
who loves sunshine rather than clouds
can be fully p'eas;l with this climate.
Mrs. w. says: "Although the face
of the country is SO rough aud the val
ieys SO narrow, yet there is SON ething
about this country that is very attract
i've and fascinating" ! don't know
myself WHY it is, but l like the coun-
try more and more as the seasons pass
by. J. H. Crichton has been here for
several weeks and seems to be well
pleased with the country.
X
Bear, deer, antelope aud elk are be-
coming plentiful in the mountains
near HALEY, as the SHOWS in the
mountains north OF us are driving them
down to where there is no snow.
Wagons arrive daily ladenei with
deer and antelope which arc sold at
six cents per pound. ! desire now to
speak Of what / have seen in tie way
Of tho
PRODUCTS OF THE COUNTRY.
Some time since | was shown sev.
eral potatoes which weighed one
pound and quarter each and l
thought they were as large as had
over seen in Kansas, but was not
much attracted by this exhibit. But
few days after ranchman came into
ny office and brought me four pota-
toes, which were so very large as to
attract my attention, and weighed
them and they weighed eight pounds,
or two pounds each. l put them in a
box, nailed them up and was in the act
of sending them to Kansas for exhi-
bition when Mr.. McCulloch, formerly
Of Humboldt, Kansas, told me to wait
a few days, that one of his clients who
had a contest in the Land Office
pending, would be up and bring some
large potatoes. asked him what he
called those. He said they were
merel Y nice ones, but not large.
l accordingly waited, and at length
his man came and brought the pota-
toes. ] took the largest one and
weighed it, and it turned the scales at
fur and half pounds. l then re-
solved to send that tuber to Kansas.
But ere had done so, Mr.. Miner,
who lives four miles south of here,
came in and presented rue with sin
gle potato that weighed seven and
onehalf pounds. Ihave now resolved
TO await results and not send YOU a
potato until l can secure one that
weighs at least one-quart7r Of a hun
dred, which l hope to have before the
potato harvest is over. | have now,
in my office and laying in front of
where write, a monstrous turnip-
the common white turnip-which
weighs 22 and thrce-fourths pounds,
and measures 80 inches in circum.
ference.
This is now October %, and the
horses and cattle that belong ip HALEY
are yet fat and have not been fed any,
nor won't be for another month or
more. do not think we have to feed
here any greater number of days than
we do in Kansas, and perhaps not so
many, but | shall pay personal a,ten-