Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-10-23
WOOD RIVER.
QER ADVANTAGES GRAPHICALLY
DESCRIBED.

DESCRIBED.
Her Mineral Wealth, Agricultural Fla.
cilities, Social Features, Etc., as Told
by the Receiver Of the HALEY Land
ONCE.
Correspondence Oswego (Kas) independently
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 a descent of 70 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
r 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 pleasure to catch these
spry little fellows, and is no less a
pl assure to eat them when they are
properly served on the table. But l
be eve l was speaking Of Haley.
We, Haley is a 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 ut 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 a few prices
Of both necessarics 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 pound, beef 25 cents per
pound, and although the market is full
Of fruit, yet the prices run as follows:
Pears % cents per pound, green ap-
pies 20 cents per pound, grapes rs
cents per pound, tomatoes rs 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 90 all
right, and Me xican as we'll as trade
dollars as good as any. l 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 here.)
There 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 ore are
shipped from here to Omaha for smelt.
ing and refining. 1t is no unusual
thing to see at the freight depot 1000
bars OF silver stacked up awaiting
shipment; nor to SET ten or fifteen II.
mule teams hauling bar silver from thu
smelters to the depot. There are
plenty Of lawyers here, plenty of doc.
tors, and superabundance of loaf.
ers. I.aboring men are in demand al
% per day. Mechanics have beer
quite busy and in demand, but work
is now little slack. Carpenters gre,
IS per day, stone and brickIayers S.
per day, painters IS per day, ant
brickmakers from 81 to IS per day.
Now l will speak of the surround
ing country that is tributary to Hal
ley. and which will contribute to the
building up of a small city here il
the near future. First, the mineral
country is one vast succession O
mountain ranges with here aud Their,
. small fertile valley, through which ,
wagon-road runs, over which supplies
are hauled to the mines and minera
brought from the mines. And ther
from these small fertile valleys dozen
of narrow gulches reach up IN various
directions where often a wagon-roat
cannot be constructed, hence The
pack mule and the train are brough
into use. 1t is somewhat amusing t.
fresh Kansan to see them load "
these trains OF pack mules. Boxe
Of canned goods, kegs of nails
kegs Of whisky and every conceivable
thing is tied on the backs of thes,
animals and ono after another the,
string out forming line a mile il
length, and they thus freight good.
for hundreds Of miles up narrow
gulches and over mo untain passes t.
the various interior mines, and on re-
turn bring bags Of ore to the smelters
There is no end to the mineral ir
this country. have visited severa
~ tho v>nn,,1ar roinse naor Ho;loy a nd