Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-10-30
AND STILL ANOTHERi
Cliff City, the Latest TownsIte Specu.
latlOn On Lost River.

Lost River Island of Omus," which is
in many respects different from all
the other ventures of that kind whose
claims have been so persistently urged
during the past summer. To an out
slider it has seemed that the principal
industry has SO far been to lay out
townsites and to urge the claims of
this or that point as the future seem
ter" and "base OF supply" for the
mines. Everywhere that a gin-mill
has been set up, town has been
named, and all that unlimited cheek
and mendacity could do has been
done to advance its claims as the
"future great" and to disparage the
claims of all the others. But now
Cliff city, the new aspirant for great.
ness, has suddenly sprung from the
brains Of our enterprising spectators
in corner lots and townsites, as Mi,
nerva from the head of Jupiter, and
bids fair to be the Ivanhoe that will
sweep the field. AS the great Proc.
tor Knott was vexed with the ques.
ton, Where is Duluth ? so will no
doubt many of your readers wonder
ingly ask, Where is Cliff city? To all
such, be it known that Cliff city is a
living, progressive reality, and in no
sense q mere fgment of Lost River
Imagination. Situated at the base of
the towering mountains, on the banks
of the beautiful White Knob creek,
and surrounded on all sides by the
rich mining properties, the hope and
pride Of our section, in an atmosphere
redolent with the perfume of the fra
grant pine and juniper, where the
pestilent mosquito troubleth not dur
ing the summer months, and where all
the adjuncts of beautiful scenery and
romantic surroundings tend to make
its location ono of surprising beauty
and most sublime and picturesque in
its loveliness-such is Cliff city. Who
can doubt it's future ? or that in the
years to come its fame will 60 out to
the length and breadth of the laad,
and, as did Duluth, it will so rise from
its obscurity that no. even Kentucky
Congressman will confess ignorance
of its whereabouts:
Among its many rivals in the race
for greatness, Houston alone survives.
Alder city at once surrendered, and
the cottonwood logs of the little store
and whisky shop which composed it
now disgrace the rear end of one Of
the back lots of Houston, its owners
having, like the Bedouin Arabs, folded
their tents and silently stole away.
Rio Grande city is no more, its pro-
prietor and "his woman" having at
once packed all the stock in trade and
fixtures Of their saloon upon the backs
of their faithful cayuses and trans
ferred them to Cliff city. Carbonate
city has also yielded to the fiat of des-
tiny, and the solitary gin-mill, the
nucleus around which clustered all it's
hopes Of future greatness, stands de.
serted and alone, where only the fes-
tive coyote remains to wake the
echoes of the sage-brush plain, and
with his doleful wall to sound the sad
requiem Of departed glory. Houston
has been more fortunate, for its
founders have indeed builded better
than they knew, by pitching its loca-
ton directly upon the only road to
Cliff city, where of course its future
is doubly assured. Its citizens claim
that their burg will be the Haley,
and Cliff city the Bullion of Lost
River, and the modest denizens of the
latter claim that while Houston may
be very good rancher and cowboy
town, Cliff city will be a Leadville.
Although mining has SO far been an
interest of secondary Importance to
that of town building, it is now re-.
ceiving some attention, and quite u
number of men have found employ
ment at and around Cliff city. A
smelling furnace is being erected at
the Big Copper mine, the machinery
being now on the ground, and ar.
engagements are being made to work y
small force of men all winter on both
the Grand Prize and Big Copper. A
large shipment of lead ore from the
Grand Prize will soon be sent to the
smelter at Bay horse; also, lot of a
hundred tons from the Black Daisy.