Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-01-23
A KANSAN ON WOOD RIVER.
HIS OPINION OF THIS SECTION, AND
ITS ADVANTAGES.

A Fine Agricultural and Mineral COuns
try where the Climate is Equable, the
Soil Very Prolific, and the Mines
Rich.
N. N. Purviance, lawyer of means
who recently came to Wood River to
settle, with his family, finds the coun-
try even better than represented. In
a letter to his home paper he said:
If l should write letter to each
person who requested me to let him
hear from me after arriving here, it
would require too much time, hence |
will adopt this method of informing
the Kansas friends OF this country as ]
see it from time to time. We left
Oswego at 4 o'clock p. M, Dec. Dist
and arrived here Jan. 9TH at 6 o'clock
a. m. We went to Kansas City from
Oswego; from Kansas City to Denver;
from Denver to Cheyenne: from Chey-
enne to Odgen; from Ogden to Pcca-
tello; from Pocatello to Shoshone, and
from there to Haley. We made close
connection at all points except at Kan
sas City where we stopped about
twenty hours and came near freezing.
1t showed most Of the time we were
there and the wind blew very hur-
ricane. If were to select place to
torment the wicked in, l would choose
Kansas City. In addition to the ter.
rible storm that ragged while we we're
there, we were annoyed all night by
the drunk. IL revelries in t e sr gger-
les on every side of us.
We found no snow on the entire
route deeper than six inches. When
we got here wa found about ten inches
of snow in sof, melting condition.
Saturday and Sunday night about ten
inches more fell. Sunday it was clear
and warm and the snow melted and
settled considerably. To-day Mon
day, Jan. 7th,) it began showing
again and looks now s o'clock p. n.y.
as though it would snow all night.
The snow comes strai ght down, accom-
panied by no wind. 1t has beet warm
and pleasant ever since we arrived
the snow melting and settling all the
time, so that It is not more than
twelve inches deep. Its depth is uni
form-no dritting-no wind to drift
1t. The old settlers say it will not be-
come deep enough to interfere with
travel, and that January is the month
when the SNOW mostly falls, but that
it is liable to lay on the grounl until
April LIST. The snow on the NOUN
tains, of course, is deeper, perhaps
from II to 20 feet. The melting of
this vast quantity Of snow on the
mountains is gradual process, ex-
tending through the spring and sum
mer, filling every little stream bed as
it goes, clear and sparkling on its way
down tine mountain slopes and on into
the larger valleys below.
AS to this climate, am perfectly
surprised. We read in o-day's papers
OF carload Of mules freezing to death
at Fort Scott in Southern Kansas
f day before yesterday, and the mer.
curry going down 80 degrees below
zero at Kansas City on the same day
while here it was SO warm and pleas.
ant that we needed no overcoats out
t of doors, and but little fire in the
houses, the water dripping off of roofs
everywhere and the air as balmy as a
!, Kansas spring. If it gets cold here
it would not affect one, as there is nc
wind. The people here say the
weather has been delightful up to thi.
fall of snow.
Most of the business and dwelling
! houses are made of rough pine board,
nailed on sup and down" and on the
| inside lined with thin muslin, and thi.
covered with paper. One kansa:
blizzard would send the muslin anC
: paper al! tying about the room anC
, probably demolish the whole struc
ture, and yet, in such houses as these
the people are comfortable with onl,
partly dried cottonwood for fuel. The,
say there is never any thunder, light
ming or cyclones here.
This city is built mostly along the
=. two sides of one long street, and sa
t looms and gambling houses are numer
Gus, but there is an entire absence o
all drunkenness and rowdyism. TIL,
people are quiet, courteous and oblig
r ing as can be found anywhere
There is not church building il the
city, and no cessation from bushes:
on Sunday. The city is about two
years old There have been severa
fine brick buildings put up during thu
past year. That the water in these
valleys is pure, and the climate regu
: lar, mild and healthy, there can be No
| doubt.
r The mineral resources are just be
5 ginning to be developed. The agrl'
5 cultural resources | cannot say muct
, about, as the experiment is no. being
made with the small grains and tam,
, grasses. Large yields OF vegetables
Of the very finest quality have alread.
attested the capacity of the soil in tina