Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-03-20
IDAHO COUNTY.

Idaho, and since the attaching OF Camas
Paririe country to it, it has as varied and
rich resources as any county in Idaho
Territory. In mineral resources it has
already made itself prominently distin-
guished, for its rich placers, which have
yielded more of the precious metal than
all the remaining counties of North Idaho.
1t is true the greatest annual yield has
past away from the discoveries made, yet
at the present day thousands of dollars
are annually taken from these mines
which by many are called wornout camps
and oil this money has gone into circula
ton to enrich all this Northwest coast
In the dush and prosperous seasons, they
lifted Oregon and Portland out Of their
great embarrassments caused by the food
Of 1862 and entered largely into the
trades of Portland. 1t lifted the Oregon
Steam Navigation Company out of bank
ruptcy and made it progress to stately
and rich corporation, giving it position
in which it could dictate its own terms
when it disposed of its means and advan-
tages to the 0. II. 4 N. Co. A fact that
cannot be denied, and yet, what has that
company, or Portland or Oregon, ever
done towards assisting in the development
of the richness of these mines, beyond
furnishing goods at enormous prices, and
transportation at rates that have exceeded
those of every other corporation Of equal
magnitude on the Pacific Slope, to absorb
the product of these mines as fast as their
yield could be gathered, leaving the
miners comparatively nothing to make
future developments, save their own labor
Nor did they leave anywhere in the coun-
try means for any other development.
Again, in Idaho county, have been un-
covered some of the best quartz veins
that have been found in all Idaho Terri
tory and their ores have been tested by
assays, by arastIa and stamp milling,
which have proved exceedingly rich But
NO capital to speak Of has ever come from
the steamboat company, from Portland
or any other portion Of Oregon or from
the Pacific Coast, to place such mills and
appliances in the camp as were suitable
for the economical and successful work
ing Of these mines, not even 80 much as
~ build roads to them that could cheap
en- the land transportation of the machin-
cry required and the supplies to be con-
sumed by the laborers. While Baker and
other counties in Oregon have received
thousands and thousands Of dollars for
developments of mines there that never
did disclose one-half the richness in sur
face developments that did the Idaho
county quartz. Again, at the present
time, we find Portland capital rushing to
the Ceur d'Alene, full handed, where
there never has been onetenth the good
prospects disclosed that have been dis
closed in Idaho county. So much for
the mining resources. Now We call at
tention to the agricultural resources of the
county, since the acquisition of the Camas
Prairie country. The agricultural area
Of Idaho county, embraces large area OF
the most productive soil that can be found
anywhere on this coast, which lies in
proximity to that of Nez Perez county,
fur ahead Of that of Walla Walla, Colum-
bia and Whitman counties of Washington
and Umatilla county, Oregon. Portlapd
capital has been lavish, in assisting to give,
through the 0. r Il N. Co., capital to
furnish railroad transportation for these
latter counties, while they have never
provided the first cent towards furnish.
ing similar facilities for Idaho county, or
other counties Of North Idaho, nor have
they ever sounselled such assistance for
this section Of the country, but have told
US that We, with our great agricultural
resources, must remain content with
steamboat facilities at YER, high rates,
and 70 meager in extent that they will
not remove one. tenth of our surplus that
Is being raised, nor one-iftyeth that
could be raised were there any cncour-
agement that transportation would soon
be made speedy and cheap, at the season
If the years Immediately following each
and every harvest, or when market prices
we're advanced. Idaho county, while
better lauds, more general nat
aral advantages, for successful production,
lacks transportation, and hence is retard-
ed in her development and growth. Give
her transportation, and with her present
she can send out of her coun-
Try more surplus wheat than any other
county having no more area of wheat