The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-08-17
..rHE eHar oFrHn MouNrAINs,,

Great N,inerai Wealth.
Correspondence ofne hteulgaseT.
Boss CRY, ID4no. August 5.-Idaho
was created azTerritory in March, 1868,
from portionsof Washington, Dakota and
Nebraska Territories. At this time 1t had
au area OF S26,87s square miles, and em-
braced the present State Of Nebraska aud
most Of the Territory ot-wyoming. In
1865 the Territories Of Montana and Wy
omtng havingbsen created Idaho assumed
its present form and area. The length Of
the Territory is 40 miles, width at the
north line 20 miles, and 257 miles on
the south line; thus its areai s greater than
that OF New York, New Jersey, Massa-
chusetts and New Hampshire combined.
In 1868 permanent settlements were COM
menced, and since that time it has rapidly
increased in population and wealth.
The name idaho is said to bs q corrup.
ton OF the Indian word Edah.hoe, which
IS translated Gem OF the Mountains"
It's first settlement ws9 owing to the dis.
coyefy Of rich mines Of gold and silver.
Nuggets were daily found. that were worth
from IS to $50. One was found that
weighed farty ouucss and was valued at
$50. The discovery OF these rich placer
mines was followed by. the discovery OF
yery rich quartz mines Picked ore from
one Of these quartz mines yielded 5000
in gold a:.d s. COO in silver 70 the ton.
Population poured in faster than 1t could
be fed or shsltered. There were no rail-
roads or wagon roads and everything HAD
to be brought in on pack animals. At
first everything in the eatable line sold at
the uniform price OF one dollar per pound.
Then the miner TOOK out mis- scales and
weighed out 500 in gold dust for . barrel
OF flour with as good grace as he now lays
down % cents fora drink otiorty-1od wins.
XIV. As matter OF course, many of these
people were destined TO disappointment.
Somewer disappointed because they did
not rapidly grow rich, while those who At
tended closely to business, and were temper
ate and industrious, were soon disappoint-
ed, happily disappointed, in finding them
selves rapidlNRrowing rich.
The wonderful climate of Idaho Is prob.
ablyto be accounted for by the effects OF
the great Japan current which bears
against the western shore Of America,
the effect } OF which are borne inland by
the "Chinooh" winds until they strike
the great natural wall Of the Bitter Root
and Rocky Mountains; therefore the cli-
mate Is delightful. The days arc never
sultry and the nights are always cool and
refreshing. In this tBoise) valley the
Thermometer rarely goes above 1907 In the
summer nor below zero IN the winter. In
the higher valleys and in the mountains
the climate Is colder with a greater fall Of
snow. When ! came here last spring
found vegetation from three to four weeks
earlier than In the Ohio valley. Daily oh.
seryations made here at z 4. No p. N
and 0 P. N. for eight years, show that the
annual average temperature has raised
only two degrees from blS. Its claimed,
and / have no doubt OF It's correctness,
that there isa difference oftrom fifteen 10
twenty degrees In the intensity OF heat or
cold in favor Of this section when com.
pared whistle same temperature OF the
Atlantic coast regions. The reports Of
the Surgeon General OF the Army show
Idaho to be the hpalthiest locality in the
United Stetes.s
Stock raising Is one Of the great indus.
tries OF Idaho. Cattle, sheep and horses
thrive and rtapire but little more care, so
far as feed Is concerned, than did the
buffalo that used to roam these plains In
DAYS OF yore, There arc more than q, COO.
600 acres Of grazing land in the territory,
the greater part OF which affords sufficient
feed 10 keep stock in good shape through
the winter, and TO cause them to thrive
abundantiy through the summer. Men
who have been in the cattle business tot .
law wears are generally rich, while those
who are engaged in 1t to only limited
extent are making Q good living and in:
crossing their stock.
As q fruit and agricultural country !
have never seen anything that equaled
the valleys Of Idaho. Apples, peaches,
pear, aprtcots, nectarines, prunes, plums,
grapes and all Of the small fruits OF the
tinest quality are produced in the greatest
labundance. The fourth years growth Of
apple treesin the Boise Valley has yielded
two hundred pounds Of the finest kind Of
apples. There are several orchards in
this vicinity that produce from eb.000
bushels to 40C00 bushels OF fruit annu-
ally. There are no fruit insects wormy
apple raised Ia Idaho 10 something that Is
AN kinds Of vegetables grow in the
greatest protusion, and they are OF the
finest quality I ever saw. The following
IIs q low estimate OF the yield OF grain per
acre In idaho: Wheat, 80 bushels; oats,
IS rye, 25j barley, 40; corn, 80 potatoes,
$50. There are except nnal cases where
the yield Is far Ia excess OF these figures.
| i saw, the other day, q five acre lot from
/ III IN ,raa tIiFas he'd tlhsk year nv actual