Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-06-08
Idaho County Sends a Delega-
ton to Confer With Our
BOard.Of Trade,
As to the Extension of the SpO-
kane Il PalOusc Railroad
Into the Clearwater
Basin.
A Rich Country TO be Added to the Already
Immense Area Tributary to the Rail
road System of Which Spokane
Falls is the Hub.

l. s. Weller, popular merchant of Mt.
Idaho, Idaho county, Idaho territory,
and Mr.. A. F. Parker, who will be re-
membered as the editor of the Cmur d.
Alene Eagle the pioneer paper of Ea-
gle city, and as deputy mineral recorder
of C@ur d. Alene district before it be-
came split up into dozen or more dist
riots. Mr.. Weller is head of the firm of
Weller & Wax, who have stores at Mt.
Idaho and GrangevilIe, at which latter
place Mr.. Parker is publishing the
Idaho FREE PRESS, the leading demo-
cratic paper of Idaho territory. These
gentlemen come to Spokane Falls as
representative citizens of Idaho county
to discuss with our people the project of
extending the Spokane & Palouse rail-
road from its present terminus at Gen
esee to the great Camas prairie, which
lies between the Salmon and Clear
water rivers in Idaho county. The dis
lance required to extend this railroad is
about seventy-five miles, over practical
BILE grades. and in addition to the Camas
prairie, which is 30x45 miles, an i'm
mense area of undeveloped agricultural,
pastoral, mineral and timber lands
would be added to the jurisdiction of
Spokane Falls by the completion of the
proposed railroad. 1t is we'll known
historical fact that the original intention
OF the Northern Pacific directors was to
construct their road by way of Lewiston
up the Clearwater into the Bitter Root
valley, and that said intention was only
abandoned through Interior movements,
which DETECTED the Northern Pacific
over its present course.
The Camas prairie is situated on the
edge of the Nez Perez Indian reserya.
ton, and is very large and exceed
ingly fertile tract of land. 1t now con-
tains about 1000 inhabitants. 1t is the
headquarters of the trade into the Sal
mon river, Florence, Warrens, Elk city
and Orc Elmo mining districts, which,
in early days were very rich placer
camps, but of late years the quartz ill.,
terests have come to the front, and there
are districts there which promise to
eclipse the Ceur d'Alene in width and
wealth of lodges when the country is
made accessible and opened to civiliza-
ton. At present all the wagon roads in
that country terminate at Mt. Idaho and
Grangeville, which are the distributing
points for the mountain country beyond.
and wherein the mines are situated.
The people of that long isolated section
are very anxious for railroad commu-
nication with Spokane Falls, which they
regard as the great northern metropolis.
and win do all in their power to facil-
tate the task of completing the Spokane
and Palouse railroad from its present
terminus to their country They offer
for shipment over the Northern Pacific.
by way ofSpokane Falls, 100000 BUSH
els of grain, 1000 head of horses and
cattle, and any quantity of ore. In the
present condition of the country eyerv
pound of imported and exported freight
has to be shipped to and from Lewiston
to the Camas prairie by wagons at n
cost OF one cent per pound, and from
the prairie it is packed on mules backs |
to the interior settlements at a cost of |
from one to four cents pound. and as |
a natural necessity the productions and |
imports are limited to the absolute re-
quirments of the population. With a
guarantee of railroad the cereal pro-
auctions alone would aggregate several
million bushels of wheat, with proper
tionate corresponding output of other
products for export.
Here Is an opportunity for Spokane
Falls to add to her importance as a com.
mercial center an area of 200x20O miles
The extension OF the Spokane Palouse
railroad, as suggested by Messrs. Weller
and Parker. would add to our jurisdic-
tion all empire extending from Cnur d
Alene On the north to Salmon city on
the south, and from Lewiston on the
west to the Montana territorial boun-
diary line on the east. 1t is a region of
vast but undeyeloped natural resources.
The agricultural area of the country on
the south side of the Clearwater river
is fully equal to that lying between
Lewiston and Spokane Falls. Its for
ests of pine and cedar are of the largest
and finest variety on the continent; its
live stock interests are very important
and its quartz mines, says Mr.. Parker.
who is an authority on snch subjects,
are going to develope larger and mors
important mines and mining districts
han any that have yet been discovered
n Idaho territory, and will prove an
lnfailing source of revenue to the pro-
ected railroad.
Since the above was written we learn
hat Messrs. Weller and Parker have
several members of the
Board of Trade of Spokane Falls, and it
} understood that official action will be
AIKEN by that body to call the attention
( the stock holders of the Spokane &
'alouse railroad to the benefits that
ill arise, both to the railroad and this
ty, from the completion of the pro-
osed extension. 1t appears to us to be
10 most important project that has