Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-03-02
FROM LOST RIVER.
The SchO0lmaster AbrOad-A Favorable
acknowledgements Of q Sheep.
Herder...Etc.


In the future annals of Lost River
there will doubtless be recorded the
tradition of an itinerant pedagogue
who, packing his blankets and carpet
bag on the back of one-eyed cav
use, set out on his wearisome way
through the snow in search of dis. |
trict school to teach.
Your humble correspondent will
probably be remembered as the Gam.
aliel referred to, and will also enjoy
the distinction Of being the first one
to undertake the task of training the
wild, young ideas of this neighbour
hood-Little Lost River.
The influence of the "schoolmaster
abroad in the land'' has heretofore
had no perceptible effect upon the
untutored minds, or in any way mod
elcd the ways and habits Of the young
generation now growing up on Little
Lost River.
When Josh Billings set out to de-
pict the woes of the "district skulle-
MASTER he was lacking in the way OF
experience and observation in this
kind of a settlement, which alone
would have enabled him to do full
justice to the subject. However, there
are now several enterprising, thrifty
families who have settled here within
the past year, and through their eff
forts, and the active assistance also of
many of the old bachelor settlers, a
good schoolhouse has hcen erected
and a creditable interest is beng
shown in the cause of education.
On Lost River the winter has been,
on the whole, a very favorable one
for the stockmen, Notwithstanding the
extreme cold in January, which is
said to have been the coolest ever
known in this part of the Territory.
The snowfall has been about the same
in both the Big Lost aud Little Lost
River Valleys, and its greatest depth
was about 16 inches, which fell in
January Since that time the snow
has been steadily thawing and is now
nearly gone. The cattIemon drove
their herds out to the hills nearly a
month ago, and all Of them managed
to pull through without loss and with
little or no feeding. On Little Los!
River Messrs. Haw!ey, Bunting, Lowe
and Sands, each Of whom have large
herds, have none Of them sustaine d
any loss. Mr.. |. A. Dwight, former
ly Of Nevada, who came here last fall
with large herd, has wintered them
on the foothills adjoining the valley,
and between this point and Arco.
His losses will not exceed three per
cent, and that only among the old
cows that were in poor condition on
account of the long drive. In view
Of the disasters which have overtaken
the stockmcn in other localities, the
people of these valleys are indeed
fortunate.
One Of the tragedies of the cold
blizzard of last month has but lately
been revealed. A sheep herder who,
late last fall, pitched his lonely camp
on the desert s or 10 miles below
Arco, has been lost and, SO far, all
efforts have failed to find any trace Of
him. He is supposed to have had
about 1900 sheep of which about 400
have been saved by Messrs Hawley,
Motley and Meas. 1t seems certain
that the unfortunate man persisted;
with the cold and his body has been
eaten by the coyotes. His cabin was
found filled with dead sheep and
hundreds Of them lying in piles
| around 1t.
Along the Lost River there has not
been much done during the past TWO
! months, all the people seeming con
tent to wait and take the world easy
until spring. In the meantime there
has been no lack of such social
amusements as a new country affords
in the way of dancing, etc, to help
while the time away. The Lost River
Lyceum which meets every Saturday
night at the Island district school
house has been source Of much in
teresting and profitable amusement.
The great questions of the day are
there discussed with marked ability
and elGquence. At the last meeting