The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-08-04
OPEN TO SETTLEMENT.
Fine Stock and Agricultural Lands Of
Lost River and Camas Prairie.

Fine Stock and Agricultural Lands Of
| Lost River and Camas Prairie.
The following letter, received at
this office, is published and replied
to for the information of others OF
our eastern subscribers who may
be interested in the resources and
opportunities of this portion OF
Idaho:
OMAHA. NEB., July 80, 1858.
EDITOR KEYSTONE: / write IN regard
to information of government land, de-
| string to know if there is any, to your
knowledge, any where around in that
part of the country, that can be taken up
Ms homesteads, there being a party OF
several here who wish to go west and
raise cattle, as we'll rs farm. We, of
course. would want good land, we'll wat
cred and tlmbered. How in regard to
cattle9 Il there much raised2 Does 1t
pay, and Is the country suitable for it,
Can one stock up as cheap there as he can
ship2 By replying to this letter at
your earliest convenience you will greatly
oblige Yours, respectfully,
w. T. THURMAN.
The questions propounded by our
correspondent draw out the most
essential facts relative to the agri-
cultural and stock-growing interests
hereabouts, and is fair specimen
of many letters received in al por-
tons of-the territory from parties
who are on the point of enigrating
from different portions of the east
Many of them are settling in Idaho
territory, as is evidenced b. the in
crease in government land entries
in the past two or three years, and
we find prosperous farming and
stock-raising communities spring
ing up in our fertile valleys and on
our broad plains on every hand.
In reference more particularly to
this part of the territory, and our
correspondents inquiries, we can
say that there are no lands more
desirable to the newcomer who has
the spirit of thrift and energy than
the rich bottoms of Lost river val
ley or the broad slopes Of Camas
prairie. Both are within an easy
days drive from the mining towns
Of Wood River, and here find a
ready market for their productions.
The choicest tracts in those locali-
ties have probably been settled
upon ere this, yet there remain a
few good sections that are open to
presumption, and are composed of
natural meadows and lands adapted
to all branches of agriculture.
Lost River valley is from two to
ten miles wide, and about fifty miles
long, and contains many sections
of the choicest government land.
In many places there are meadows
and low bottoms that require no
irrigation, but the settler i'll any of
| the valleys of Idaho must come
with the understanding that irriga-
ton is almost universal here, and
that crops are accordingly unfail-
ing. There is an abundance of
water to be had from the mountain
streams. and seldom piece of land
large enough for farm is found
| where there is not a bountiful sup
ply. The work of constructing
bitches over the land is generally
easy and comparatively inexpen-
sive.
The Lost River country is set
Ting up rapidly this season, and
not few Wood Riverites have gone
there to avail themselves of their
presumption rights on the more
favored spots of that magnificent
| valley. It has been discovered that
the Lost river valley is peculiarly
favored by the ocean breezes, and
the mild climate and slight winters
for which that country is noted, are
thus accounted for. AS a stock
country it is unsurpassed. Many
of the herds of Wyoming, Utah and
less favored portions of Idaho are
being driven in that direction, and
stock-men there enjoy the fullest
prosperity and seclusion from the
ills to which other ranges are prey.
Lost river combines summer and
winter ranges which lie at different
attitudes within few miles of each
| other, and feed is always luxuriant
and water abundant everywhere.
The loss in stock reported from
there last winter was very small as
| compared to that of other ranges,
and there are probably 10000 head
of cattle besides a few bands OF
sheep and horses now on the range.
One stockman, NJ. McKim, alone
has over 5000 head of cattle which
he keeps there winter and summer
and seldom experiences a loss OF
ten per cent, even in the most rigor-
Gus seasons. A loss of twenty per
cent of the increase is often expe-
rienced on other ranges.
| Our correspondent asks about
timber. There is scarcely valley
| in Idaho that is not surrounded
with exhaustless timber. So it is
in the Wood River country, Camas
Prairie and Lost River. Pine and
fir grow densely on many of the
low hills. and invariably on the
| h;ch voo,,r4oinc while cottonwood