Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-11-02
Our Warrens Letter.
WARRENs, Oct. "a, 1888.

EDITOR PRESS:
A subject of prime Importance to all
Of us who live in this mining district is
a wagon road to some point of the outer
world. Of course it is no new thing.
Twenty-Five years ago the present sum-
mer public meetings were held here and
addressed by such able speakers as Mr..
Leland, Senator George Hearst and 9TH
ers and then the matter slumbere6. But
the recent really important development
of quartz mines here seems sufficient to
justify concerted action to bring about
better means of communication. Last
winter an effort took root to connect us
by wagon road to Salmon Meadows but
it Welded little fruit. The natural diff
culties are less by that route than any
other but in the present state of things
the road must be built by private enter
prise or not at all. About 90 miles of
the difficult part of the road lies in
Boise county. That county says in eff
fect, 60 ahead and build within our Dor.
derS If you like, we are not interested.
Neither Washington county nor Idaho
county feel like contributing funds to
build through another's bounds.
A road by the most direct route to Mt.
Idaho seems to be the one which all par
ties Interested can agree to and which
promises success. Private contributors
however, are not equal to the task. We
must have some help from the county.
A few years ago law was enacted au-
thorlzing Ada county to issue bonds to
moderate sum to assist the building of
road up Boise river in consideration
of private subscriptions for a like sum.
The project failed because the private
help was not forthcoming but the prin-
ciple seems to be sound. The large min
ing companies and business men who
are more Immediately and largely inter-
ested IN an enterprise of that kind than
the county at large might reasonably be
expected to contribute more liberally.
Ii Is not easy to say off hand what sum
is necessary to build practicable road
over the 30 miles that intervene between
these two places. There are only a few
miles of difficult road. Nature has es-
tabllshed route for very long distances
and merely placed few trees and stones
in it. The canyon of Salmon river re-
quires some difficult grading and opin-
ions may differ as to the proper place to
cross 1t. But the difficulties are not in
superable, they are not even very great.
They have never been considered very
great, but until quite recently there have
been grave doubts whittier the end was
sufficient to justify the means. | be-
lieve this doubt exists no longer. The
mining development of both Warrens
and the Florence district and of Elk
City also, and the gen eral business of the
eastern half of the county, require bet
ter means of communication - better
roads.
Is the sentiment of the county at the
present time equal to the emergency of
creating new Indebtedness for this pur.
pose? The best information at this
writing seems to be that it is practically
unanimous. 1t is not wise to keep from
ourselves the fact that at the outset taxes
must be few cents on the hundred dol
lars greater because interest must be
paid and sinking fund created, but the
enhanced value of the taxable property
in the regions affected will almost i'm
mediately far more than offset this pub
lie burden. | have not attem pied to
enter into the details of this project. If
the propriety of the general plan be con-
ceeded these can be worked out by the
able men of whom we have not few in
our county TO whom their execution will
be entrusted. The subject should be
discussed and understood at the coming
election for the reason that something
depends upon legislative action and leg
islators often fail to follow the wishes of
their constituents because they have not
been informed of their wants and do
not know them.
N. B. w.