Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-10-04
THE UPPER COUNTRY.
1T Is STEADILY IMPROVING IN
WEALTH AND POPULATION.
Valuable Mine Properties Misapplied
Energy-The Distance to Custer to
be Reduced BY q New Road.

A trip over the Estchum- Challis
road to Clayton is in many respects
delightful one. The road is in splen-
did condition, the grades are easy, and
the scenery is varied and grand.
A daily and q semi.weekly stage
run between Ketchum and Clallis,
the latter an opposition line owned BY
Kilcup & Hoffman, who cut the rates
of fare to $3.50 and furnish transpor.
tation for overcoats free Of charge.
The first night out from Ketchum
We stopped at Riverside-a comforta.
BILE home, kept by Ben. kobller, form
erly Of Ketchum, and one of the early
settlers on Wood River. The next
days drive into Challis is . pleasant
one. The traveller can indulge bis
ravenous appetite for reverie without
fear or reserve. A good deal of the
country along the road has gone to
waste, being piled high and broad with
syneite; but the bald-headed ranges
on either hand lend an snchantment.
Challis, the county.seat of Custer
county, is lively place during court
week and an occasional holiday in
winter. 1t has two general merchan-
disc stores, drug store, fruit store,
printing Office, butcher shop, two liv-
cry stables, a blacksmith shop, and one
of the best appointed hotels to BE-
found in any inland town in the west
the Challis Hotel. The rooms are
light, we'll furnished, and all open on
a veranda. Where the town gets its
support it would puzzle stranger to
guess; but the merchants do good
business, and are commended. The re.
port that they subsist entirely upon
salmon is not true.
Fourteen miles up the river FROM
Challis is the Aourishing camp of Bay
horse. This town is composed prin
cipally Of saloons, but has two vel
stocked stores. The smelter at pres
, ent has one of its periodical spasm
and is running full blast, while tn
quartz mill continues to pound ava,
with great regularity. The town, how
ever, is lively at present, as it Away
, is when the furnace is in operation
] The camp furnishes rich ores in abun
7 dance, but from some cause it seem
to be in wrong proportions to smelt G
mill successfully. There seems to b
!. a great lack of lead in the ores an
n energy in the management; aud
e should judge that the former migf
be had if little more Of the latte
was pumped into the business head c
the company. If the energy spent i
}. trying to sell the property was spe'
in its operation, it might be made be
!, ter.
a Clayton is IS miles up the rive
Re from Bayhorse, and is one of the be-
!; camps in the West, all things consit
r. cred. The groupings of all the Ledge
10 in this section are a very high grad
D. of iron, but as depth is attained silv'
is and lead predominant. The Lar
r Wing, Ella and Silver Rule min
to nave large quantities of 400 to 7O'
n. ounce ore in sight, which carry a su
j. ficient amount Of lead to Aux tie ore
while but few miles away is mo
ster spar ledge which is used inste'
of lime, SO that the company ha
H. nothing to buy but coke to redu
~ their ores. This camp has sm'
T.. building boom this fall, and it is G
81 pected that next spring Clayton "
be the best camp IN Ioaho.
'e' would not advise miners to cor
nc into this country to work, as all
:" mines are full-handed At present. vi
~ little show of increasi' g the fors
this fall.
A new Cotton stack is now on
way from Denver, which will be bio
IN this fall and kept running all "
" ter.
" Next spring a wagon-road is to
built from Clayton to Custer, and a
-. one from Riverside across to the E
=" Fork of the Salmon. This will ms
" the distance from Ketchum to Gus
~ considerably less than it is now
~ Challis. and freight rates will be
~ little more than half what they are
present. RAMBLER