Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-09-20
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

still running Il small head of water. The
hills in the canyon are bare and dry and
1t would seem as though there were not
enough feed to winter a grasshopper,
but Il mile or so back from the river the
bunch grass il very good-much better
than has been known at this season for
years and the stock men here are not
worrying much about the coming win
ter. still, there are three or four hun
dred of beet cattle on the range in this
neighborhood which are for sale and
the attention of cattle buyers is invited
to the fact. Cattle are in fine condition
to Withstand the seige of hard winter,
but stockmen would rather sell now
than carry them till spring.
The orchards along the river have
produced an enormous crop of fruit this
year and tons and tons are rotting on
the ground which could be easily sold
for three or four or even FIVE cents q
pound if it could only be cheaply trans.
ported 10 the prairie. Back in the old
country, where economy is practised
even among the wealthy, there is an
old adage which is firmly impressed up
on the rising generation through the
medium of texts in the copy.books. 1t
is this: "Wilful waste makes woful
want" and as an abiding faith in my
youthful teachings is one of the cardinal
features of my belief l am led to re-
mark that a remedy for this wilful waste
is easily found by building a wagon
road up the Salmon river from White
Bird 10 John Day creek. l believe that
this road could be built ia two years if
the supervisor of this road district could
but concentrate the labor at his COM
mand in building wagon road over the
worst points every year. instead of scat.
teflng it over the many miles of trail.
A very few rods Of road building would
make a rough but passable wagod road
the first year and each succeeding years
labor would improve 1t. Under the
present system the work is scattered al
most uselessly in keeping the trails and
bridges in repair, while the same labor
would keep wagon road open as easily
as a trail. Geo. S. Alkire is superin-
tendent, aud am bound to addthat the
trail is kept as free of slide rock as l ev-
er saw it. There have been very few
cloudbursts this summer.
| stayed Friday night at Horseshoe
Bend, the guest of my ever hopitable
friend, Mrs. L. w. Robie, and learned
that during the coming fall she will re- |
move with her family to Grapgeville to
reside permanently where, with her
charming daughters frankie and Addie.
they will be welcome accessions to our
thriving little burg. At every place
along the river, from Bailey Chamber
lains, Horseshoe Bends. w. Reynolds,
Oh. Christie, Mrs. Rhett and Mrs. Cone,
we have been Hospitality entertained
and made welcome. For the past two
or three days my headquarters have
been with Mr.. and Mrs. Ceary at J ohm
Day creek, where there are many at
fractions, such rs pretty faces.an abund-
ance of fruit, live bear and coons and
grouse and bear to hunt. Bear steaks
and coon stew were on tho table this
evening-my first experience with the
latter dish-and one which is we'll wor-
thy of the trouble incurred in catching
the frisky little coon. To-day I went
up to see the friends who reside on the
creek, Peter Turnbull and his wife and
five little girls. all growing old so rapid
ly that Pete will soon have to erect a
hitching post to accommodate his guests.
The twins are growing up to be really
pretty girls. Next above is my old til
lcum, Mike Deasy, with his family. who
leaves for the prairie in the morning
and can then talk for himself. The last
place above is that of Norman Gould,
who in fonr short years has made as
comfortable and home like a place as
can be found in the country, although
he has had to fight hard to save it from
the fires which have repeatedly sur
rounded it during the summer.
NOTES.
Rev. Father Soer was on the river last
week celebrating mass at the residences
of his flock.
The fruit trees have yielded uncom-
monty large numbers of double fruits
this year. The grapes are gene orally
sour, through lack of sunshine, which
was obscured by the smoke.
Miss Sherwin was the guest of Mr..
and Mrs. Cleary Sunday.
A live bear is one of the attractions at
John Days.
The new barn at the John Day house
is the best on the river and is built on
solid rock foundation on made ground,
which greatly increased its cost.
The John Day ferry is admirably
equipped. A costly telephone commu-
nicates from the boat to the house, and
there are corrals and panels of movable
fences, which greatly facilitates the
crossing of stock. There has been
quite large trayel between Salmon
! Meadows and the river this summer and
| when the wagon road from White Bird
! to the Meadows is built the John Day
ferry will be the most profitable enter
| prise on the river.
leave in the morning for Little Sal.
mon and Rapid river AT
! John Day creek, Sept. 10th.
| Attenticni Attentionii
!