Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1889-03-11
IDAHO.
HER EXTENT, CONDITION, AND
PRESENT POPULATION.

Senator Platt's Report, Favoring Her
Admission to Statehood Brief His.
torical Resume-Etc.
In the United States Senate, a few
days ago, Mr.. Plat, from the Com.
mittee on Territories, submitted the
following report:
The Committee on Territories, to
whom was referred the bill Is. 37OS)
to provide for the admission into the
Union OF the State of Idaho, and for
other purposes, beg leave to report
as follows:
Idaho was created q Territory by
act of Congress March 8, 1868, from
parts of Dakota, Nebraska, and
Washington Territories. In 1868
Idaho was reduced to its present size
of about $4,000 square miles, extend
ing from the British possessions on
the north to Utah and Nevada on the
south, from Montana and Wyoming
on the east to Oregon and Washing
ton on the west, having length from
north to south of 410 miles, and q
width from east to west varying from
60 to 257 miles.
The Territory contains, in round
numbers, 100000 acres of land,
100000 Of which are mountains,
100000 agricultural lands, 7,000,.
600 forests, 100000 acres lakes, and
the balance grazing lands.
Idaho is greater in area than New
York, New Jersey, Massachusetts,
and New Hampshire combined. 1t
is on the west side of the Rocky
Mountains, and warm currents OF the
Pacific, called "chinooks," sweep over
the Territory, aud have a most bene-
fetal effect on its arabic belt. The
average or mean annual temperature
of the valleys is about 81 degrees,
abou. 4 degrees warmer than Con-
necticut.
No Western or Coast State or Ter.
ritory is better watered than Idaho
The Snake River, Clarke's Fork,
Spokane, Salmon, Boise, Payette
Weiser, Big and Little Wood, Bru
neau, Malad, Port Neuf, Clear Water
Cmur d'Alene, St. Joseph, Bear
River, Lemhi, and Kootenai are all
large rivers into which many smaller
streams empty.
There are at least 100000 acres
in the valleys and uplands which car
be irrigated and made productive.
Between 100000 and 100000
acres of land in Idaho are now under
improvement, and nearly 100000
acres have been patented. Five
hundred thousand acres OF agricultur
al land was taken up last year under
the various land entries.
MINING.
More than $l2O,OOO,OOO OF gold
and silver have been given to the
world by this Territory. Idaho has
steadily advanced during the las,
four years from the ninth to the fifth
place in list OF bullion-producing
States. Ten millions of gold, silver,
and lead we're produced last year
Besides her precious metals, Idaho
also has an abundance of iron, copper
salt, sulphur, mica, marble, sandstone
granite, limestone, and some CHINA
bar and tin.
| SCHOOLS.
| The total number of school dis
tricts in the Territory is 337; tn
total number OF schoolhouses, 269
total number of schools, 376; tots
number of school children of schoc
age, 20,433; estimated expenditure
for school purposes for school yea
1888, $150,00O. There is a compul
sorry school law in the Territory, an
the greatest interest is taken by tn
people in educational matters. Sub
, stantial and commodious school
houses adorn and add to the attrac,
ious of every town. Beside the pub
lie schools there are several indie
pendent school districts, and man
religious denominations have school
, of their own. The estimated valu
and cost of buildings used for pub
lie school purposes in the Territory
/ $2sO,OOO.
& PUBLIC BUILDINGS.