The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-25

occupy the large reservation at Fort Hull
There are los, $50 acres of land, which is
held for the benefit of 54S Indians.
The Nez Perces have a very fine reserva-
ton located in Nez Perces county at the
head of navigation on the Snake and Clear
water rivers, and embraces FAC, 65t acres of
the finest agricultural land west of the
Rocky mountains, and not excelled on the
American continent in soil, water, timber
and other natural advantages. This fine,
large body of good land is held for the bene-
fit of about one thousand two hundred and
twenty seven Indians of all classes. There
are about three hundr I'd families who cul-
tivate only portion for corn, wheat, gar
dens and orchards, and who have each
bands of horses and cattle that roam I'M
molested and uncared for winter and sum
mer, feeding on the luxuriant grasses that
nature has so lavishly furnished in this
favored and beautiful country.
The Cpur d. Alene reservation is stu
ated in Kootenai county, in the middle Of
which is the famous Coeur d. Alene lake
There are sos, 800 acres of land in the res
ervation, which is held for the benefit of
about five hundred Indians. On portion
of this reservation valuable mines have
been discovered and more than three
hundred locations made.
The Western Shoshone reservation is
situated in Owyhee county, and is partly in
Idaho and Nevada. That part situated in
this territory, comprises 131 300 acres of
land at the head of the Owyhee river.
There are on the reservation about four
hundred Indians.
The northern portion of the territory in
Guided between the Clear water and the
British possessions is chiefly mountainous,
interspersed with prairie lands and NUN
Der of lakes, and in the river bottoms are
good arabic lands.
Northern Idaho does not much stand In
need of irrigation. 1t is so well supplied
with lakes and watercourses, and so
heavily timbered that rains are liable to
occur at any season of the year. Southern
Idaho has to irrigate or it will remain a
desert. 1t is supplied abundantly with
streams of sufficient volume to irrigate all
of the valley land. Surveys have been
made during the past summer, under direc-
ton of the government, to prove the prac-
ticability of turning Snake river and other
streams for such purpose.
The plains of Idaho are covered with in
digenous grasses of nutritious quality, af-
fording unsurpassed facilities for stock
raising. The cafons in the lower valleys
afford the shelter necessary for wintering
stock, while the pastures, covered with
snow but portion of the year, present a
cheap and effective subsistence. The grass
dying on the stalk is naturally cured into
hay of superior quality. Stockmen re
serve their lower meadows for winter
pastures, while during the milder portions
of the year the stock range on the higher
lands. The great extent of the table lands
and the adaptability of the bottom lands
to cultivation have suggested the economic
value of this method. The natural and
long continued dryness of the atmosphere,
summer and winter, the inexhaustible and
wonderfully nutritious grasses which cure
as they grow, making them as sustenance
for animals almost equal to the feeding of
hay and grain; the infrequency Of storms
during the year; the warm breezes from
the Pacific; the ability of stock to live
without shelter and take care of themselves
prove Idaho to be one of the best stock
growing regions of the world.
The Oregon Short Line railway enters
the territory from Wyoming and runs in a
westerly direction through the counties
of Bear Lake, Oneida, Bingham, Alturas,
Ada and Washington to the Oregon line,
a distance of 4S1. O4 miles At the town of
on the Oregon Short Line, be-
gins a branch of this road running up
Wood river north through the towns of
Bellevue and HALEY to Ketchum, dis
lance of 1929 miles.
The Utah & Northern enters the terri
tory at the Utah line al Frank
lin and runs in northerly di-
rection to Pocatello, where it crosses
the Oregon Snort Line and passes through
the towns of Blackfoot, Eagle Rock, Camas