The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-18
Gem OF The MOUNTAINS
The State Of Idaho the Last In the
Chain Along the Northern Frontier.
Montana and Wyoming We're
Formed OF Ribs Taken From
Her Side-Hiils Full of Gold
-Unexpiored Districts.

~ -, ss~s
of states from ocean to ocean is forged.
The state-making OF last year, grand as il
was, did no complete the connection. Ii
left n tier Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Utah
and Idaho-reaching from Mexico to the
British dominions. ldaho's statehood fills
in the narrow gap between Montana and
Washington. Seem of the Mountains" is
said to be the meaning of Idaho. Ii is n
queer shaped GEM. All around are states
blocked out in quares or parallelograms.
But Idaho, with a great base, has a gradu-
ally narrowing peak which reaches almost
n point where the British dominion's line
cuts il of. The new states outline may
he generally described as that of a right
angled triangle with a very ragged n.y.
pothenuse. The north and south lines is
40 miles, the width is 306 miles along the
southern base and tapers to A miles at
the northern extremity.
IL is a little rough on Idaho that, having
given generously TO form other territories,
h has had to wait for statehood until
after two of her offsprings had beer adj
mitted, a y the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
When the territory of Idaho was created
In 1863 the boundaries embraced $4,000
square miles. Montana and Wyoming
were taken out in large part several years
later. Idaho has been pared down until
h now has s6,29i square miles, about
one-fourth of the original area.
Idaho has been described as the coun-
Where land Is as cheap as the wind that blows,
And gold In every riyrlet flows.
This is truth as well as poetry. A trav-
eler crossing the sage brush plains of the
Snake river will accumulate more free
real estate han anywhere else i'm the
United States. As for gold, il is on rec
ord. Idaho is divided into Is counties.
Fourteen of them have added in a respect
able degree to the mineral wealth OF the
country. Each of the IA is at present a
gold producer. Twelve Of the IA have sill
yer mines. The new state comes i'm with
a record of having yielded since 1852 S15s,-
100000 worth of valuable metals. The
gold and silver taken out of Idaho mines
last ear was over S10,0 00.OOO-nearly SILL
100000. The product would have been
S2,OO0,0OO greater but for the failure of the
usual water supply. A single county pro-
duced S5,500,OO0 worth of lead.
The heart of Idaho is as yet an undis-
covered country. Across the southern
part of the state from east to west the
Oregon Short Line of the Union Pacific
follows the serpentine course of the Snake
river. The Northern Pacific traverses the
Panhandle away up toward the British
line. The Utah Northern connects Utah
n Montana by "A north and south route
through the eastern part Of the new state.
Thus southern, northern and eastern
Idaho have railroads. Central Idaho is
an unknown country. A little west of the
center is a mountainous, broken region
which can only be reached by pack ami
mails. IL has not even n wagon road.
There the Idaho people believe, is located
the treasure which will i'm n few years
place their state at 1.-THE head of all the gold
and silver producing states. Ii is no ex
| afrara tinn fn saw fIat Ahsr.ll i'm .r.sx, r;,,.,
let flows" in that part of Idaho. Where.
ever the prospector has penetrated he has
found 1.-THE color" The Salmon and lis
branches drain the north side of this
"strong box in the mountains" On the
east of il is Wood river and on the south
the Snake. In the guches of a single
tributary creek Of the Salmon SiO,OO0.0OC
in gold have been washed out. In the
Wood river valley there is a mine-lead.
bearing silver-which has yielded 81, 600, ODC
in seven years. As for the Snake, there is
gold in the sands of every mile of its sin
are fond of saying, to pay the national
debt. And yet only the borders of the
great treasure field nave been worked.
1.-THE largest and least known scope OF
mineral country on the Pacific SLOPE" il
the way this undeveloped portion OF
Idaho has been described. Nearly in the
center of il is a great plateau known as
the Camas prairie. The name is taken
from a nourishing root. a kind of wild
prairie potato which grows in abundance
All about the Camas prairie are the noun
tains over which a wagon has never
passed. The Idaho delegate came I,
Washington several years ago with q
proposition that the general government
should authorize the territory To appro
pirate 5000 to construct n wagon roat
across this region. The difficulties to bt
surmounted were admittedly beyond TIN
Il .-..lA
barrier actually cuts OIL northern Idaho
from southern Idaho. There is no inter
communication. When the Panhandl,
senators and representatives go to Boise
the capital, they make a long detour to thu
west through Washington or Oregon. o.
IL they prefer, travel eastward nearly hal
way through Montana, then southwar,
through Idaho and westward again Il
Boise. Several years ago the Panhandl,
people despaired Of ever being neigh
borly with the rest Of Idaho. They 20
up a movement TO annex themselves 4
Washington or Montana, they Cidn'
care much which. They came to con
gress with q memorial setting fortl
that natur had evidently never intende,
the Panhandle TO be n part OF Idaho. !
bill was introduced to chop up the who'll
territory and apportion il out TO Washing
ton. Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Blu
b territorial pride became aroused
Since then statehood set II
there has been no more talk of dismem
berment and:annihilation of Idaho.
As early as the sixties the gold-washer
skinned around the edges of the trea.
ure field. Fabulous stories are told O
what was done along the Salmon river
There are localities where by means q
wing dams as much as 5000 has bee
taken out in a hours. The famous plat
ers Of Orc Elmo, Florence and the Salmo
river are still worked to some extent. Bu
IL is from loo to $50 miles 10 the base q
supplies. Everything IN be brought !
on pack animals, which travel 10 miles
day. Freight Is from five cents TO fiftee
cents a pound. A mining country whic
can stand such disadvantages will be a
| 81 dorado when the ruilrnals nnnctrntn 1