, 1890-12-11
UNDEVEL0PED AS YET
A Region Full of Untold
Wealth.
THE CLEARWATER COUNTRY
Rich in Timber Mineral Wealth,
Stock Ranges, Agriculture
and Otner Resources.
Lewiston Teller.l

tul survey Oi IleT IesOtlTCeS SHOWS Il
variety and richness that fairly
staggers the investigator, and fail
recital of the wonderful wealth,
locked up In her rock-ribbed hills,
sounds like fairy tale. Her fertile
prairies, yet untouched by the hand
of toll, will yield wealth equal to
any, and her rich river valleys, pro-
tected by deep canyons and warmed
by the Pacific winds, are the future
great fruit-growing centers of the
West. No state has been more gen.
erously slandered by the earlier
geographers and writers. 1t is de-
scribed as being rugged, broken,
bleak, barren and unprotective.
Luckily, however, Idaho to-day be-
lies the statement and shows to the
world the richest undevelopcd Sec
ton in the northwest. Save in the
extreme north and south, where en-
terprise and energy have gained u
fair foothold, Idaho is practically
an undovolopcd country. The de-
veloped regions show wonderful
mineral wealth and an agricultural
soil prodigal with richness. Central
Idaho Is untouched, and untold
wealths here await dellvcrance at
the hands of enterprise and capital.
A well defined section of this vast
inland empire is the Clearwater
country. Lying south of the Clear
water, locked in by tho deep can
yons of that river and the Salmon
river, Is one of the most productive
regions of tho Pacific Northwest,
and the one Offering the best induce
ments to capital and investment. It
Is In itself almost imperial in ex-
tent, embracing n variety of re-
sources marvellous in detail. Ex-
tending back into the rugged Sal
crest of the Bitter Root, lie vast
bodies of ore that will, when devel-
opcd, make this section equal In
fame and productiveness to any now
known. The camps of Florence,
Wurrens, Orc Fino and Elk City are
already well known. Thousands of
rich leads have been discovered that
now lie undeveloped because of
lack of communication and the in
ability TO transport machinery and
apparatus to work the ore renders
useless what will soon be great
wealth producing properties. Many
OF these camps are accessible only
TO pack trains, but the hardy miner
with pack mule and pick has pushed
along the trail and located many a
rich prospect that, when better lines
of communication come to open up
will yield "A rich harvest for his
patient toll. The Oro E'ino basin
once constituted the richest placer
sooner or later, the quartz lodges,
from which these placers came, will
be discovered and excited thousands |
will rush in here rs they did In the
early sixties. Late Developments |
about Elk City point out that To-
cality as a future center of great |
mineral wealth. Millions of tons |
of ore of low grade lie about the |
camp and they only swat the adj |
vent of railroads and better trans
portntion to produce the greatest
output of gold in idaho.
Idaho Is becoming celebrated for |
her lumber regions. Along the forks |
of the Clearwater Is the.iincst timber |
section OF the state. Not only has
this country the red fir, red pine aud |
tamarack of other parts of the state,
but produces, In abundance, II fine !
variety of white pine and cedar. The |
timber is easy oi access and trans |
portation. Ii lies upon the numerous
forks of the Clear water whereby the |
logs can be fioated to points easily |
accessible TO the railroad. In re-
cent article on the "Eorests of |
Idaho the writer says: III believe
that there IL n greater amount of |
timber now standing and growing |
i'll Idaho than was ever in the tor
ests of Minnesota aud Wisconsin |
combined. This has the appearance |
of Il rather extensive assertion, but |
If actual measurement could be had |
i am confident that my estimate is |
not too high. Recently the repre-
sentative of an extensive lumber |
firm of Chicago visited the lumber |
regions of idaho, and on his
return remarked: we once thought |
we had timber in Michigan, but |
Idaho presents the grandest bonan-
za for the luinberman | ever had the !
pleasure of inspecting The timber |
of Idaho is composed mostly of red |
pine, red fir and tamarack. The |
trees grow tall. ! have seen trees,
and not u few, that would run forty
to eighty feet without touching n |
limb, and many are from six to ten
feet In diameter. The grain and
fiber of the timber manufactured
from these trees are very fine and
the general character is n very much
harder and tougher lumber than
that made from pine secured from
any other part of the United States"
The Clearwater country embraces
the very heart of the numbering pro-
ducing district of Idaho. The up
per forks of that river penetrate
into the finest part of the timber
belt, and that rich product can be
easily floated to railroad and will find
q ready market. The white pine and
cedar, of which there are immense
quantities, are especially in de-
and sooner or later large
industry will he es-
tablished here for the working up of
this product.
The stock ranges of this district
are of the very finest. The foot
bills, valleys and canyons are COW
aed with fine bunch grass, and the
stock are well sheltered aud winter
without feed. In the past winter,
which was one of extraordinary
severity, Iess stock was lost here