The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-11-08
Wants No Boom.

Southern California is slowly re-
covering from the effects of a boom.
Washington is just entering the de-
cline of similar visitation. Oregon
and New Mexico are striving with
might and main to inaugurate
booms in their respective sections;
and Oregon, at least, is likely to be
successful. Whether booms are
ever permanently beneficial to a
place or rot is mooted question.
In some instances, as Kansas City
and Los Angeles, they have proven
boomerangs. We hope they will
not prove so in this northern coun-
try, as we should regret exceedingly
to witness even SO much as tenn
porary break in the prosperity of
either Oregon or Washington, their
prosperity being, as it always must
be, contributory to that of Idaho.
Booms, however, are not denotive
of prosperity, but rather of a pop
ular craze, which must sooner or
later exhaust itself; and must just
as certainly be followed by col
lapse. Because, whenever, in any
country, no matter how rich, popu-
lation outstrips development some
must be unsupplied some must
suffer. Therefore it is unwise and
unkind to invite more PEOPLE into
country than can be sheltered
and fed when they come. A few
spectators may be enriched by
their coming, but the many are
more likely to be injured than ben
Gifted by it.
Hence, having resources as great
and varied as any of her neighbors
can claim, Idaho does not want a
boom.
Her mountains are being pros
pected with results that astonish
even the most imaginative Of her
miners. Her mines, which were SUI
perfcially worked and pronounced
"played out" in the exciting times
which followed the memorable
rush to the territory in 1S62-'63,
have been relocated in great num-
bers, and development work is prov
ing them valuable beyond the hopes
of the most sanguine Of their
locators.
The waters of her beautiful noun
tain streams are being diverted by
means of bitches and canals con.
structed largely by home capital
and muscle. This water when sc
diverted is used for mining ano
irrigating purposes, and under its
fructifying influence her valleys ano
plateaus are proving sources O.
wealth far exceeding the grandes
possibilities of her mines, rich anc
4 exhaustless as they are.
Her grazing lands are being utll
lied as the years go by, and he
herds, than which none are finer
have grown within the last two de
cades from a few hundred to many
thousands in number. Railroads
> are in course of construction, O.
soon to be, which when completed
will place within easy reach of mar
! ket timber, cordwood, coal, build
ing and lime stone, iron, gold, silve
and lead of value too great to b.
approximately estimated.
! Her public school system, o
which her people are justly proud
; is as good as the best anywhere
, and as we'll sustained, and he
! school-houses average much better
in point of structural, beauty ant
) material used, than those of Cali
fornia.
Besides these sources Of wealth
!, , and promises of greatness, Idah
: has in the neighborhood of 5000
: 600 acres of government land We
: to be irrigated and brought unde
: : the pillow. This land home-seeker
l can purchase from the government
at 81 Is per acre, and there is am
ple water in our rivers and creek
, to irrigate it when the necessar
canals have been constructed to
the purpose.
;. With these substantial offering
J to make, and the healthiest climat
= in the known world, Idaho need
no boom nor boom influences t
: populate her rich domain. That Wi
proceed with mathematical precls
: ion and certainty; but it could b
greatly augmented by the construt
: ton at an early date of few irrlga'
= !, ing canals, and without danger {
,, a reaction.