Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-01-09
STATE WAGON ROADS.
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(which may, or may not, be
fulfilled. In this county many
votes were gained for the win
hlng side by the pledge of an
appropriation to build a wagon
road from Camas Prairie into
Elk City. We are very any
ious to have these pledges re-
deemed. Our advices from
Boise City say that a sort Of
.hOmnibus Bill is being draft
ed, which appropriates the
sum of one hundred thousand
dollars for building wagon
roads throughout the State.
One purpose of the appro-
priation is to build a road to
connect the remote north with
the remote south. The route,
as outlined in the bill, pro-
poses, as We understand, to
start from given point in
Custer county, building thro'
the Sheep Mountain and Alton
mining districts to Warrens,
and thence to Warm Springs,
where it connects with the
Mt. Idaho and Salmon Mea.
dow road now building. From
Mt. Idaho it is proposed to ex-
tend the road to Elk City, and
from Elk City route is pro-
jected across country onto the
waters of the St. Mary and st.
Joseph rivers, and thence to
the Occur d'Alene river.
The road through Custer
county to Warm Springs is a
thoroly practicable one, and
should be built. Besides open
}ng up the Sheep Mountain and
Alton districts, it will make
accessible the new mines in
Monumental district, and also
speedily lead to the occupation
of anagricultural country near
ly az large as Camas Prairie
and not much higher in alti-
tude, situated on the waters of
the middle fork of Salmon riv-
er, and known as the Cham
berlain Basin.
The road from Mt. Idaho to
Elk City is even more of ne
cessity, and the benefits ac-
cruing from its construction
will be more quickly realised
But if a north and south
State wagon road is wanted,
the proper point of departure
for it is Salmon Meadows, in
Washington county, and from
thence by way of Camas Prai-
RE and Lolo Ferry, and thence
via the Little north fork of
Clearwater to the st. Mary's,
st. Joseph and Occur d'Alene
rivers, on a direct and air line
route, which has large agricul-
tural settlements at frequent
intervals, and which can be
travelled the year round.
In our opinion the road of
the very first Importance to
the State, and which should
be given precedence over all
others. is the route from Sal
mon Meadows, by way of the
Little Salmon and Main Sal
mon rivers, to Camas Prairie.
This gap of so miles is the
connectinglink between north
'ern and southern Idaho, and
its Development to travel by
the State will silence at once
and forever the plea of dis
union which once threatened
the very existence of the COM
monwealth. The construction
of this road would open up a
magnificent country which is
now given over to the solitude
ofisolation. Besides furnish
ing another outlet and inlet to
the growing mining camps on
the head of Rapid river and
adjoining country, it will make
accessible large scopes of agri-
cultural country along the
Little Salmon, and the slopes
of Salmon river and White
Bird, to say nothing of the
swift development of that mag
nifcent scope of country lying
between the Salmon and Snake
rivers, which will inevitably
ensue upon the completion of