Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-02-06

of southern France can not surpass then
in quality or quantity. On the higher
attitudes of the bench and prairie landi
the cereal crops and the harder vari'
cites of fruits, such as apples, pears
plums and prunes, grow to perfection.
On Camas Prairie the average yield o
wheat, taking one year with another, il
20 bushels per acre oats. so bushels
barley, 60 bushels; timothy,2 tons pei
acre. In exceptionally favorable year
these yields are more than doubled
The soil is a rich black loan. of unex.
celled fertility and productiveness
General o. o. Howard, who conducted
the Nez Perez war Of 1877, thus describe!
Camas Prairie:
"The broad and beautiful Camas prai
rie opens out before you as you set you
back to Craig's Mountain and loot
towards the southeast. The straigh
road in your front leads you to Grange
vile and Mount Idaho. What beauti
full stretch of rolling prairie land
Where is there richer soil or finer pros
poets? Towards the right is the Snake
country The Salmon, which flows
northwesterly, empties into the Snake
not more than 20 miles to the southwes
The Cottonwood Creek heading near by
runs easterly into the curviinear Clear
water, 20 miles off, and the Rocky Can
on Creek, close by, shoots ont south ives
to join the Salmon. while White Bird
before described, makes it's remarkable
canon and empties into the Salmon
few miles further up that stream. Th
country is as well watered as Eden, ant
as fertile as any garden which has beer
much longer under cultivation. Whei
the Pacific railroads shall be complete,
the Camas Prairie will not be despised
There is much land available for az
ricultural purposes that has not yet beef
surveyed. The dereliction of Congress
in not making sufficient appropriation
for the proper survey of the agriculture
lands on the public domain greatly re
tards the settlement and development
of the State in general and of Idah
County in particular.
sToCK-RAIsING.
Great as are the resources of Idah
County for az 'icutural and kindre,
pursuits they are even greater for pas
toral purposes. 1t is in the future i'm
mense herds of cattle and horses tina
Will range over the beautiful plains
mountains, mesas, and meadows, find
ing everywhere the most abundant, nu
tritious.and natural pasturage the Who'll
year round, and accumulating at a rat
ofincrease unparalleled else here, tina
her wealth will roll up in mighty, vol
umes far eclipsing that ever derive
from her mines in the past. Alread
the stock raising interest has taken il
place as bulwark ofsupport and sourc
OF revenue to the county, and in tn
future it will easily assume a position {
greater prominence, because of tn
boundless area of pasture land in thi
county.
THE BITTER ROOT MOUNTAINS.
The Bitter Root Mountains, or rathe
the western slope, situated in Idah
County, are the least known part of tn
State. The whole region from Ceu
d'Alene on the north to the Sawtoot
range on the south is practically a tern
tncognita. Two Indian trails, the Lol
and NeZ Perez, are the sole means {
ron, m n N Zoo tia,, NTH tbo Mo,t,,,. .: a.
The range is drained by the Clearwate
River, the noblest of all the trbntarie
of the great Snake River In point {
altitude the Bitter Root divide is nc
lofty; the highest points not exceedin,
5000 feet of elevation above the level {
the sea. The range is densey timbere
and possesses some of the finest fores
of cedar on the continent, beside yer
fine and durable growth of pine, e
spruce, and other evergreens. The onl
residents of this great region are the in
habitants of the old mining camps {
Orc Elmo on the moth, and of Elk Cit
on the southern. tributaries of the Cleal
water.
Recent explorations in Elk City mir
ing district have led to the discovery
two very large and promising qnarl
belts. One of these is situated about !
miles east of Elk City. and embraces tn
Red River and Dixie regions. This be
has been traced for distance 25 mile
in length, and seems to he on lin
with the mineral belt of Warrens an
Alton districts in central Idaho hereto
fore described. In the neighborhood {
Elk City this quartz belt is from to
miles wide. The date of discovery is S
recent, and so difficult and expensiv
are the means of transportation in tn
present isolated condition of the cour
try, that but little prospecting has bee
done to ascertain the real value of tn
district.
The second belt and the one whic
promises to eclipse all and anythin
heretofore discovered in this State is si
uated at distance of 10 miles from Ell
City. 1t is on what is known as tn
Deadwood and Crooked River waite,
sheds. These two streams, with Re
River form the south fork of Clearwate,
The mineral zone is wonderfully we
defined throughout the Deadwood rang
and exposes more and better variet
and quality of surface quartz than an
other camp on the continent. The frs
prospects were only discovered in tn
spring of the present wear. 1889. and n