Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-11-06
CANVAS PRAIRIE COUNTRY.
A Magnificent Stretch of Fer
tile Valley and Pictu-
esque Mountains.
A GREAT SECTION FOR STOCK.
But the Ranges are Gradually Giving Wa
10 the Glowing Wheat Farms


Splendid Fruit--Rieh Mineral
Deposits, Etc. Etc.
Tn. Hooker, in Spokane Chronicle.
To reach the Camas Prairie country
and the towns of Cottonwood, Grange
vile and Mount Idaho it is necessary TO
pass through Lewiston, which seems to
be the key to the agricultural and min
ing country of Central Idaho.
If you go by stage it is necessary to
bestir yourself, as it starts at three
O'Clock in the morning and goes through
In one day to Mount Idaho, distance
of sixty.fve miles. 1t is dark and
chilly hour to start and you nod and
bob around in the darkness hoping for
daylight and break fast which you will
get at Lake Waha, twenty miles out
from Lewiston.
The country back from Lewiston is
a dry gradually sloping prarie,is thickly
settled and would be wonderfully
fertile country if it were sufficiently
watered. Just as you leave the prairie
and commence the ascent of Craigs
Mountain the well-known Shissler
ranch is passed.
Here are fine timothy meadows and
orchards of all kinds of fruits. The
large apples and pears hang in profus-
Ion upon the trees and cover tho ground
underneath. The stage horses change
here and we occupy our time investiga-
ting and samplng some of the very fine
specimens of pears in the orchard.
This ranch is irrigated by the water
from Lake Waha, which comes winding
down the mountain side in ditch
several miles long. Lake Waha Is a
beautiful sheet Of water, Astounding in
trout and surrounded by pine-covered
hills. This is favorite summer resort
ofthe people of the surrounding country
John P. Vollmer, the well-known mer-
chant of Lewiston, is erecting a summer
cottage here and others will probably
follow his example. A stage station
and postoffice have been established at
the lake, and we do ample justice to the
breakfast of fine trout, fresh from Its
waters.
A good road has been built over Craig
mountain and the ride up its winding
sides and over the summit, some FIVE
thousand feet above the sea level, and
through its extensive forests of pine, fir
and tamarack, is certainly a very pleas
ant and enjoyable one.
Occasional running creeks are passed
and along these quite a number of set.
Elements have been started and a good
deal Of attention is given to sheep hus-
bandry. This section seems well adap-
ted to the business and it has been
proved to be quite profitable. The aver
age yield per head is about eight pounds.
The wool is generally shipped to Port
land, while Spokane and the Ceur
dAlene country come here to get their
mutton. Spokane would do we'll to
look after the clip, and could. with great
advantage to itself and to the grower,
turn this wool into the manufactured
article.
Cottonwood Butte is quite an eleva-
ton which seems to separate the Craig
Mountain country from Camas prairie.
1t Is densely covered with a magnificent
growth Of pine and fir. The largest
sawmill and shingle mill in this section
of the country is located here and sup
plies the largest share of the lumber
used on Camas prairie and the sur
rounding country.
Descending the east slope of Cotton
wood Butte the great Camas Prairie
country lies Fpread out before you. 1t
looks like little kingdom all by itself,
surrounded as it is by the mountain
ranges and deep canyons of the rivers
which flow on either side of it. Stretch
Ing away to the eastward, in gentle roll
Ing and undulating slopes, extends the
Fertile Prairie dotted here and there by
the stacks Of the harvested wheat. The
glistening stubble fields, contrasting
here and there with the brown Of the
ripened prairie grass, and the back
of the Bitter Root mountains,
away to the north and south.
as far as the eye can reach, the lights
and shadows of its irregular peaks dis
tinctly brought out by the afternoon
sun, form picture of wondrous beauty.
Away to the south you discern the can
yon of the Salmon river, and beyond
you see the table lands. between the
Salmon and Snake rivers, dotted here
and there with wheat fields, while still
further the weird peaks of the Seven
Devils loom up with their snow covered
tops barely discernible in the distance.
Away to the north rolls the fertile Neg
Perce Indian reservation, with its 1885,
600 acres Of the choicest land in the
state. The canyon of the Clearwater is
barely traceable. as it winds its way
deep down below the general level of
the country, through this vast body of
choice and fertile land.
Here. too. is historic ground. At our
right, as we descend Cotton God Butte.
Us the monument erected in memory of
the party of seventeen men who were
smbushed and all killed by the Indians
on this spot in the Nez Perce war of
1877. Many of the settlers who partici-
pated in that war are still living on the
prairie and recall the exciting scenes
with vivid interest.