Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1891-03-07
BOISE CORRESPONDENTS
BOIsr CRY, Idaho. Feb. %, 1891.


En-. SENTINEL: I telegrAphed to Post
master Bartlett TO forward my letters here
and requested him to ask you 10 send me
the SENTINEL. 1, appears to me that my
/ Job will be . longer one than Icounted on.
Mr.. RothweIl, Of the Census Bureau, has
telsgraphed me to proceed to Portland,
| Oregon, as soon as l get through here.
From there / may be detailed to some
other point. Ny work here is full Of COM
plicstions. but l have got down to the
meat Of it aud can ''strsighten out in good
shape.
1 was surprised TO find Boise an agri-
cultural town In place Of Q mining camp,
and the people divided in the opinion on
the question Of free coinage.
Boise City has four or i've thousand in
h~abitsnts, and q voting population Of
about one thousand. IL is 9 nicely laid
out town, about IL miles square or equal
to 10, with some very handsome and many
pretty residences. Being the Capital Of the
State 10 has 9 grand Capitol building two
stories in height. The structure is Of
sandstone and bricks. On each side Of
il are respectively the county courthouse
and grammar school, both stately looking
buildings Of similar material to that
Of the Capitol building. Each OF
the three buildings occupy . square. The
business portion Of the town is confined
10 three or four blocks on Main street. and
the buildings, which are occupied as
stores, Offices, saloons, etc, are all sub
stantially built either OF brick or tone.
The principal hotels Of the place are the
Overland and Capital" The for
mer, although an old rookery, with miser-
ably small and uncomfortable rooms, lie the
oldest established hostelry in the town,
and does by far the largest business. The
=" Cspitol" hotel is q new brick building
and newly furnished throughout.
Ii has BY far the most hand
some appearance of the two. The pro-
p~rietors Of the Overland" contemplate
replacing the old building with q new
brick structure, provided that q new sys-
TEN Of sewerage Is carried out, as Is now
proposed.
The Legislature is now in session
wrangling over division Of counties, etc.
There are five churches, about twenty
saloons and gambling houses. and every
branch Of business Is fairly represented in
Boise. Trade appears healthy. Business
Is QOub Oh bUAu . Chen huu SItGlt Ddtlts
The miners who deal here pay mostly cash,
and the local trade is pretty much all
cash; but farmers, grain men and sheep
and stock Iaisers settle about twice a year.
There are two daily newspapers pub
lished in the town, one the Statesman"
Republican in politics, supports a force OF
about thirty persons from proprietors and
editors to compositors and devil. The
compositors get about fifty cents per
thousand. The owners claim q circula-
ton Of fifteen hundred for its daily and
twenty-five hundred for the weekly edition.
The Statesman " "a owned BY an incor-
poraled company. The other paper ia the
= Democrat smaller sheet thar the
- Statesman" The Office consists OF
editor and proprietor. foreman and two
boys. The foreman makes about s22 per
week and the boys SIC TO SIS per week
regular wages.
The town is Immediately surrounded by
good agricultural lands, which are ir-
rigated by water taken from the Boise
river. Almost anything can be raised
here In the way Of cereals, vegetables and
fruit. There are several fine orchards in
close proximity to the town. The streets
sTe ornamented with trees Of every de.
scription, but principally Normandy pop
Al hkaANH AhS thO hOhd "
from ten TO twelve miles distant and are
tributary to Boise.
There are a number OF real estate brok.
ers here trying TO make up q boom, and
there is no doubt but real estate has
doubled in value during the last two years
L-susk ak@i- 4aarts Uksls che selia
men Of the community repudiate all idea
Of 8 boom, they think Boise will steadily
improve. The brokers are laying out new
additions to the town and are selling lots
thereon from SIS to $500 each, OF dimen.
sions so feet front K l22 feet deep.
One Of the most important institutions
Of Boise is an u. s.. Assay Office, where
there the gold and silver products of q
large portion of Idaho are sold. II is
within the walls OF this institution that /
am employed checking the work Of the
Census. Since my arrival / have been in
iroduced TO Governor Wiley, Secretary OF
State and other high functionaries, from
whom / have received the most cordial and
friendly attentions. / feel much gratiied
at The general and and uniform courtesy
that has been extended TO me here and am
very much pleased with my visit. As l
may have 10 visit some OF the most i'm
portant mining districts Of the State will
leave particulars Of the mining interests
for future letter. By the way, II is
worthy OF mention that Capt. J. r. De-
Lamar, OF Owyhe County, has within the
past two or three days sold q group OF
valuable claims to an English Company
for two million dollars; $3.50, 900 cash
down and the balance in stock. IL Is re-
ported TO be q great property. Jake
Wadish, formerly OF Eureka is in town,
but I nave not met him. This is q some
what struggling letter, but is sufficient TO
convey TO you some idea OF Boise. Re-