Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-05-20
LIFE ON CANVAS PRAIRIE.
n Glimpse at one of the Prettiesf
TOiCns la Idaho.
THE HISTORY OF THE PLACE.


Resources OF Agriculture, Fruit Lumber and
Gold Mines-capital Coming in and Buy
ing up the Lands.
A. f. Parker in Spokane Review
GRANeEvILLE. Idaho, May 2.-Never |
in the history of this country have we
had the prospect of such an suspicious
d, season as the one now opening. Ever
since the dawn of 1892 land buyers
have been coming in and taking adj
vantage of the cheap lands offered for
sale, to buy for themselves homes on
the best soil of the universe, at figures
that year since would have been
thought fabulous prices for agricultural
land on Camas prairie. But the land is
honestly worth every cent that is paid
for it. The soil cannot be excelled and
the rainfall is always abundant enough
to insure great crops without irrigation.
Timber is everywhere available for
domestic purposes, and with the advent
of sawmills, shingle mills and sash and
door factories, of which there is
deficiency at present. there will be no
more inviting place for permanent
residence than Camas prairie.
GraDgeville Is one of the prettest
towns in state of Idaho, and its location
is such that it is the most convenient
point in the whole Camas prairie for
the miners of such greatly diverse
regions as the Salmon river, the Bitter
Root and Orc Elmo camps. 1t is located
practically in the heart of the productive
regions of the prairie, and is sheltered
from the cold winds by the timber clad
foothills which form the divide between
the Salmon and Clearwater rivers. The
town is built on the edge of the timber
line, and wood and water are therefore
close at hand in practically unlimited
quantities. Three mile creek runs
through the town, furnishing the power
for such manufacturing enterprises as
we have, as well as for domestic pur.
poses. Surrounded as it is by low hills,
which make striking background,
sitting on ground almost as level as a
floor but with ample drainage facilities,
on the line of swift natural water
courses, and with large residence blocks
set Oft by thrifty growth of elm and
other trees, and with shrubbery in an
limited quantities. the town makes a
picture not soon forgotten. Her
citizens, too, are of an enterprising,
pushing and active character-a very
essential factor in determining the
future growth of any town.
A county seat contest has been in
,augurated with view to remove the
capital from Mt. idaho to Grangeville.
The laws of the state require that a
petition signed by majority of the
voters of the county be presented to the
district court praying for an order of
election" Such a petition, signed by
more than five sixths of the voting pop
1ulation. is already on file with the clerk
of the court, and the "order of election
will no doubt be issued on May %,
when the district court convenes. A
two-third vote is required to remove,
and as Grangeville already possesses
.one-third of the total vote in her own
precinct, and has ample assurances that
nearly the whole of the outside precincts
will vote for her, the town may be re-
garded as the capital of one of the very
largest county organizations in the
United States. The citizens have
pledged themselves to erect court
house and Jail without expense to the
taxpayers.
Grangeyile is not paper town. The
census of 1880 gave it a population o.
d29. The census of 1890 shows its in.
crease to 549, an increase, by the way
of 1880 per cent, or larger increase
in proportion to population than thai
made by anv town in Idaho which ex.
listed in 1880. The town was started b,
the grangers of Camas prairie in 1880
Charity Grange, No. u. of the order o
'"Patrons of Husbandry," built their hal
and founded the ilourmill, and thus laid
the foundation for its present growth
They are naturally proud of their owl
haDdiwork, and when the vote is take
next November it will be found tina
the farming element is q unit in it,
support.
But it is not alone the agricultural re-
sources of Camas prairie upon which
Grangevilie depends for existence anC
support The trade Of the tributar,
mines to the south, east and noTthwar,
rs already concentrated here. In tn,
summer time pack trains leave towi
daily with cargoes of merchandise, an,
the volume of business thus transacte,
here from that source alone aggregate
fully 100000 yearly. These mimi,
camps are mainly gold producers, an,
their production is likely to increase
The defeat of the silver bill in congress
and the prevailing low price of silve
must have tendency to divert capita
from the silver mining industry int,
the gold industry. There is not in Ida
no county silver niue in operation
The producing mines are gold mines ex
yclusvely, and capital seeking for tina
class of investment has here the fines
field in the world, presenting opportuni