Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-03-31
nlsroaY OF ALrunAs COUNTY.
BOISE CRY, March %, 1898.

BOISE CITY, March 70, 1888.
DEAR WoRLD:-In the early spring
Of 1880 the county of Alturas did not
amount to much. Aside from Rocky
Bar, Atlanta and Mountain Home,
this last name was given to the old
Rattlesnakc stage station by Mrs.
John Lennon, wife Of the Overland
Stage Cos AgenD it was pretty
sparsely settled except by wild ami
mails and herds OF cattle and horses.
However, before this time the Wood
River country had been explored to
a certain extent, and in the spring Of
1850 good many prospectors were
through there and in the mountains.
Bellevue was the first town located
on Wood River. just before or
about that time Pinkham and Leon
ard had started trading post at the
old em,grant crossing. The town Of
HALEY was laid of late in the fall OF
1880 by Hon. John HALEY and 9th
ers, but no building to speak Of till
April, 1881. Then people went in
there with a rush and the town sprang
up like magic. When tho writer
landed there in June it was quite a
canvass town. In the meantime
Bellevue was not idle. That town
kept pace with HALEY and great RI
valry began to crop out. Neither
would let an opportunity to knife the
other pass without taking advantage
OF II, There was plenty Of bad blood
and jealousy existing between the
two towns to kill them both, and this
was eventually the result. The prin-
cipal portion OF the early settlers OF
HALEY were from the Basin and
Roise--so many from this place that
the town was called by some "East
Boise" Everything went on swim
mingly up to the fall OF 1882; then
the fun began. 1t was election year.
The county seat at Rocky Bar was
'too far from home" and must be
moved to Wood River, and both Hal
ley and Bellevue bid high for it. A
war began that can never be salts
factorily settled. Boise, Of course.
under the guidance OF Hon. John
HALEY and others, who, having great
interest in HALEY, naturally came to
her rescue at the west end-Indian
creek precinct and when tho smoke
of battle cleared away and the votes
were counted, 10 and behold! Haley
was declared TO be tho county seat
of Alturas forever and ever, omen.
This was considered very clever
trick by shrewd politicians, but as
the sequel will show it was eventual
ly the ruination of Haley. One
"cant generally always sometimes
tell" how things will pan out, but as
a rule chickens will come home to
roost. In 1882 very good set Of
county aud Territorial officials were
elected. Col. Wall, manager of the
great Bullion mine, was elected to
the Council of the 18th session, and
when they convened was made Pres.
ident Of that body. That winter the
delegation from Alturas was treated
by the people of BOISE in the mos,
hospitable manner and everything
passed off smoothly, but at the mex,
general eleotlon--what change. bu,
think il was generally understood
by the constituents of members of the
18th session that no move was to be
made toward the construction OF
county buildings, but to continue
renting court house and Jail BE
this as it may, Mr.. Wall sprang q
$4,000 court house bill at the last
end Of the session, and it became q
law. In 1884 Alturas county elect.
cd the most extravagant set OF ooun.
ty officials that any county was ever
blessed with. In the meantime a
great many transient miners had gone
In there and swelled the population
iill Altoras was the biggest county in
the Territory, and | think the new
superintendent gave them six mem
bers of the Legislature. With this
number of votes they were very much
inflated, they swelled out OF all pro-
portion; proposed to join hands with
: 4 few outside counties and run the
whole Territory. During the winter
of 1884 and 's5 the delegation from
Aliuras was treated by the citizens
OF Boise in the most friendly aud hos
pitable manner. Nothing the Boise
ties had was "Twogood" for them,
but how did they return the compli-
ments That winter. for some ran