The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-11-29

cured for a rival company to construct
a road through this canon into the Up
per Country, and there is no other prac-
ticable route Passing through this
canon we enter the Middle Valley
which. like all the valleys in this dis
trict. is partially settled and cultivated,
producing fruits and all classes of vege-
tables, also grain in abundance.
wish here to call your attention to the
many tributaries of the Weiser, which
reaching out on either hand, have cut
out for themselves wide valleys as pro-
ductive. and in some cases as extensive,
as those of the main river, and also
what / consider of more Importance,
the wide areas of table lands, extending
to the foot of the mountain ranges.
These table lands have been considered,
in times past, only as good pastures,
but later developments have proved
beyond question that these lands are
not only favorable for the production
of cereals, but when subdued will yield
like the sage brush lands before men
toned golden harvest to the husband
man, and this without the aid of irri-
cation. However, in my opinion they
can and WILL in time be cheaply and
successfully irrigated. Passing through
this valley we enter a short and narrow
canyon, like all the others, the key gate
to all the country beyond. Passing
through which we enter the great Salu-
bria valley near the confluence of the
Weiser with the South Fork of the
same The town of Salubria is situated
nearly in the center of the valley. L
will not stop to describe this valley, as
t is of the same nature as all these
fertile plains. But pass on to Bacon
valley on the main Weiser, and follow
ing it up, crossing the Middle Weiser,
thence on to Council valley, passing
Indian valley on the west, with its eX-
.ensive and fertile plains, beautiful
homes and cultivated fields and or
.hards we arrive at Council Valley
TO where the Hornett creek forms its
junction with the main Weiser. Here
YOU will remember. is the point at OF
lear the town of Council, where the
Seven Devils branch of the Weiser
& Idaho Northern Railway survey di-
verges from the main line and enters
he Hornett Creek valley. The main
| inc looking towards Lewiston and
junction with the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern systems, follows up
The main Weiser. passing over the di-
vide on easy grades through the Sal
non Meadows. Past the great Warren
md Alton gold mining districts down
| he valley of the Salmon and across the
| Nez Perces Indian reservation mow
| open to settlemenD, Latah county, just
| y celebrated for its grain, hay and fruit
| would be directly in lire, which line ex-
| ended would reach the Occur d Alene'
| mining district. Thence to Spokane
| might expatiate at great length upon
| The resources tributary to this part of
| the main line and leave its present
\ la rfln a
| return to the "Seven Devils branch,
| and that part of the projected road and
| its tributary resources explored by our
party.
| Crossing the main Weiser, near the
mouth of Hornet creek, the line enters
| and follows up this valley for several
| miles. leaving Long valley to be reached
by a spur road. Gradually climbing the
| mountains at the head of this valley
| begins your most difficult engineering
| work, and / confess to some surprise
when on seeing your engineers &c. II.
Mix) profiles that he was able to get
so good a route and so comparatively
low grades and easy curves. Through
this section the engineer has been able
to cross without much difficulty several
low divides and finally reaches Beai
| Creek valley, passing on, as your profile
l
valley ending his line nearly in the
center of the "Seven Devils" district
and it's various groupe of mines.
| You will doubtless incorporate in your
| prospectus somewhat of a full descrip-
| ton of these celebrated mining pros
| poets, therefore I will not undertake &c
| report on them further than to cal
to mind the many interesting days ano
| weeks we spent looking over them
trying to estimate the amount OF ores
in sight and that could be reasonably
expected from such an immense copper
belt Our samples from the differen
prospects and groups of mines proved
when analysed more than satisfactory
We found plenty of water and an abun
dance of timber and were fully per
/ suaded that transportation facilitie
such as the Weiser & Idaho Northern
road could furnish was all that wa
needed to make this the richest of al
| mining districts ever yet discovered.
Some of our party a few years ag
| stood together upon the southern slop
, | of the Missabe Iron range and looking
| across the then trackless wilderness
| towards the great inland sea. said tn
| same thing of that district. The worl
| heard us but laughed us to scorn. TIC
day to our credit and to your skill an
| daring, that prophecy is more than flu
| fned, and who will dare to say tina
we are mistaken now in this instance2
] wish, before closing this letter, {
o call your attention briefly to the tin
:. / Der resources of this country. and d
: so more confidently knowing that man
: I Of you are lumbermen of large exper
| ence. We did not, of course, attemT
/, an estimate of the standing timber tril
10 | utary to this road. but, /, for one. fe
a | satisfied from what we saw that a
i. | estimates so far seen are far too 10y
l can safely say that while we did M
J. go through nearly all the timber belt
II we saw more timber, on an aggregat
Ie than 1 have seen on any estimates
|, far furnished by the timber explore
20 of that region.
ii Finally and in conclusion IL is II
opinion, first, that the agricultural +
S sources tributary to this road when d
r veloped by the building of the sam
"a will give ii ample and lasting supper
q | Second. we know that the timber 7
te | sources would support such a road f
n many years to come. Third. il is hard
open to argument that the Seven De
| f1csf i'm ri mil