Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-01-26
An EMPIRE IN ITSELF.
An InferesttnO Letter Regarding
Our Climate, Natural Re-
SOURCES and Animal
Life.
WARRENs, Dec. 20, 1893.

w ARRENS, DeC. %, looo.
EDITOR f. p
Many of my fellow citizens of
Idaho county do not consider, some
do not know what an empire in it.
self our county is. Its superficial
area is one and a-half times as
large as the state of Massachusetts.
1t has within its borders more ar
able land than the state of Connec-
ticut possesses. Its timber re-
sources are greater than those of
the state of Maine. OF the pre-
cious metals it has more than any
twenty eastern states combined.
1t has a greater variety of climate
than any state east of the Missis-
sippi river. Along the lower Sal
mon river the summer heat is as
great as in many parts of the tor
rid zone without the excessive hui
midity that renders life torment
there. In the winter snow rarely
falls. On the other hand, in the
Alton and Deep creek mining dis
tricts, banks of snow continue
throughout the summer, and how
deep they are in winter and to
what extreme the cold descends /
do not know, for l never was there
at that season.
The lowest point in the county,
say at the mouth of Salmon river,
is approximately 1000 feet above
the level of the sea; the highest
mountain peaks borderclosely upon
10000 feet.
In animal life the range is also
very great. On the highest peaks
the shaggy and utterly worthless
mountain sheep still dwell at a
lesser range an occasional moose
may be found; along the rivers the
bands of elk and deer have greatly
increased since the Indians were
removed. Indeed the stories of
their numbers that are told by the
hunters and trappers, Cal. Huddle-
son for instance, would hardly be
credited were it not for the fact
that these are gentlemen Of the
strictest veracity. The fur-bear-
ing animals, except the beaver, are
now more numerous than former
ly, but if the present high price OF
bear skins continues bruin will also
be soon exterminated. Martins
fishers, lynxes and wolverines are
taken in considerable numbers
The long-tailed yellow panther is
quite too common. He devOtes
his time largely to calves and colts
E The popular impression about his
love for the human family is exag-
r gerated he will get away if he
! can. He might fight if he was cor
nered up but never heard of such
, an instance. People generally
deem it not worth while to corner
him.-ED.
. OF our fish we may justly boast
All the streams once swarmed witt
salmon. Five or six years ago they
had mostly disappeared; now they
are more plentiful again. The sal
, mon trout is fish that attain!
, great size; have seen one caugh
a in the South Fork with hook an(
, line that weighed % pounds; ont
n is reported that weighed ~. Where
! there is no mining the small
, streams are alive with mountain
!, trout.
And what of our people? Gu
!, pioneers were hardy, adventurous
= and brave; but stalwart as the,
\ were | notice their numbers ar,
= dwindling. But the later conner
y and the rising generation are o
. similar mould and are following il
. their footsteps. Our schools ant
=, churches are all that could be ex
. pected our teachers and preach
ers are earnest and careful, piou
and charitable. Our boys are stun
dy and moral, not ignorant nor I'M
;, intellectual as the world goes
Our girls pardon me, am an oil
bachelor and it takes my breat
q clean away to think of describin
- them. But we have not such wild
extremes of the human race a
"a some portion of our country ma
% claim. l venture my hope of etel
II nal salvation on the assertion tina
w there cannot be found in Idah
-. % county man who would take
"a comrades grub away and leav
10 him to perish on the frozen bank
4 of a lonely river. N. B. w.
10