Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-09-15
FROM BLACKFOOT TO cHALLIs.
A Brief Description Of the Custer County
Towns Visited by a News Reporter.

tween Blackfoot and Lost River is
devoid of general interest.
1t is not like the rides when Hank
Monk was 10 his prime and drove
Horace Greeley to Julesburg. or when
Rube Dunn held the reins for six In
hand through the canons and along
the cliffs and precipices from Salt
Lake City to Nevada.
The road is of more interest TO the
traveller than a description and the
incidents of the travel can possibly
be to the general reader. The old
line is charged now, and one does not
stop at the Big Butte as in former
days.
A new Root Hog" station has been
built near where the old station went
down in ashes and ruins, and the line
then diyerges to the right and goes
by Lost River and G. w. Powell's on
TO Arco.
From Arco TO Challis with its inter-
mediate points of Lost River, An
telope, Houston, Battle Grounds and
Dickey's, the old line of former years
is closely followed. But few changes
are noticeable at any of these points
sage at Houston. where new life and
activity have been given to this min
ing camp by the new company, Messrs
Clark & Co, of Butte, Montana.
Houston, promises to be a busy
camp. The work of re-opening at the
Cliffs, seYen miles from town has fair
ly begun and still there is hustle and
stir there, The work of putting in
new machinery and the collection of
materials, a new smelter etc, has
been slow, but everything is about
ready for continuous operations and
the work win be pushed steadily on.
Mr.. Houston after whom the town
was named years ago is still active
and full OF yigor. and has charge OF
the express and mail between the
town and the copper mining camp at
the Cliffs. J. H. Green is the prin
cipal merchant and is doing q good
and thrifty business. The Vance
hotel, s. j. Vance, proprietor, is tn,
best place Of accommodation for res
and good fare. The mining company
has begun the shipment of its bullion
From Houston to Challis one ii
shut in by the darkness of the nigh
much of the way. Dickey's station
still run by "mine cheerful host" jos
Dickey is the most important station
beyond Houston. 1t is the junction
OF the Ketchum and Blackfoot lines
Challis has changed but little in the
past few years, the greatest change
noticeable being the vacant places
where the great fire OF some months
ago licked up the hotel and other
business houses. The citizens of the
town are hopeful Of the return Of the
good old times of the prosperous min,
ing days gone by. Mines Of rich ore
are still near by, and when work is
resumed Challis will be the busy
bustling town as OF the past
The Messenger that went down in
the big fire has arisen from the ashes
brighter than ever and promises 8
long life of usefulness to Challis and
Custer county.
Among the many prominent mer
OF the town with whom we met and
who courteously favored us with in
formation etc were Col. Shsrp s
leading attorney and president of the
State wagon road commission, Post
master Rowles, Editors Pierce and
Sweet, 4. o. Smith, J. G. Finnell
chairman Democratic county centra
committee, J. +. Wilkinson, secre.
tary Democratic central committee
w. II. Felkner, Jack Dougherty, A
Buttorff and others,
It will give us pleasure to visi
Challis and Houston again, Tn
News will remember their people anC
will always be pleased to mention
them as hospitable, courteous anC
noble people.