Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-07-12
Navigating the Clearwater.

Capt. Ephraim w. Baughman,
for thirty years in command of the
Snake river fleet of steamboats,
running to Lewiston, paid his first
visit to Camas Prairie during the
present week, having arrived ON
Saturdays stage. The object of
his visit was to investigate the /
practicability of steamboat naviga-
ton on the south fork of Clearwa-
ter. A boat had been previously |
sent here for the purpose of max |
ing the preliminary trip of observ-
ations down the stream, and it |
was Capt. Baughman's intention
to have started from the Jackson
Bridge. But little investigation
soon developed the fact that the
stream from this point is series
of rifles running in box canyon,
and utterly impracticable for pur-
poses of steamboat navigation.
This involved the selection of a
new point of departure, and so the
Captain decided en- starting from
the mouth of Cottonwood creek,
six miles below the bridge, four
miles above the forks of the river,
and twelve miles above Kamiah.
Accordingly, on Tuesday morn
ing Capt. Baughman and j. N.
Rice started out with the boat in a
wagon to go to the mouth of Cot
tonwood, where the Captain will
launch his skitf and drift down
leisurely with the current to Lew
iston. There is a natural wagon
road to the mouth of Cottonwood,
which takes along the point be-
tween Cottonwood and Three-Mile,
which are only two miles apart at
the point where they enter the
south fork. If the mouth of Cot
tonwood should prove to be the
new head of navigation splendid
road can be built at small expense,
which will be of benefit to all parts
of the prairie in hauling grain for
shipment. Capt. Baughman said
that his new steamer Lewiston"
only drew two feet of water, and
he thought he might be able to
come up to the forks, and maybe
higher, during the high water sea-
son from May till July. His report
of the situation will be awaited
with intense interest by our peo-
pie, because the prospect of rail-
road extension into this country
is more remote than ever, and
with steamboat transportation we
shall be enabled to put our surplus
in a cash market, and therefore we
shall be that much ahead on the
new steamboat route.
Capt. Baughman's report will
also be of additional use as basis
ON which to ask Congress to make
liberal appropriations for the i'm
provment of the Clearwater river.
This is a subject we have tried to
ding-dong into the noddle of every
: Idaho congressman for nearly TWEEN
ty years, but Uncle John HALEY
was the only one of them all who
ever succeeded in getting an APP.
preparation. This was expended
fin improving the Wild Goose rap
ids six miles above Lewiston il
1885, with the result of opening. 6
way for steamers to get to the Big
Eddy in an average stage of water
without lining The average Idaho
congressman thinks we are guyins
him when we tell him about thi
river, 400 miles from tide water
f which can be made navigable fo
, nearly 100 miles of water front OF
= either bank for a comparatively tri
, fling expenditure annually for
l. few years Our senators, yes, AM
= some of our own people, do no
Y realise the magnificent possibilitie
y which this river holds in its gift a
2. an open highway to the sea for a.
c the products of this empire of tn
Clearwater valley. We spoke {
this subject i'll our campaign j
Idaho and Nez Perce counties las
. fall, and were more than ono
:, laughed at for exploiting the ide;
=, But time vindicates good man
. ideas which were once deemed pr,
- posterous and absurd and viii
y we have not got steamboat navigi
! ton yet, we are more than eve
=, convinced that the true outcon
=; y of the future prosperity of this r
) gion will be found in that direction
-