Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-11-29
EDITOR.S NOTE BOOK.
Nom dams Joffed Dorm on
a Recent Trip to Elk city.


a Recent Trip to Elk CITY.
A trip to Elk City only a year
. ago involved much mental and
physical energy and anxiety. 1t
was long, hard horseback ride
with the certainty that yon would
arrive at your destination thor
oughly tired out. Hence the Sc
lection of an easy-loping horse,
comfortable saddle and other aids
to personal comfort were pre-req-
uisites for the journey. But that
was in the old days, when the on
ly way into the camp was by
jumping over the down timber on
the old trail for 90 miles or so.
Things are changed now for the
better. A wagon road has been
built and you can now dispense
with cayuse and saddle, and make
Z the trip with ease and comfort on
a we'll appointed stage line over a
splendid wagon road with good
eating houses at frequent intervals
for the refreshment of man and
beast.
1t was chilly morning in Sep
TENDER last when we boarded Tip
pery's stage and pulled out for the
mines. The roads were good, the
horses risky, and both driver and
editor knew their business and
were provided accordingly with
the essentials for pleasant trip.
Many time and oft have / had
occasion to rhapsodize over the
manifold beauties of this great
Camas prairie. have seen it in
all seasons of the year, when it is
clothed in the indescribable splen-
doris and matchless livery of the
"lover's month of june" in the
matchless glory of summer, and
again, in the cold splendor of a
snow-covered landscape. But this
ride down through our famous
Fairview country on September
morning, with the scent of new
stacked hay in the atmosphere and
the grain fields ready for the reap
er to gladden. the eye, and anon
the fine patches of garden truck
and great glorious golden pump
, kins for which this section is IA
nous, gave me more enlarged
idea of what this fruitful Elysian
is capable of, speaking in a practi-
cal, productive sense, when once a
market is opened for it's products
Without disparaging any other
part of this great prairie we can
truthfully say that the Fairview
section is a veritable vale of EN-.
bryo wealth and fruitfulness. beau.
ty and loneliness /; its soil is deep
or and richer, and its climate more
cquable than that of the higher al
81. titudes, and the culture of fruit
and berries and garden truck car
here be carried on with a degree O
success unattainable elsewhere.
In due time we reach the town
of Harpster at Clearwater bridge
where comparatively large settle
ment has grown up in the pas
three years. Great hopes are en-
tertained of the future of this poin
as a commercial and general bust
ness center, and it certainly hal
sufficient varied resources to main
tain large business community
1t is properly the gateway to tn,
Bitter Root country, as it com
mands the entrances to that grea
region by present wagon road an,
future river and railroad transpor
tation. Good lodges have beer
found short distance up the can
yon and in the mountains beyond
indeed, quartz ledge on which
considerable development worl
has been done is located within
half mile of the settlement, to sa,
nothing of the wingdam operation
of old "Kaintuck" at the bridg
itself and which, besides spelling
good cabbage patch. threatens tn
safety of the bridge at every higl
water. There is also large ex
tent of very choice agriculture
country tributary to the new tow
as well as unlimited timber, lin
and other building material, an
best of all, magnificent waite
power which in due time will
harnessed for the use of mankind
Rash as the prediction may seer
now we venture the assertion tina
Harpster will ultimately become
smelling and manufacturing Ger
ter of no small proportions. A
present its business is confined
postoffice, two stores, three ht
tells, blacksmith shop and the il
evitable saloon.
Our course here deviates frol
the regular road to Elk City in OF
der to supply the postoffice a
Clearwater with the mails. TIL
road follows down the canyon an
then takes up Sally Ann gulch t
the Stable lands where the fin
farming lands are situated.
thriving and self-sustaining settle
ment has grown up on this side .
the Clearwater, and numerous nea