Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-05-06
6li Perkins Heard From.

INC silver City Avalanche pub
fishes letter written by Eli Per-
: kins, while lecturing in this section
a few weeks ago, which we presume
is copied from an eastern paper.
We give il in full, but desire to call
MIR. Montgomery's attention to the
fact the silver production of Idaho
in 1895 was SIS, 100000. Here is
"He-liar's" letter:
BOISE CITY, Idaho, March Iii
What strange place is Boise City.
1t is the capital of Idaho, and the
centre of the great Snake River en-
pire. What city of contradictions
Its latitude is about the same as
Portsmouth, N. H. We came
through foot of snow in Iowa, saw
everybody skating in Nebraska,
came through billiards in Wyoming
and froze our ears in northern Utah.
From Ogden in Utah, or Granger
in Wyoming, the Union Pacific
"short line" provides Wagner sleep
ers over the Chicago and Northwes-
tern into Portland on the Columbia.
In Wyoming it was like Greenland.
Then we went over the great divide
between the Humboldt Basin and the
great Snake River bottom on the
north Here is a country 500 miles
long and fifty miles wide, almost a
dead level. And then how the tenn
perature changed as we went northl
at will be warm enough soon,"
said the brakeman. land it will
come sudden, too. Why, | picked
up chunck of ice the other day to
hit tramp hiding on the truck,
and what do you think? Why, the
hot chinook wind struck us, and
the ice melted suddenly and scalded
that poor tramp all over his neck"
At Boise City the gardens were
made and plum, peach and apricot
trees were in blossom. When | got
to my room in the hotel found it
too warm.
What do you keep fire for now@
| asked.
Don't have any fire." said the
porter. "Boise City houses are
warmed by hot water. 1t comes
through iron pipes from the hot
boiling springs"
And here / found that a city of
1000 people warmed their houses
as he said. The water in the wells
is at $50 degrees, and they not only
heat their houses, but boil eggs in
it. Winter weather here is like
weather in South Carolina. The
temperature seldom gets below 10
deg. above zero. The cold never
harms the peach trees.
The whole Snake River country
is going into fruit, for the water of
Snake River is sufficient to irrlgate
an empire. Prunes, apples, pears,
grapes and peaches are growing all
over the valley. They say:
ave don't want rain. It's nui-
sance. 1t would only break up pic
MICS and postpone funerals. We
boss the weather here"
And still what a contradiction
At Mountain Home last night, a
few miles from Boise, it commenced
raining at midnight and it rained
twelve hours. the people are
amazed. They say: "Now, just as
we have got irrigation all right, Pro-
violence comes and breaks us up"
Still the rain will bring millions of
wealth to Idaho. The great indus
try here is sheep and
Right here Mr.. w. T. Montgomery
the Secretary of Idaho Sheep Rails
ers' Association, has called on me.
He is full of sheep statistics. When
| ask him about the industry he
says: "The sheep industry is worth
100000 annually to Idaho. The
silver product is worth $4,000, 900
and our other products from all
sources, mines, timber, farms and
factories are worth 100000.
"How has the Wilson bill free
wool policy affected your" | asked
ut has about paralyzed us. We
used to pay our herders $40 month
and give them all the canned fruits
they wanted, and now we give then
$50 a month and plain potatoes
Many of our sheep have been driver
to Nebraska, fattened there, anc
sent to Chicago slaughter houses
We are waiting Low for the old tariff
to come back. 1t has made us fee
bad to see Cleveland send $4,000,
600 in gold to Asia and Australia
for wool when we needed it in green
backs or silver in Idaho"
"Are you satisfied with the worl
of your Senators, Dubois and Shoup
in killing the wool tariff" | asked
mo, sir, we are not. They worke,
+, for the silver men. They tried t,
double their profits of 100000
and killed us wool men and GU
industry, worth 100000, A da,
of wrath awaits these men in tn
J future
. | find the bankers in Idaho an
Montana are for sound money. |