Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-02-28
UPON CANVAS PRAIRIE
A HUI dred Miles From a Railroad
but the People Prosperous
IN THE FAMOUS OLD CAMPS
Hon. A. F. Parker Talks About the Agri.
Gu tural and Wine al Resources
of His Section.
Spokesman Review. Feb. 10

Hon. A. +. Parker, editor of the Idaho
Free Press, published at Grangeyille
is in the city, guest of the Hotel Spo-
kane.
Mr.. Parker's name will be familiar to
many throughout the northwest as ed
itor of the Occur d Alene Eagle, pub
lished at Eagle City, in the exciting
days of the Occur d'Alene stampede in
1888. He was also deputy mineral re-
corder for that district. and the original
record of locations of the great mines
of the South Fork are in his handwrit
ing
He gave Spokesman-Review report
er many interesting "reminiscences of
scenes and incidents of that period
from his well stored memory. For the
past ten years Mr.. Parker has been To-
Gated at Grangeville, in the great Ca
mas prairie country of central Idaho.
Concerning his region, Mr.. Parker
said:
Its development has been retarded
by the Nez Perez Indian reservation.
but now that these lands are opened
to settlement, it has taken a new start,
and is now an inviting field for rail-
road
THE Camas prairie country is
strip of good land on the south line
of the reservation, which the Indians
somehow overlooked when they de
fined the limits of their reserve in the
treaty of 1861. The result was that it
has been settled by the whites for a
period of So years, and although it is
100 miles to the nearest railroad point
it is in a higher state of development
and has more real prosperity than the
country penetrated by the Spokane &
Palouse railroad. The immigration to
the prairie for the past few years has
been very large and although the ag-
ricultural community is deprived by its
distance from the railroad of a market
for farm products, yet they are really
more prosperous, owing to the facilities
for raising live stock and the develop
ment of the mining camps in the Sal
mon river mountains, to the south, and
the Bitter Root range. on the east. All
supplies for that country are freighted
from Lewiston. Wagon road extensions
have been greatly multiplied in the past
few years. The state of Idaho has ex-
pended So, 900 in wagon road construc-
ton in Idaho county, opening uD new
avenues to Elk City, Florence. War
renS and Salmon river This expend-
iture has been supplemented nv the
public spirit of the people in building a
road to Juliaetta and Kendrick. and all
these enterprises are Welding satisfac-
tory returns by making this long iso-
lated section more accessible. The
TRANSFORMATION of machinery into the
mining camps opened up by these roads
now puts large and annually increas
ing amount of money into the general
circulation.
an all these camDs are large areas Of
fiat placer ground. which was never
worked, owing to lack of dump They
are now being developed by steam
dredges and hydraulic elevators. with
satisfactory results. Capital is also be-
ing invested in bringing water on to
the high bars of Salmon and Clearwater
rivers
1.-THE quartz interests of Florence are
also an anchor of hope to the people,
the veins being numerous and very rich
in gold and silver, and that once ia
nous camp promises to rival Cripple
Creek in a few years with it's output of
gold. There are a hundred men winter
ing in Florence nova greater popula-
ton than the camp has had since 1864.
several hundred tons of ore have been
extracted from the shaft and tunnel
during the winter, and the lodges hold
their size and value as depth is attained.
n three-stamp custom mill was taken
IN last summer. and 1t has been
steadiiy grinding ore from several
claims. me ore supply Is Increasing
so iast that an additional hve-stamp
battery Is to be erected In the spring. 1t
Is probable That there VIII be 80 stamps
dropping In the Florence basin by this
time next year