Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-05-08
The Clearwater GOtd Belt.

Stuart, Idaho, Apr. ii, 1896.
This section of the State of Idaho
is destined to bear an important
part in the development ofits min
ing industry. Orc Elmo, just north
of this place, and Florence, at the
southern end of the belt, were gold
camps back in the sixties, and at
the latter were found some of the |
richest placer diggings in the world.
In fact. the entire western slope of
the Bitter Root mountains has long
be IN known to be gold-bearing, es-
pecially at Elk City and Florence,
where rich leads have been dis
covered.
This section has been kept back
by the fact that the Nez Perez In
dian reservation barred the en-
trance for half hundred miles,
and there is no other way into the
country. Since the reservation
was thrown open to settlement on
the 18th of last November, new
era has been inaugurated. At the
confluence of the south fork with
the main Clearwater, where once
only wandering trail led to the
red mans lowly hut in the broken
solitude, a thriving city is spring
ing up, stores are being brought in,
mills are being erected, and here
after Stuart will demand recOgni-
ton on the map of our country.
This is, indeed, the gate city to the
Bitter Root country. 1t is charm
ingly situated at the head Of navi-
CATION on the Clearwater, in
narrow valley between canyon-like
slopes that rise two thousand feet
above it.
But Stuart realizes that pros
perity depends largely upon the de-
velopment of the surrounding min
ing country, and to this end is will
ling to lend every encouragement.
In this connection an interest
ing study is afforded by the history
of the early settlements. There is
no fairer country in the world than
Camas prairie, where the fertile
soil is measured by the eye in a
level stretch for twenty miles
Here timothy grows spontaneously
and thousands of acres of wheat
are never harvested. This country
is isolated from the rest of tn,
world by mountain ranges ant
river canyons, and yet here live
a prosperous and happy people
They are even too far away to shi]
out their hogs that fatten on tn
standing grain in their whoa
fields, and wheat at % cents
bushel will not pay the cost O
hauling to the railroad. But thes
ranchers find ready market 70
all they produce among the miner
in the hills, and are maxim
money.
In the past it has been chief
placer mining. Now 1875 men ar
i ,e wintering in Florence, wOrkin
+, leads, the first time that operation
Mt have been carried on there at thi
I, season for twenty years, and 81
n quartz stamps are ready to stal
i'd crushing ore in the spring.
n. Elk City can make almost a
E good showing as Florence.
rs The completion of the stat
sc wagon road, which will probabl
% be done next year, will also aid i
50 the development of this country
30 At present the mail contracts frol
% Wciser to Grangeville aggregat
rs about eight thousand dollars al
g nually, and for twenty-five miles {
g the distance the mail is carried o
Z horseback over a trail. When th
% % link in the road is built, dali
~ stages will be running from Weise
VI to Stuart to connect north and sOut
he Idaho. Besides, this road run
. through rich mining distric
h. where even now supplies are pack
a, az ed in to the mills on Rapid rive
IS: and in the Seven Devils.
a. at All this trade must pass throug
y. ar Stuart, and the place is preparin
ay to meet it. In II few weeks boa
en- line will connect it with Lewiston
Oh sixty-fve miles down the Clear
&c water. This boat line is an Q,
en- pertinent, and the successful nav
rs, CATION of the Clearwater will d.
pend upon the appropriation froI
i'd congress to improve the river.
au In addition tn its other roSnuI