Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-05-05
GROWING WITH GIANT STRIDE,
GFanseVille the Terminus and Trading
Center Of the Great Clearwater Basin.

Grangeville Is making nowadays
1t is not, as many on the outside
suppose, a mushroom town brought
into being by the Buffalo HUMP
boom. On the contrary the exist.
ence of Grangevillc dates back tt
'70's, and from the very inception
of the town it has always been d
good business point, not only in
the line of retailing to the local
farming population of Camas
prairie, but also in doing large
and growing mercantile jobbing
business with the smaller towns
on Camas prairie and in the noun
tain mining camps. This jobbing
business has in the past six years
attained to great proportions and
is naturally growing with the
growth and development of the
surrounding country.
Situated long distance from
railroads the growth of the town
has naturally been slow. But al
though growing to Importance
slowly but surely. the town has
always fanked high III commercial
centers, and has long been regarded
as "a safe and conservative point,
never bankruptcy or failure OF
any kind having ever occurred,
even in the darkest days of the
pauics which have devastated the
rest of the United States. There
are many and various reasons fol
this. Cut off from communication
with the outside world our popu-
lation has been very largely self
supporting. Then, too, the stock
raising and mining industries have
ensured us local cash market for
home raised products of all kinds,
besides bringing into this section a
large amount of money annually
from the sales of live stock and the
production of the placer mines.
Our merchants, too, embarked in
business in the early days with
large capital and heavy stocks OF
goods, and were thus enabled to
keep at home vast sums of money
which otherwise would have been
sent away for goods. These causes
have contributed materially to
establish and maintain here prob
ably II larger per centage OF ready
money per capita than in any other
part of the United States, and con-
sequently times have been cores
pondingly good and prosperous,
and far ahead of what they are in
communities where there is no
money in circulation.
In point of location Grangeville
has every advantage to make a
permanent and always prosperous
town. 1t is Il strategic point, com
handing as no other point in this
section does, easy access to and
from the Salmon river section, the
mines of Florence and Warren ON
the south, and the mountain ranges
and mining districts of the great
Bitter Root divide. Other towns
may be nearer to these sections in
dividually, but none can compare
with growing Grangeville in COM
manding the whole of the vast
country to the south and east.
Moreover, the two railroads
building to Camas prairie will for a
long time to come make their ter
minus in growing Grangeville; and
even If they are eventually extend
cd beyond the town, as in time
they are sure to do, Grangeville
will remain the terminus of the
mountain divisions, because here
we are at the foot of the noun
tains, with ample grounds fol
round houses, machine shops and
general headquarters, with the la
cilities for the construction and
repair of machinery and general
supply depot, which a good and
thriving business point affords.
Here, too, will be the residence
of not only the railroad employees,
but also of the families of the min
ing operators and kindred interests
who will be located here because
of our near vicinage to the mines
and our possession of good schools,
good churches, good society, good
homes, good water and all the
advantages which accrue in every
important business center.
In short, as we figure it out,
Grangeville is destined to become
to this great Clearwater basin just
what Spokane is to the country
northward-the most important
trading, business, commercial
and manufacturing point within
the radius of one hundred miles or
more, with an enormous extent of
undeveloped country of vast and
unknown natural wealth directly
tributary to it.
Grangeville is "A good town to tie
to, and to keep your eye on. She
is just getting her growth and is
bound from this time henceforth
to grow with giant strides.
500 Reward. 500
1.