Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1902-03-06
The Grandeur of Idaho.

catches the glittering and precious
dust. Through thousands OF miles Of
bitches their waters are turned OH the
thirsty lands and waving fields OF
grain, broad expanses OF alfalfa, and
thousands Of acres Of blossoming
orchards, reward "the man with the
hoe" Her breezes blow from snow
capped mountains rich in mineral
wealth as yet almost untouched by the
miners pick. They sweep over %, 600
square miles of woodlands, including
the largest body Of r1erchantable white
pine in this country. On the public
domain, comprising "a per cent of the
state, millions OF sheep and hundreds
of thousands of cattle and horses find
free grazing. These features give
bredth to the conceptions, courage to
the constructions and magnitude to-
the operations Of her people. No longer
10 Idaho terra incognita" to the rest
of the world Her material progress
has attracted the attention of the east
and middle west. II is just becoming
known that within her borders might
rest the states of Connecticut, Della
ware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
! New Jersey, Rhode Island and Maine,
with race track nine miles wide left
unoccupied at her periphery.
!, In 1889 the population Of Idaho
was 81 1856, in 1899, 16l,772, an in
crease of SO IL per cent. In 1889 the
density of population was ii per cent
and there were 10 persons to the square
mile. The density of population in
the District of Columbia is 4,645 te
the square mile. Great as it is, our
agile congressman are still able to Offer
homes and employment for settlers fol
, many years to come before becoming
! crowded. With more than two-thirds
OF the state the property Of the gov
eminent and the larger part OF this
area in the arid belt, it can be stated
that the most certain and redundan,
sources of agricultural wealth in Idaho
to-day are comparatively undeveloped
n The truth OF this statement will moi
: be gainsaid If the reader will remember
;. that the agricultural development o.
> the state has been confined largely to
}, the counties dependant upon the ar
u tificial application OF water to produce
crops. These counties contain three
;. fourths OF the land capable of being
: cultivated, and it is to this part Of the
state that settlers in the future mainly
. will come.
!, Something like a proper conception
- may be had of the future possibilitie
u of this great state by studying few
! figures: Idaho contains 54,272 ,00t
!, acres. OF this area approximately but
, $3.50 600 acres are in farms, or les
l. than per cent Of the total. The i'm
d proved area on these farms is estima.
n ted at l ,400. 600 acres, or 43 per cent
d and Of the improved area not less thar
o 600 600 acres are irrigated, or 43 pc
: cent. In 1889 there were 1923 irri
gated farms, with an irrigated area O
!, 217 005 acres. To-day there are nearl,
4 10000 irrigated farms having an av
erage almost three times as great a
that Of 1889. The total area OF al
l. farms has also increased 5000 per cent
Idahos farms IN 1898 were valued a
t. SIT ,33l $50. The total valuation
st now more than $40,O00000. In col
responding degree, the live sioux il
NJ terests have grown year after year wit
Is those OF the soil. According to Chi.
10 Statistician Powers of the census oific,
70 Idaho, with 4,12l ,532 sheep, is no
sixth among the great sheep and woo
- producing states. Montana with
% l70,483 sheep being in the first plac,
= Idaho has 363, 534 head of neat cattl,
is ITO, 120 horses, 1913 mules, Ia S
swine and 4,49l goats, al. valued q
ID more than $2l 100000, which adde
le TO the value of farm lands and build
II, ings brings up the total to more tina
ns SCI 900 600, not counting value OF tn
a. farm implements.
IN The farms of Idaho are located i
picturesque and healthy valleys which
~ trimmed by lofty mountains, are pr
tected from the rigors and changes
= winter. From the soil the farmt
= draws richer and surer rewards tina
i. results from similar labors in the cas-
as These land. are supporting Thousand
to- day and could support millions to
" morrow
10 Here there is room 10 breathe,
e. expand, 10 develop. Irrigation wi
er bring about sharp shift in the ge
~ graphical ceners OF population an
=, ~ wealth during the ensuing decade
~ certainly the work of immeasurab
Importance to all coming generations
! With favorable action by the go'
ernment to assist in the conservatio
IL of flood waters in the streams no