Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1902-03-27
Southern Idaho.

SOutn0rn I0ahO.
EDITOR FREE PEEss: A trip into
southern Idaho is revelation to
any northern man who has hereto-
fore held 10 the belief that that Sec
ton OF our state is good for Moth
ing but sand and sagebrush and
sheep raising. From the moment
one enters the state at the railroad
bridge crossing at the mouth Of
Horseshoe Bend canyon, just above
the mouth Of Burnt river, the inn
preston strikes You that you are
in land Of progress and industrial
activity. The great valley below
Weiser is settling up with great
rapidity; new homes are being es-
tablished on these fertile lands, and
the number Of new houses, fences,
farms and orchards is surprising.
The first town Of any Importance
is Weiser, where the construction
of the Pacific Il Idaho Northern
railroad to Council valley has given
the town an immense advantage by
bringing it into direct connection
with the Seven Dsvils mineral belt.
A big smelter is approaching COM
pletion for the reduction OF the ores
from that great mineral district,
while many new brick and frame
business blocks and handsome resi-
dences are under way. The town
is also very much elated at present
by the report that new railroad
is to be built from Weiser on
through California to Humboldt
bay, a contamination devoutly to
be wished, but it is not built yet,
and from my knowledge of the in
tervening country I should suggest
that my good friends there lose no
sleep over it.
All along the Oregon Short Line
to Nampa there are evidences of
similar activity. Payette, Caldwell
and Nampa are growing to beat
the band. Nampa in particular,
through the enterprise of Col. +.
H. Dewey, is assuming metro.
politan proportions as the terminus
n of the Silver City and Idaho North
ern railroads which are being con.
: structed under the auspices Of thu
: same big-hearted gentleman ant
enterprising citizen. His new hote
at Nampa is one of the largest il
!. the inter-mountain country, and i
a favorite resort for eastern people
" NV observations of the improve
ments at these point was confines
solely to the short interval o
changing trains, but from thi
.; superficial glance it is apparen
q e. that a wonderful progress is bein
It, made in every phase of materia
y; progress and growth.
y At Boise City my stay was MOI
a. prolonged and the opportunitis
he Tor looking into the situation wel
~ therefore materially improved. III
ON ON capital city of the state is CROWN
70, by leaps and bounds. Large, cost
III and elegant business blocks, res
Ter dences and apartment houses al
going up all over the'city, and Il
. real estate agents are growing re
out of the commissions coming
,1e them from the great number
Dor real estate transfers which are b
ce, ing made every day in the wee
, 1m, The influx of new population in
ate the southern counties is somethil
aid enormous, and excels the NOV
az az ments of population into the mi
ear die states in the palmiest days
or the first western exodus. lrrie
D ica ton plants involving the expen'
the ture of millions of dollars are u
I'M, I'm, der way at various points along I
great Snake river valley, the watt
of which are to be utilized in fl
nishing water for these great plai
heir which have hitherto been cons
OK. cred as part Of the great Amerie
I'm desert. The soil is exceptiona
I ioSc fertile, and the climate moder
a ,,isr for the altitude. I recollect so
Isto, years ago, when the proposition
o ouat annex the northern counties
the Idaho to Washington was un
the discussion in the United States S
' CO. ate chamber, the point was IN
tone that the northern counties desi
your annexation to Washington heca
p who there was never any hope of III
: the ing a state of Idaho; that
TT, southern portion Of old Idaho
LIZ ,itory was a desert of sagebr
. and sand, incapable of ever
,,o,u, tanning population, and
,r the therefore the burden of maint
frank ing a state government would
frank upon the people Of the north
clusively. Replying to these
90 ga b 1S icisms Senator George Hears
and 70 California, advanced the prof.
exciu- ton that the great Snake river
: &c th 1n ley OF southern Idaho woult
,y but time support population OF
da l. millions of inhabitants. l k
no o9q Ses the southern Idaho country p1
n =, the II, thoroughly, and believed that
rs rs last senator was stretching the 4
| w1sn but my last visit has amply &
I'd for fed me that he simply had a Il
,r ~ grasp of the possibilities whicl
made i, lea fnture holds in store for that