The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1904-01-02

Lake Tribune has the following
glowing description of the Seem OF
of the Mountains, " from the, pen Of
Clarence E. Eddy. 1t gives one ar
idea OF the yastness and wonders Of
the state which we are proud to cal
our home:
The state of Idaho has total
area almost as great as New England,
with population thirty times less.
1t lacks not in resources, but in
development. 1t is the land of to-
morrow. Though the richness of its
gold fields was first discovered half
century ago, the comparatively
unprospected portion of Idaho still
exceeds ne-third of the total area.
"The vastness of Idaho, says a
well-known writer, ''is not even com
pretended by many of its citizens. +"
Bancroft in his histories speaks of
il as "grand, wonderful, romantic,
mysterious-a country where men
looked for unusual things and
found them. While esteemed as the
peculiar home of the mineralogist and
miner, nature had not forgotten to
prepare portions of it for the occupa-
ton of man by giving wondrously
warm and fertile soil.
Idaho is accorded to have "a, OOO,-
600 acres available for agricultural
and grazing purposes, $4,000, 900
acres of timber, 200, 900 acres oc-
cupied by lakes, and the remainder
of its So, 900, 900 acres, or s5, 900
square miles, consists of deserts and
mountains. In these total figures
are included 10000, 900 acres of
mineral land.
The first settlements in Idaho we're
begun in the north by French Canad-
ian trappers and Jesuit missionaries
In the south by Mormon colony at
Fort Lemhi in 1854 The territory
was organized in 1863, and admitted
to the Union of States July 4, 1890.
Since the discovery of gold at
Orofino creek in 1860 Idaho is estim-
ated to have yielded $3.50, 600, 600
in precious metals, an amount equal
to the wealth of Rockefeller. Ac-
cording to recently furnished Wells
Fargo statistics, $500, 600, 900 of
this immense sum was contributed
by the placer camps of early days,
including Orofno, Elk City, Florence,
Lewiston, Lapwai, Warren, Pierce
City and Boise Basin. But the
greater portion of the vast field con-
tanning these famous camps is com
paratlvely unprospected. 1t includes
the thousands of mountain streams
composing the Clearwater, Salmon
and st. Joseph rivers, with wide
sylvan recesses, snow clad ranges
and canyons which 'tseem to cut the
4
earth In two. Further defined, it
extends from the forest-clad Occur
dAlenes in the north to the sands of
the Great Snake river desert in the
south, direct distance of over 200
miles. On the east it is walled by
the Bitter Root and Rocky Mountain
ranges, from which it extends west
an average Of $50 miles.
A theme so comprehensive admits
but passing outline IN this article.
But little Information is available.
ana no mans experience can have
eompsssed the mysteries OF tbis
mighty wilderness OF mountains.
We have gazed AZ Il 10 the north.
'fe'a 'he efsgs Of the Occur q Alenes
~ ine west from Che dome Of Che
seven Deyils, and 10 lhe south FROM
u'' snos clad spmmits Of ais SAL
m'p uger fpngel 10000 feet above
'he eco Bpi 4 hae loomed lone and
'''' pl'h ioseupg pealg end ahad.
NHf eanlonr blepaIpg lnio bluo dis.
''n'l A0a q'eih0ng by iho mn,ly
HV M WlsFg
lN'Hsh oi'en M ind0auIon. nlo.
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