The Teton peak-chronicle. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1904-1952, 1905-04-20
HEPBURN PRESENTS FACTS
Eloquent Protest Against Proposed
Forest Reserve.
Shows That County and State Would be Shamefu,lv
Imposed on if Reserve Stands

settled because that the population
OF the country has not yet de-
manded these waiting opportuni-
ties. This withdrawal is on the
headwaters of the North Fork of
the Clearwater and the St. Toe
rivers. and on the south slope of
the South Fork of the Coeur
d'Alene river. Upon all of these
streams lower down than the pro-
posed reserve. prosperous settle
ments. and cities now exist which
are every year spreading to the
eastward up the streams to their
sources, and as l suggested at our
recent Interview if you will leave
this country open to settlement and
take the census FIVE years from
now. it will. present as large per.
centage of growth in settlement
and prosperity as any other section
OF the country. At the mouth of
the Clearwater river, which is onlv
60 miles down stream from the
withdrawal, figs were ripened in
the open air along the river during
the last season, and the lands along
this stream and its tributaries up
to the very edge of the reserve pro-
duce as fine fruits and vegetables
as may be found anywhere.
The oldest settlement in Idaho
is at the very corner of the pro-
posed reserve, Pierce City, where
the first discovery of gold was
made in the state and which pro-
duced, according to Mr.. Ban
crofts reports, one hundred
millions of dollars from its adjacent
gold fields, and which today is
prosperous community of men en-
gagged in mining and the raising Of
grains, vegetables and fruits.
(Every year sees the settlement
push further up these streams and
there are now prosperous mining
camps and growing settlement
right in the very heart of the pro-
posed reserve.
Shoshone county has recently
made provisions for the building of
a wagon road up Placer creek from
Wallace. entirely within the pro-
posed withdrawal, which wagon
road is to be built for the accom-
mediation of actual business and
actual settlements sufficient to
satisfy the commissioners of Sho-
shone county that the road was
needed, trail having already been
constructed from Wallace to the St.
Joe river for the purpose of the
preliminary accommodation of
these settlements.
You will recall that the repre-
sentative of the forestry department
stated that large number of settle
ments had been found by their rep
resentative to be bogus. Their
representatives are evidently un-
acquainted with the methods of
settlers. They know nothing of
the genesis of the great west. 1t is
so easy to condemn the enterprises
of other men. and their Judgment in
entering upon the contract. by
those who are not in sympathy with
them, or advised as to what human
energy can do.
You will observe that the pro-
posed reserve extends to the towns
of Wallace and Mullan. Wallace
has a population of about 1000
people This reserve will draw
a dead line at the very door of that
city and as shown upon the map
which the department has furnished
me, will actually include a part of
the corporate limits thereof. 1t
includes the wagon roads already
at great expense, mines
we'll developed and producing ores.