Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-12-01
FARMERS THE TRUE DEVELOP.
Frs,

In an article entitled Millions in Ore
in Rugged Hills" writer in the Ore
gonian places the value of the pro-
duct of the Occur d'Alene mines. for
the year 1906, at $13OO0.000.
The mining district producing this
vast wealth lies in the northern portion
OF Shoshone county. and forms but
small fraction of the county's area.
The population of the district numbers
about 10000 and the actual number
OF persons directly engaged in the pro-
duction of this enormous sum Of money
Is about 5000.
The actual development Of the Occur
d'Alenes dates back about twenty
years, yet in all this time and with all
this wealth being extracted from the
bowels OF the earth. little remains In
the country to show for it. The reason
for this IL plain-the entire country 10
controlled by a few great financiers
who care not farthing for the coun-
try or its advancement. The wealth
Of these great mines goes annually to
swell the already overlooking Golfers
Of the men who pocket dividends on
Standard OIL and juggle the copper
market.
Money produced by Idaho mines has
gone into payrolls footing up to thous-
ands of dollars annually, and has
helped to build brick blocks in cities
Of neighboring states but to the farm
ers must go the credit for the great
development Of the state. The devel-
opment incident to a country from the
production Of $1s,ooo.ooo through min
ing Is of small Importance as compared
to that following the production of a
like sum through the cultivation of
the land.
From reliable data. we find that for
the wheat. barley. oat. and hay crop.
for the state amounted to $13.O62796, a
little more than the estimated value
Of the product for 1905, Of the Occur
dAlene mines. The total acreage de-
voted to these crops is 119.9S4. scat
tered over the entire state. Every
county in the state contributes to the
production and consequently It may
be said that the entire state has had
to be developed to some extent, in order
that this great wealth might be brought
forth.
Taking the average amount of land
devoted to the growing of wheat, bar
ley. oats and hay upon each homestead.
we And that it requires nearly nine
thousand FARMS representing a popula-
tl0n of more than fifty thousand per-
sons, directly interested.
The production of the small sum of
$13.0O0.00 annually through agricul-
tural sources has called for wide de
velopment of the state. Railways have
had to be constructed: telegraph and
telephone lines built: wagon roads have
pushed out to the farthest ends Of
the state: bridges have been erected:
irrigation canals have been opened up;
educational institutions and churches
erected; and prosperous homes dot the
ldHu THAT once WIS waste. Inc enllTt
country is improved-made better The
landscape that years ago tired the eye
of the pioneer as he wendell his way
through valleys and broad prairies is
now made inviting
The settlers upon these farms. pro-
ducing these products and the thous-
ands of people who are necessary to
contribute to their wants are all build
ers. They are increasing the wealth
of the state each year. They are the
promoters and builders of industries
that shall stand for all time