Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-08-02
OVER IN THE MOOD
RIVER COUNTRY
How HdiIey's Loyal Citi-
zens Love and Have
Fought Successfully
for Their Town.

ar Haley early in the week. from
a half dozen different sources he
listened to the story that is being
industriously circulated there, that
Judge Stockslager has decided not
to ask for the democratic guberna-
torial nomination; but will instead
seek that of circuit judge of this
district. Down at Shoshonc this
story was vehemcntly denied by
his friends, who say that he in
formed them when there two weeks
since, en- route to Chicago, that he
yearns to distance Gooding or any
other man the republicans may
nominate, bar none, in the Mo-
vcmbcr dash for the executive
chair, and that he would be at
Occur d. Alene August 6, with a
speech of acceptance prepared, cx-
pressing his appreciation of the
honor and his complete surprise
that it should be conferred upon his
humble self. The Judge is now in
Chicago selling a train load of sheep
and will have the sinews of polit-
ical warfare with which to conduct
a winning Fighter, IN the vcrnac-
ular of the curb, roll big enough
to choke a herd of Jersey cows
But it is a waste of good material
to write Of politics in connection
with trip to the Wood river coun-
try. That's a section that af-
fords food for philosophic thought.
There was the big mining boom
ago, into which thousands of for
tune seekers rushed. 1t was a
silver-lead proposition. Many mill
lions we're taken from the hills
and added to the nations perma-
nent wealth. Three magic little
cities were called into existence ;
first Bellevue, then Ketchum and
last, between the two, HALEY. All
grew rapidly and their inhabitants
prospered. A great smelling plant
was constructed at Ketchum, which
for years poured forth a flood of
bullion. Then the money 1oaners
of the world; seeking as they have
in all ages to contract the currency,
made their successful assault on the
white metal in this republic, and a
quick blight FELL on that district.
1t was worse than the grasshopper
plague in Kansas, or a flood in the
Mississippi valley; for there there
remained the hope Of "a crop next
year, while the future contained nc
ray of hope for the silver camps. =
1t then resolved itself into fight
for existence between the three
towns; it was a clear case of sur
vival of the fittest and death &c
the others. The smelter shut down,
of course. With that prop knocked
from under Ketchum, it dropped
out of the race for supremacy, i
became the lend of the track, ,
nothing more, and has so remained
The struggle narrowed down t
HALEY and Bellevue. The formei
won and the latter retired to tn,
also ran class. 1t is a typical de
serted village, with whole block
of vacant buildings, subjec
worthy of the pen of another Gold
smith.
At HALEY there CHANGED to con
gregate in the early days buncl
of enterprising citizens, as intrepi'
spirits, as loyal comrades as eve
built an empire. They stood b
and fought for their town without
break in their ranks. There wa
not hammer in the camp. The
won the county seat fight for year
prevented the division of the coun
ty, cid Alturas, and when il wa
finally divided sawed off on the,
tseceeding friends, their late enc
mics, gigantic bonded Indebtedness
We of Elmore county, to illustrate
assumed debt of something lik
$175, 600, with nothing to show fc
1T except the precious privilege {
breaking away from that gang
HALEY rustlers.
The stampede to the Wood rive
country was inaugurated gencr'
tion ago. HALEY is, therefore, NJ
a crude, raw, western camp. 1t
a beautiful to wn of handson
homes, surrounded by green, We
vety lawns, shaded by almost vene
able trees, nesting between towe
ing mountain ranges. And dow
this valley flows snow-fed Wot
river, its limpid waters clear
crystal and cold as ice, in whiC
myriads of trout flash their speckl,
sides.
The town is now quite prospe
Gus, too. A dozen years ago Il
people began farming operation
IL r. r.