East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-05-13
nA1LE1,s mIsronY OF IDAHO.

What will doubtless stand for years
as the most complete history Of Ida
he, and the foundation for all future
historians that pretend to so into
the statistical details of territorial
government in Idaho, says the Boise
Statesman, has heen practically COM
rletod by John HALEY, recently ap-
pointed custodian of the Idaho His
torical society.
Mr.. Haley, who came here in 1868,
was one of the typical frontiersmen
---blaVe, alert, seeing everything
there was to see, and of keen.
scrutinizing mind. He came to Ida
no wear or two after the first rush
for gold--almost two years, in fact,
after the gold hunters had begun to
pour into north Idaho-but his resi-
dence covers most of the Boise basin
and southern Idaho history under
the first white regime. And what
he did not actually see, he was close
enough to hear and remember. More
than that, he has been a reader of
everything that fell into his hands,
an enthusiast Oh everything that per-
tained to Idaho, and has spent years
searching old official records, old
newspapers, old reports of whatever
kind that told of the early days here
This unremitting toll has borne fruit
in the volume which 1t is expected
will soon be issued under his name,
as his real monument In Idaho.
Mr.. HALEY is not a novelist. His
work is plain and unadorned as a
government report. 1t is a simple
narrative of things as they actually
were at the time of which he wrote.
A first glance at the style might mis-
lead the casual reader into believing
that it was merely reminiscent, which
it is not. Mr.. HALEY has written of
the times IN which he lived but he
has fortified the story by years Of
research among the best authorities
available, until the events, some of
them prosaic enough In their state
ment, are sealed with the mark of
historic truth. 1t is a dim and far
off time of which he tells, especially
the first beginning of Idaho. But
one can read the book and feel that
the times are correctly mirrored,
lacking nothing but the glamor CT
The gold hunters romance that the
novelist could not help but put into
anything he might wrote of the same
period.
The work Is to consist of about co
chapters. covering the entire history
of the territory. up to the date OF
admission as a state. Some of the
chapters are very short; others, like
the Indian wars that left tran OF
blood across the territory, are writ
ten in very full detail. 1t gives es.
pecial attention to the legislative and
governmental history. and is believed
to contain the name of every officer
who held office under the territorial
government, in any capacity.
AR. HALEY has not yet made ar.
rangements fer publishing the book
but the manuscript is practically
completed. Mrs. Cartee. his daugh
ter, has served as his amanuensis ant
critic in the work, and 1t has beer
we'll done. The book should find {
very large popular demand all owe
the state, as we'll as through the west
fer its fairness and accuracy, as wei
as for the reason that it is so differ
ent from the paid write up" historic
that have been almost the only his
torical literature of the state, an,
they are historical for a price with
out a painful regard for the truth.