Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1907-09-20
JeromeDoinsFine
New Sage Brush Metrop-
oils Growing Like a
Magic Weed.

S Out in the midst of the desert, wher
$ until very recently the coyote wa
f monarch of all the vast waste of sage
: the hand of man has become active an,
E and is certainly doing things" On
of the most prominent features of thi
activity is the month-old town o
i Jerome, located eighteen miles soutI
; of Shoshone on the line of the electri,
: road and near the center of the Twir
Falls North Side Co.'S. tract of land, t.
be opened October under the Carey
act.
About the middle of August R. M.
McCollum, the man who was reported as
insane because he attempted to sell a
travelling man lot in what is now the
thriving city of Twin Falls when Bob
was the only resident not only of the
city but of great tract of luxuriant
sage brush, established his headquarters
at Jerome and began business. While
the townsite has not yet been officially
thrown upon the market, and will not
be until October 1st, Mr. McCollum
modestly admits that, to meet the
demands and necessities of the husky
infant, he has already sold about
$50, 900 worth of lots. To prevent all
the choice lots being taken by ''sooners"
in these pre-opening sales, the company
has sold lots only on Main street and
Lincoln avenue and have sold only two
lots together and have reserved two,
leaving just as good lots for those who
buy at the time of the opening as those
already sold.
Among the actual Improvements now
in evidence in the town are number
of substantial buildings, several of
which are of the two-story variety
the streets are being grubbed and some
grading has been done. The Great
Shoshone Falls Power Co. are stringing
wires to furnish light and power to the
town, employing a number of men in
the work, fourteen of whom are at the
Jerome end The work will be COM
pleted this week and the village will be
illuminated from Shcseone Falls. With
an idea of marking the location of the
town even in the darkness of night Mr. !
McCollum has arranged to put up
1900 candle power arc lamp at the top
of 60-foot pole near his office.
A temporary water works system CAP I
able of supplying the town at present,
will be in operation by the time of the
opening. This system will draw its
supply from the well recently drilled
near the eastern end of town, the
water will be pumped by a fifteen
horse power electric motor and stored
in reservoir thirty-fve feet above the
level of the town and conducted through
small pipes to every house in town.
This system will be replaced by large
one as soon as the material
,an be secured.
While it is impossible to say when
he electric road that will connect
Jerome with the outside world will be
work is being pushed as
'apidly as possible, about eight miles of
he grade is said to be finished. The
lifculty in securing laborers and teams
s handicaping the company at present.
t is stated that, without the shadow
# doubt, the line will be extended to ,
,hoshone, and also to Gooding, as
oon as the work can be done.
A large number of tents are being
.rected by the company and will be
furnished with cots for the accomoda-
ion of the crowds that are assured at
he opening. Work on the electri .
mes freight depot, which is a two
tory structure 34x72 feet, is being
ushed and that too will be pressed into
ervice as sleeping quarters. The town
lso has a large lodging house and
rst class restaurant and arrangements Z
re being made to have other places
pened by October l where the hungry
lay be fed.
Great interest is being manifest in
ne coming openings of the town and p
ract, many people are visiting the n
-act and letters of inquiry are pouring o
at rate of from 500 to $50 per day. c
IT. McCollum does not endeavor to L
stimate the number who will be v
resent at the drawing but considers o.
900 persons very conservative esti- Fl
ate. n
Stages leave both Shoshone and Twin n
alls each morning for Jerome and the re
vo stage lines have transfer arrange 81
ents so that passengers may make p1
trough trip between these two railroad 5
,ints and see jerome on the way. I
9th at Twin Falls and Shoshone ar m