Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1908-06-11
Boost the Country.

The following item is taken from
the Lewiston Teller land was con-
tributed by Seth Jones upon the
occasion OF his visit to that city
recently. How much better it is
Tor ne to boost than to knock our
country when we are among
strangers.
with record OF livestock OK
portations last year aggregating
$500, 600, with thousands OF acres
of rich bench land available for
irrigation along the river, besides
a wonderful timber and mineral
resource, the people Of the upper
Snake river protest against the
continued report of the absence OF
tonnage for q railroad down the
Snake river from Huntington to
Lewiston" said Seth Jones, the
well known stockman OF Pittsburg
landing.
1.-THE upper river country is
generally regarded as only suited
to livestock" continued Mr.. Jones,
''but this is because the country is
without transportation. We have
been engaged in fruit growing for
the past 20 years, and during that
time the crops have not been ma.
terially damaged by frosts, and last
year is the first time we have been
slightly damaged by the cold waves
that have practically ruined the
fruit in the best districts of the
Northwest.
"The upper Snake river section
is differen from all others. There
are thousands of acres along the
river that will be devoted to the
growing Of fruit and alfalfa hay as
soon as means of transporting
the product to market is provided.
The land can be irrigated at a
minimum. expense, and will be
most productive. We have esti-
mates on one tract of 5000 acres
that can be placed under water at
q cost not exceeding $4,000, but
the project can not be carried
through until we have q railroad.
Where the canyon narrows down
and shuts out the possibilities of
Of fruit Is found a mineral wealth
unsurpassed in any section and
from the highlands will come live.
stock and timber.
ut is a rugged country, and the
development has been carried on
under the most embarrassing condi-
lions. For years all lumber for
houses and supplies for settlers
were carried in on pack horses. As
the country developed wagon roads
were constructed and then tele.
phone lines were installed, but the
greater possibilities can never be
realized until the country is served
by a railroad line.
1.-THE mineral of the upper coun-
try is strictly smelling PROPOSE
ton, but development has been
carried on to such an extent that
mining engineers estimate an out
put OF four trainloads day as soon
as a railroad is secured. The build
ing of q railroad would develope
many other promising properties
and what would be four trainloads
Q day would grow into q tremend-
Gus traffic within few years.
"Imagine . country isolated
from market and where all produce
must be fed to stock and driven to
q shipping point 20 miles away,
and you have . picture OF the
Snake river section, but the section
that will provide good homes for
the settlers under these conditions
would afford prosperity to hun
dreds of families when transporta-
ton is secured"
Mr.. Jones is q member of the
firm Of Jones & Behan, one OF the
largest stock companies OF the up-
per river country and for the past
20 years has been identified with
the development of the varied re.
sources of that section.
II. E. Hepner was called to
Portland last week by the death