Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1908-12-05
Valley
The hootenai


ing: Wild hay, to tons; timothy and
clover, to 3 tons; clover exclusive, two
crops. to tons. This is essentially stock
raising and dairying locality, but these in
Gustries are only in their infancy. The next
few years will bring rapid changes in these
lines.
On either side of the bottoms, for dis
lance of so miles, at an elevation OF from
10 to 200 feet, is great rolling table land,
covered with a luxuriant growth of mer-
charitable pine, fir, cedar and tamarack. ms
plain has an area of about 100000 acres, and
most of it is level or slightly rolling, while
some portions are more or less broken an
hilly 1t extends from the river bottoms
mostly a light loan with good subsoii
which holds moisture and i'll some places {
is black loan with clay subsoi Many
and through lateral valleys furnish good
quality of cold, uncontaminated water Tor
the use of those who will occupy the lands
Some of the larger streams, tumbling down
over cataracts will furnish power Tor manu-
featuring the various timber products that
surround them and for other useful purposes
Just as soon as capital learns of the extra
ordinary advantages presented. There are 4.
also numerous lakes and perpetual springs
scattered over this area, furnishing good
water for domestic use, and where these are
not found wells have been dug, varying III
depth from 10 to so feet. What is SAID OF
the ownership of the bottom lands is also
true of these lands. 1t is only within the
last FIVE or six years that these bench lands
have been settled upon.
The government land is about oil taken
under the homestead and timber laws, and
the purchasers of the odd numbered sections
do not live on the land there is not more
than one-third of its area that is actually
settled upon The settler usually finds some
part of his claim that has light timber, easily
cleared. where he is clearing and cultivating
what he can each year Orchards are set
out on almost every claim, and it is COM
mon sight to see 4-year-old trees breaking
down with big red-2o ounce apples; clusters
of plums or prunes as large as hens eggs;
cherries, pears and peaches. Strawberries
and other small fruit grow to an enormous
size and are perfection itself in appearance
and flavor Some of the older settlers now
ship fruit unexceed in size, appearance and
favor, by the carload. While this land is
essentially fruit land, many of the older
settlers have made splendid timothy, clover
and grain fields Potatoes, cabbage and
other vegetables yield abundantly in addition
to their orchards Lands of this kind can
be had at a very low figure in quantities
from 4o-acre tract up to a whole section
or a dozen or more sections. There is no
more favorable place for the settler of mod
crate means to procure home, and 1t IS
especially adapted to coonizing. We invite
the attention of prospective colonists to this
place before locating. There is plenty of
room here for several such settlements,
where they have room to grow and expand.
THE TIMBER.
The timber in the Kootenai valley is the
largest visible source of wealth at the pres
ent time. 1t consists of yellow pine red mr.
tamarack, white pine, cedar, spruce and cot
tonwood The greater part of the timber
now available is of the three first named
kinds and the cottonwood. There is consd
cradle cedar and white pine now available
but the larger bodies of these are more re
mote in the mountain basins, but can b
easily reached when wanted. The timbe
is not as large as that found on Puget sound
but it grows tall and sound, making goo
lumber, with a good percentage in the up
per grades, running about from three to 81
logs TO the thousand feet. There is enoug
of this timber in the Kootenai valley, tribr
tary to Boomers Ferry, to run several larg
sawnills for so years. For distance {
$50 miles above Boomers Ferry this splendi
river and its many large tributaries flo
through tiHlbered country. Logs can
hoated down without difficulty to Bonne
Ferry, which is at the foot of the swift WI
the entire product of this vast forest. F.
40 miles below Boomers Ferry it is also
vast forest and the logs can be towed up Il
river or brought up on the Kootenai Vall'
railroad Tie numbering industry is yet
is infancy hese. There is one large sawm
with planning mill all modern constructio
wsifh capac:,y of $4,000 feet per day, 81