The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-09-02
SEN. Caldwell
WRITES PLACE
Leavenworth, Kansas, Aug. 10
e R, Place, Esq,
Golden Gate Route"
Caldwell, Idaho.

Golden Gate Route"
Caldwell, Idaho.
Dear Sir-Your letter or the End
of July was duly received here but
absence has prevented an earlier
renly. am no doubt in a way re-
snonsible as you state for what was
twenty-seven years ago the Infant
in arms" was at that date the
nresident of the Idaho and Oregon
Land Improvement Company, then
the owner of the town sites of Sho-
shone, HALEY, Mountain Home, On
tario and with some interest in Wei
ser and Payette, Idaho.
In the fall of 1882 accompanied
BY Mrs Strahorn, Mrs. Caldwell and
Mr.. R. E. Strahorn made a trip
to the various proposed towns. We
left our wives in Boise while Mr..
Strahorn and / made a trip by team
to see something of the country at
the proposed crossing of the Boise
River by the Short Line Railway.
My recollection of the trip is that
It was late in the evening when we
arrived there and we could not see
the country to much advantage. The
fact is there was not much to be
seen at that date anywhere except
sagebrush and jack rabbits. Never
theless we decided that at the cross
ing of the railroad there should be
a town. We drove on to Weiser
that night and there our wives join
ed us by regular stage and we pro
ceeded on in our journey to Port
land, Oregon and to San Francisco
by boat.
About year later / made another
trip to Idaho. tn IeheamnoDorai
trip 70 Idaho. In the meantime the
Infant in arms" and in my absence
had been christened Caldwell" We
found It very busy embryo city Of
tents and shacks. The click # the
axe and the sound of the saw and
hammer were such that converse
ton was difficult even to late at
night. 1t appeared to be race be-
tween rival builders as to whom
would complete their houses first.
Mr.. Strahorn who was Vice-presi-
dent and Manager of the town sites,
with myself remained over night.
DO not now recall the name OF the
hotel at which We stopped. We were
assigned to q room with a number
of other persons, on the first floor.
The fact is at that date there were
no other floors. The noise of build
Ing operations awakened us early
and discovered my satchel had
beer opened during the night and a
new revolver with when l had pro
vlded myself was missing. 1 of
course should have known would
have no use for weapon in such
town, but there were quite a num-
Der going to Idaho from the Kan
sas and Missouri border-and then
the town of Caldwell ON the Kansas
andOklahoma border, for which in
way am responsible, was lively
town in its early history. So that
altogether l thought a revolver
might be useful. But have learned
by experience since that too many
guns are responsible for the many
tragedies that are daily occurring In
tho world.
On the occasion OF this visit l
refer to met Mr.. Howard sebree,
Mr.. Henry Blatchley. Mr.. Dorman,
the COINS and many others then to
the fgront as ever since they have
been in every project that promised
Tor the development and well-being
OF the community. l was In Cald-
well three years ago and was sur
prised to see the hne hotels, the
number of manufacturing plants, at
racttve residences, elegant churches,
school houses. bank buildings and
college. the we'll graded streets and
sidewalks and the prosperous pop
ulation " more than ave thousand
people. all OF which is testimony to
the ability and enterprise of Its
citizens, and gives good promise OF
n city OF more than ten thousand ut
no very distant day.
AS already stated / was not di-
reetly responsible for the name OF
me town, but that is due to Nj
Strahorn, Wallace, Case and other
associates of that day. l am how
ever pleased with the development
already accomplished by the I'm
IRnt in arms" and trust 1t will con-
'nn" prosperous for all the years &c
come.
With best wishes for Yourself per.