The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-01-13

They were the first green vegetable
offered in the market. Early beet
and turnips came in a little later
bringing in the open market 45 cent
per pound, tops and all, the tops max
ing most excellent greens. Green corr
was marketed at $500 per dozen ears
cucumbers, $500 per dozen; tomatoes
35c per pound; potatoes, 35 cents.
The advent of the first pack trair
load of watermelons into Idaho City
was an epoch in its early history moi
TO be forgotten BY II last one young
nan, who purchas d one Of the largest
and most luscious Of the melons. A
wagon road had been constructed up
More creek from Boise valley, and
among the first patrons Of the road
were two emigrant trains owned by a
sturdy Missourian and his family, the
outfit having recently completed the
trip across the plains. The family
consisted of the husband, wife and two
grown daughters. They made a tenn
porary camp on Beuna Vista bar and
erected tent, but two gallant young
miners, who occupied log cabin near
by, proffered to give up their cabin
to the family and they would occupy
the tent. Accordingly the transfer
was made and as probably was anti
cipated, friendly and pleasant rela-
tons were established.
| appeared on the scene with my
watermelons and was halted within a
short distance of the cabin which had
been surrendered to the family and
was soon surrounded by clamorous
crowd all of whom wanted to buy
melon. The attention of the girls
having been attracted they impor-
tuned out of the young men to buy
them melon. Certainly" he re-
sponded, and Immediately ran out,
crying "Hey, there Cap, bring us in
melon" | selected a large one and
delivered it at once. He asked the
price and informed him 25 cents per
pound-the weight was marked on the
rind. 1t weighed 80 pounds, hence the
price was So.
The foregoing prices appear fabu-
ous today but it must not be forgotten
that everything else was proportions
ately high. Sixteen dollar per sack
Of so pounds of flour was the normal
price for two years. Slough grass hay
was retailed at the feed yard for rs
cents per pound.
Farming or gardening from the be-
ginning was more extensively carried
IN near the Payette than the Boise
liver, for the reason that there were
10 tributary streams entering the
3oise which could be diverted for ir-
'igation except More creek, and owing
o that stream being from the first
he tail race for all the placer mines
within the Basin, it was unfit for agri-
ultural or domestic use.
During the summer of 1868 several
arms were located on Squaw creek
n the vicinity of where the village of
'weet is now situated, while on what
'as called the Upper Squaw creek,
ear the crossing of the Brownlee
rail, Dove Newman and Reub Brown
,cated hay ranch and for several
ears brought the baled hay into
lacerville where they conducted a
eed yard.
During October and November,
S65, | fed pack train in their yard
NO nights each week, paying 1212c
err pound for hay, equal to two
undred and fifty dollars per ton.
owe Newman afterward moved to
etchum and kept a livery stable,
lille Reub Brown located and kept
stable at Shoshone. There are many
,rsons yet living who knew them
ell
During the summer of 1865, the
rmers in Jerusalem met their water
0. From the first we had been an
'yed by crickets, but during 1863 we
ffered but little damage In 1864
ey were more plentiful but we man.
led to shoe them off without mater
injury to our crops, but early in
e summer of 1865 they returned in
yions. We had sown two hundred
unds of wheat that spring for
lich we paid 1914 cents per pound
have it delivered at Bluff station on
E Payette. From there we hauled
home with our own team.
We also planted that spring three
ndred pounds of onion sets, having q
ught two hundred pounds of the lot
I'M Dan Stewart, paying him there a
. one dollar per pound, considering
rself lucky to get them. II
At first the crickets while young
not seem to relish the growing
eat, but they took kindly to our
rley, and the onions they considered
luxury. They not only ate the tops
thew stood on their heads and eX-