The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-01-26

Bingham county was organized .
years ago, but its oldest newspaper,
The Idaho News, was established in
1887 by Col. J. w. Jones, the father
of Mrs. Blanche Eldredge, J. w.
Jones, Gregory Jones and Percy
Jones, all residents of Blackfoot at
the present time.
Percy Jones has very kindly loan
ed us the files of his fathers news
paper, and from them, aided by the
memory of the writer, we will give
our readers some glimpses of 80
years ago.
The thoughtful reader will not fail
to observe the great development in
dicated by many Of the matters men
toned.
In one Of the early issues of the
paper it was mentioned that Idaho
had $4,000 people; that the principal
railroad towns in Bingham county
were Beaver Canyon, Camas, Eagle
kock, Fort Hall, Pocatello and OK
ford. One Of the county commits
sioners lived at Soda Springs; one
on the North Fork; and one near
Eagle Rock.
4AOAO WOAO 6OFCld Oh lawyers III
county, the files of the paper show
ing the names Of j. Ed. Smith and
w. T. Reeves, at Eagle Rock; s. C..
Winters, at Pocatello. There were
probably others in the county but
they weren't advertising.
The first edition of the paper, June
II, 1887, mentions that William
Kirkpatrick presented the editor
with a sack of choice potatoes. Major
Danilson had sold six lots, upon
which residences were to be erected.
Fred J. Kiesel & company, Of Ogden,
secured the contract for supplying
the Fort Hall Indian school with
$4,000 pounds of flour.
The A. o. U. w. hall was the scene
of a meeting to plan for a Fourth
of July celebration. H. w. Smith,
lawyer and author of the famous
Test Oath, was moving to Ogden.
Herman brothers were about to
open a placer mine at their farm
across the river; meaning at Spring
weld, Is miles away.
Parson Jones had installed team
scales in front of his barn, where
the Brown-Hart store now stands.
Ike Smith, who was hauling flour
to Fort Hall, stated that all the mos
quitoes on the Blackfoot river had
been REINFORCED by their cousins,
aunts and poor relations from Utah,
and that they piled on his mules so
thick he could not tell what kind of
animals he was driving had he not
known that he had hitched up a
string of mules before leaving town.
The Blackfoot school board had
engaged Professor Faris, Miss Lind
say and Miss Trego to teach the
schools for the ensuing year.
DR.. Owens, superintendent OF the
asylum. reported the daily average
number of patients last quarter to be
As.
Hon. N. A. Just, director of the
insane asylum, was preparing to
build brick residence on his farm.
The Fourth of July was celebrated
with much oratory and a barbecue.
Captain Jim, chief of the Shoshones,
was called to the speakers stand and
introduced as full blood American.
With many gestures from the lips
to the crowd he reeled off a few
sentences in his native tongue. Dave
Wright was called to the stand for
an interpreter, and he said:
Captain Jim says that he doesn't
understand just what all this Is
about, but that his people have done
nothing wrong that they know Of,
and if the whites have gathered here
for war it makes him feel bad; but
if this gathering means peace, it
makes his heart glad"
During the afternoon patriotic
meeting was called to formulate
protest against shaving Idaho divided
and the northern part given to Wash
ington and the southern part annex
ed to Nevada. Sam Taylor, of Eagle
Rock, was chairman of the meeting,
and speeches were made by Judge
Crawford, James Fl. Cater, James H.
Hawley, Sample Orr and Colonel
Jones. A committee consisting of
w. HI. Danilson, G. w. Bergman,
M. G. Center, William A. Woodin and
James H. Cater expressed in writing
the indignation of Idahoans at the
effort that was being made to wipe
the state off the map, and commend
ed President Cleveland for vetoing a
bill to give north Idaho to Washing
ton.
The county assessor, George Cor
ton, of Soda Springs, celebrated the
Fourth at Blackfoot. W. r. Jones