The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-08-21

| union, ana IL Is IOr eacn Oh us &c
decide just how we shall advance
the cause of better homes and better
union of the North and South in Ida
| no."
In the convention sat Major
Frank Fem, editor of the Kooskia
Mountaineer, who, 81 years ago as
boy with a pack train scaling the
summit to get into the canyon o!
the Little Salmon, discussed with his
older travelling companion, the pro-
liability Of there being at some fu-
ture time wagon road built along
that trail. For sixty years he has
witnessed the progress of that idea,
and now he came forward and ad-
dressed the meeting in the follow
ing language:
Major Frank Fenn's Speech.
1t is eminently fitting that the
1924 midsummer meeting of the
Idaho Editorial association should be
held in Grangeville. The official
opening of the North and South road
signalizes this day in the history of
ors of the state should be here in
preparation for bringing to full re-
alization the hopes aroused by the
formal completion of the bond that
is intended to unite the north and
the south in social, economic and pO-
litical homeagenity. The editorial
power here represented will be the
chief agent to effectuate the purposes
had in mind when the great thor
oughfare was conceived. The press
can make or mar the unified Idaho
that is the real objective of the
North and South road. It's patriotic
duty is to make.
There are several reasons why
this session should be held here.
Much has been heard of north Idaho
and Of south Idaho for they have
long been recognized as distinct,
as antagonistic sections,
but central Idaho, which is practic-
ally co-extensive with Idaho county, 81
has been little mentioned. Compar-
atively speaking, central Idaho has
been. neutral ground not much at
fected by the extremes of the north
and south. 1t is therefore appropri-
ate that at this time when we seek
to bring all sections of the state into
harmony our meeting should be in
such an environment.
We are all striving for a bigger
and better Idaho, Gem OF the
unmarried by the defects
Of a composite structure and 1t is |
proper that our working plans should |
De outlined here where the name in |
Ill its fullness was first applied west |
If the Rocky Mountains. This coun-
", having Grangeville as its official
,eat was designated Idaho" by act
If the Washington territorial legisla-
,ure before congress created Idaho
Territory. Right it is that the work
If making perfect Idaho should be
where the Idaho germ was
irst planted.
1t is perhaps not amiss in view OF
he ceremonies to occur today to say
hat the first successful attempt at
he building of wagon road to con-
lect different sections of the state
~ appropriations from the public
reasury occurred in 1889 when the
erritorial legislature provided funds
or the construction of a wagon road
rom Salmon Meadows in Washing +
on county to Mt. Idaho in Idaho
ounty. And it is worthy of note
hat the original tentative draft Of
hat wagon road bill introduced and
ushed to passage by an Idaho coun-
y representative Hon. Cassius M.
Way, was outlined in the back room,
he card room, If you please, of
,harles B. Woods saloon in this
own of Grangeville.
1t is not long since there were but
wo wagon roads within the limits
t our present state. They followed
mes of least resistance, their beds
eing little changed from natures
aging. One of them, to the south,
3llowed the artemesian valley of the