Year: 1867




ley country Immediately about there, and to
obtain fuller insight into matters of trade
and general Importance connected with the
city itself, than ever before was presented. In
rides about the Valley and foot hills, in the
comfortable family carriage of JAS D. Agnew,
with that gentleman to inform us of the various
objects and scenes which were met with along
the way, we were much delighted with the
picturesque views, and gratifed with the many
substantial proofs of agricultural prosperity,
which that section presents. Among the pla-
ces which indicate not only the fertility of the
soil, but also the skill and care and intelligent
culture Of the enterprising owners, we may
mention the fine ranch of DIR. Crane, which is
prettily located in the foot hill range, and
stretches over some hundreds Of acres of vale
and rolling land, forming at once excellent
tillage. grounds and superior sheep and cattle
range and next, miles further up the Valley,
along the old Emigrant road and the primitive
read to Idaho City, the nursery orchard, floral
and garden grounds of Mr.. Walling, the pion-
eer, we are told, of these specialties in South
ern Idaho. His fruit trees comprise every va
rietJ, of choice and favorite qualities and in
another year, it is expected, very handsome
product will be borne upon them. This year,
in the season, his flower garden was the Won
der and admiration of all who saw it, and par
ties rode from Boise City purpOsely to stroll
through his beautifully ornamented and pro-
fusely lowered grounds.


While passing from DR.. Cranes to Walling's,
along the foot hills, the drive leading through
the garrison grounds at Fort Boise, and in
front of the military and city burial grounds,
we were surprised at the evidences which the
very violent sudden wind and water storm of
last month had left of its fury and it's narrow
scope. 1t could not have been burst of rain
which SO instantly deluged, and tore, and
stripped here, and filed there, all the surface
earth for few miles span; it must have been
the bursting of water cloud, at once, and the
dashing down Of its fluid contents with force
beyond recital. DIR. Cranes ranch suffered
Iseverely. Sixty of his sheep were drowned in
the sudden flood, and from his place either way
for mile or more, the assures in the slOplng
earth, the heavy washing Of ridged ground
and the piled up banks Of displaced soil, all
give forcible proofs of the uncommon violence
of that burst and flow of water. 4


Beyond Walling's the road bends abruptly
towards the river, and here the view of that
portion of the Valley seen from Boise City is
cut off. But richly is the spectator repaid in
the scene which opens before him, of another
portioneof it, stretching up towards the canon
of the river, at the upper end of which MOre's
creek pours its waters into Boise. This sec
ton of the Valley is almost entirely under cul-
tivatiOn or used for pasture lands and as we
saw it, with its golden tipped, ripened grain
fields ready for the harvest, the view was GER
tainly pleasing and profitable to its filters.


The road now becomes rough and over un-
even ground 1t turns from the river and fol-
lows the broadly serried bases of the rocky
hills Suddenly we leave the plainly Travelled
highway and pass over a slightly marked road
This for O half mile or less, then an abrupt
bend at the point of sharp projecting hill,
and view of the Boise Warm Springs is be-
fore us A drive Of a few hundred yards
brings us to the Springs House. Here we
alight-the house is untenanted Put up new
this season for public accommodation, it was
kept open long enough to convince its proprie-
tor that he was in advance of the times and
that Boise City didn't intend to sustain such a
warm weather resort this year. After paying
sufficiently for this very practical demOnstra-
ton that his scheme was not success. the
proprietor closed his public house, and left the
springs open to the public-but retaining his
ownership thereto.


The Springs themselves are well worthy
visit The water which feeds the great swirl
ming reservoir pours down frcm leep fssfre
! in the rocks which shut in close behind. and
the temperature of this water is about 80 de-
grees Fahrenheit In front or the wall of this
reservoir is boiling spring, in which the water
boils, bubbles and fumes incessantly An egg
will cook in this spring in less than four min
utes. With rim of about six feet and less
than q foot depth Of water, the flow from the
spring indicates that it is amply fed from be-
| lOw-pretty far down belolc, the temperature
of the water intimates, where Water Tanks
wouldn't have much use for the liquid they
stand pledged to. We were told that the wa
ter at these Springs has no sulphuric impreg-
nation If 80, the fumes we shifted at the lee
ward Of that boiling grOund-kettlc must have
caught the reputed aroma OF the Old Boys
abode, in the air about there-unless one or
two of our Boise City friends, who accompa-
MED us, naturally exhale that peculiar perfume
when near the Springs, and leave it there when
they depart. The water, or something about