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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1889)
THE WE8T SHORE. WEISER AND WASHINGTON COUNT Y, IDAHO. I DA 110 ii jut beginning to attract the attention ita i i ii t i i. ji i grew rrwiuron iuouiu hbtb urawn 10 11 years agu It U enjoying an era of great material prosperity oauscd by the development of iU mine and acricul- taral area and the steady increase in iU population. Ita growth it the most notioeable along the lines of railroad running through it, whore the towns are ad vancing rapidly and the autronnding country ii filling np with Immigrants. One of the most favorably ait Bated towns is Weiser, the county seat of Washing ton county, which adjoins the state of Oreson on the east Through the county and town runi the road of the Orison bhort Linn, the through route of the Un ion Pacific between Omaha and Portland. It is twenty-three milt southeast of Huntington, the point where the Orrgon Short Line and the Oregon Rail way A Navigation Company's linns connect, and is surrounded by a large area of splendid agricultural land and mineral deposits. Along the Weisor river, between the town and Snake river, are fifteen thou sand acres of good arable land, which can be rendered highly productive by a suitable system of irrigation, while a large area of land between the Waiter and Payette is susceptible of the highest degree of culti vation. At present the irrigation facilities are entire ly inadequate, and here is an opening for the invest, meut of oapiUl that will yield largo returns. An in vestment of ,'.0,0(X) .00 in ditch property would yield tweuty per cent to the owners, as the land is settled upon and ready for the water. The aale of water for Irrigation, manufacturing and domestic purposes would yield a steady and permanent income. Acre property near Wetaer is now worth from $ 10.00 to t(UX) er acre, while town lots are valued at from MUX) to N'Jj.OO each. Huiineu property in the heart of town ia valued at MUM per lot fifty by one hundred and fifty-elght feet, without improvement. For a distance of aeventy.fivs miles noith of Wei er thers is a grain producing region which even in Its prewnt partially develop! state yields annually a Urgw quantity of wheat. 1 bis grain ia shipped away, because there la no modern (Win mill thers inJ urns il About aiity car loads of flour are imported very year. Here is certainly an admirable location for a largs rvJIer mill to manufacture for the local aad gtneral markets. The stock indust7 dm been aa eiteaaivs one fur many years. It has extensive bunch grass rang, U water! by numerous running stmma, anj has a winter climate that enables stock to grass out the entire season. The snowfall i. light, except ia ths mouctaina, and colj periods are few and of but short duration. Irge binds of iuk are be leg drivwa upon ths ranges aoj the cttls ahipmetto by rail to market are considerable. A special feature is the raising of horses, for which that section is rap. idly acquiring a great reputation. Four hundred head of horses were shipped from Weiser daring the month of June. The sheep industry is also a large one, and three hundred thousand pounds of wool were shipped from that station this year. The county has a population of eight thousand, and its assessed valu ation of property will exceed $1,000,000.00 this year, an increase of twenty per cent in one year. Weisor is the natural seat of an extensive lumber ing industry. The river runs through a region con taining hundreds of square miles of the finest quality of timber, which could be logged into the river and driven down to the railroad at Weiser, where it could be manufactured into lumber, sasb, doors, blinds, eta, for shipment In the mountains north of Weiser are a number of mining camps of great promise un dorgoing development, and this is the general supply and outfitting point The best known of these are Warrens, Seven Devils and Ruthberg, but there are extensive quartz districts constantly being discovered. The development of these resources is slowly pro gressing, capital having recently been interested in several of them, but their undoubted merit will soon create for them a reputation that will draw capital in abundance. Weisor is the railroad point for the count ex tending to Salmon river, a hundred miles to the northeast, and enjoys a large trade as far as Salmon meadows and Long valley. It has four larce stores carrying extensive stocks of general merchandise, a hardware store, a machinery warehouse and orain and flour dealer, two drug stores, hotel, three restaurants, blacksmith shop, two livery stables and a nnmher of other establishment. It possesses a bank with en. iUl of t."0,000.00 in connection with th Malm fW mercil Company. This oomnanv and flnmmor dealers in general merchandise, are the most exten sive business enterprises in the county. A brick school house capable of accommodating two hundred scholars is in process of erection and will cost about Kt.000.00. That the climate of tht twtinn - lAt iivu va auuuv ii most pleasant ii certified to by everyone whose .u.,uue u nas peen to enjoy it, and that it is sa lubnoo. i, certain, not only from official statistic, but from the significant fact that there are only two physKaans in the county, one of whom reside in r. Being thus situated in the midst of great ruroe, which capital U already beginning to de Telop, being the railroad and commercial point for a wide scope of country, and having a most charming ud healthful climate, Weiser must grow rapidly in T Md rro.perity u the country become more pop ulous and productive and property increase, in value.