Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1902, FIRST SECTION, Page 10, Image 10

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THE MORNING OREGOMAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1902.
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GEM OF THE MOUNTAINS
Over 8,000,000 Acres of Government and State Lands
Open to Settlement in Idaho Rapid Development of State.
SCENES IN THE LEWISTON
COUNTRY, IDAHO.
THE "word Idaho is derived from the
Indian -word, "Edahoe," signifying
"Gem of the Mountains," and sure
ly the appellation is appropriate -when ap
plied to this beautiful portion of Christen
dom, where the handiwork of a gracious
Providence has so richly blessed the 160,
000 souls whp live under the blue canopy
of Idaho's cloudless heavens. About this
state in the Rocky Mountain region, little
known to the world till very recent years,
we shall endeavor to speak in this article
for the holiday number of The Oregonlan.
The rapidly developing State of Idaho
comprises the territory between British
Columbia on the north, Utah and Nevada
on the south, Montana and Wyoming on
the east, and Oregon and Washington on
the -nest- At present, the state is divided
Into 21 counties, as follows: Ada, Bannock,
Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Can
yon, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Fremont,
Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lincoln,
NezPerces, Oneida, Owyhee, Shoshone and
Washington. The capltol of the state is
located in the delightful City of Boise.
The state extends about 410 miles north
and south, -with a. width varying- from 44
to S05 miles, containing S6.294 squaro miles,
or 65.22S.160 acres, an empire in Itself, the
hidden wealth and undeveloped resources
of which are almost incalculable. The
population of Idaho, according to the last
Federal census, is placed at about 162,000,
more than twice ft hat the census of 18S0
save it, and the influx of people from all
parts of the country to this beautiful land
of happy homes, general prosperity and
promise is tremendous. The ejes of peo
ple in every portion of the. Western Con
tinent are turned towards this garden spot
of the lntermountaln region, to which
many o the restless, discontented people
In the over-populated and unproductive
sections of the South and East are wend
ing their way over the hills to this bright
and shining star in the galaxy of the Na
tional federation of states.
All over this great country, in every
hamlet and every city, there are those
who have learned something about the
bounty of nature -within the confines of
our proud commonwealth, something
about the most excellent climate, the pure
mountain air and the beautiful, sunny
days that inspire, strengthen and uplift
the human race that portion of it, at
least, whose good fortune it has been to
reside, in Idaho. This state is looked upon
as something of a paradise by the Nation's
Western marching yeomanry- Surely the
climate is one of the most delightful and
healthful to be found In the world, not
second to that of sunny Italy- It Is cool
In the Summer and miJd In the Winter,
snaking it a most desirable place to live.
Cloudy days are exceptions, and sunshine
Is the rule. Our state has about 260 clear
days during the year, and never had a cy
clone. Floods and destructive storms are
almost unknown here. Seldom does rain
fall during harvest time, and there is prac
tically no loss of crops from that source.
As to health, Idaho has no equal In the
world. Even Southern France and Algiers
take rank below this favored Inland em
pire. In this particular Idaho stands pre
eminent, having the lowest death rate
of any state In the Union. From a state
ment of the average temperature It will
be seen that Idaho compares favorably
with the other states of the Union, but
with her peculiar conformation, her lo
cation and geological formation, the In
fluence -which they exert from a sanitary
point. Idaho stands high. The statistics of
mortality in the United States conllrm
this statement. Florida, California and
Colorado, states endowed with genial cli
mates, and where there Is almost per
petual Spring and Summer, famed resorts
to which thousands of people are fleeing
for health, where the most eminent of the
radical profession in the East have di
rected multitudes, do not compare with
Idaho from point of climate. Florida has
a mortality about three times as great as
this state, California nearly five times and
Colorado nearly three times as great. Af
ter considering these facts, it is easy to
understand that Idaho is the healthiest
region In the world, and this is one of the
great reasons that people are coming this
way.
From a bird's-eye -iew of Idaho one
sees the state as a vast wedge-shaped
plateau with an attractive and produc
tive surface of beautiful valleys and ta
ble lands, and with snow-capped moun
tains, varying In altitude from 7000 to 10.003
feet, the mean elevation being about 4700
feet. And flowing through the craggy
mountains, entrancing hills and fertile
valleys are countless streams of pure,
cool water, rushing down the slopes to the
low lands, there to do Its work in Irri
gating and then go on its course to the
great western ocean.
Under the rugged surface of our virgin
state are the richest minerals and rarest
gems awaiting the coming and enterprise
of man to claim and utilize them. Wher
ever within the borders of our growing,
young state progressive man has- worked
the soil, nature's bounty has made quick
and bounteous response In the fruits of
judicious tilling of the land, and every
where there Is an air of thrift and enter
prise, and there is a wholesome condition
In the industrial realm of the state. In
many parts of the state there are fa
mous hot springs, the water from which
Is used for medicinal and heating pur
poses. And we have the famous Twin and
Shoshone Falls, the latter being one of the
great wonders of the West. Shoshone
Falls are not surpassed by the famous Ni
agara, and thousands of people visit the
scene every year. At Twin Falls an effort
is being made to utilize the power in a
great irrigating scheme, and we are sure
the promoters will meet with a high de
gree of success in the undertaking.
Idaho has scores of rivers and creeks,
and in almost any part of the state the
best of water-power can be found, suffi
cient for factories and mills without num
ber. The chief rivers are the Snake,
Clearwater, Spokane and Pend d'Orellle.
Nearly all of the streams find their way
Into the Columbia; the rest into the Great
Salt Lake Basin. Idaho can boast of
6everal beautiful lakes, among them be
ing Bear, Payette. Coeur a'Alene, Pend
d'Orellle and Priest Lakes, and on them
much pleasure boating and Ashing are in
dulged in by the hundreds of people who
swarm around them in the Summer.
There are about 64,000 square miles of
fertile valleys in this state, that is, in the
most Important ones, and there are num
erous other small, beautiful vales nestled
In the hills, where settlers can establish
ranches and have happy homes. The
chief valleys are as follows:
Length, Breadth,
Namo and location miles. miles.
South fork of Snake River,
Eastern Idaho 30 2 to 4
Bait River Valley. Eastern
Idaho 20 lto 2
Bear River Valley, Eastern
Idaho 40 S to 5
Snake Valley, north fork,
Eastern Idaho 60 2 to 10
Blackfoot Valley, Eastern
Idaho 20 2 to 5
Round Valley, Eastern Idaho.30 8 to 12
Wood River Valley, Central
Idaho 50 1 to 2
Camas Prairie, Central Idaho.SO 18 to 23
Boise Valley, Western Idaho.60 2 to 6
Payette Valley, Western
Idaho 75 2 to 15
Welser Valley, Western
Idaho 40 2 to 6
Lemhi Valley, Northeastern
Idaho 70 3 to 6
Pahsamari Valley. Northeast
ern Idaho 23 lto E
Northern Camas Prairie.
North Idaho 30 20 to 25
Potlatrh Valley. North Idaho.23 10 to 15
Palouse Valley. North Idaho.20 5 to 10
St. Joseph Valley, North
Idaho 15 5 to 10
There are in the state nearly 7,500,000
dfe.
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the facilities are the very best and the
educational Interests of the common
wealth are carefully looked after by uiose
In charge. Educationally, Idaho ranks
high among the states of the Nation, and
it is a pleasing fact that there Is less il
literacy in Idaho than in most of the
states of the Union. The State University
at Moscow, the Normal Schools at Al
bion and Lewiston, and the Academy at
Pocatello. as well as several private col
leges and academies, are as good as can
be found anywhere in the West, the state
having spent vast sums of money on her
schools. Her public school system Is ad
vanced and modern, and fully abreast
with that of any other state in the Union.
Congress donated to the state 3,500.000
acres of land, the proceeds of which go
Into the public school fund of Idaho. The
funds thus accumulated are so wisely and
well managed, pursuant to provision of
the constitution and Federal statute, that
only the Interest can be used, hence there
is a perpetual fund that generations
yet unborn will receive the benefit of.
The free text-book system prevails
throughout the state, and Is entirely sat
isfactory. The public school buildings In
the cities and 'country districts are excep
tionally good, modern and supplied with
the latest apparatus, many of them con
taining excellent libraries.
About all of the religious denominations
are represented in Idaho. We have the
Mormon, Roman Catholic, Methodist Epis
copal, Presbyterian, Congregational, Bap
tist, Christian, Lutheran and Protestant
Episcopal, and the membership is large
and increasing. Many fine church edifices
have been erected in various parts of the
state, and the denominations are in a
flourishing condition. A large number of
auxiliary societies are also doing good
work In their respective fields.
State BoHds Sell at a FreialHBa.
The value of its property is an import
ant thing to call attention to when one
is writing about a state. The equalized
valuation of all taxable property In Idaho
was W7.451.U3 85; in 1S01, 551,440.758 19. and
the valuation of property is increasing at
an amazing rate. The state has a very
small debt, and the school fund owns 573,-
000 of Idaho's 5443,000 outstanding bonds.
The credit of the state was never better
than it is now, and its bonds sell at &
largo premium. All the state's institutions
are In a prosperous condition, and every
thing is moving up all along the line of
activity in Idaho.
In the state there are 448 postoffices, and
all are doing a flourishing business for
the Government. There are 73 periodicals,
of which six are dallies, five semi-weeklies,
61 weeklies and two monthlies. Thlsj
is a large number for so young a state,
and these in a large measure account for
the small percentage of illiteracy within
our borders. Even The Oregonlan, with
its civilizing and uplifting influence, finds
Its way Into many homes and business
houses in this state. Idaho is high up on
the ladder of literary attainments, prac
tical thought and action, ability and pro
gressive spirit.
We have a model state government, and
many of the older states would do well to
use ours as a pattern. The Governor la
chosen for a term of two years, and leg-
islatlve sessions are held biennially,
limited to CO days. The Senate has 21
members and the House 46, and we havo
one Representative in Congress. At pres
ent the state administration is Democratic,
and Captain Frank W. Hunt, the genial,
whole-souled patriot who went to the
Orient to fight Filipinos, Is the chief ex
ecutive. The Capitol, Soldiers' Home and
the Penitentiary at Boise, the Insane
asylum at Blackfoot, the university and
the normal schools as above stated, are of
modern architecture and.flne ones In every
particular. They reflect great credit on
the state.
Wonderland of the Nortawest.
In conclusion, let me say to your thou
sands of readers that Idaho Is truly
the "Gem of the Mountains"; that In fact
she is everything that has been claimed
for her; that she Is all that the term Im
plies, the beautiful wonderland of tha
great Northwest. Here within this sunny
empire of the mountains are Immeasur
able possibilities, the Immense resources,
the variety of soil and climate, the ca
pacity to sustain a great population, and
In her hardy, progressive people not alone
the ability but the determination to grasp
all these varied opportunities, and by dint
of brawn and brain transmute them Into
evidences of progress and material
wealth. Her resources are Just beginning
to be developed, and the future will showj
Idaho to be one of the richest and best
In the sisterhood of states. Her hidden
wealth In hills and mountains and her pos
sibilities on the farm will make her de
velopment most marvelous and permanent.
Indeed, Idaho Is a pearl In the diadem ofi
Rocky Mountalnland, and her future is as
bright as the nonday sun. The praises
of this haven of peace and plenty are on
the tongues of our people everywhere, and
happiness is abroad in the land.
M. S. PARKER,
Caldwell, Idaho.
Alf OREGON TREASURE BED"
acres of Government and 700,000 acres of
state lands, open to settlement. A vast
amount of it is fine land and easily
reached by water. Thousands of people
are coming in and taking advantage of
the rare opportunity to take up land and
make homes. These lands are far bet
ter than some of the lands In the East
that fell for 550 an acre, and here you
can almost get them for a song.
Commerce In this state is confined al
most wholly to railroad traffic Vast
amounts of the products of the mines,
ranches and ranges are exported, and the
Imports include nearly all of the manu
factured articles. And It Is earnestly
hoped that factory wheels will soon bo
heard humming In all parts of the state.
We need factories, and we need them
very much indeed. The factory portion
of the wheels of Industry would be wel
come to our state, for they would be a
boon to Idaho.
Thpre are six railroads operating in
Idaho. They arc the Oregon Short Line,
Great Northern, Kootenai, Northern Pa
cific, Oregon Railroad & Navigation,
Boise. Nampa & Owyhee, and the Pa
cific & Idaho Northern Companies, and
all of these roads are extending their
lines, pushing their way into moro re
mote and very resourceful sections and
endeavoring to meet the demands of
traffic.
Thero is no state in the Union that of
fers crcatcr inducements to tho nrnn-
pectlve settler than does Idaho. This 1 Chlcatro and Buffalo Exnosltions that as-
Vjy!vra Icmciirv?v wiiegt at T-gWfgtm"
rMK OL inUJVir'OUIN
EWSTON. IDAHO'
tonished every one.
Ours Is certainly a horticultural state.
The fruits of the middle and northern
counties are the best the world has ever
seen, samples of which took first prize at
the world's fairs at Chicago and Paris.
The fruit industry here has assumed vast
gratifying to know that our fruits find j roads are opened up, there mining actlv
thelr way to the markets of the world, , ny begins. Many new and valuable mines
where they are received with great fa- , have ben reached In tne past ycar ln tnIs
VOr- , way.
Mining, StocUrnlMnpr, Agriculture, i RtockraJsin ls carried on on a larre
The wonderful mining districts of the j SCale. heids dnd binds containing thou-
is true because our interests are so dl
versified and so extensive as to afford
opportunity for people with limited means
to start out to gain a livelihood In vari
ous wafs without going far away from
home. So a person on a farm, after
gathering bi his crops, or, even, while
they are growing, can go to the mines,
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to be found in close proximity to the Union. The fruits of Idaho are noted for people In every section of the country, and . lng land in idano, wnicn is covered with
can their extraordinary beauty, size and qual- ! Eastern and Southern capitalists are com- various kinds of grasses of highly nu-
ity. The people of the East who come to j lng westward to invest In these mountains
this section are astonished at what our of gold, silver, lead. Iron and copper, the
Coeur d' Alene. Salmon River. Thunder
proportions, and Idaho Is looked upon as Mountain, Buffalo Hump and Snake R4v-
one of the best horticultural states In the J er sections are attracting the attention of
farm' lands of the state, where he can
matte a gooaiy sum oi money to con
tinue his work on the farm on a larger
scalo and with greater success.
The great timber region and grain belt
sands or sneep, cattle and horses art
found on the ranges In every part of the
state. There re 25,000.000 acres of graz-
trltluus quility. There are over 600 0C0
head of cattle, 150,000 head of horses and
state produces in this line. The apples, j richest deposits of the precious metals to j mules and 2.R5S.6C2 head of sheep, of an
nears. neaches. anrlcots nrunes. nlums ! h fnnnrt in the United States. Over CO.- I aggregate value of J20.069.440. Stockralslng
. ... ... ... .. .. .. ' '.' : -r r. ' : i r - .. . ... . i. -.. t j .. . . .
oi me norm are claiming me attention and cherries and many other kinds of 000 people are engaged directly or indirect- j in iaaiio nas pasasu uiu experimental
of thousands of people, and homes are
there springing up by tne hundreds. The
fcest area of the state is computed at
7,000,000 acres, containing trees of enor
mous size and of high quality, the prin
cipal kinds of timber being fir, white pine,
cottonwood, cedar, spruce and tamarack.
some of the trees measuring 10 feet ln dl-
frlut, which grow In abundance here, are
luscious and far above the average. The
average yield of four-year-old treees is
about as follows: Apple. 200 pounds; cher
ry, 75 pounds: peach. 150 pounds; pears. 130
pounds; plums, 150 pounds. There are or
chards in the state that produce nearly
G0.O00 bushels of fruit annually.and we sel-
ameter. Our state had exhibits at the 1 doa have a fruit crop failure. And it ls
ly in mining ln this state. The gold and j stage. It has proven a success all along
silver output ln Idaho the past year was . the line. In this slate we have Summer
about 57.000.000. A vast amount of lead and ( and Winter ranges, and these are taken
copper are mined, Idaho producing 50 per j advantage of by all enterprising stockmen,
cent of the lead mined In the United j There ls money made In stockralslng In
States. Some of the richest deposits of
metals have been worked only to a lim
ited extent, owing to a lack of transpor-
Idaho, and many judicious people are go
lng Into the business on a large scale. It
is the poor man's opportunity to make
tatlon facilities, and where rail and wagon I money, and rapidly. Many of our w ealth-
lest men have made their money in stock
raising, and have moved Into the cities
and built fine homes.
In agriculture, this state does not take
second place with any other state ln the
Northwest as to productiveness and qual
ity. It ls difficult to make the Easterner
believe that irrigated lands ln this state
produce CO bushels of wheat to the acre,
75 to DO of oats, and 500 of potatoes, but
that Is just what It does, reader. Reports
of such yields come from every section of
the state where agriculture ls carried on
on scientific principles. There are about
16,000,0130 acres of land that can be irri
gated and cultivated in Idaho, land that is
highly productive, on much of which good
crops are raised without Irrigating. Much
of this land Is now under canals, and
fine farms are seen opening up in almost
every direction. It is an easy thing to
prepare a piece of land for cultivation,
as there ls nothing on It but sagebrush,
and that ls removed with little expense.
And a farmer here becomes wealthy ln a
short time, because he can raise three
crops of hay and two crops of many other
things each season. Of course. Irrigation
Is more reliable, and every settler loses
no time In getting water onto his land.
That is the proper thing to do, for then
he will not take chances of having crop
failures. Irrigation is a "sure thing."
Most of the central and southeastern por
tions of the state agricultural lands are
under Irrigation, the water being taken
from the Bear, Snake, Boise, Payette and
Welser Rivers and the supply of water
Is abuidant. sufficient to Irrigate all the
land ln these vast valleys. And our del
egation to Congress ls working for an
appropriation by that body to build stor
age reservoirs ln the arid sections of the
state, those that are not now sufficiently
reacheci with water 'jom the streams.
The value of agricultural products, in
Idaho in 1900 was 56.773,263, a splendid
showing for a mountain country and a
new state.
There are 44 banks In the state. There
are 14 national banks ln operation, having
a capital of 5650.000, about 5260.000 in out
stanaing circulation and 51,530,000 in Unit
ed States bonds. There are also 19 state
and 12 private banks, and a Trust &
Loan Company They are all ln a flour
ishing condition and highly solvent.
Public Schools anil Churches.
In all there are 748 public schools with
1067 teachers, shaping the destiny of the
rising generation. In these institutions
History and Condition of the Fftmoai
Sterling: Placer Mine.
Under the caption "An Oregon Treasure
Bed," Sunset, the Southern Pacific magi
azine, prints the following account of thQ
Sterling placer mine, near Jacksonville:
The richest mine In Southern Oregon,
and one of the most interesting hydraullo
mines on the Pacific Coast, Is the Ster
ling mine, near Jacksonville, owned by H.
E. Ankeny and V. Cook. A drive of little
more than an hour from Jacksonville
brings one to a cluster of houses, which 13
all that remains of Sterllngvllle, where,
on the day of Lincoln's second election,
600 votes were cast.
"Only a little while before that election
day in 1864, Mr. Sterling and two compan
ions discovered a rich prospect. Although
news could not travel then as fast as now,
tidings of gold have always sped like fire.
Within a few days Sterllngvllle sprang
Into life, and has had an up-and-down ex
istence ever since.
"The mine ls an old channel bound in
on the sides and the bottom by a well
defined and hard formation. The succes
sive owners of the mine have worked up
this channel nearly seven miles, one own
er having taken out 51.000,000. At one time
work on the mine became slack, and Ster
llngvllle was almost deserted. The pres
ent owners took hold of the mine with
new vigor, and It has ever since proved
each year to be more valuable.
"A 27-mile ditch, through which 3000 min
ers Inches of water of Applegate Creek
are turned upon the gold-bearing gravel
of the channel, ls In Itself a very Interest
ing and important piece of engineering.
Two giant pipe lines turn water through
seven-inch nozzles on to the gravel cement
and dissolve It rapidly Into the sluiceway,
the gold being caught in the cracks be
tween the blocks of wood which form the
bottom of the sluiceway. A large stream
ls also turned In from above the mine, and
by these three streams, accompanied by
frequent blasting, the mining is simply
performed."
t
Natural Gas Sear Bandon.
What seems to be natural gas has been
struck In Curry County, about 15 miles
south of Bandon. Workmen engaged in
digging a well on the ranch 'of William
Button discovered the escapo of gas at
a depth of 20 feet, and the quantity In
creased with the depth of the well. The
gas appears ln Jets, with a gentle whistle
as It breaks through the rock, and burns
freely until the workmen tamp It ln. The
odor Is Identical with that given off by
gasoline. The formation Is recurring
strata of blapk shale, with Intervening
strata of a grayish rock, of which latter
an occasional boulder or nodule Is found.
Serpentine, also, is encountered. The
black shale readily slacks and takes on
a pearl gray shade on exposure to the
air and light, while the gray formation
seems to be Impregnated with oil. as It is
j greasy to the touch and burns freeljk