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e 1 le vue Bellevue is one of the oldest towns in the state. ^ was founded in 1880 ^ iho discovery of the famous Min ni« Moore mine. In 1883 it was a mining camp of sufficient importance to be incorporated as a city and was granted a special charter by the terri ritorial legislature and the city is still operating under that special charter. The only other cities of the stete to be so favored are Boise and Lewiston, The decline in the price of silver in the early 90's which caused a shut-, ting down of the mines, produced a period of stagnation which was gen-jail «ral throughout the west. With the turning from mining to agiiculture the 'Back to the LanT' movement that is taking place throughout the state lies the hope of prosperity for Bellevue and the Wood River try. There are some of the best agri cultural and fruit lands In this vailey cf any section in the world. •ally days some of the Old miners and prospectors, becoming tired of coun In the! ' ■*?.UV/ m ■ IpF Mgà til v v ' : * -È X si? ft $ ■% ■■ it ■ V. *.-• & 'S: * II ft TÄ;# - ■*# -, .«,• M. : t *.. t - >s V.' Ai**./: • - i < the search for wealth in the depths of the earth, turned their attention nearer the surface and filed on a small tract of Uncle Sam's domain. They found that the land was very produc tive and they prospered with very little effort and were content. Many i of the early settlers have added to their holdings from time to time until now there are many ranches in the valley which embrace from 600 to 2,000 acres, notably among which is the Arthur Brown ranch of about 3,000 acres, and which passed into the hands of a coterie of Salt Lake capitalists after the death of Senator Brown. This ranch has within the past year been subdivided into small tracts and has all been sold to eastern people who will make their homes in this valley. Other large land hold ings will follow the same course and It Is almost an absolute certainty that the population of the valley will be doubled in the next year. The location of Bellevue is such that it will reap more benefit from this increase of population than any, other town in the valley, as nine tenths of the farm lands in the Wood River country are tributary to it. ■ Nearly every line of business is rep resented here and the merchants 1 carry good stocks. STOCK RAISING Wood River lambs are regarded as being among the very choicest of range lambs received in any of the great markets of the country, and probably no other section can com pete with them In any degree, except it be the Teton Basin and a very lim lted portion of the state of Washing ton. The average annual shipments ! of sheep and lambs from the Wood j River country amounts to approxi- j mately 1,500 cars per year, while the amount of wool annually shipped will approximate 260 cars, which, at the prices at which wool has been Belling brings to this section from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. This, cou pled with the livestock receipts for sheep, brings from the sheep industry alone not less than $3,000,000 to $3, 600,000 each year. The cattle, while not so numerous as the sheep, are still a very important item. The average annual shipment of cattle from this section is from 400 to 600 ears per year, which will easily add another half million to the sum total. Bellevue has been favored with a very large proportion of the ship ments. In fact on the cattle it has prob ably shipped four out of every five carload shipped from the Wood River On the shipment of sheep : country. the amount will average from 500 to j 600 cars per year. Bellevue has one of the best stockyards on the Oregon Short Line system, which have been Several new industries have been established during the past tably among which is the large Stor year, no age warehouse recently erected by Coats & Proctor. The building is 60 by 126 feet and contains a modern ice plant and cold storage and refrig enating boxes for the storing of but ter, eggs and meat, while the other part of the building is used to store hay, grain, K . proprietors of potatoes, wool, etc. The this industry are pay ing cash to the ranchers for their pro duce, which makes a market here at times for the product of the farm, The local production is not sufficient locality, but it is a benefit to the southern part of the state. Besides to supply the demand and butter and eggs are being shipped from other parts of the state. A large quantity of eggs have been shipped here from the vicinity of Idaho Falls, St. An thony and Rexburg for storage. The enterprise of these gentlemen is not only proving beneficial to this reducing the temperature of the cool jng boxes, the plant has a capacity of producing two tons of the most beau tiful artificial ice and it has been demonstrated that this ice will last nearly twice as long as the naturally i frozen ice. The fruit raising possibilities of the valley are well established, pies and pears of the finest varieties have been produced here for many years and a crop failure is almost un known. No scientific methods have been employed in fruit culture, the trees being allowed to grow in almost a wild state, and the great production has been a surprise to the expert lior ticulturists wno have visited the valley, Ap With the increase in population in the country tributary to Bellevue there will naturally follow an in crease in the business in the town, and those who are looking for a busi ness location cannot do better than to investigate the advantages that are offered here. The person who is seeking for a place to make a home will find in the ■ Wood River Valley almost an ideal spot. Scenery, climate, an abundance of pure water and pure mountain air 1 all combine to make life worth living. augmented by the erection by the business men of the town of a roomy and substantially built cutting-out and branding corral with a complete water system in all of the pens, The horse industry is also vçry carefully attended to in this section and while the local demand has been such that comparatively no ship ments have been made of any conse quencc during the last few years, still in years past many cars of horses were shipped to eastern markets from this point, The farmers are now disposed to improve the quality of their horses by the importation of blooded stock and in a few years the quality of the horses will equal that of the cattle and sheep already shipped from this section. There are located near Bellevue some of the most noted and meritor ious flocks belonging to Laid low, at the head of which are some of the proudest ribbon wearers of Canadian and English exhibitions. There is also the celebrated flock of Lincolns belonging to ex-Governor Gooding that are justly celebrated far beyond the confines of the state. The stock industry is of such great importance, the ranges of the Wood River district of such excellent qual ity that pages might be written in their praise: suffice it to say that the sheep and cattle on a thousand hills have done much to enrich and make known to the world the splendid re ources of Idaho in general and the Wood River country in particular. It is the universal Judgment of all who have visited Wood River that it 1 b one of the most beautiful valleys In the west. It is watered by Wood river and Silver creek. The former Is skirted along its entire course with stately forests and finally leaves the basin through a deep and narrow canyon carved out of the solid rock by the rush of its waters. Silver creek, one of nature's wonders, wells up from the lowlands, a mighty river; the volume of its water is contsant and its temperature varies but little during the changing seasons, afford ing a natural nesting and feeding ground for ducks, geese and other aquatic game birds, and an ideal home for the speckled trout. Looking northward one can see the snow capped peaks of the Sawtooth range from which come the cool and refreshing summer breezes. Here lies the secret of the delightfully coo! evenings, even in July and Au gust. While others swelter and toss upon the lr couch till morning dawns, here one, tucked up snugly in his blankets, can lie down to pleasant dreams. From the top of Mount Lookout, just back of Bellevue, can be had the best panoramic view of the valley. From this vantage point one can be hold the plain with .its silvery streams meandering through the meadows, the trees and fields of living green, the grazing herds and peaceful homes gladdening the valley, and around the plain can be seen a continuous rim of majestic mountains, warding off the chilling blasts of winter and the j scorching winds of summer. Located ; in this charming scene like a jewel in its casket lies the beautiful city of Belevue so aptly named. Bellevue Is the hub city of the valley; it has well-kept wagon roads radiating out in many directions to the outlying and tributary points; to the east, the Lost River country Just recently opened up for settlement, and the Muldoon mining district; to the south, Carey, Silver creek and Rich field; to the west, the great reservoir in which is impounded the water for the Richfield project, and Camas Prairie; to the north, the many fam ous hot springs, Ketchum and the hustling town of Hailey. Bellevue has an entirely modern school building valued at $25,000; in addition to the class rooms, it is equipped with an auditorium, a lib rary and a physical and chemical laboratory. proved heating plant, air, either hot or cold can be furnished to any part of the building on a moment's notice, thus insuring a temperature comfort able both summer and winter, It has the latest im The school offers instruction in the grades and four years of high school. The school throughout is on a par with the best In the state. Pupils and students leaving the Bellevue school find no difficulty in holding their grades and standing in the schools to which they go, no matter whether that school be in Idaho or elsewhere. This year witnessed one of the largest graduating classes in the his- [ tory of the high school and by far the largest in the county. Pupils liv ing miles away In the country drive to school each morning, returning to their homes in the afternoon after - 7 ! A V r.:.; i -0# '•Ê&WÂ :* ■"■'V 2 •4 : & f V., • . Y&f i mm >/ y % .iA 3 i.i Pi' !» [Y iff.... iSihfe J. w % ; the close of school. During the term all of the available quarters in town are crowded with families seeking the advantages of the Belevue schools. There is now a movement on foot to make it the nucleus of a concentrated school. A number of the above i The churchgoer will readily find a place to which he may repair on Sun day to offer his devotion and praises to Deity. The following denomina tions own their places of worship: Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Bap tist, Episcopal and Methodist, at either of which the stranger within our gates will always find a ready welcome. named churches are capacious and adorn the town with their architec- ! tural beauty. Traveling men well understand the ! advantageous location of Bellevue and accordingly stop here and then drive to the other places. The pe culiar location of Bellevue is such that it is impossible to get to any place in the valley without passing through it. To meet the demand of the traveling public two of the largest and best equipped livery stables on Wood river are ready at all times to give prompt and courteous attention to those needing their services. Mr. D. B. Smith has charge of one of these and Messrs. McMulin and Cross the other. Mr. Dee Story has charge of the automobile service and is giv ing the very best of satisfaction. He is now planning to build a garage and put on some larger machines. He is scarcely able to meet the demands for transportation in his line at present but his other cars will be in opera tion at a very early date. The roads in this vicinity are free from dust and are as firm as a pavement, no bet ter automobile roads can be found the conutry. over. This is the paradise of the nimrod and the angler. During the summer and autumn the grouse and sage hen abound, and in winter cranes, ducks and geese fill the hunter's heart with delight; if perchance he tires of these tamer sports he has but to repair to the mountain, where he will find the mountain goat, the bear, the moun tain sheep and the timid deer. With in a stone's throw of the city limits flows the Wood river, in which can be caught trout as large as they grow; the season, however, is lim ited to summer and autumn. The sea son in Silver creek is the whole year round. Here at any time of the year may be observed the angler pitting his cunning against the vigilance of the finny tribe, and In spring, sum mer and autumn fishermen may be seen in every direction. To prevent its supply being exhausted, the gov ernment has located here a large hatchery which turns millions of young fry into the stream every year. The hotel service of Bellevue is ex cellent; mountain trout can be had at either hotel throughout the entire The Central hotel is one of year. the oldest and most popular hotels on Wood river; all of the traveling men know of its congenial proprietor, Bert Pickier. Since Mr. Ed Thomas has taken charge of the Morris hotel it has become as popular as the Cen tral. Mr. Thomas is a wide awake business man and caters to the wishes of his guests. In the midst of the business section Mr. Varcoe has his excellent restaurant. For the speculator and business man here is a virgin field of unde veloped resources; for the artist, a garden where he can bask in the realms of natural beauty; for the pleasure seeker, a place where he can escape the dust and scorching winds of the desert, lie down to pleasant dreams at night and rise up in the morning to a breakfast of grouse, canvas back and mountain trout. MINING. Bellevue, Justly styled the Gate City of the Great Wood River Mineral Belt, is situated in the center of one of the largest and most productive agricultural tracts in southern Idaho, and while her rapid growth in the past two years is mainly due to the wealthy farming community imme diately surrounding her, the fact that the Idaho Consolidated Mines com pany is now making regular ship ments, loading a car of concentrates at the depot every two days, will add materially to her future prosperity. Within one mile located the camp, which up to date has produced approximately $18,000,000. This mine and the Queen of the Hills, another làrge producer, the Relief, Michigan and other adjacent proper ties, are now controlled by the Idaho Consolidated Mining company and i operated as one group. The company of Bellevue is famous Minnie Moore during the past two years has oper ! ated three new mills on tailings from jthe old mill at a profit sufficient to ! build a fine power plant and keep up all operating expenses at the mines. At the present time work is being done on the Singleter vein and at the 360 and 1,000 levels much ore is being extracted from this compara tively new lead on the foot wall. It is the intention of the management to pump all the water from the mine and do some extensive prospecting on the 1,200 foot level, where the ore on the hanging wall terminated against a great fault. The unwatering of the mine has been accomplished by Worthington turbine pumps, coupled on the column pipe <00 feet apart and each operated by 36 horsepower motors. These pumps were especially built for this particular job, as they are required to operate in an incline shaft. The company owns a fine power plant located a quarter of a mile from Bellevue on the Wood river, where an abundance of water available under a 38-foot head. This plant is strictly modern in every is respect and consists of two units of 400 horsepower each. The current is t generated at 6,600 volts by Westing house generators directly connected to horizontal turbines and is trans formed for use at the mine and mill to 220 volts. In addition to furnish ing power for the machinery at the mine and mill, which is all electric driven, the plant also furnishes power I for the electric tramway which hauls the ore from the mine down to the mill. 1 I i ! About a mile and a half west of the Idaho Consolidated property is the Comet group, owned by J. George Ar koosh, a business man of Bellevue This property contains a large body of galena ore, developed about 160 feet in length by two tunnels, the lower tunnel being about 100 feet below the upper tunnel, and the dis-j tance from the upper tunnel to the apex of the vein being several hun-j dred feet more gives approximately 300 feet of backs when stoping com- ! The ore is extremely high mences. grade and averages from one to five feet in width, carrying the usual high silver values occurring in the Wood River district, and as it lies directly west of the Minnie Moore mine in the grandodeorite formation, ' it undoubtedly is a part of the same veln system and will most likely be come one of the largest producers in #r •• c 1 -/ .-s-' àfâi I u W the district. The Queen Extension, which pro duced considerable ore in the past and which adjoins the Idaho Consoli dated property on the north, has been leased this spring to R. B. French of Bellevue. Mr. French has done con siderable work on the property up to date and recently struck a nice body of shipping ore in the lower tunnel. now cleaning out and re-timbering the wings in this tunnel preparatory to sinking and further developing the new strike. He and his associates are In the Minnie Moore gulch are also located the Overland, Edna, Snow bound and St. Idlers, which in the past have produced a large tonnage of high grade silver-lead ore from comparatively shallow workings. De velopment work is at the present time being done on some of these properties and in addition to this there are at least 150 properties in the Immediate vicinity of Bellevue upon which the annual assessment It work is being done every year, is more than probable that this de velopment work will in the near fu ture produce more bonanzas similar to those which in the past made I Bellevue famous. Important Work That Is Being Done in Idaho This Year by the Department of Agriculture. (From the Tdaho Falls Times.) Mr. Don H. Bark, an irrigation engineer in charge of the irrigation investigations in the State of Tdaho for the Unit ed States Department of Agriculture, was in town last week looking over the work which his department is ear ning on in this part of the state. Mr. Bark was placed in charge of the Tdaho field at the beginning of the irriga (Concluded on page four of supplement.) Two miles south of Bellevue, in Lee's Gulch, is located the Hillside, developed to the depth of 250 feet, with a large tonnage of shipping ore exposed. Immediately above it are located the Bonanza King and Joe Garrison, which in the early days shipped some phenomenally rich silver ore. Fif teen hundred feet west of these claims M. H. Williams struck the large body of ore last fall on the Early Morning. Mr. Williams and his partners have Installed a whim heist and the shaft is now down about 100 feet, showing continuous ore, much of which is sacked for shipment as it comes from the mine. In addition much second class ore is piled up on the dump awaiting con centration. About two and a half miles west of Bellevue are the Copper King and Mining Company, of which Frank Webber of Bellevue is the principal This property is lncorpor Maggie May, operated by the Webber owner. a ted for 81,000,000 with the prin cl P al offlce ,n Abaline, Kans., where man y °f the stockholders reside. It bas been developed to a depth of 100 ^ TO t sod in that distance has pro duced considerable ore assaying 25 per cent copper with high values in ore weighing 40 and 50 pounds, are on exhibition at his place of business on Matn street, attest to the richness and size of the various ore bodies in silver. Specimens of fine sulphide this property. On the east side of the river and below the city of Bellevue are lo cated the Monday, Queen Victoria and the Pacific Tunnel Co. Queen Victoria is credited with a shipment that assayed 2,600 ounces in silver. The The Hidden Treasure, further down the mountain and about two 111 ^® 8 Bouth of town, has been oper a ted for the last two years under the management of Arthur B. Menkln, who came out from Baltimore to Four or five open up the property, men have been employed constantly and several shipments of high grade ore have been made. Garfield Mining and Milling Co., un der the management of O. P. Zort man of Bellevue, is developing m. group of claims upon which four In the Muldoon mining district the veias are exposed. The north vein carries considerable copper carbonate 9 re showing gold values. South of this is another vein which shows a splendid body of lead carbonates and Ralena, with silver values in the tetio of one ounce of silver to the unit of lead, awaiting the arrival of machinery to install a hydro-electric plant and machine drills in driving the lower tunnel to the vein, Mr. Zortman is now compressor and will this summer use Bellevue has much to be proud of in the mining achievements of the I ,at -f< a nd while there is much that is gratifying in the shipments and pay r °l' s of the present, she still has fcreat hope for the future. M. H. Williams, Bellevue's pioneer mining maa . who was a member of the first I ,al 'ty of prospectors that arrived in Wood River Valley, and who now divides his time between mining and frulf raising, says: "I have been prospecting for over forty years; I bave been in many of the mining camps throughout the state; and I would sooner take my chances pros pecting within five miles of Bellevue than I would in any other place i have ever been in.'' I And he is dead right.