IDAHO. 



419 



lisbed in " Forest and Stream," represents one 

 of the larger and more luxurious outt of boats, 

 95 feet long by 17 foot beam. The masts are, 

 of courso. superfluous, merely lending a some- 

 what nautical air to the general appearance. 

 It may be said, however, that a mast and sail 

 of moderate size may often prove of great con- 

 venience in changing anchorage. To effect 

 such a change requires some practical knowl- 

 edge of seamanship. In a tidal river one may 

 easily proL'iv^s up stream by the aid of a pair 

 of sweeps or a skiff to tow the house-boat out 

 into the current and to regain anchorage- 

 ground just before the tide turns ebb. In a 

 lake or an inland river some outside means of 

 propulsion is necessary, and a sail might often 

 prove useful. Tugs are generally available on 

 navigable streams, and for a few dollars they 

 will enable the house-boat owner to shift his 

 berth a score of miles in two or three hours. 



Such bodies of water as Lake George or 

 Lake Champlain, or indeed any of the ten 



thousand inland lakes and rivers of North 

 America, are lined with sheltered coves where 

 a house-boat may lie secure from storms the 

 summer through. She may often be moored 

 so near the shore that a gang-] 'lank will afford 

 ready passage to the land. Small boa- 

 sails or oars or both, are, of course, an indis- 

 pensable adjunct for fishing, for exercise, and 

 for the various errands necessary to a company 

 that must depend more or less on the markets 

 for supplies. For a large house-boat a naphtha- 

 launch would be a great convenience. 

 NAPHTHA-MOTOKS, in u Annual Cyclopaedia " 

 for 1887.) 



In many respects life on a house- boat is to 

 be preferred to ordinary camp or cottage life 

 on shore. These house-boats, with their wide 

 variety in structure and cost, will prove a 

 welcome addition to our American resources 

 for out-of-door existence during the summer 

 months, and indeed for the whole year round 

 in some of the Southern States. 



IDAHO. Territorial Government. The follow- 

 ing were the Territorial officers during the 

 year: Governor, Edward A. Stevenson, Demo- 

 crat : Secretary, Edward J. Curtis : Comptroller 

 and Auditor, James H. ^Yicker?ham; Treasurer, 

 Charles Himrod ; Attorney-General, Richard 

 Z. Johnson ; Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, Silas W. Moody ; Chief-Justice of the 

 Supreme Court, James B. Hays, who died on 

 May 31. and was succeeded by Hugh W. Weir : 

 Associate Justices, Norman Buck and Case 

 Broderick. succeeded by John Lee Logan and 

 Charles H. Berry. 



Population. The following estimate of popu- 

 lation by countries is given by the Governor 

 in his annual report : 



son of the condition of the public schools for 

 1886 and 1888 is given : 



COUNTIES. Popnlation. 



Ada 11. I'M to 



Alturas 16.-250 



Bear Lake 5.750 



Binpham ]_'. 



Boise 4.-.TO 



Cas>ia 4.:."^ 



Ouster 4.oo 



Idaho 4,000 



Kootenai 1.430 



COUNTIES. Population. 



Latah 9.630 



Lemhi 4.600 



Nez Perce 5,000 



Oneida 6.500 



Owyhee 3.350 



Shoshone 8,000 



"Washington 5,000 



Total 105.260 



In this list, Latah County appears for the 

 first time, having been created out of the 

 northern part of Nez Perc6 County, by act of 

 Congress, passed and approved May 14. 1888. 

 A county organization was effected under this 

 act on May 29 following. 



Finanffs. The receipts from all sources from 

 Nov. 1, 1886, to Nov. 1, 1888, -were $114,- 

 127.93. and the expenditures, $109,660.11 ; the 

 balance on hand Nov. 1, 1888, was $4,467.82. 



No change in the bonded debt of the Terri- 

 tory was made during the year. 



Education. From the report of the Superin- 

 tendent of Education, the following compari- 



Of the compulsory school law, passed in 

 1887, the Superintendent says : " Under the 

 exceptions in this law, many parents are avoid- 

 ing its operation by setting up the excuse that 

 their children are taught in private schools or 

 at home, which is a valid excuse, but afford* 

 an opportunity to those whose religions belief 

 opposes the employment of Gentile teachers to 

 keep their children away from the public school 

 of the district. I have not heard of a single 

 fine being collected, and believe that such a 

 law is of no benefit until thoroughly amended." 



The act of Congress of May 20, 1886, con- 

 cerning the teaching of the effects of alcoholic 

 drinks and narcotics upon the human system, 

 has been called to the attention of superintend- 

 ents and teachers throughout the Territory. 

 and is generally enforced. But many teachers 

 report that they can not carry out its provisions 

 to the letter, if strictly construed, by reason of 

 its requiring impossibilities in the matter of 

 using text -books. 



Charities and Prisons. In the Territorial In- 

 sane Asylum at Blackfoot, 72 patients were 

 treated during the year ending September 15, 



