IDAHO. 



431 



for their transportation from the places of 

 sentence to the United States Penitentiary. 

 The amount paid through the Comptroller's 

 office for providing for the insane for the year 

 ending June 30, 1886, was $15,274.49. This 

 amount represents expenditures of large sums 

 other than for the actual cost of treatment. 

 The revenue is derived mainly from the sale of 

 business licenses, from poll-taxes, and an ad- 

 valorem tax on real and personal property. 

 The returns for the year ending June 30, 1886, 

 show that the Territorial portion of licenses 

 sold amounted to, in gross, $8,538.58 ; poll- 

 taxes collected, $7,083.54; ad-valorem tax 

 collected, $39,547.62. In addition to the above 

 there is an income arising from the admission 

 fees of attorneys, and from notaries' fees, which 

 is devoted to the purchase of books for the 

 Territorial Law Library at Boise City. 



The outstanding bonded indebtedness of the 

 Territory is as follows: Bonds bearing 10 per 

 cent, interest, $46,715.06 ; bonds bearing 6 per 

 cent, interest, $100,000. Total, $146,715.06. 



Schools. There has been a marked and gen- 

 eral growth and improvement in the character 

 and grades of the schools, due largely to the 

 higher qualifications demanded of teachers, the 

 use of better and uniform text-books, the more 

 frequent holding of teachers' institutes, and 

 the increased interest among parents in edu- 

 cational affairs. In 1876 there were 2,777 chil- 

 dren of school age; now there are over 18,000. 

 Then there were 77 school districts ; now there 

 are over 300. Then there was reported as paid " 

 out for school purposes $16,509.55 ; this year 

 the amount exceeds $130,000. In 1876 there 

 were but ten counties; now there are fifteen. 



Indians and Reservations. The following sta- 

 tistics are from the most reliable sources avail- 

 able as to the population and acreage of the 

 Indian reservations within the Territory, viz. : 



There is a small relative number in each 

 tribe who, seeing the tendency of affairs, have 

 learned to farm on a small scale, send their chil - 

 dren to the reservation schools, live in houses, 

 and generally conform to the habits and cus- 

 toms of the whites. But the wild instincts of 

 their race are still predominant in the major- 

 ity, and the process of civilization is slow with 

 all. " The Cceur d'Alene Indians and also the 

 Nez Perces holding reservations that lie be- 

 tween the rapidly growing mountain mining- 

 towns and the lower country, from which their 

 supplies are drawn, occupy," says the Govern- 

 or, u a position seriously detrimental to both 

 commercial and mining interests. The wild 

 speculation of the Co3ur d'Alene mines has 

 ceased, and in its place is the steady output of 



ore, in-rush of men who go to stay, and the 

 enormous increase of business. To reach these 

 mines the Bitter Roots must be scaled from the 

 east, or else the transportation of supplies must 

 be made across the reservation. The Cceur 

 d'Alene Lake, which lies midway in the reser- 

 vation, is a deep navigable body of water, and 

 three large rivers, whose head- waters are among 

 the mieing-camps, supply it. For miles around 

 it are magnificent natural meadows, and be- 

 yond them are the forests of splendid timber, 

 while the precious metals are abundant along 

 the streams and throughout the mountains; 

 and yet 600 Indians hold and own 600,000 

 acres of this land of inexhaustible resources, 

 without ambition to develop them for their 

 own benefit, and refusing to permit others to 

 do so. South of the Crcur d'Alene is the Nez 

 Perc6 Reservation, consisting of grazing and 

 timber lands, abounding with streams and riv- 

 ers, capable of phenome'nal production, nearly 

 three quarters of a million of acres inhabited 

 by 1,500 Indians." 



Live-Stock. The live stock interests of Idaho 

 are steadily increasing, and are to be ranked 

 among its great resources. During the past 

 year the losses from exposure and diseases com- 

 bined have been comparatively nothing, al- 

 though the herds thrive summer and winter 

 upon the same ranges. It is estimated by those 

 associated with the stock-growing interests that 

 fully 500,000 head of horses and cattle annually 

 graze and fatten upon the hills and table-lands 

 of the Territory. The number of sheep will 

 probably exceed 250,000 head. The exports 

 of horses and cattle by the Oregon Short-Line 

 Railroad in Idaho for the present year will 

 probably exceed 30,000 head. 



Political. The Republican Territorial Con- 

 vention met at llailey, on September 8, and 

 nominated Frederick T. Dubois for delegate to 

 Congress. The following are extracts from the 

 platform : 



We especially denounce the retention, as Commis- 

 sioner of the General Land-Office, of that arch-enemy 

 of the West, Mr. William A. J. Sparks. He has 

 threatened and annoyed the homestead and pre-emp- 

 tion settler by persistent and malicious misrepresenta- 

 tions, by partial and prejudicial investigations, by 

 vexatious rulings and ill-considered orders, and by 

 attempted manipulation of plain acts of Congress. 

 He has tilled the Territories with irresponsible spies 

 in the shape of special agents, and through his circu- 

 lars proclaims the pioneers a set of robbers and thieves. 

 He has instigated malicious indictments for the cut- 

 ting of timber, and retarded to the extent of his abil- 

 ity the general progress and development of all West- 

 ern industries. 



We denounce the attempt to change the measure of 

 values, in the face of the world's great debts, from 

 gold and silver to gold alone, as an act of monstrous 

 injustice ; and we demand that both gold and silver, 

 as established by the Constitution, shall be maintained 

 as the basis of our money system. We demand the 

 free coinage of gold and silver and their perfect equal- 

 ity before the law. 



We extend to the anti-Mormon Democrats of this 

 Territory our fraternal greetings, and ask of them their 

 cordial support, in order to sustain the "test-oath" 

 as it now stands ; and we pledge ourselves to such 

 further legislation as may be necessary to banish the 



