IDAHO. 



od indebtedness of the State at this date is 

 1951,000." 



Penitentiary. The Penitentiary is about 2 

 miles east nf K.'iisr City, on a tract of 100 acres 

 reserved for that purpose. The cost of kecpinfc 

 each prisoner has been about 73 cents a day, as 

 the only labor performed by prisoners was in 

 raring for the reservation and making their own 

 clot hing. In future this charge will be much re- 

 dnced, as the prison is now authorized to contract 

 the labor of convicts if such contracting does not 

 conflict with the interests of manufacturers in 

 the State. Improvement in the sanitary condi- 

 tion of the prison is very necessary. Statistics 

 show that nearly all the convicts came into this 

 Penitentiary without a trade. 



Insane Asylum. The Idaho Insane Asylum 

 is at Blackfoot, Bingham County. The grounds 

 cover several hundred acres. At the beginning 

 of the year the number of patients was 98. So 

 far as possible, employment is provided for the 

 insane. In addition to caring for the farm and 

 the vegetable garden, the men are employed 

 during summer at brick making, and during the 

 winter at cutting cordwood. Brick for first- 

 class fire-proof buildings can be provided chiefly 

 by the labor of patients. The work of the 

 woman inmates of the asylum has been in the 

 kitchen, laundry, and sewing room. The dress- 

 es, coats, trousers, and underwear needed by the 

 patients are made in the asylum. The medical 

 superintendent calls attention to the low rate of 

 insanity in this State, less than one half the 

 average rate in other States of the Union. 



The Deaf, Dumb, and Blind. Under the 

 provisions of an act approved March 14, 1891, 

 the State Board of Education was authorized to 

 contract with the authorities of charitable in- 

 stitutions of other States and Territories for the 

 education of the deaf, dumb, and blind. A con- 

 tract was made with the Colorado Springs Deaf, 

 Dumb, and Blind Asylum for the care of these 

 unfortunates at an annual charge of $250 for 

 each pupil. In 1891 4 pupils 3 blind and 

 1 deaf were sent to Colorado Springs ; in 1892 

 6 4 blind and 2 deaf were sent. It is esti- 

 mated that the State contains about 50 who are 

 entitled to its care. 



Soldiers' Home. Provision was made by the 

 Legislature for the establishment of a soldiers' 

 home within the State for honorably discharged 

 Union soldiers, sailors, and marines who served 

 during the civil war, for members of the State 

 National Guard disabled while on duty, and for 

 veterans of the Mexican War, all of whom are to 

 be bonafide citizens of the State. The control 

 of the home is vested in 5 trustees, to consist of 

 the Secretary of State, commander for Depart- 

 ment of Idaho, Grand Army of the Republic, and 

 3 others, 2 of whom are to be members of the Grand 

 Army of the Republic; all to be appointed by 

 the Governor. An appropriation of $25,000 was 

 made, to be secured from the sale of public lands 

 given to the State by the Government for chari- 

 table purposes, instead of being taken directly 

 out of the general revenue fund, the amount ap- 

 propriated to be loaned to the institution by the 

 State, which takes a lien on the land in question 

 to secure the amount advanced. 



Irrigation. In the message of the outgoing 

 as well as of the incoming Governor, special at- 



t cut ion was called to the importance of the 

 establishment of a system of irrigation under 

 fixed laws and regulations, and the appointment 

 of a commissioner of irrigation was strongly ad- 

 vocated. A decision of the Attorney-General, to 

 the effect that it would be unconstitutional to 

 pass a law exempting canal property from taxa- 

 tion, was called forth by a petition from several 

 canal companies to the irrigation committee, 

 asking for a law exempting irrigation ditches 

 from taxation. The committee decided that it 

 would be unconstitutional to comply, and their 

 decision being referred to the Attorney-General, 

 was confirmed by him. 



The topographical division of the geological 

 survey is engaged in work that will be of great 

 benefit in establishing a system of irrigation. 

 In the chief valleys of the southwestern portion 

 of the State streams will be gauged for a con- 

 siderable period. From the results can be 

 learned how much water passed the gauging 

 point any day in a year. Maps of the valleys 

 will be made. From weather reports can be es- 

 timated the amount of rain and snow that fell. 

 A record of every water right along the stream 

 will be secured, and a description of every ditch, 

 canal, reservoir, reservoir site, etc. 



The amount of agricultural lands in Idaho is 

 16,000,000 acres, and of this area three fifths is 

 arid. 



Wagon Roads. Much benefit will undoubt- 

 edly accrue to the State from the construction of 

 the system of wagon roads authorized by the last 

 Legislature. The main road will pass from Ban- 

 ner, Boise County, via Warrens, Idaho County, 

 through Nez Perees and Latah Counties, to the 

 mouth of St. Marie's river, Kootenai County, and 

 thence to Wallace, Shoshone County. Branches 

 will extend from Mount Idaho to Elk City, and 

 from Bear valley, Idaho County, through Custer 

 and Lemhi Counties, to the head of the north 

 fork of Salmon river, near the Montana line. 

 This means about 300 miles of road. Nearly 

 all the valley and open lands of any value in 

 the State have been already taken up under the 

 various acts of Congress, and the lands that are 

 chiefly valuable for their timber are in tin- in- 

 terior and mountainous portions of the State. 

 To pay for their construction the issuing of a 

 series of State-road bonds, to the amount of 

 $135,000, was authorized, and the charge of the 

 surveying and construction is confided to a com- 

 mission to consist of one commissioner from 

 each county through which the road will pass, 

 or a person selected by each board. 



Game and Fish. The game law enacted this 

 year provides that no moose, caribou, or elk shall 

 be killed prior to Sept, 1, 1897. and after that 

 only between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31. The season 

 for deer, mountain sheep, antelope, and goats is 

 from Sept. 1 to .Ian. 1. None of these animals 

 shall be killed for their hides, nor shall any one 

 buy or sell such hides or transport the same. 

 The animals shall not be hunted with dogs. The 

 Mongolian pheasant can not be killed until Aug. 

 1. IsnT. The season for killing pheasants, grouse. 

 sago liens, and fool hens is from Aug. 1 to Jan. 1 ; 

 for quail and prairie chickens, from Oct. 15 to 

 Dec. 15; and for ducks, geese, and swans, from 

 Aug. 15 to April 15. No fish, except salmon, 

 salmon trout, and sturgeon, shall be taken except 



