Adams County Makes the News - Council Leader #20

The Council Leader
Published Every Thursday by the Council Publishing Company
Fred Mullin, Editor

April 30, 1915
LITTLE VISITS WITH CITIZENS

While down at the depot one day last week we heard J.L. Griffith of Payette knocking the Council Valley as hard as he knew how in the presence of a homeseeker whom one of our real estate men was about to close a deal with.  On coming up the street we were told that Mr. Griffith had been doing a lot of knocking which we did not hear.  He was very imprudent to say the least.  Mr. Griffith sells tombstones and he has practically a monopoly on the business in this part of the country, but such talk as he made on his last trip will certainly erect his business tombstone in this vicinity in short order.  The people will not exert themselves to give their patronage to such knockers.


February 26, 1915
THE GRUMBLER

Editor Leader: 
If you want your county to improve, improve it.  If you want to make your county lively, make it so.  Don’t go to sleep, but get up and work for it and talk for it wherever you have a chance.  If you have property, improve it.  Paint your house, or if you can’t paint, give it a coat of whitewash.  Make it look bright as if somebody was supposed to live there.  Clean the road that passes your residence; also your yard, not only the front, but also the back yard.  Make your surroundings pleasant and your property will be worth more on the market.  If you are doing reasonably well, try and do better.  Go and talk with your friends; give them your advice and theirs, and see if it will not be better.

Work for home interests.  Trade at home; help your home dealers; keep your money at home as much as possible and it is likely to help you in return.

All successful counties have been made by property owners working together.  Public improvements are an investment that pays.  Don’t believe every scandalous rumor that is put into circulation concerning your fellow countrymen; crush the report in its infancy instead of throwing it out to the vicious newsmonger.  Don’t waste your time on dirty quarrels and hold back your aid from good objects through spite, but work for some good and you will find yourself benefited.

Sunny Side, Indian Valley.

April 30, 1915
PRAISES OUR FRUIT

Whitely Bros., Council, Idaho
Gentlemen:  This is to acknowledge receipt of a sample of apples that reached me through Mr. Freehafer, and we have never tasted anything like them in our lives, and if you can raise that kind at Council I would like to place my order for next year’s supply.  I have a little boy 4 years old and when he bit into one he said, “Oh mama, just see the juice, let’s get more of them.”  We certainly enjoyed them and wish to thank you for taking the trouble to send them.
Will H. Young, Boise

Editor’s Note: Mr. Young is the state bank examiner and the apples spoken of are the famous Council Valley “Delicious” variety.
January 29, 1916

SHEEP GRAZING BILL DEFEATED

Council Leader:
Will you please state through the columns of the Leader that House bill 36, which, had it passed, would have opened the cattle range to sheep grazing, was indefinitely postponed when it came up for the third reading in the House this morning, and which action finally disposes of the bill.  The reason we desire to state through the leader the fact of this bill’s defeat is because we know that a great many cattlemen at home were much concerned for fear it would become a law, and we know they will be glad to learn that it was killed.
E.W. Bowman
J.I. Linder


February 5, 1915
WOULD SAVE FREE TRAVELING LIBRARY

Council Leader:
On January 15, the undersigned wrote to the Idaho Free Traveling Library commission at Boise requesting an application for a case of books for this place, and received reply to the effect that there was a move on foot to kill the commission.
Insofar as the state has gone to great expense in establishing the commission and purchasing books, and that the great need of the public in this line is good books such as the state furnishes, doesn’t it appear to you that this is a very unwise move?

There are a number of good reasons which are apparent to the average person why this commission should remain intact.  Here are a few: the great initial expense has already been met; any community containing six responsible parties is allowed, upon application, a case of books; the transportation charges are paid by the state and no cost whatever is attached to the reading of these books; the case remains in each community for four months instead of thirty days as in some states.

The Goodrich live ones have formulated a petition to our representatives in Boise asking that this commission be retained, and it would be a good idea for every community to circulate one to the same effect and without delay.  The wording need not be lengthy or flowery.

I cannot help but think that this expected move is due to some wild idea of our governor to curtail expenses, but if he is to strike at our educational factors, he should be met with strenuous opposition from everyone, politics not considered.

A Subscriber, Goodrich

February 5, 1915
THE EVERLASTING CROAKER
I am giving you for publication a few notes on croakers and faultfinders.  It requires a keen discrimination to know just how large a piece of the mantle of charity should be thrown over the chronic croaker.  Whether a croaker can help croaking is a question that puzzles me.  A frog cannot sing; his throat is not built right; he can croak and that is all he can do; but the chronic has trained himself to be one at his will, so that he is a blight and a thorn in all places that he or she goes with croaking and fault finding.

I do not know but that there are some men and women who are so constructed that they can only croak, croak, and keep on that everlasting croaking, and instead of condemning them we ought to pity them.

A man who is miserable is certainly not a man to be envied and the croaker is most assuredly a miserable man.  Croakers are probably the most numerous class of people on earth.  It requires no special political or religious conviction to be a croaker or grouch; it requires no genius; it does not even need a common school education.  It is one of the glorious privileges of idleness that you may grumble if you wish.  Nobody wants to have anything to do with a gruff or a grouch.  He soon becomes blear-eyed, lop-sided, pigeon-toed and lantern-jawed and puts or takes on all the horrible looks that a fiend in human form is liable to get.
No, you cannot be a grouch continually and be a decent man.  He will at last imagine that people are shunning him, if there is any life left in his poor, grouchy soul, if he has one left that can be recognized as one, and as being shunned.  It is a fact that all decent people do shun him, for he is a blight in society and a home destroyer.  So it would be better for him and all concerned that he would quit for one week and give all a rest and see how pleasant it would be.  Now smile, you son-of-a-gun, for one week.

Sunny Side, Indian Valley

LOCAL ITEMS, 1915

Why go hungry?  The Overland Restaurant can feed you.

Don’t fail to clean your seed.  We do the work right and at reasonable rates.  Fred Cool.

Reduce the cost of living and escape the sweltering heat by taking meals at the Council  Café.  These are close times and every nickel you can save counts.

Mrs. John Clifton and son left yesterday morning for Midvale to attend the funeral of
Chas. Lakey’s baby.  Mrs. Lakey is a daughter of Mrs. Clifton.  The baby died from
whooping cough and mumps. Another of their children is dangerously ill.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH NOTES
Next Sunday will be observed as Rally Day and there will be preaching both morning and  evening.  Everybody welcome and a special invitation is extended to the members of the
Methodist church.

There will be a prayer meeting on Thursday evening.  Listen for the bell.

Last Sunday added another 100 to the attendance record at the Congregational church
Sunday school.  Next Sunday is the last day of the contest.

INDIAN VALLEY
This section is being treated to a good rain and there was some frost Saturday night, but
owing to the cloudy morning Sunday we think it did very little damage.  The early garden
is coming on now and lettuce and radishes will be plentiful in a few days.

Clyde Steward, Harry Ludwig and Ike Haworth started Friday to Caldwell with some horses and mules to attend the big horse sale.

Bruin will suffer now, as Fred Bailey and Joe Wilkerson have gone bear hunting.

D.K. Lindsay was out after the rain dragging the road from his place to town.  We wish a few more of our neighbors had autos.

compiled by Eberle Umbach