Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Adams County Makes the News - Council Leader #4

The Council Leader
Ivan M. Durrell, Editor and Publisher
COUNCIL VALLEY FIRST, THE WORLD AFTERWARDS
Council, Washington County, Idaho

September 17, 1909
SCHOOL WILL START

Owing to some misunderstanding, school did not commence last Monday as we stated last week. However, everything is straightened up now and the school house doors will be open next Monday morning with the teachers ready to commence their work in earnest.

LOCAL ITEMS, 1909

Electric Bitters will cure that tired feeling. Council Drug Co.

Buy red apple envelopes at the Leader

Walter Yockey, representing the Ohio Match Company, was in Council this week prospecting for timber for match making.

We still have a few boxes of fine eating apples at Cool’s.

Hauk Beier is in the valley this week purchasing supplies for his sheep camp.

For good fat hens at 50 cents, call at Conways.

I have a full line of seed grain, which I will sell at the lowest price consistent with good business. Remember, if you sow poor seed, you will harvest a poor crop. I have No. 1 seed. Come and see it. Fred Cool

October 1, 1909
ISSUE NO. 52

This issue closes the Leader’s first year of publication in Council. Commencing with a little three-column quarto, the Leader has grown to a six-column folio, or in other words, it has doubled in size. While we have not doubled our capital by any means, we have lived and enjoyed a fair patronage for which we are very greatly obliged to our patrons.

It is our honest intention and earnest endeavor to publish a local paper that would be a credit to the town and vicinity. Whether we have accomplished that end or not we will leave to our readers, but we have tried and we hope that we have.

We have kept out of politics and intend to do so in the future, but if anybody wishes to use the columns of the Leader for political purposes, they may do so by signing their names to the article. We do not deem it wise for a paper in a small town to try to tell his neighbors what to do.

When we arrived in Council a little over a year ago we will frankly admit that we did not think much of the place. But the longer we stayed the better we liked the town and such is the case today. We sincerely believe that Council has the makings of as good and prosperous a town as one would wish to live in. With the support of the people, we will do all we can for the welfare and development of Council Valley.
Ivan M. Durell, Editor.

April 8, 1910
FADS AND FANCIES IN DRESS

The shawl is now one of the most important articles of dress in Paris.

Unfinished fabrics such as homespun and hopsack basket weaves are popular as novelties.

Sleeves made up in a series of flounces are among the prettiest conceits in dancing frocks.

While skirts may be pleated, they do not express fullness. In Paris there are under-tapes to hold them down.

The sharp-pointed waist is seen now and then in ultra-fashionable costumes, but it is still too radical to be exploited freely.

May 5, 1910
A NEW INDUSTRY

There has been some talk recently about a large sawmill being located at Council. Expert Lumberman D.F. Seerey of Ogden, Utah has been sent here to make an examination of timber and of the possibilities of driving the river from West Fork to Council. Mr. Seerey returned from the timber the first of the week and expressed himself as being much surprised to find so large a body of timber of good quality and so very accessible to market that has not been secured by some large timber company. According to Mr. Seerey’s estimate, there is between 30 and 40 million feet of excellent saw timber within 15 to 20 miles of Council. This timber can all be driven down the river to Council at a very small expense to a good mill site right at the edge of town. A sawmill and planing mill are badly needed at this place and such an enterprise would not only be a money-maker for the investor, but would be a great benefit to the entire valley. Most of the timber is already mature, and the Forest Service is anxious to dispose of it.

July 15, 1910

NO SHORT RAILROAD IN THE WEST CAN COMPARE

No short railroad in the west can compare with the P. & I. N. in the smoothness of its roadway. This is the unanimous opinion of everyone who goes over the road. Never in the history of the railroad has the passenger traffic been so heavy as at this time. It seems that the entire city of Weiser as well as Boise and other neighboring towns are going over the P. & I. N. railway to some one of the numerous beautiful resorts on that line.

compiled by Eberle Umbach

7 comments:

  1. These were great, John. I love the little misunderstanding on when school was to start!

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  2. Hi Willow: Thanks! I should note that this is Eberle's project--she compiled these from old newspapers several years back. There are a number of installments to come!

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  3. Fascinating snippets from the past Eberle and John.I'd love to try some 'Electric bitters' and I'm wondering if the saw mill ever came to Council.

    'When we arrived in Council a little over a year ago we will frankly admit that we did not think much of the place.'

    Whoah! And they're tring to sell newspapers!! :)

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  4. Thank you for yet another installment of what has become one of my very favourite series. What a window to a bygone age they provide.

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  5. Hi TFE & Alan:

    TFE: I'm not sure if "that" sawmill came to Council, but there was a sawmill in Council for many years until the mid 90s. For some time at least it was owned by Boise-Cascade, a very large timber company. To quote a country & western song, it could be said that when Boise-Cascade pulled out of town, B-C "got the gold mine" & Council "got the shaft." Most locals don't see it that way however.

    Alan: Both Eberle & I are so glad you like this series--thanks for the kind words!

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  6. This is a delightful sentence:

    Sleeves made up in a series of flounces are among the prettiest conceits in dancing frocks.

    and I laughed at this:

    ... but it is still too radical to be exploited freely.

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  7. Dear HKatz,
    I love fashion commentary from past eras - such an instant window into a moment in time. I liked the line about radical fashion too - I've read that in the nineteenth century, Englishwomen (who could afford it) included a stop in Paris during their honeymoon to purchase clothing, but then stored these confections for one or two years before wearing them - so that the fashions would not be so new as to be shocking to their acquaintances or cause them to be classed among the "fast" married women.

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