Camas Prairie in the News 1890

Idaho Daily Statesman, Boise, Idaho
15 March 1890, pg. 2, col. 1

Help in the Time of Need

The farmers in the great Camas Prairie, a large and rich agricultural district, situated near the Wood River mining region, find themselves this spring under the necessity of seeking aid from those of their fellow citizens who have been less unfortunate.

During the past two seasons, these farmers have suffered from a continued scarcity of water amounting to an absolute drouth last season, which of itself would have reduced the yield of their crops to the smallest limits. In addition to this affliction, they have also been the victims of two years of the grasshopper plague which stripped them of nearly every remaining resource.

The deep snows in the mountains give certain assurance of abundant water this season and security from drouth and the grasshoppers are not feared this year, as these pests are known not to have deposited their eggs in the country at their last visitation.

All the circumstances are now favorable and the situation is full of promise for good and abundant crops and a season of general prosperity for the farmers in Camas Prairie as elsewhere, but these people have completely exhausted their resources and means in living through these two bad seasons and through the long hard winter that has followed. They find themselves now at the beginning of the present promising season without seed for grain for their fields and without the means of obtaining it.

The acreage of the area heretofore cultivated and now ready to be sown amounts to about 10,7000 acres, distributed among the several local districts as follows: Soldier district, 4000 acres; Corral district, 2400 acres; Creighton and Willow Creek, 3700 acres; South of the Malade 600 acres. The amount of seed per acre needed for sowing is 100 pounds. The grain usually sown is oats, barley, and wheat.

As soon as the condition of the farmers became known, the enterprising and generous citizens of Hailey took the matter in hand and have through their Board of Trade, contributed about 18 tons of seed grain. In order to make contributions from a distance easily available, the railroad company has offered free transportation for the same.

Hon. W.Y. Perkins of Hailey, representing the Hailey Board of Trade is now in this city, and the Boise Board of Trade has appointed a committee, composed of Messrs. Chas. Elmrod and Joseph Perrault to accompany Mr. Perkins in calling upon the citizens of Boise and soliciting subscriptions for the purpose named.

The committee will call upon citizens today and give them an opportunity of contributing to this good cause. It cannot be doubted that the citizens of the Capital City, who have always responded so generously to every call made upon them will be equally ready to aid the unfortunate neighbors of Camas Prairie, for home help is only asked to enable them to sow their fertile fields and thus profit by the good farming season that is at hand. Contributions made here will be forwarded by the Boise Board of Trade to the Board of Trade of Hailey and through the latter Board will be distributed prorata to the farmers of the Prairie.