An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 10

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 10
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 10
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 10
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 10

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With such stories on the lips of miners returned to spend the winter in Walla Walla or Portland and stich accounts in the columns of the newspaper, what wonder that the fortune hunting public could not brook a wait until spring, before starting to the land of gold! In vain did the newspapers endeavor to per- suade the people into a reasonable state of mind; in vain did they protest that roads in the upper country were impassable; in vain did the Portland Advertiser call attention to the fact that snow at The Dalles was still (on March 14th) two feet deep and from one to four between that and Lewiston, with proportionately greater depths in the mountains ; that provisions along the whole distance were exhausted ; that riding or pack animals fit for service could not be obtained as all such were either dead or so reduced in strength and flesh by the severe winter as to be useless ; and that a

supply of fuel could not be obtained along the road except at long intervals. Men crowded into the in- terior as far as they could get notwithstanding these warnings, and it is said that so many men unable to pay the high prices of living crowded into The Dalles that that town was at one time temporarily subjected to the rule of a mob, the members of which proceeded to help themselves to such things as they needed. In- deed the severity of the winter in one way augmented the rush, as it made many Oregon farmers who had suffered severe losses by the floods of December es- pecially anxious to retrieve their fortunes. Merchants were in haste to be first in with their goods. Miners, who had left their claims in the fall, were anxious to return to them, lest they should be taken possession of by others.

Regular communication between The Dalles and Walla Walla had ceased in January after a disastrous trip of the stage, in which Johnson Mulkey, father-in- law of Senator Dolph, and a prominent Lewiston mer- chant named Jaggers had lost their lives. But about the middle of March a saddle train, with passengers, arrived from Walla Walla and that was the signal for a forward movement on the part of many who had crowded into The Dalles. A sudden thaw on the 22d made the roads almost impassable and swelled the streams so that fording was out of the question, but at this juncture the steamboat Colonel Wright suc- ceeded in making a trip from Celilo to Wallula, en- abling those who had not already started to secure easy transportation that far on their journey. But more than a month must yet elapse before the anxious fortune hunters could force their way to the land of promise. As before related, the first pack trains to arrive failed to get nearer Florence than ten or twelve miles and the goods were packed the rest of the way on the backs of starving men.

Though the richness of the discoveries already made was quite widely known. the extent of the au- riferous sands was a matter of uncertainty. The late- ness in the season of the discovery and the opposition of Indians had prevented thorough prospecting that fall, the severity of the cold and depth of snow made it impossible during the winter and early spring, so it was not until June that much could be done. The general appearance of the country for many miles around was similar to that in which the gold was being obtained, an encouraging, but, as it afterwards proved, delusive circumstance. The Florence country con- sists of an extensive basin surrounded by lofty moun- tains. Extended around its outer edge and snug up against the base of its rugged natural wall is a deep canyon, while in the center are numerous pine and tamarack-clad elevations. Evidences of fire were visible in many places and there were other extensive areas in which the trees were dead, but did not bear any marks of fire. Judge Poe thinks that the most probably theory to account for these dead forests is that at some time a season of unusual severity had killed the tree roots.

It was in the gulches between these elevations that the gold was found. On the surface was a turf of six

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

inches to a foot in thickness, beneath which was a loam varying in depth from one to six feet. Beneath this again was a bed of gravel, then another layer of earth and then a red gravel, said to be peculiar to the Florence and Warren regions, bearing gold. The sand possessed no magnetic qualities and resembled gold dust so closely that it might easily be mistaken therefor. Humorous stories are told of its being passed upon un- suspecting tenderfeet for the much-prized, much- sought yellow metal. The sand was, however, of a greatly lower specific gravity, hence could be separated from the gold by blowing. The bedrock is granite.

Some of the gulches were dry, but water could generally be secured by digging and the method em- ployed by those not so fortunate as to possess streams or ditches was to make an excavation, allow it to fill with water, use this over and over again in the rockers until it became too thick, then dip the well dry and wait for it to fill again from the water-soaked gravels around.

Such was the country to be prospected during the summer of 1862 by the motley crowds that had flocked to it. Thousands explored it in all directions, testing every creek and guich. This thorough exploration proved that outside of an area perhaps five miles square no pay dirt could be found, and the number of disap- pointments may be imagined. A relatively small number found the wealth they had come so far to seek, but the vast majority learned that the sacrifices of their toil- some journey in the spring of 1862 would remain for- ever unrewarded. The hunger and fatigue, the cold and exposure, the dreary journeyings over muddy roads, through flood-swollen streams and by snow- filled, mountain trails were to win no smile from fickle Fortuna, who bestows her favors with an arbitrary, whimsical hand. Some cursed their ill luck ; some gave away to despondency ; some with apparent jollity and abandon laughed the laugh which told too plainly de- spite its apparent meriment, that penury had always been their lot ; that nothing better was expected in the future and that they had determined to defy evil fate by seeming indifference to its persistent lashings.

Prospecting parties did not confine their operations, during 1862, to the Florence basin, although that was the principal scene of operations. Many small com- panies scoured the hills and mountains in all directions and one of these made a discovery, which, had not its importance been magnified many diameters by false reports, would have long since been forgotten. The discovery in question was made in the vicinity of Buf- falo Hump, a mountain some twenty miles northeast of Florence. It was not of sufficient importance to hold people enough to found a new camp, but a rush was occasioned of no small magnitude. Rumor said that the miners there were taking out dust by the teacupful and that even gum boots were being called into requi- sition as receptacles in which to store the dust. Ex- citement ran high. Rich claims in Florence were tem- porarily abandoned by men anxious to join the stam- pede. The falsity of the report was, however, soon discovered, though not until some of the merchants

had pofited by it, as the circulators of the false re- ports doubtless intended they should.

But one new discovery of real merit was made dur- ing the year. In July, 1862, James Warren, Matt Bledsoe and a few others set out on an exploring and prospecting tour of the Salmon river country. War- ren, the leader, was a college man, generally liked, but like most men of the region, he had drifted into bad habits and bad company. After prospecting all along Salmon river, the party at length decided to try the high mountain country to the southward. Crossing Salmon river at a point nearly due south of Florence they continued their journey to a small stream, which coursed seven or eight miles through a beautiful meadow, perhaps a mile wide in places. Near the head of this little mountain torrent the party camped and, according to the usual custom, some of their number busied themselves with the gold pan. Better prospects were discovered than had before rewarded their efforts on the trip and a number of claims were staked out. The credit of this find was given to Warren, after whom the entire camp was subsequently named. The gold was fine and did not exist in such large quanti- ties as in the other camps, though Judge Poe tells us that as high as sixty ounces per diem to the rocker were taken out. The rich find at the head of the creek led to the settlement of the district, but it was subsequent discoveries that gave the camp permanence.

Of course the usual rush followed as soon as the facts became known. The news reached Florence first, causing a commotion in that camp. Judge J. W. Poe, who at the time was engaged in the mercantile business in Florence with Joseph Haines and S. S. Smith, under the firm name of Smith & Company, told the writer the story of the early days of Warren as follows:

"The news reached me early. Smith was in Oregon. Haines was then at Lewiston and just preparing to start for Fleronce with a pack train of forty animals. I immediately sent a mesenger to him, telling him of the new discovery across the Salmon and asking him to come at once as I was unable to leave the store. Meanwhile the rush to the new district began and thou- sands deserted Florence in search of a fortune in the new mines. The trail led from Florence down the Salmon river, across this stream and several miles up a mountain, past Marshall lake and over a divide onto Warren creek. The Indian trails usually followed the summits of mountain ranges, that the red men might be the better able to keep their bearings, and it was on this account that mineral deposits happened to be dis- covered in such elevated places.

"Among the first who went to Warren was my partner, Joseph Haines, who had returned in haste from Lewiston on receipt of my message. He and a man named White met the returning crowds at Salmon river, and heard their discouraging reports, but never- theless, determined to push on. They camped near the mouth of a little stream afterward called Slaughter creek because the cattle brought into camp were killed there, a stream which empties into Warren's creek,

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

two or three miles above the canyon. In this locality they noticed a deep washout, left by the flood of spring- time, and repairing thither, they quickly washed from a pan of the dirt about one dollar and seventy-five cents in gold. The party staked out claims for them- selves and one each for Smith and myself and one dis- covery claim, thus inaugurating the real Warren camp. Others took claims along the creek bed and soon sev- eral hundred men were at work. Returning to Flor- ence for his packtrain, Haines took it through to the new camp, gaining the distinction of being the first to enter with a mercantile train. The date of his sec- ond arrival was September 8, 1862. The miners as- sisted in building a rude house and before night the first store in the new district was standing at the mouth of Slaughter creek. The settlement which sprang up around it was named Richmond, after the confederate capital, a circumstance which soon gave it a rival, for the Unionists, not to be outdone, established another settlement a mile below, to which they gave the name Washington. Richmond did not long survive the con- federate cause, for by 1866 it was abandoned by nearly all its inhabitants. The reason of its decay was not political, however, but rather that it had the misfor- tune to be built on rich placer ground, which in time had to be surrendered to claim owners. Washington's site was just off the pay streak, and its growth was augmented by the decline of its rival. It became the county seat of Idaho county in 1869, succeeding Flor- ence in the enjoyment of that distinction.

"Early in the fall of 1862 a miners' meting was held at Richmond at which I was elected by acclamation to the office of district recorder. For recording a claim I received a fee of one dollar and fifty cents, and some- times I recorded as many as one hundred a day. When the law reduced this fee to one dollar. I resigned, not caring to bother with such work, and believing that I could make more in the mines."

The rush to the Warren mines never seems to have gained the magnitude of that incited by the Florence discovery, probably because the former deposits were not anything like as rich as the latter; that is, they never yielded such enormous per diem returns, though they proved of much greater permanence. The num- ber who joined the stampede to the new diggings is perhaps impossible to estimate, but the population of the camp simmered down to about a thousand during the fall, including those at Summit, Richmond and Washington. By 1863 the population had increased to fully fifteen hundred and the population four years later was not less than twelve hundred. The discovery of quartz in 1868 brought in a few more men, though no great influx resulted from this cause owing to the fact that gold bearing quartz so far inland cannot be profitably worked. As the placers began to show signs of exhaustion they were turned over to Chinamen, several hundred of whom found employment in the abandoned placers for many years. In 1872 the white population of the camp had declined to between three and four hundred.

As before stated, the original trail to Warren led over an exceeding high mountain, necessitating a climb

of some twelve miles. The difficulties and rigors of this road led to efforts for another and better one, and eventually a new trail was made crossing Salmon river ten miles below the original crossing. This road as- cended Elk erek four miles, then turned southeasterly across the summit of the divide and proceeded to Lake creek, which it pursued for twelve miles or until the Warm Springs were reached. From this point it fol- lowed Secesh creek ten miles, then crossed the divide to Steamhoat creek, then down that to Warren creek and up the last named stream to the camp. It was ten miles longer than the former route of travel, but on account of its easier grade it nevertheless soon became the principal thoroughfare to the mines.

One peculiarity of the Warren district was that though the man credited with its discovery was of loose morals, showing a decided predilection for the com- pany of the rougher classes of society, and though at least one of the men with him at the time of the dis- covery was an out and out desperado, yet the camp never became the prey of ruffians, never was placed under the necessity of organizing a vigilance committee for its own defense and never witnessed a popular execution.

"The most serious difficulty which I remember," says Judge Poe, "grew out of a robbery which took place during the winter following the opening of the mines. While Mike Reynolds, one of the miners, was at work near the creek, someone went into his cabin and carried off $400 or $500 worth of gold dust. Two men whose names I cannot now recall, were suspected and arrested. I was appointed to defend one and Charles MeKay the other. The trial was set for the next day.

"That evening while I was sleeping Three- Fingered Smith, my partner, came to the room and aroused me, telling me that the miners' meeting, in which I should be interested, was in progress across the street in a saloon. I hurriedly dressed and hastened to the place indicated. I found it crowded with men, eagerly discussing the question of hanging my client. Strangely enough, MeKay was one of the ardent sup- porters of this extreme measure. His client was not present, nor was there any talk of punishing him, but when I arrived preparations had already begun for the summary execution of my man. I straightway mounted a counter and began an impassioned plea for the poor fellow's life, the result of which was that either on my own personal account or through con- passion for the accused, incited by my words, the rope was laid aside and the man held for civil trial. He was afterwards convicted and sentenced to a short term in the penitentiary."

In this manner was averted an unfortunate event which came near staining the fair name of the War- ren mining district. That a resort to extreme meas- ures was never here necessary is due to the fact that the discovery of mines in what is now Montana had drawn away the rough element before the importance of the Warren district had been established.

Having now outlined in a general way the events culminating in the discovery and first development of

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

the early mining camps, we must essay to give some insight into the social conditions of the times. The task is a difficult one and adaquately to discharge it is impossible under the limitations imposed by the plan of this volume, but from the testimony of those who were in north Idaho during the earliest days, we may, perhaps, be able to draw an outline picture. The summer months are utilized by the miner to the best possible advantage in separating, by the different processes known to practical mineralogy, the precious yellow metal from the sand and gravel in which it lies. There is enough of excitement about the search to keep every man doing his utmost during the long hours of labor, and by the time the miner has repaired in the evening to his rude cabin, cooked and eaten his supper of bread, pork and beans and coffee, and enjoyed his evening smoke, he is ready to retire, for he must be at his task again at an early hour. When Sunday comes it does not always bring repose or even a change of task, but generally the pick and shovel are laid aside and the miner busies himself in washing his soiled shirts, darning his socks, mending clothes, chopping firewood for the week, baking bread and the like. There is little time for drinking, gambling or dissipation, though the miner may occasionally in- dulge in the pleasures of the appetite, even during this bnsy season. His main pleasure is, however, the gratification of his master passion, the pursuit of wealth. The reputation of the mining town for immorality and vice must be kept up during the summer months, if it is maintained at all, by the gambling and carousing class, the enemy of all morality, canker worms on the body politic.

But when winter's snows and surly blasts put an end to the pursuit of gold, then it is that the man- hood of the miner is severely tested. Nothing but gold can induce him to overcome the gregarious in- stincts of his nature. When that pursuit is no longer possible he must repair to the town, there to run the gauntlet of ten thousand dangers; to avoid the traps and pitfalls set to capture his money and his man- hood, or falling into them, to part with both. The conflict which rages within his breast is nine times out of ten an unequal one. The kindly influences of home and church and pure, enobling society are all wanting. External restraints upon him there are none. Pure amusements, refined society he cannot have. Fortunate indeed is he, if his morality and his prin- ciples are so firmly set in the unyielding granite of his nature, that he can pass the several months of enforced idleness without a lapse or a plunge into impurity, licentiousness and debauchery.

If it were possible for the miner to keep busy dur- ing the winter, he could easily withstand the blandish- ments of vice. But the ennui of protracted idleness, who can indure? To pass the time pleasantly, all the books and papers of the camp are read and re- read. The social card game is restored to. It is kept up until all interest in it cloys. The passion for novelty and excitement becomes well nigh uncontroll- able. It drives its poor victim at first to the more nearly respectable places of resort. Ah, now he is

treading on the dangerous ground! The convivial in- stincts of his own nature, the examples of men still held in high esteem in this frontier community, with its lowered social standards, the allurements of abandoned Delilahs, the persuasions of some fallen men, the ridicule of others, all tend to lead or to drive him deeper into the mirey slough of dissipation. The punishment swift, and condign which in an older community would be visited upon the man who openly takes his first plunge into license is not here meted out and the poor victim does not always realize that nature has provided her own punishment for the violation of her moral and physical laws; a punish- ment which though slower in its visitations is sure never to miscarry as that of society often does. Without uplifting influences, without the usual re- straints, without danger of social ostracism, without even civil law, with the higher cravings of nature unsatisfied, in the midst of all the temptations which a society composed largely of gamblers, vagabonds, fallen women and even thieves, desperadoes and murderers can furnish, is it to be wondered that so many well meaning men fell by the wayside? Yet out of this heterogeneous society have come unseared many of the noblest and brightest of the leaders and builders of our western institutions.

When the miners first invaded north Idaho there was practically no law for their government. The region was a part of the territory of Washington, but from the nature of the case it could not be efficiently governed from Olympia. There were no county organizations : no local officers of the law ; no courts. In fact the country was a veritable haven for escaped convicts, desperadoes, thugs and thieves and abandoned characters of every variety. Let the reader picture in his imagination a society so con- stituted, made up so largely of a desperate criminal class, without restraint of any kind, and he will have a picture of north Idaho as it was in 1861 and 1862. In forming this mental picture he should give duc weight also to the fact that the Civil war was then in progress, that it drove to the west many from both north and south who were unwilling to bear the re- sponsibilities it imposed upon them ; that these brought with them all the bitterness and prejudice engendered by that strife, and that the violent expression of this prejudice was the occasion of many a personal en- counter. Truly the conditions obtaining were such as can never again exist upon the American conti- nent.

As might be expected the catalogue of crime was a long one. The insecurity of life and property upon the highways may easily be imagined. The well dis- posed citizens were so greatly in the minority that they dared not offer resistance to the reign of crime, and red handed, blazen eyed murder stalked unmasked at mid- day through the streets of the towns. A full history of this carnival of crime cannot here be attempted ; would not add to the value of the work if presented in detail, but as affording some idea of this modern reign of terror we quote the following from Ban- croft's summary, gleaned from the journals of the

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

times : "Robert Upcreek, shot at Oro Fino by a Frenchman in September, 1861 ; Hypolite, owner of a large packtrain and $500 in gold, murdered on the road in October, 1861 ; Ned Meany, killed in a quarrel at Jackson's ferry, near Lewiston, November, 1861 ; two masked men entered a house in Lewiston in December and in spite of resistance carried off $500, shooting fatally one of the inmates; Matt. Bledsoe killed James H. Harmon at Slate creek, Salmon river, in a quarrel over cards. December, 1861; four murders were committed in two weeks at Lewiston in the fall of 1861 : three in March, 1862, at Florence ; William Kirby killed John Maples in July, 1863; William H. Tower, while threatening others, was shot and killed at Florence, February 23, 1863; Morrissy, a desperado, was killed at Elk City about the same time : George Reed was shot by Isaac Warwick in a quarrel about a claim in April, 1863; Frank Gallag- her was murdered by one Berryman, with whom he was traveling ; at a ball at Florence on New Year's eve, a cyprian was ejected from the dancing room, whereupon Henry J. Talbotte (better known as Chero- kee Bob) and William Willoughby armed then- selves and prepared for vengance; later they were both killed in an attempt to get it; one Bull, living near Elk City, kindly entertained over night two men who asked for shelter, in the morning the men and five horses were missing. Bull followed them for twenty days, coming up with them at a camp on Gold creek, 265 miles from home, on seeing him one of the men sprang on a horse and fled, the other, William Arnett, was shot ; a party pursuing the flee- ing robber brought him back and hanged him. Enoch Fruit was a chief of road agents; James Robinson, a mere boy, was one of his assistants ; in the autumn of 1862 they were prominent among the knights of the road between Florence and Lewiston; both met violent deaths : James Crow, Michael Mulkie and Jack McCoy robbed three travelers between Oro Fino and Lewiston : William Rowland and George Law were a couple of horse thieves operating on Camas Prairie ; George A. Noble of Oregon City, was robbed of 100 pounds of gold dust between Florence and Oro Fino in December, 1862: two horsethieves, for stealing from a government train, were shot dead." Besides the homocides and robberies above noted and scores of others which came to the knowledge of the people at the time, there were perhaps hundreds of which nothing was ever known; at least it was judged so from the number of inquiries which kept coming in for years afterward from persons in the east, whose relatives were lost track of.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 10

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524