An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 100

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 100
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 100
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 100
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 100

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

mining. The story of the discovery is thus told : In June, 1898, a prospector and miner named Charles F. Robbins, in company with George Mitchell, an- other devotee of the same calling, went into the Florence country on a prospecting trip. Thence they proceded to Warren, returning about July 15th. In Florence Robbins met another prospector named Bert Rigley Young. The two men, with Mitchell and a fourth mining man known as Perry 'Mallory, formed a party to go into the Meadow creek country, where they located some placer property. They worked the ground for a week, but not obtaining satisfactory re- sults abandoned the claim and went over into the Wind river country, where Robbins and Young did the assessment work on a property. Mallory and Mitchell here separated from their companions and returned to civilization. The two remaining pros- pectors, upon completing the assessment work, re- sumed their prospecting. The second day out, the date being the 7th of August, they camped about seventy-five yards from the ledge of rock upon which the Big Buffalo claim was afterward located. When camp had been made, Young (who then went by the name Rigley) started on a hunt for deer. Return- ing about six o'clock he passed over the big, uncouth ledge. His attention was attracted by the character of the rock. He picked up a piece of quartz weighing about forty pounds, put it under his arm and went on with it to the camp, where that night it was put through the roasting process. The result was satis- factory and the next day the two men located the Big Buffalo and Merrimac. On the Ioth, the Oro Fino, a southern extension of the Merrimac, was staked out. The men worked on the various claims from the morning of the 8th to the evening of the IIth, leaving next day for Florence for a fresh food supply. They told the story of their good fortune and soon the news reached the outside world and a rush for claims was precipitated. The bonding of these Hump properties for over half a million dollars gave to the world sufficient proof of their value.

Speaking of the excitement occasioned by the discovery to a reporter for the Spokane Daily Chroni- cle, Attorney Nash said :

"No one has any idea of the enthusiasm that the Buffalo Hump strike has aroused. It is all and even more than the locators claimed for it. The assays run to phenomenal values and none of the returns have been low. The strike itself is one of the most phenomenal geological freaks ever discovered. It consists of a huge vein of ore thrown up on the face of the plain and for five miles one can ride along beside it on horseback. In its course the vein runs straight through the Salmon river.

"For two weeks past men have been flocking from all directions to the camp. At night the camp fires resemble those of an army; for miles around they leap heavenward. More than two hundred prospec- tors were living in tents along the vein when I left Grangeville. Florence and the other camps are almost depopulated ; men threw up good jobs to get to the strike; you meet them on foot, huge packs on their

backs ; on horseback, two men on a horse ; in wagons with supplies piled up high ; in all sorts of vehicles, all with but one thought-to stake out a claim before all are gone.

"The ledge is free milling white quartz. For years trained and veteran prospectors camped beside it, and climbed over and around it to get into the renowned diggings in Boise basin, in the Florence district, in the northern counties, into the Seven Devils country and to dozens of other localities long since forgotten."

A mining boom may be a costly thing for those who travel long distances and endure great hardships without being fortunate enough to find any reward in unearthed treasure, but it probably never has the cieplorable effect upon conditions in the boomed sec- tion that a real estate boom has. The result of the sale of the Buffalo mines was a revival of activity in all the mining districts, and a rush into central Idaho in midwinter, which called forth words of warning from the local press. Throughout the whole of the year 1899, Idaho county was in a state of feverish excitement. Old undeveloped properties of which prospectors had known for years began attracting general attention, and inasmuch as they were new to the public many of them were looked upon as recent discoveries. The mining world was astonished at the discovery of the Buffalo Hump, Mallick, Salmon river and South Fork mines almost simultaneously, when as a matter of fact they were not new finds, though without fame, as their development had long been rendered impossible bv isolation. A mining boom occasions co-operation in the building of roads and overcoming of natural barriers, producing results utterly unattainable by the generally impectinious prospecting class.

A not tinimportant incidental result of the Buffalo Hump excitement was the bringing into prominence before the public of the richest and finest agricultural lands in the state, those of the Camas prairie and the Nez Perces reservation. Thus the farming classes profited not alone by the creation of an excellent home market for their products, but by the influx of men looking for homes, the augmentation of the agri- cultural population and the increased development at- tendant thereon.

Another cause of excitement during this year was the railroad activity centering in the Clearwater country. Both the Northern Pacific and the O. R. & N. were making surveys in the central Idaho region, and encouraging the hope that construction of roads in several different directions would soon begin. but the railroad situation has been discussed at some length in a previous chapter and needs no further treatment here.

Writing in the Portland Oregonian, a correspend- ent in Grangeville thus summarizes the conditions ob- taining in Idaho county in the summer of 1899:

"This whole country is on the boom. Mineral strikes and railway prospects are the cause ot it. Buf- falo Hump being the most important factor. From Lewiston to Mount Idaho business is showing the ef- fect of the boom and everybody is confident that it is

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

but the beginning of a permanent prosperity. New towns and new additions to old towns are coming to the front : the price of real estate is leaping skyward ; every house of every description is occupied to its full capacity and large numbers of new ones are under construction, while many vacant lots serve as tenting ground for the people who cannot otherwise get housed. *

The greatest drawback this country has is lack of railroads. At present all freight has to be hauled over a mountain range 5.000 feet high from Lewiston, seventy miles away. Two cents per pound is being paid to-day for all freight handled between the two points. This is a handicap that is discouraging to those who have to compete with the world, so the competition from this section has not been worth mentioning.

"Now two lines of railway are projected through the country. The O. R. & N. has done more than a make a preliminary survey. It has definitely located its line and obtained the right of way up the Clearwater and across the Camas prairie to Grangeville. The N. P.'s survey clings to the Clearwater river, following up the canyon on the side opposite the prairie, and aiming. it is said, for a pass that will allow it to go through into Montana.

"Gold dust and bullion to the value of about $250,- 000 were sent out of Idaho county last year, fully half of which was handled in Grangeville. That yield was much below the average and was much less than the value of the supplies taken in for the support of the miners. From Camas prairie last fall, ten thousand hogs were driven out to market and about three thousand each of cattle, horses and sheep. Besides these of course the local market was supplied. It is not found to be profitable ordinarily to raise grain, hay or root crops for the outside market, the cost of freighting by teams over Craig's mountain being heavy, and the home demand is so limited that there is small inducement for syste- matic farming. Scarcely one-tenth of the land that might be cultivated is now cultivated. The rich alluvial soil ranging in color from a mole brown to inky black, occasionally of clayey texture and in a few cases show- ing a little gravel or sand, is said to be the best known for barley, and the wheat grown on it is of such qual- ity that one of the mills at Grangeville sends out a carload of flour a week to supply a special demand from San Francisco. Last year Grangeville sold goods of all kinds to the total of about $750,000."

The same conditions that had brought the good times of 1899 continued operative during the following year with the result that that also was very prosperous and brought substantial industrial developments. On May 26th a delegation from Grangeville's board of trade responded to an invitation to mcet and confer with President Mellen of the Northern Pacific Rail- road at Stuart. The railway man opened the inter- view by emphatically stating that the road he repre- sented would extend its line to Camas prairie within a year if nothing unforseen should prevent. He stated that the truce agreed upon between himself and Presi-

dent Harriman in 1899 had been a blessing in disguise for Grangeville, inasmuch as the road, if forced to build at that ime, would have passed up the Cotton- wood leaving Grangeville side tracked. while now a plat had been filed of a route touching the town.

In mining circles activity continued, the Hump being still the center of attraction, though signs of the coming Thunder Mountain boom were discernable. Not a little interest was taken in Dewey, a mine located the previous year on the south fork of the Clearwater. seven miles from Grangeville. The camp certainly held forth bright prospects and it had the advantage. should it prove meritorious, of being easily accessible. A wagon road was completed into the Hump country from Grangeville in October .- a splendid monument to the energy and public spirit of Grangeville and the prairie, and a great advantage to the farmer and the miner alike. There was much activity in some of the old camps.

"With the closing of another year," says the Free Press, in its issue of December 27, 1900, "the people of Idaho county can look back over the past twelve months and point with pride to the splendid advance- ment made in this part of the state. Immigration has flowed into our borders: our mines have been de- veloped ; our crops have been abundant ; our merchants have enjoyed a lucrative trade, and all well directed energy has been rewarded."

The year of 1901 was one of progress in Idaho county along various lines. High prices for cattle, sheep and hogs made good times among the stockmen and farmers, while the various mines in the different districts were worked vigorously. The report of the state mining in- spector stated that at Dixie, in the Hump country and on the Evergreen and Dewey mines on the south fork of the Clearwater near Grangeville much development work was done, and that the results were such as to encourage the mine owners to hope for the fulfillment of their most sanguine predictions. The general pros- perity of the country induced not a few industrial pro- jects of various kinds the boldest and chiefest among which was that for the building of an electric railway between Lewiston and Grangeville, via Denver, Cotton- wood and Nezperce. At a joint meeting held at Grangeville August 12th of committees representing the Lewiston Commercial club and the Grangeville board of trade, this project was discussed and it was decided to organize a company. E. H. Libby, of the Lewiston Water & Power Company, argued the prac- ticability of the scheme, proposing that power be taken from the south fork of the Clearwater and from the Grande Ronde river. Engineer Walter H. Hill had prepared estimates of the cost showing that $900,000 would be required to construct the line. exclusive of power, power plants, electrical equipments and rolling stock. The extensive area of agricultural and timber land tributary to the proposed road, it was argued, would abundantly justify the venture. It was decided to raise fifteen hundred dollars with which to make preliminary surveys, further estimates, etc., but the

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

project has never been pushed, though its agitation may be resumed in future and there is a remote possi- bility of its ultimate materialization.

The chief sensation of 1902 was the Thunder Mountain excitement. For several years the existence there of both placer and quartz gold had been known, and the district was represented on the records of the United States assay office at Boise, but owing to its isolation and the absorbing interest of the Buffalo Hump and other districts less remote from ordinary routes of travel, it attracted little general attention. In 1902, however, he eyes of the public were turned in its dirction, no doubt through the extensive adver- tising of the railroads, and a rush of no small magni- tude was precipitated. The credit of the discovery is universally accorded to the Caswell Brothers. "In 1894." says the report of the state mine inspector, "Ben Caswell and Dan. Caswell first visited the dis- trict and located several claims, and while the forma- tion was entirely quartz, there being no gravel carrying the gold as in placer mining, yet by panning the de- composed porphyry where upon the surface it had be- come air slacked, the venturesome prospectors secured- some $260 in gold. For seven years these men, who were joined by another brother, W. T. Ritchey and Mr. Huntley, annually visited the district, and althoughi their efforts were of the crudest and they were able to work only two weeks each season, a total of fourteen weeks, utilizing the water from the melting snow, within that period of time they secured $20,358.99 in gold, as shown by the receipts of the U. S. assay office at Boise.

"Among those who had heard of the discoveries of the Caswells was Ed. H. Dewey, of Nampa, Idaho, and with characteristic keenness and foresight, Mr. Dewey was the first to realize the wonderful possibili- ties of the district and interested his father, Col. W. H. Dewey, the well-known millionaire mining and railroad man, in a proposition to purchase the original Caswell discoveries. The Caswells concluded that an assured competence was better than even the owner- ship of a bonanza that would require large capital to develop. They also had other claims in the dis- trict and the interesting of Colonel Dewey would mean the building of roads to the almost inaccessible region and the enhancing of the value of every prospect. A deal was quickly made and a bond to dispose of the claims comprised in the original discovery was entered into in the sum of $100,000. Colonel Dewey imme- diately put a force of men at work and sent experts into the camp. So favorable were the reports of these experts, men of the highest standing in their pro- fession, that Colonel Dewey and associates, capitalists of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, paid the agreed purchase price to the Caswells, although the bond was not due until January, 1903. The Dewey Company has done a great deal of work, having sent in a ten stamp mill. which was taken over the Boise-Bear valley route in wagons and by pack horses. They have run several hundred feet of tunnels and cross cuts which have all

been in ore of a free milling character, averaging $7 and upwards per ton."

The knowledge of the facts contained in the report from which the above extract has been made and the advertising of the railroad companies, precipitated, as we have said, a large influx of people into the Thun- der Mountain district during the mining season of 1902. Travel into the country was divided between two routes, via Boise and Bear valley and via Grange- ville, Florence and Warren. Naturally the former route was the most popular with eastern people on ac- count of its setting out directly from a transconti- mental railroad, but there was much travel over the other route also, and the farmers, merchants and hotel men of Idaho county derived the advantage.

For two or three years previous to this time, the matter of removing the county seat from Mount Idaho to Grangeville had received some attention and at one time steps in that direction had been taken, but the scheme was not pushed to any conclusion. In 1902, however, it was resolved to bring the matter to an issue, so a petition was circulated and such other pre- liminary steps taken as were by law required in order to secure a vote on the question. The campaign does not seem to have been a very warm one, owing no doubt to the fact that citizens of Mount Idaho realized the hopelessness of their cause. The petition was numerously signed, and the vote at the general election was 2,637 in favor of removal. 943 against. On July 15th previous to the election, the people had voted by a vote of 193 to 13 to issue bonds in the sum of five thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting a city hall, the understanding being that it might be turned over to the county for use as a court house if such was deemed best. The building was erected and leased to the county for ninety-nine years at a merely nominal rental.

We have followed the course of this cursory re- view until it has brought us out of the realm of his- tory and into that of current events. The dearth of available records and perhaps our own limitations have rendered it impossible to present as vivid a pic- tuire as we could wish of the county's development from the time its sands were first found to contain gold to the present when it is a county of happy homes, rapidly developing quartz mines, large live stock inter- ests, schools, churches, societies, a well organized local government, good prospects for abundant railroad con- nections and a bright outlook for the future. Great as has been the development the past has wrought, a feeling prevails that the county's industrial history has just begun, and that the historian of the future will find a richer field of reseach than we have found, and events of much greater moment to record. The earliest pioneers have builded a goodly superstructure upon with their sons and successors may be trusted to erect. out of the rich materials that nature has provided with such a lavish hand, a grand and enduring edifice, such as will prove a worthy monument to themselves and their sires and predecessors.

CHAPTER III.

POLITICAL.

Despite a most thorough search through the coun- ty's archives and diligent inquiry among those most likely to know, we have been unable to find a trace of the earliest political records of Idaho county-those previous 10 1869-and are forced to conclude that they are lost. This period covers the time when the county seat was located at Florence, and doubtless in moving the archives from place to place these valuable rec- ords have either been left behind or destroyed. There was not much semblance of law and order in Florence during the first few years of its existence and but lit- tle attention was given to the problems of government. Men were engaged in a mad scramble for gold. There were no important public works which required at- tention in the wild rugged country then embraced within the county's boundaries. The simple wants of the people were few in number and were attended to without the complicated system now in vogue.

The early government of Idaho county was identi- cal in form that of most mining counties, except, perhaps, that it was less effective. Among the miners a local government was established which, although not always according to the laws on the statute books, nevertheless generally accomplished the main objects of law in a satisfactory manner. Most of these men. in fact there were very few exceptions, lived in ex- pectation of the mines soon becoming no longer pro- ductive, which meant that the miners must leave, and they were, therefore, unconcerned in building up a stable government. This was the general character of the population of Idaho county during the 'sixties. If elected or appointed to office, men filled the positions or not at their pleasure, thus continually disarranging the mechanism of government. Seldom did an officer serve two terms and in most instances men failed to serve out the terms for which they were elected.

This being the condition of affairs for the first de- cade of the county's existence it need not be surpris- ing if the records and lists of officers who served dur- ing this period are occasionally inaccurate, although we have been very painstaking in our efforts to give a correct record. It would manifestly be impossible to give an account of each resignation and appointment, so the names of those only who were known to have served or have been elected are given.

Section 2 of the act creating Idaho county reads as follows :

"Be it further enacted, That L. Lindsey be. and is hereby. appointed county auditor : Robert Grav. Roh- ert Burns and -- Sanbourn be appointed county commissioners ; Jefferson Standifer, sheriff :

Parker, justice of the peace, for said county, until the next general election."

This act was passed and approved December 20, 1861.

The county having been organized and a system of government established, it became necessary to hold a term of district court, and so we find that on the 22d day of September, 1862, Hon. E. P. Oliphant, one of the three associate justices of the supreme court of Washington territory, opened court in Florence. Jef- ferson J. Standifer was present in his capacity as sheriff : J. Rand Sanburn, district clerk, was repre- sented by his deputy, Jonas W. Brown ; J. D. Will- iams and James Judd were appointed bailiffs. and John Donovan acted as the court crier. Besides these of- ficials there were also present several attorneys, among whom we find the names of I. N. Smith, C. P. Sprague. H. L. Preston, J. K. Shafer, Edward Lauder, WV. G. Langford and Daniel E. Smith, all of whom were admitted to practice. The first official act of Judge Oliphant was to appoint I. N. Smith prosecut- ing attorney to fill the vacancy then existing. after which the grand jury was sworn in. The names of these first grand jurymen are given as follows: John Creighton, foreman ; B. M. Anderson, G. W. Keeler, William Baird, C. C. Higby, O. Robbins, J. A. Massey, J. B. Oldham, J. J. Walker, Charles Baird. R. G. French, D. H. Alderson, W. T. McMillen. Samuel Stuart, J. T. Galbraith and George Hardin.

The grand jury reported the following true bills : William Winters, George Ripperts. L. B. Helm, mur- der : William Thoman, Daniel Thorne, James Wendall, George Ivers. assault with intent to commit murder ; John C. Holgate, counterfeiting gold dust: T. M. Pooler, James Stearns, larceny : Dick Tregaskis, A. J. Campbell, Richard Roe, John Smith and John Doe, obstructing public highways: and Patrick Layden, Milner & Casten. Brown, Ballard & Calhoun, Howard & Howlett, Wallace & Holgate, Kelly

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

(Slate Creek house), A. I. Chapman, Benjamin Sar- geant, Theodore Shultz, John Goff, Miner, John Doe ( Mountain house), Squire & Adams, Rich- ard Roe, selling intoxicating liquors.

Holgate's case was immediately tried. J. Harphan, E. T. Beatty, Hugh Donahue, C. W. Walker, William High, John G. Babcock, J. W. McBride, George Pop- ham. T. A. Lowry, William B. Park, C. A. Barnard and D. W. Curtis comprised the jury. Messrs. Smith and Sprague prosecuted the case and Lauder and Langford defended the accused. Holgate was found not guilty. September 30th Winters was placed on trial and late the same day the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty." These were the only important cases which were tried, the remainder being either nolle prosequied or continued. A great grist of civil cases came before the court for adjudication. As indicating the immense volume of business it may be said that forty different entries appear on one day's journal. Many of the cases were settled by the disputing par- ties, in some cases decrees were granted, others were summarily dismissed, while a few were continued. After being in session twelve days, court adjourned October 4, 1862. For nearly two years following this term practically no important business was transacted by the district court in Idaho county.

From a record of the early water rights granted in the county we take the following, which appears to have been the first claim filed :

"We, the undersigned, claim, as per notice posted on the main Slate creek and two branches on the south side of main creek, the waters of said main creek and branches for ditch purposes to be conveyed to the Florence mines, and the undersigned intend to apply to the legislature of W. T. for a charter for the said ditch, situate in Idaho county, W. T.

"D. H. ALDERSON, "A. D. SAUNDERS, "G. W. KEELER, "Jos. HAWKINS. "Florence City, July 22, 1862.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 100

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