An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 242

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 242
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 242
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 242
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 242

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

not deceived in this the following summary, necessarily brief, shows, although many of the miny improvements cannot now be recalled.

The Helena-Frisco, in accordance with the policy of the new owners, closed down on the last day of 1896, and until July employed from 60 to 100 men doing development work and adding new machinery and additions to the concentrator. When it was ready to start it had one of the finest plants ever erected, to which further additions have since been made. Since starting it has run steadily, averaging about 100 tons of concentrates daily, requiring the labor of 150 men. The Standard has had its output reduced by serious caves in the mine some three months ago, but still stands at the head of the Coeur d'Alene mines in the value of its product. Normally it employs from 160 to 175 men, but at present employing two-thirds that number.

The Mammoth employs 80 men. During the summer the company leased the old Milwaukee mill and doubled its out- put. It is still shipping a large percentage of crude ore, con- centrated by nature

The Tiger-Poorman did not start its mill until nearly the end of 1896, since which time it has been operated continui- ously. One hundred and forty men are employed in turning out from 60 to 75 tons of concentrates daily.

The Formosa company completed its new mill in the spring and ran it until two car loads of concentrates were turned out. Considerable trouble was experienced with the machinery. The company was organized late in the summer and a new tunnel started at the mill level. The mill has been shut down until next winter.

Development work still continues steadily on the Hecla and Hercules.

Never before has there been such activity in the Sunset and Nine Mile district, the property owners there realizing that if a railroad was to come to them it must come because they showed sufficient ore to justify it. Development work proceeds vigorously on the Colwyn group, now owned by the Lenox Lead and Silver Mining Company, the Father lode, the Chloride Queen Mining Company's claims, Amazon, Man- hattan Fraction, Blue Grouse, Custer, Granite, Black Cloud, which was sold during the fall to E. S. McGraw, of New York state, Atlantic claims, Yellow Jacket, Panhandle and Contact.

Around Mullan there has never been so good a year for Larson & Greenbough, owners of the Morning and Y0.

mines. Nearly $100,000 has been spent in improvements on the mill, railroad and mines and the product has shown a continuous increase, until the output is from 2,500 to 3,000 tons of concentrates each month. The pay roll carries from 200 to 250 names. The Hunter met with a serious loss in July, its mill being destroyed by fire. A few 'men are now doing development work and a new mill will be built early in the spring.

At Wardner the Bunker Ilill and Sullivan has run stead- ily during the year, except a short shut-down of two weeks in August. employing between 300 and 400 men. About $300,000 has been spent in improvements, chief among which is the largest air compressor plant in the Northwest. The Last Chance has from 100 to 125 men working steadily. An important event this year was the bonding of the Nabob Min- ing Company's property to F. S. McGraw. A new mill employing new methods was built for the Antimony mine, em- ploying 20 men.

The gold belt was not behind in the march of progress. Old properties were successful and new ones came to the front. Lack of transportation facilities was severely felt, but with better concentration of the base ore several new mills were added, particularly at the opening of the galena belt at the head of Prichard creck. The tonnage was greatly increased and before long the canyons of the north side will echo to the locomotive.

The year 1898 was one of uninterrupted prosperity in the Coeur d'Alene mining country, and in all other parts of the county. From official and semi-official sotirces the Wallace Press compiled the following sta-

tistics of outputs of the silver-lead district, the figures representing tons of concentrates, except where other- wise stated : Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining & Milling Company, 26,400; Helena-Frisco Mining Company, 22,550; Morning Mining Company, 16,280; Consoli- clated Tiger-Poorman Mining Company, 15,350; Stand- ard Mining Company, 13,460; Empire State- Idaho, 0,650 ; Mammoth Mining Company, 7,000; Milwaukee Mining Company (lessees), 850; Hecla Mining Com- pany, 300 ; Blake Brothers, at Osburn, ore, 100; Col- wyn Mining Company, ore, 60; miscellaneous, crude ore and concentrates, 500. Figuring 60 per cent. lead and 35 ounces of silver a ton, the Press estimates the value of this product at $12,400,000, one-fourth of which went to labor, one-fourth for freights and smelter charges, one-fourth for supplies and develop- ments and most of the remainder to stockholders.

The outbreak of the Spanish-American war was the occasion for an ebullition of patriotic fervor in Shoshone county, as elsewhere, and the sons of the Coeur d'Alenes were ready and anxious to bear their part in the conquering to their country of a glorious peace. The Bunker Hill & Sullivan Mining Company encouraged enlistment among its employes by giving cach one who enrolled for service under the Stars and Stripes $100 in money and assurances of employment on his return. The roster of Company F, made tip al- most entirely of Shoshone county men, is as follows :

Company F .- Officers : M. J. Link, captain ; Edgar T. Hawley, first lieutenant ; Isaac M. Busby, second lieutenant ; Alfred J. Dunn, first sergeant ; A. H. Rom- bo, quarter-master-sergeant ; Louis H. Pohle, Thomas Proctor, Abel R. Knight, Arthur Brown, sergeants ; William S. Smith, Louis B. Beach, Ira S. Milton, Will- iam A. Walker, Bernard Maxwell, John H. Reed, Fred C. Skinner, corporals ; William J. Buckley, musician ; William G. Kuch, artificer ; Gus Becker, wagoner.

Privates : Charles Banky, John C. Bargfield, Al- bert Burke, Amos D. Burrows, Fred C. Conklin, Will- iam Cuffe. Fred L. Fetterly, Peter Ghigliere, Iver I. W. Griaff, Charles Hartinger, Hugh Hutchinson, Felix Keenan, M. W. Koskela, Enoch S. Koth, Charles S. Lamb, Paul T. Larsen, Robert Lent, Henry Levy, William H. Luddy, G. Mayland, Napoleon Martel, F. Manson, Archie McDonald, Edward H. Parks, John H. Reynolds, Henry R. Snider, Bruce Southern, Alex- ander Steadman, Neil Strom, Marcus B. White, Frank E. Wood, Fred Worley, Ugile Young.

Discharged : William J. Kipp, first lieutenant, July 31, 1899; Peter R. Nelson, July 30, 1899; Orin Smith, corporal, July 28, 1899; Stanley Hills, musician, July 28, 1899; John Anderson, July 23. 1899: Mead Barr, November 8, 1898; George Babcock, July 15, 189; Frank Bennefield, July -, 1899; Orville V. Brown, July 12, 1899; Morris Carlson, July 15, 1899; Jasper D. Carter, July -, 1899 ; Charles C. Chambers, July 8, 1899; Thomas Clagett, July 29, 1899; Beinard Dil- lon, December 28, 1808; Charles Gabriel, July 29, 1899: George Lester, July 27, 1899; T. B. Louney, October 23. 1898: John C. McBride, December 14, 1898; David McEwen, July 15, 1899; William H. Moss, September 21, 1898: William Munson, January

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

25, 1899; James Patterson, July 29, 1899 ; Robert Per- cival, -; Isaac Peterson, July 15, 1899; Will- iam Siebert, July 15, 1899: James Whalen, April 23, 1899; Eugene E. White, July -, 1899.

Transferred: William C. Field, to hospital corps ; Harry Hood, to hospital corps; Isaac Troutman. to hospital corps.

Wounded: Louis B. Beach, in action, February 5. 1899; Hugh Hutchinson, in action, June 6, 1899 ; Enoch S. Koth, in action, February 5, 1899; Charles S. Lamb, in action, February 24, 1899.

Dead: William D. Gillespie, quartermaster ser- geant, Manila, P. I., December 1, 1898; Charles F. ()'Donnell, musician, Manila, P. I., October 15, 1898; Adolph Agidius, Manila, P. I., February 23, 1899 ; William Beaushene, Manila, July 24, 1899.

Organized at Wardner, Shoshone county, Idaho; mustered into United States service at Camp Steven- son, Boise, Idaho, May 7, 1898.

Battles and engagements: With Spanish forces, assault and capture of Manila, August 13, 1898; with Filipino insurgents, Santa Ana, February 4-5, 1899; Caloocan, February 10, 1899; Malabon Road, Febru- ary 11, 1899 ; Santa Cruz expedition, April 8-17, 1899, including engagement in front of the city, April 9th, and battle of Santa Cruz, April Ioth.

Mustered out of service at the Presidio, San Fran- cisco, California, September 25, 1899.

During the early months of 1899 all the indications pointed toward a season of unusual prosperity in the south fork mines, but in April clouds began to gather, and before the month was past an event occurred which greatly disturbed conditions, materially reducing the output of the mines for the year. It cannot be denied that ever since the trouble in 1892 a fight was waged between union and non-union labor, and that either as incidents of that struggle or on account of the bitter- ness engendered by it in the minds of hot-headed and evil-disposed individuals, several outrages were com- mitted, one of the most heinous of which was the mur- der of John Kneebone, on July 3, 1894, and the ex- pulsion from the country of Superintendent R. K. Neil, Foreman Crumer, Frank Higgins and Charles West. It is claimed that some forty men participated in this crime.

This trouble was brought to a crisis when, on April 23, a demand was made upon the Bunker Hill & Sulli- van Company by a committee representing the Wardner miners' union that wages should be increased to $3.50 for all underground men and that the union should be recognized. Frederick Burbige, manager of the com- pany, to whom this committee applied, said he would! submit the matter to other officers of the company. The company agreed to increase the wages of all laborers from $2.50 to $3 and of miners from $3 to $3.50 a day, but the union men nevertheless went out on a strike. On the 26th the company's tramway was in the hands of a body of armed men from 10 o'clock in the morning to 10 o'clock in the evening. It was testified to afterward in the trial of Paul Corcoran that men on their way to work were at different times stopped and turned back after the strike had been declared.

In the same trial it was also testified that masked men took possession at Gem of the train from Burke on April 29th; that they compelled the engineer to back the train to the Frisco powder house, where sixty or seventy-five boxes of giant powder were loaded in one of the box cars. The train then went to Wallace. Failing to get running orders there it went on to Ward- uer anyway, going over the O. R. & N. tracks. It was testified that a number of men from Mullan got on the train at Wallace, also that a number from Wardner met the train a mile out from that town and boarded it, the engineer having been ordered to stop for them. It was estimated that by the time these men reached the Bunker Hill mill there were about a thousand of them, three hundred of whom were masked and armed. In a few minutes several hundred pounds of powder were placed under the mill and it was completely de- stroyed. Witnesses say there were three distinct ex- plosions.

"After the terrific shock of the last explosion had died away in the distant mountains," says the Idaho State Tribune, "an ominous stillness of a few minutes followed. The delegation from Canyon creek and Mul- lan, together with a large portion of the people from Wardner, were either on or about the train, which con- sisted of nine cars and two engines. Winchesters and revolvers were everywhere in evidence. The silence was broken by a single shot from a Winchester from some person on top of the cars, followed b" a deafen- ing fusillade. For five minutes the rattle of musketry was incessant. It was evident, however, from the be- ginning of the firing that no harm was intended ; that the men were simply celebrating the victory they had secured in the destruction of the Bunker Hill concen- trator. In the midst of the firing the engines gave the starting signal and the train moved slowly toward Wallace, but when about one-half mile from Wardner was stopped, it being claimed that 75 of the Canyon creek and Mullan delegation were left at Wardner. The train slowly backed down to the depot again, and quite a few more boarded the cars, when it proceeded on its way to Wallace."

During the excitement subsequent to the blowing up of the mill, John Smythe, a miner at the Frisco mine, was shot and killed; James Cheyne, a vanner at the Bunker Hill mill, was shot through the hip so that lie afterward died, and R. R. Rogers, stenographer for the Bunker Hill Company, was wounded. It has been claimed that Smythe was killed purposely by union men because he was suspected of being a traitor and spy; and it was on a charge of having murdered Cheyne that Paul Corcoran was tried in the district court of Shoshone county. Incidentally it may be stated that the trial resulted in a conviction of murder in the second degree, and that Corcoran was sentenced to seventeen years' imprisonment in the state peni- tentiary.

Of course martial law followed close upon these warlike events. The governor at once appealed to the president to call forth the military forces of the United States to assist in establishing and maintaining order. The request was complied with and General Merriam,

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

then at Denver, ( olorado, ordered to the scene. Nu- merous arrests were made and the large body of pris- oners taken into custody on suspicion of being impli- cated in the blowing up of the Bunker Hill mill were confined in a temporary prison which later be- came popularly known as the "bull pen." All who were merely charged with minor offenses were in time released, the county deeming itself unable to individually try so many different persons, and most of those charged with major offenses escaped and could not again be apprehended. Paul Corcoran, however, was tried for murder, of which he was convicted in the sec- ond degree, as heretofore stated. He has since been pardoned.

So many bitter complaints were made against the soldiers under General Merriam, the treatment of the prisoners, and the actions of both state and federal officers, that January 8, 1900, an amended resolution was passed in the national congress referring the mat- ter to the full investigation of the committee on Mili- tary Affairs. As this resolution furnishes a concise outline of the various charges and complaints, it is here set forth in extenso :

Whereas it is a matter of general information given out by the public press and charged by the industrial organization known as the Western Federation of Miners that United States troops have been sent into the state of Idaho in de- fiance of and contrary to the provisions of Article IV, section 4, of the constitution of the United States, in that it was done at the individual request of the governor of Idaho, without the authority of the legislature, and at a time when there was no condition of insurrection or riot, and when the legislature could have been called together without danger or delay from any source whatever; and, further, without even consultation by the governor with the sheriff of Shoshone county, where it was desired that the troops should be, and actually were, sent; and

Whereas, in defiance of section 9, article I, of the con- stitution, martial law was declared and the writ of habeas corpus suspended in said county in a time of profound peace, when there was no condition or rebellion or invasion or any menace to the public safety ; and

Whereas, it is charged that Brig. Gen. H. C. Merriam, commanding the troops in Shoshone county, arbitrarily and without warrant of law, without informing the accused of the charge upon which they were arrested, and in defiance of the sixth amendment to the constitution, arrested and imprisoned hundreds of citizens of the United States and of the state of Idaho, and held them prisoners under the most brutal and tyrannical conditions, denying to them their con- stitutional right to speedy trial by an impartial jury of the state, which right the constitution clearly guarantees; and

Whereas it is charged that the said Brig. Gen. H. C. Merriam did, in defiance of and contrary to the provisions of the fourth amendment of the constitution, subject the persons, houses. papers and effects of citizens to unreasonable and arbitrary search and seizure; and

Whereas it is charged that the said military commander arbitrarily and in defiance of the civil law. ordered the arrest of the sheriff of the county and the board of county com- missioners, and subsequently deposed them from office on the unproved pretext of neglect of duty ; and

Whereas it is charged that the said Brigadier-General Merriam, immediately upon the arrival of the troops, ordered the arrest of every man who was a member of the miners' union, and also of all citizens who were supuposed to sympa- thize with the cause of organized labor; and

Whereas it is charged that those citizens were imprisoned in what was known as the "bull pen," a place unfit for human habitation, and that so brutal and degrading was the treat-

ment inflicted on these prisoners by Brigadier-General Mer- riam and the United States troops under his orders that one unfortunate man became insane, and upon being taken to the county jail he broke from his guards and jumped into the river, and a negro soldier, at the command of the Bunker Hill Mining Company's doctor, fired three shots at him, and he was dragged from the river dead, and that another unfortu- nate prisoner, dying in the "bull pen," begged for a priest, and his dying request was denied; and

Whereas the imprisoned citizens were denied opportunity to confer with their counsel or members of their families and were denied the right of speedy and impartial trial, were held in this vile and inhuman imprisonment for several. months without charge or indictment against them, although two sessions of the grand jury were held in the meantime, and during their confinement were treated by the officers and soldiers of the United States army as convicted felons and compelled to work at penal employment; were subjected to cruel and degrading punishments, such as being compelled to sleep on bare boards, placed on a diet of bread and water for ten days, and compelled to stand erect seven hours each day in the hot sun under penalty of death if they attempted to. move or sit down (these two latter unlawful punishments were inflicted upon them by the orders of Captain Edwards, United States army, who amused himself by calling the pris- oners "cowardly curs") ; and

Whereas it is charged that by the use of the military power the writ of habeas corpus was suspended for months in Shoshone county, and the right of free speech, free press and peaceable assemblages were denied to the peaceable citi- zens of that community without any excuse or justification whatever ; and

Whereas when the Industrial Commission sat in Wallace all union men who had long been residents of the county were in the "bull pen," and had no opportunity to appear before the commission ; others were arrested while on their way to Wal- lace to appear before the commission; and thrown into the "bull pen" until after the commission had adjourned; and

Whereas it is charged that the following proclamation, in gross violation of the constitution of the United States and of the constitution and statutes of the state of Idaho, was issued and enforced by Brigadier-General Merriam, to-wit :

"PROCLAMATION.

"Whereas the following notice has been served upon the mine owners of Shoshone county by the duly constituted state authorities, by whom martial law has been declared, to-wit :

"'To the mine owners of Shoshone county :

"'Certain organizations or combinations existing in Sho- shone county have shown themselves to be criminal in purpose, inciting and. as organizations, procuring property to be de- stroyed and murders to be committed, by reason whereof it has been twice necessary to declare martial law in Shoshone county.

"'You are therefore notified that the employment of men belonging to said or other criminal organizations during the continuance of martial law must cease. In case this direc- tion is not observed your mines will be closed.'

"Therefore. in order to carry into effect the spirit of the foregoing notice and restore the industries of the district as far as possible, it becomes necessary to establish a system by which miners who have not participated in the recent acts of violence, and who are law-abiding people, may obtain work, and that order and peace may be established, the following is promulgated for the guidance of all mine owners and em- . ployers in the affected district :

"All parties applying for underground work in any of the following mines will be required to obtain from Dr. Hugh France, the duly appointed anl authorized agent for the state of Idaho for this purpose, or his deputy, at Wardner or at Wallace, a permit authorizing said person to seek employ- ment in any of the following mines: Bunker Hill and Sulli- van, Last Chance, Empire State-Idaho, Consolidated Tiger and Poorman, Hecia. Mammoth, Standard. Helena-Frisco, Gem, Morning, Hunter, and such others as may be hereafter-

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

included in the above list. Parties applying for such permits must be prepared : First, to deny all participation in the riots of April 20, 1899, in Shoshone county, and, second, to denv or renounce membership in any society which has in- cited. encouraged or approved of said riots or other violation of public law.

"Mine owners must refuse employment to all applicants for underground work who do not present a duly signed per- mit authorizing the same. Such permit will be deposited in mine owners' office subject to periodical inspection.

"All parties now under employment by any of the mines above named will be required to procure, within ten days from this date, the permits above referred to as a condition to their remaining in the service of their respective com- panies.

"By order of the governor and commander-in-chief. "BARTLET SINCLAIR, State Auditor.

"Examined and approved :

"H. C. MERRIAM. Brigadier-General United States Army. "Dated May 8, 1899.

"The application for permits to seek employment which union men must sign is as follows :

"'Application For Leave to Seek Employment in the Mines of Shoshone County.

".To Dr. Hugh France, State Representative.

"'Sir : I hereby make application for issuance to me of a permit allowing me to seek employment in the mines of Shoshone county.

" 'I am a - by occupation.

" 'I am a native of and am a citizen of the United States.

" 'I last worked at the mine in

"'My shift boss was

" 'Heretofore I have been a member of Min-

ers' Union.

"'I did not participate actively or otherwise in the riots which took place at Wardner on the 29th of April, 1899. Believing that the crimes committed at Wardner on said date were actively incited, encouraged and perpetrated through and hy means of the influence and direction of the miners' unions of the Coeur d'Alenes, I hereby express my unquali- fied disapproval of said acts, and hereby renounce and forever abjure all allegiance to the said miners' union, of which I was a former member, and I solemnly pledge myself to obey the law and not to again seek membership in any society which will encourage or tolerate any violation of law.

" 'Dated this day of - , 1899.'

"The application which nonunion men must sign is as follows :

" .To Dr. Hugh France, State Representative.

"'Sir : I hereby make application for issuance to me of a permit allowing me to seek employment in the mines of Shoshone county.

"'I am a .- by occupation.

" 'I am a native of

and am a citizen of the United States. "'I last worked at the mine in

"'My shift boss was

".I have not been for years a member of any miners' union.

"'I took no part, either actively or passively, in aiding, assisting or encouraging the prepetration of the crimes com- mitted at Wardner on the 20th of April, 1899.

"'I solemnly pledge myself to obey the law.

" .Dated this day of -, 1899.'

"At this writing no union men are permitted to work in the county: the meetings of the miners' unions are pro- hibited ;" and

Whereas it is charged that during the months when a great portion of the male citizens of Shoshone county were thus unlawfully held in imprisonment by the United States troops the wives and families of the said citizens were sub-

jected to insult and outrage by the soldiers of the United States stationed in that county ; and

Whereas it is charged that the outrageous misuse of the military power of the United States, hereinbefore mentioned, was brought about at the instigation and in the interest of the owners of the Bunker Elill and Sullivan mines, who, it is also charged, are the owners and manipulators of other simi- lar trusts ; and

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 242

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