USA > Idaho > The history of Idaho > Part 13
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Early in 1867, Hill Beachy bought out Greathouse, Kelly and Hailey's interest in the stage line from Silver City, Idaho, to Vir- ginia City, Nevada, and let them have in part payment, his stage line from Boise City to Silver City. Soon after this a deal was made by which Henry Greathouse got all the stage business from Boise City to Idaho City and into Boise Basin, and Sam Kelly got the route from Boise City to Silver City, and Hailey, the routes from Boise City to Umatilla, Walla Walla and The Dalles. The last three routes were all run daily and carried the United States mail under sub-contracts, at low figures, and each of them carried Wells, Fargo & Co's. express. They all did a fairly good business.
Early in 1867, Wells, Fargo & Co. bought Ben Halliday's over- land stage routes from Salt Lake City to Boise City, and from Salt Lake City to Helena, Montana. This change of ownership made no difference with the running and connections with the different lines at Boise City.
Everything went along fairly well on all these stage routes, ex- cept on a portion of Beachy's route and on a portion of Hailey's route in the Burnt River country, the Indians were very trouble- some. Commander Major Marshal, at the Boise Barracks, was very good to help us out in these troubles. He sent troops, mounted, on several occasions, to escort our stage over the danger- ous places, and allowed them to remain as long as was necessary.
In addition to the annoyance by Indians, there were a few of what were called "road agents" (highwaymen) who would occa- sionally hold up a stage, take Wells, Fargo & Co's. express box, and sometimes rob the passengers; but we generally got the rob-
125
CARRYING U. S. MAIL IN 1870
bers, and most of the money they took, and had the robbers pros- ecuted and sent up. They soon learned that it was not a profitable business to rob stages.
In 1868, Greathouse sold out his stage business from Boise to and into Boise Basin, to Eb. and Joseph Pinkham. Kelly sold his stage line from Boise to Silver City to John Early.
On September 30th, 1868, the old Holliday mail contract ex- pired, under which Wells, Fargo & Co. was carrying the mail from Salt Lake to Helena, Montana, and to Boise City, Idaho, and under which contract Hailey was carrying the mail under a sub- contract from Boise City to The Dalles, Oregon. The new con- tract was awarded to C. M. Lockwood of The Dalles, Oregon, at a very low figure, service to commence October 1st, 1868. This change created some confusion for awhile. This contract was only let for one year and nine months, to expire on June 30th, 1870, at which time all of the mail contracts on tihs coast expired, and new contracts were let for four years.
Wells, Fargo & Co. sold their stage line from Ogden to Helena, Montana, to Gilmer, Saulsbury & Co. early in 1869, they having secured the contract for carrying the mail. Wells, Fargo & Co. could not make a deal with Lockwood for the sale of their stage line from Salt Lake to Boise Sity, so they took their live and roll- ing stock all off the road and Lockwood put stock on that portion of the road to carry the United States mail between Salt Lake and Boise City, and made arrangements with Hailey to carry the mail between Boise and The Dalles. This arrangement lasted until February 1, 1869, when Lockwood sold out his stock and mail con- tract to Hailey, who ran the entire route until soon after the Union and Pacific railroads were connected. The Postoffice Department discontinued the Salt Lake end of the route and made Kelton, on the Central Pacific railroad, the eastern terminus.
Hailey continued to run this line from Kelton via Boise and Walla Walla to The Dalles until July, 1870, at which time his contract for carrying the mail expired. He sold his stock, wagons, stations, etc., to the Northwestern Stage Co., who had the contract for carrying the mail over this route for four years. The same company got the contract for carrying the mail from Boise City via Silver City to Winnemucca, Nevada, which route had been run by John Earley and Hill Beachy. This company bought them out. They also bought out Eb. and Joseph Pinkham on the Boise City and Boise Basin route. This was an eastern company. The first proprietors were Owen Teller, Bradley Barlow and J. W. Parker. Later on the firm changed to C. C. Hundley and Bradley Barlow. They ran these routes, carrying U. S. mail, Wells, Fargo
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
& Co. express, and passengers for eight years, until July 1st, 1878, when another change was made, of which we will speak later on.
FREIGHTING AND PACKING.
Most all the goods continued to be freighted by mule, horse and ox teams from Umatilla to Boise City and Boise Basin, until the summer of 1869, when a change was made on the road from Boise to Kelton, the distance being about forty miles shorter than from Boise City to Umatilla, with better grass and less tolls. Most all the merchants in Boise City and in Boise Basin had their goods shipped by railroad to Kelton, and freighted from there by teams. The price of hauling freight by this time was greatly reduced, ranging from four to six cents per pound. Most of the freight for Silver City was hauled from Winnemucca at about the same rate per pound. Pack trains could not compete with this low rate paid for freight. Some of them left for other parts, some quit and sold their mules for other purposes, and a few were still kept in com- mission to pack small cargoes into mountain mining camps where there were no wagon roads.
CHAPTER XXVI.
PROGRESS MADE BY THE PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY IN 1865-6, CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE, ETC.
The past two years had shown quite a change in agriculture. Quite a number of locations of the bottom lands had been made along many of the creeks and rivers in southern and southeastern Idaho and a number in the northern counties, houses built, fields fenced, cleared, plowed and sowed to grain, garden truck planted, and a few small irrigating ditches made. All of the land that was properly cultivated and irrigated yielded good crops, and much of it on the low bottoms yielded fair crops without irrigation. The wild hay on the lowlands gave good returns. Taken altogether, the returns from farming were generally very satisfactory.
Many of the people, by this time, had made up their minds that Idaho was a pretty good country to live in, and went to work with a will to make comfortable homes. They, also, began to take more interest in public schools, and they built school houses at convenient places for their children to attend. The farmers had a good cash market at remunerative prices for all the superfluous farm pro- ducts they raised. Boise Basin mines were a good market for all vegetables, and the freighters and stage men purchased all the grain and hay they could spare paying them good prices. So the outlook for the farmer, in those days, was encouraging.
By this time the roads between the Boise country and steam- boat navigation on the Columbia River had been put in condition, so that large freight wagons could be hauled over them. Usually three wagons were coupled or trailed together, one behind the other, loaded with 20,000 pounds of goods, and drawn by twelve good mules, or six or seven yoke of oxen. This mode of transporting freight lowered the price about one-half from what it had been when transported on pack mules or pack horses. This all tended to help the farmers as well as others. It enabled them to purchase their groceries and other necessary supplies much cheaper, and the merchant could no longer charge such enormous prices on account of the very high rate he had to pay for freight.
The outside range was very good. Wild bunch grass grew in abundance. Quite a number drove cattle and horses into Southern Idaho; some were driven in the southeastern counties; and some, in the northern counties. Quite a number of men engaged in the stock business, which paid them well. For several years it was
128
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
not necessary to feed range stock through the winter; they could winter well on the bottom land and low hills, where but little snow fell and plenty of dry bunch grass stood up above the snow that fell and was good feed. The home market was good for beef, and also for horses, which were needed for teaming, ranching, staging and livery.
MINES.
The placer mines in Boise Basin produced very well the last two ycars, but some of those mines which paid well had been pretty well worked over. Quite a number of men, who had been engaged in working these mines, became anxious to return to their old homes. They sold out their partly worked-out placer mining claims to other miners or to Chinamen, and took all their net earnings and left for their old homes to enjoy the profits of their few years of hard work and deprivation incident to frontier life.
At Silver City in Owyhee County, several quartz mills had been built, and a number of rich quartz ledges had been developed pro- ducing ore from which large returns of gold and silver were taken. The mineral products of this mining camp were on the increase in 1865 and 1866.
ROCKY BAR AND ATLANTA.
These camps, being situated in a mountainous country with very rough roads, made it very expensive to get supplies and machinery in. It seemed to be a difficult matter to enlist capital to invest to develop and operate the quartz mines at these camps, and not very much was done there.
IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES.
Several white men, and a few Chinamen were still working in the placer mines at Orofino, Pierce City, Elk City, Florence, and Warrens, but with no large results.
HEALTH.
The general health of the people of the Territory had been good, with but little sickness of any kind. The climate and the water were good; the air, bracing; and the people, cheerful and all look- ing forward to a bright future.
CONDITION AND CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE IN IDAHO IN 1865.
Some writers, who never lived in Idaho, have seen fit to give ex- aggerated statements in regard to the kind of people who lived in Idaho in the early days; and, more especially, to criticise the con- duct of the brave pioneers who paved the way for others to come.
From some of these statements, the reader would infer that
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PROGRESS MADE IN 1865-6
Idaho was first settled by a band of thieves, robbers, murderers and general law-breakers. We desire, in behalf of justice to those brave old pioneers, both men and women, to refute this statement. The writer was engaged in the transportation of passengers and freight between the Columbia River and Boise Basin from the Spring of 1863 to July 1870, spending a portion of my time every month in Boise Basin. My business necessarily brought me in contact with men and women of all classes and professions, and I can truthfully say that I never had business dealings with, or met more honest, upright men and women than in the early sixties in Idaho. I do not mean by this that there were no bad men in Idaho. There were a few, as there are in all communities, but they were the exception.
The courts and officers enforced the law strictly. It may be in- teresting to the reader to know something of the number of law- breakers who were sent to the Territorial prison in 1864 and 1865. Under a law passed at the Second session, 1864, the Territorial Treasurer was made prison commissioner with power to audit the accounts of the prison keeper. In his report to the legislative as- sembly, under date of December, 1865, he reports for the year 1864 three prisoners-one confined for 267 days; one for 160 days; and one for 113 days. From January Ist, 1865, he reports four prisoners. From July, 1865, to December 5th, 1865, the date of the prison commissioner's report, the prisoners confined in the Ter- ritorial prison averaged ten. There must have been in Idaho at that time not less than twenty-five thousand people, mostly grown men and women.
The reader may say that our laws were not enforced, but I desire to state that they were strictly enforced. The people in Idaho were, as a rule, honest, upright, intelligent citizens, kind and gen- erous to a fault. No appeal for aid to any one in distress was ever unanswered. The pioneers of Idaho were unquestionably a noble class of men and women, and well deserve credit for redeem- ing this fair "Gem of the Mountains" from a land of savages and a barren waste to a land of beauty, peace and plenty.
His-8
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CHAPTER XXVII.
THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TERRI- TORY OF IDAHO, CONVENED AT BOISE CITY, DECEMBER 3, 1866, ADJOURNED JANUARY 11, 1867.
Names of members of Council:
H. C. Riggs. Ada County
S. P. Scaniker Boise Coutny
H. C. Street Boise County
George Ainslie Boise County
E. A. Steveson Ada County
S. S. Fenn.
Idaho County
L. P. Brown Nez Perce County
M. A. Carter Oneida County
R. T. Miller Owyhee County
W. H. Hudson Shoshone County
President, George Ainslie.
Names of members of the House of Representatives:
G. W. Paul. Ada County
John Cozad. Ada County
A. W. Flournoy Ada County
B. J. Nordyke. Alturas County
Nelson Davis Alturas County
F. W. Bell. Boise County
J. W. Knight.
Boise County
George Stafford. Boise County
J. A. Abbott Boise County
W. L. Law.
Boise County
A. P. Mitchell. Boise County
W. H. Parkinson Boise County
A. McDonnel. Idaho County
J. C. Harris Idaho County
J. S. Taylor Nez Perce County
W. W. Thayer Nez Perce County
Henry Ohle. .Oneida County
D. G. Monroe Owyhee County
H. T. Caton Owyhee County
A. Englis. Owyhee County
W. F. McMillen Shoshone County
Speaker, A. W. Flournoy.
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FOURTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
This legislature made a number of important amendments to the revenue law and had the whole revenue law revised and put to- gether as it had been amended and published with the other laws. This was of great benefit to the people as the revenue law had been amended at each session of the legislature ever since the first ses- sion, and not properly arranged, so it was difficult for the average layman to understand just what law was in force.
On April 10th, 1866, D. W. Ballard, of Oregon, was appointed Governor of Idaho. We have his first message to the legislature of December 3rd, 1866, from which we take the following extracts, which we think were fairly good at that time:
"To the greater portion of the population of our Territory, the year now closing has been a year of prosperity. Many who began the year with perplexing doubts and misgivings as to the future of the country, have had those doubts and anxieties happily removed, and the success of the past leads them to hope and trust for the future.
"For the first two years after the settlement of our Territory, Idaho was looked upon only as a theatre for speculation, and as a place for temporary residence, where, by enduring the necessary toil and privations, rapid fortunes might be acquired. The Terri- tory was first peopled by those whose object was the acquirement of a speedy fortune, and this being done, to return either to the Pa- cific or Atlantic States; but this feeling is rapidly subsiding and the abundant success attending both mining and agricultural pur- suits during the past year is fast removing the prejudices that have formerly existed against Idaho as being a desirable location for permanent residence.
"The output of gold and silver from our mines has been greater the past year than for any previous year. All of the quartz ledges that have been opened up and worked have yielded well.
"Agricultural pursuits, for the first two years almost totally neglected, have been prosecuted during the past year with the most gratifying results. Many hundred acres in the Boise and other val- leys have been brought under cultivation, and it is cheering to learn that the yield per acre of both cereals and vegetables will compare favorably with the yield of any other locality on the Pacific coast.
"With regard to legislation to be done at the present session, I have but few recommendations to make. Indeed it seems to me that no great amount of legislation is at present required. It is thought that familiarity with the existing statutes is of greater con- sequence to the people than increased legislation. While it is im- portant that needed changes in the laws should from time to time
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
be made, and necessary new ones enacted, it is equally important that the statutes should remain free from complications by amend- ment, at least long enough for the people to become familiar with them and their practical workings.
"Since the adjournment of the last legislature, the laws enacted at that and the preceding session, have been printed, in separate volumes, each of which has been appropriately and conveniently in- dexed. The publishing work has been well executed in good type and on good paper, with substantial binding, but for want of funds to pay for the work, the books still remain in the hands of the pub- lisher at San Francisco. The embarrassment under which you must necessarily labor in not having these laws placed before you, is fully appreciated, as without them it is impossible that your pres- ent legislation can be performed understandingly or with as much satisfaction, either to yourselves or to your constituents, as could be done, could access be had to these bound volumes. In fact, the stat- utes of the Territory are in a very unsatisfactory condition.
"The First legislature which assembled at Lewiston in 1863, en- acted a code, but as the duration of their session was limited, it was necessarily passed in much haste, and with much less consideration than its importance demanded. The code then enacted was not printed until after the sitting of the next legislature, and many of the amendments have never been published in any form whatever, and, indeed, each succeeding legislature has labored under the mis- fortune of endeavoring to amend the legislation of its predecessor with no authentic knowledge on the subject matter. The result is that our laws are inharmonious and abound in perplexing discrepan- cies. It is believed that the best method to secure a perfect code of laws and remedying the existing evils, is by the appointment of a commission to codify and revise the whole body of our statutes. The present uncertainty can thus be remedied by a system which, though it may take some time and incur some expense, will, when complete, supersede for years the necessity of further amendments and ad- ditional legislation.
"The financial affairs are far from being in a satisfactory con- dition, as may be seen by an examination of the reports of the Ter- ritorial Treasurer and Comptroller. The remedy suggested is in the most rigid economy and a thorough and stringent revenue law. No one should desire to be permitted to live in a country where he can claim the protection and benefit of its laws, and at the same time refuse to be laid under contribution to sustain that country and support its laws. Since all good citizens willingly pay their taxes, it is but justice to them that all should be made to assist in the bur- den of taxataion. Could all the taxes due from citizens have been
133
FOURTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
promptly collected and paid into the treasury, even at existing rates, doubtless our revenue would have been quite sufficient for all ex- penditures of the Territory.
"Congress has only appropriated twenty thousand dollars to pay all expenses of each session of our legislature, including printing, laws, etc. I need scarcely call your attention to the fact that this appropriation is by far too small for the objects specified. I would recommend that a memorial be addressed to Congress on this sub- ject."
It appears that Congress had not at any time appropriated suf- ficient money to pay all the expenses of the legislature, including the printing of the laws and journals, and the printing establishment at San Francisco that printed them held them in order to secure their pay for printing, which worked a great hardship.
After much searching, we have found copies of the reports of the Territorial Comptroller, Treasurer and Superintendent of Public Schools, from which we give some extracts. These reports are made to the Governor and the legislative assembly, December 1, 1866, and purport to show the receipts and expenditures for the past year, present indebtedness, amount of assessable property, etc.
From the comptroller's report, covering transactions of his office from December 4, 1865, to December 1, 1866, we take the follow- ing:
Total valuation of all assessable property in the territory for the year 1866, as reported, $4,158,157.88. The tax levy for Territorial purposes for the year 1866 was 70c on each one hundred dollars of assessable property. This should, if all collected, have brought in a revenue of $29,107.10, less amount for assessing, collecting, paying over, etc., which was about one-third of the whole amount. The comptroller's report shows that the whole amount paid into the Treasury, including delinquent taxes for 1864 and 1865, and on property tax and licenses and poll tax for 1866, in the aggregate, amounted to $33,511.86. He reports a balance due from the dif- ferent counties of $1,400.11, and a balance due of $8,745.75 from retired county treasurers, most of whom were retired treasurers of Boise County.
Whole amount of warrants drawn from December 4, 1865, to De- cember 1, 1866, $43,081.13; of this amount, $15,714.60 was for in- creased pay of members and attaches of the legislature, including the extra pay of members and attaches of the legislature, including the extra pay of the Governor, Secretary and Judges; nine relief bills, amounting to $5,100.00. We will not say that these relief bills were not right, but we do think that the $15,714.69 extra pay given to men that were paid by the United States Government, was
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
unnecessary. While it gave to a few more money to spend, it made it oppressive on the few taxpayers.
The comptroller's statement shows the Territorial indebtedness to December 1, 1866, including bonded, outstanding warrants, in- terest and unsettled accounts to date, amounted to $95,046.99, with cash in the treasury, $7,089.91, leaving the debt, less cash on hand Dec. 1st, $87,957.08. The comptroller gives the vote cast for dele- gate to Congress in 1864, 8,689; and in 1866, 6,634. Estimated number of white population in 1866, 17,000; Chinamen, 1,000; num- ber of taxpayers, 3,480. Population decreased owing to the fact that many of the placer mining claims had been worked pretty well out and many of the miners sold their claims to Chinamen and left for their old homes, taking with them all their net earnings.
The Treasurer's report seems to correpspond with the comptrol- ler's. It is unnecessary to make extracts from it. I am tired wrest- ling with these reports, for they are not very intelligible, to say the least.
The report of the prison commissioner shows an average of about seven and a half prisoners were kept in prison during the eleven months, up to December 1, 1866, at a cost of $12,624.32. This was rather expensive. The above item included $348 for bringing in prisoners and commissioner's mileage and fees visiting the prison.
The report of the Superintendent of Schools shows as follows:
MONEY EXPENDED
COUNTY.
NO. SCHOOLS. NO. CHILDREN.
BY COUNTY.
Ada
7
328
$2,264.50
Boise
4
292
2,221.14
Owyhee
1
97
1,199.55
Nez Perce
2
75
1,000.00
Total
14
792
$6,685.19
Idaho, Shoshone, Alturas and Oneida counties not reported. We cannot brag on this showing.
At the Fourth session the Territorial tax was increased from seventy cents on each one hundred dollars, to one hundred cents, for Territorial purposes, and some increase was made in county taxes for school purposes.
At the Fourth session an act was passed dispensing with the services of the Superintendent of Schools and making the Comp- troller ex-officio Superintendent of Public Schools. The mem- bers of the Fourth session of the Territorial legislature did not seem to get along well with the Territorial Secretary, who was paymaster for the members. Some of the members were rather
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FOURTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
high tempered and fractious, while Secretary S. R. Howlett might be put down as a would-be aristocratic, cranky, old granny. He seemed to think things must go or come his way. Most of the members viewed things differently from what he did, and they had friction all through the session.
But it is past and many of the participants have passed away, and we will not undertake to tell of any of the unpleasant things that transpired during that memorable session. Doubtless each and all of them thought they were doing their duty, as they saw it through the dim mist of the future.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO.
Until 1866, but little in the way of permanent settlements and improvements had been made in Southeastern Idaho. Rich placer mines had been discovered in the country around and where Helena now stands in Montana, a distance from Salt Lake City, Utah, of some 450 miles. In the Spring of 1864, the great Over- land stage man, Ben Holliday, secured a contract for carrying the United States mails between Salt Lake City and Helena, Montana. Mr. Holliday had the road stocked and commenced running stages July 1st, 1864. This route passed through Southeastern Idaho, along the Port Neuf River, near the present Indian agency, and crossed the Snake River at a ferry a few miles above what is now the town of Idaho Falls, on Snake River, running north near what is now Market Lake and Beaver Canyon in Idaho before it reached the Montana line, so that one-half or more of this road was in Southeastern Idaho.
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