USA > Idaho > The history of Idaho > Part 18
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"Palo Alto, Cal., September 7, 1907.
"Mr. John Hailey, State Historical Society, Boise, Idaho.
"Dear Mr. Hailey: Your kind note enclosing one, also, from Prof. Aldrich, on the subject of the early history of Idaho, is at hand.
"I cheerfully comply with your request to contribute something, but, owing to the lack of data, I may be found at fault as to dates, etc.
"I left Red Bluff, California, in the Fall of 1862, my immediate destination being Auburn, Oregon, to look after a band of cattle left in Powder River Valley earlier in the year. I went first to Canon City, on John Day's River, and about the middle of January crossed the Blue Mountains to Auburn. This proved the most diffi-
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
cult undertaking of my life, before or since. To cross these moun- tains in January, where the headwaters of John Day's River on one side interlaps with those of Powder and Burnt Rivers on the other, is an undertaking which, once accomplished, will prove suf- ficient for a lifetime. After battling with the snow, which was from three to twenty feet deep, for about eleven days, during most of which time we were lost, without even so much as taking off our boots, our party, numbering about a dozen, arrived at Auburn. This town at that time consisted of probably fifteen hundred in- habitants, all housed in log cabins, whose occupants were buoyed up with flattering mining prospects, but the mines were not there, so the town disappeared as rapidly as it came. It is now repre- sented by Baker City.
"In March, 1863, I organized a pack train, which had been win- tered in Grande Ronde Valley, and started for Walla Walla. At this time the great rush had set in for Boise Basin, by way of the old emigrant road, crossing the Blue Mountains at Lee's Encamp- ment. Going out by the same road, traveling light and continually meeting people with heavy-laden pack animals, we were expected to give the road. The trail was a very narrow one and in deep snow. Night came on and found us sitting out in the snow with the result of not having made more than five miles. We resolved to travel all night while those going in the opposite direction were in camp. This we did and arrived on the western slope of the mountains, where the road descends in one continuous steep grade for at least five miles, just as the morning's sun was lighting the bunch-grass plains of Umatilla Valley, disclosing to view one of the grandest sights that could be presented to anyone, and espe- cially to the long snowbound mortals we then were. We had emerged from four feet of snow and entered a valley containing the most nutritious bunch-grass more than a foot high, in less than two hours. It is unnecessary to say that we went into camp at this place, as no power at command could have moved our half starved horses and mules from their newly found feed, to say noth- ing of our own desire to take a rest.
"At Walla Walla I met Maj. Reese, of the Walla Walla 'Watch- man.' He had just bought out a competitor in the newspaper busi- ness and had two outfits on hand. This gave me an idea. Realiz- ing that a great gathering of people was then taking place in Boise Basin, nearly three hundred miles from any newspaper, with the probability of an approaching political campaign, which after- wards materialized in its most heated form, I conceived the idea of starting a newspaper in the Basin. With this in view I sold out my packing business, sent for my family and my brother, T.
JOHN S. BUTLER'S LETTER 185
J., who became the editor of our new enterprise. We arrived at Idaho City with our outfit some time in August and issued the first number of the 'Boise News' in the latter part of September or first of October, 1863, which was the first newspaper ever pub- lished in Southern Idaho. Before we arrived with our material we frequently discussed the situation and one of the most serious questions presented for consideration was as to where we would find our help in the way of printers, etc., but, before we had lo- cated a site, printers applied for a situation, almost in scores, and we had no trouble in securing a crew of some of the most compe- tent men I have ever known, with a number of whom friendships were formed to last through life.
"In order to get to and hold the field (a number of efforts were then being made in that direction), and as we had had no time to fully equip ourselves, a visit to San Francisco seemed necessary, but as the delay attending such a trip would have virtually sur- rendered the field to a possible competitor, we resolved to impro- vise a great many things, such as the wooden composing stick, alluded to in Prof. Aldrich's note. I remember quite well, although it is now forty-five years ago, that I made two composing sticks from a piece of an oak tobacco box. One of these sticks was taken away by a compositor named McGuire, who declared it was much to be preferred, on account of its lightness and greater capacity, to the ordinary composing stick. Another very important item which we were short of was imposing stone. For this purpose we brought into use a large slab, split from a pine log, about 3 by 6 feet. We dressed off one side, mounted it on a frame and covered it with sheet iron. Among other improvised things we attempted to use sheet zinc for leads (used for separating the lines of type) but found them a failure owing to their corrosion on being washed with lye, causing them to adhere to the type in such manner as to prevent their being distributed.
"We printed all four pages of our paper at one impression on a Washington hand press, the entire form being 24 by 36 inches in size. This we locked up in one solid chase. The chase we also had to have made, which was done in very good shape, out of horseshoe iron. The only particular thing I remember concern- ing this job is that it cost $95.00. I also remember that it was a very difficult matter to keep the surface of our wooden-sheet-iron stone true and level, and that, when we locked up a form and stood it on its edge, it looked more like the mold-board of a plow than a newspaper. However, we were vain enough to think, and still think, that we made quite a success of the enterprise, espe-
1
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
cially in a financial way. Our office was located on East Hill and proved to be but a few feet outside of the great fire of 1865.
"In the winter of 1864 I remember the snow at one time was about five feet deep and it was very difficult to obtain matter to fill our columns, small as they were, when our editor resorted to the scheme of copying from some book several pages of mythology.
"There probably never assembled anywhere, so many reckless adventurers, so far from the influence and restraints of society, and with such ample means to gratify their wild desires for gam- bling and dissipation, as were attracted to Boise Basin during the years 1863 and 1864. Three theaters, 'Jenny Lind,' 'Forrest' and 'Kelly's Varieties' were maintained with nightly performances dur- ing most of that time, and some of the best actors of the day were called to their boards, Julia Dean Hayne, George Waldron and Mrs. Dayton being among them.
"The character of the mines, being exclusively placer, made it possible for all to make money who wished to work, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in revelry and sport. It was not unusual to hear in the morning of some fatal encounter at the gaming table, the result of the exciting life of the previous night. But as this was usually confined to one class of the people, the more conservative and respectable class generally summed the matter up with the remark 'Let them settle it among themselves.'
"The people were not all bad, however. On the contrary, I think the extremes had met here. In civilized society many had been held in check by its regulations, while here, where there were no such restraints, the real character stood out, and one had no difficulty in determining it. Many of the best people I ever knew were found under these circumstances.
"We conducted our paper for about fifteen months, during which time we passed through two of the most exciting political cam- paigns possible to such a community. It was during the most ex- citing times of the Rebellion and the parties here were formed on the questions involved in that great issue, and, as a great many of Price's army, when it was disbanded, found their way to Idaho, that party prevailed.
"The Democratic party having succeeded to local offices, it was necessary for them to have an organ of their own, so, on a liberal offer by Street & Bowman, we disposed of the whole outfit to them, who changed the name to that of the 'Idaho World,' which I believe is still running. We left our files with the office which no doubt they still have.
"We ran our office night and day during the most exciting times, with shifts of printers, in order to get out the work which was
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JOHN S. BUTLER'S LETTER
offered. This included a campaign paper for each of the great par- ties and all their job work. In addition to this, we printed daily programs for each of the three theaters. Prices were regulated by what the traffic would bear and as ours was the only printing concern within about three hundred miles the traffic could stand a heavy strain. There were about 10,000 people in and about Idaho City at that time.
"Of the thousands of people I met at the various camps during the seven years I was in that country, I can now recall less than a score living. Joaquin Miller was Justice of the Peace at Canon City, when I was there, in 1862. His wife, Minnie Myrtle Miller, was then the poetic genius of the family and afterwards contrib- uted to the columns of the Boise News several short poems of con- siderable merit. Joaquin, himself, had not yet become famous. He is living at Oakland, California.
"At Idaho City I can only call to mind your worthy President, J. A. Pinney, Captain Bledsoe, Rube Robbins and I. L. Tyner. Mrs. C. M. Hays was then a young girl and a member of our fam- ily.
"At Placerville, James H. Hawley, then a boy, was the agent and carrier of the Boise News. He is now your most distinguished attorney.
"Our Silver City friends are now represented by W. J. Hill, formerly of the Owyhee Avalanche and now the Salinas (Cal.) In- dex, who is easily the dean of country newspaper men of the Pa- cific slope, Chas. M. Hays, the Eastman Bros. and Chris Moore.
"Of those connected in any way with the pioneer newspaper, the Boise News, Mrs. Butler and myself are the only survivors, so far as I know, and we offer our greetings, with the old-time cordiality, to the State Historical Society of Idaho.
"Sincerely yours,
"J. S. BUTLER."
CHAPTER XL.
THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO.
This session convened at Boise City on the 7th day of December, 1874, and adjourned on January 15, 1875. The names of the members were as follows:
COUNCIL.
H. E. Prickett. . Ada County
A. H. Robie. Ada County
John McNally. Alturas County
John M. Cannady
Boise County
James H. Hawley
Boise County
R. E. Foote
Boise County
S. P. C. Howard
Idaho County
. Lemhi County
L. P. Brown.
E. T. Beatty Nez Perce County
Alex. Stalker Oneida County
Henry Martin Owyhee County
W. A. Goulder Shoshone County
President, E. T. Beatty.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Orlando Robbins Ada County
J. H. McCarty Ada County
J. H. Paddock Ada County
J. B. Pierce. Ada County
R. A. Sidebotham Alturas County
V. S. Anderson Alturas County
M. G. Luna. Boise County
E. A. Stevenson Boise County
Fred Campbell Boise County
C. W. Steward Boise County
Josiah Cave Boise County
J. W. White. Boise County
G. B. Baldwin Boise County
C. R. White Boise County
Philip Cleary Idaho County
W. H. Rett. Idaho County
Geo. L. Shoup Lemhi County
F. C. Tuthill Lemhi County
Wm. Groat Nez Perce County
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EIGHTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
I. S. Waldrip Nez Perce County
Wm. Clemens
Oneida County
L. Pool Owyhee County
F. M. Hunt
. Owyhee County
Isaac Culp Owyhee County
E. M. Moore Owyhee County
C. F. Nelson Shoshone County
Speaker, E. A. Stevenson.
At this session there were twelve members of the Council and twenty-six members of the House of Representatives, making thir- ty-eight in all. As nearly as I can learn of their present where- abouts, twenty-five of them have passed away, and perhaps a few more that I have not heard of recently. The following extract is taken from the Territorial Comptroller's report, dated December 1, 1874, covering the two years from December 1, 1872, to December 1, 1874:
Value of assessable property in 1873. $4,363,589.72
Value of assessable property in 1874. 4,513,022.49
Number of taxable inhabitants in 1873 .3,889
Number of taxable inhabitants in 1874. 3,419
Number poll tax receipts sold in 1873. . 4,924
Number poll tax receipts sold in 1874. .4,018
Warrants issued by Comptroller for the two years ending No- vember 30, 1874, as follows:
For legislative expenses, Seventh session
$ 3,347.00
District Attorneys' salaries
7,875.00
Comptroller and Treasurer's salaries 4,375.00
Printing blanks for Comptroller.
1,738.00
Rent of office for Clerk Supreme Court 560.00
Miscellaneous items 2,682.51
For keeping prisoners, 2 years 4,320.54
Total. $24,898.05
This total covered the current expenses of the Territory for two years, from December 1, 1872, to December 1, 1874. This does not include several thousand dollars interest paid on a bonded debt, and interest owing on unpaid warrants. The Comptroller estimates the whole expense of Territorial government, including the interest on the bonded and warrant debts for the years 1875 and 1876, at $45,632.00. This estimate is sufficient if the brake could be held down hard on the next legislature.
The Comptroller's report showed that the Treasurer had on hand money as follows:
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
December 1, 1872. . $ 8,364.49 Paid into Treasury for 2 yrs. ending Nov. 30, 1874. $74,701.98
Total. . $83,066.47 The Treasurer paid out:
Redeeming general fund warrants $27,958.98
Redeeming prison fund warrants. 23,266.76
Sinking fund interest on bonds 16,955.30
School fund warrants 7,552.13
Library and sundries 576.86
Total disbursement. $76,310.03
Dec. 1, 1874, to balance on hand. 6,756.44
The Comptroller and Treasurer both report that several of the counties had not paid up their Territorial portion of revenue in full, but when paid, it would be included in their next reports.
While the Seventh session did some good work in the way of re- ducing Territorial expenses, they failed to look after the cost of assessing, collecting and remitting the Territory's portion of reve- nue collected in the different counties, leaving that matter in the hands of the different boards of county commissioners (as hereto- fore) to allow the county officer whatever they saw fit to allow, and for the balance to be paid out of the Territorial portion of the county collections and only the balance sent to the Territorial Treasurer. By this method there were two injustices done. First, it made pre- ferred creditors of certain county officers by paying them cash, while all other creditors had to take Territorial warrants which were about twenty to twenty-five per cent discount for cash. Sec- ond, the amount allowed by the different boards of commissioners to the county officers for collecting and apportioning the Territorial portion of revenue, was exorbitant in most all of the counties, as shown by the Comptroller's report, which is as follows:
Page 4: "It will be seen that some of the counties make ex- orbitant charges for collecting the Territorial portion of the rev- enue, and that no two charge alike, viz:
Alturas County charges
Ada County charges 38 per cent
16 per cent Boise County charges
23 per cent
Lemhi County charges
45 per cent
Idaho County charges 43 per cent
Nez Perce County charges
33 per cent
Owyhcc County charges 21 per cent
Oneida County charges 28 per cent
Shoshone County charges 36 per cent
An average of 31 per cent
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EIGHTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
It would seem that the commissioners of several of the counties were determined to keep as much of the Territorial revenue in their respective counties as possible.
The Comptroller's and Treasurer's reports show that on Decem- ber 1, 1874, the indebtedness of the Territory was as follows:
Territorial bonds outstanding (coin) $ 65,058.51
Interest on bonds outstanding to date. 4,566.95
General fund warrants outstanding (currency) . 20,921.01
District Judges' warrants outstanding (currency) . .. 750.00
Interest on above to date (currency) 2,571.19
Prison fund warrants outstanding (currency) 28,017.66
Interest on same to date (currency) 8,400.88
Total indebtedness $130,286.20
Less cash in Treasury 6,756.44
Total indebtedness less cash, Dec. 1, 1874. $123,529.76
This shows a small reduction of the public debt for the past two years, for the first time. The taxpayers were still oppressed, hav- ing to pay the interest on the public debt caused by the extrava- gance of former legislators enacting laws giving extra compensa- tion to themselves and federal officers. They had already paid nearly one hundred per cent interest on this Territorial debt, and the principal was still unpaid, which should have been a warning to future legislators against unnecessary extravagance.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Below we give some extracts taken from the report of the Super- intendent of Public Instruction, under date of December, 1874:
"Whole number of school children in the Territory, between the ages of 5 and 21 years, as reported, was in 1871, 1596; in 1872, 1,909; in 1873, 3,473; in 1874, 4,010."
"Statement No. 11, showing a condensed statement of the con- dition of school expenditures, etc., for 1873:
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
Total number of children between the ages of 5 and 21 years,
as per report . 3,473
Number attending school 2,170
Number of school districts 61
Number of school houses. 52
Number of libraries 3
Number of volumes in school libraries 198
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
RECEIPTS FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES.
Balance on hand at beginning of school year, 1873. . $ 6,666.65
Received from Territory 3,623.91
Received from county taxes 13,797.03
Received from districts 4,318.04
Received from miscellaneous sources
8,816.48
Total $37,222.11
EXPENDITURES.
For teachers' salaries. $21,840.04
For building, repairs and furniture 5,859.51
For school libraries and apparatus. 319.00
For rent, fuel and contingent expenses 1,654.91
To balance on hand.
7,548.65
$37,222.11
STATEMENT 3, FOR 1874.
Number of children between 5 and 21 years
.4,010
No. of children attending schools. . 2,030
Number of school districts
77
Number of school houses
53
Number of school libraries. 3
Number of volumes in libraries 198
RECEIPTS FOR SCHOOL YEAR, 1874.
To balance from last year $ 7,548.65
Received from Territory 3,855.03
Received from county taxes 13,869.05
Received from district taxes
514.33
Received from miscellaneous sources
5,277.62
Total receipts for 1874 $31,064.68
EXPENDITURES FOR 1874.
Amount paid teachers. $19,074.12
Amount for building, repairs, furniture, etc 1,649.29
Amount for school libraries and apparatus. 10.10
Amount for fuel, rent and contingent expenses 1,053.49
$21,787.00
To balance.
9,277.68
$31,064.68
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EIGHTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
In addition to the number of public schools, there were several private schools taught in the Territory without expense to the county or to the Territory.
LEGISLATION AT THE EIGHTH SESSION.
This legislature enacted but few new laws. The Secretary of the Territory had prepared what he called a Revision and Compila- tion of all the public laws as then in force in the Territory, from and including each session, from the First to the Seventh. This compilation was presented to the legislature for sale. The legisla- ture bought this manuscript and ordered Territorial warrants is- sued to pay for it, in the sum of three thousand five hundred dol- lars. For some cause, unknown to the writer, the act that author- ized this purchase was not published, but the warrants were issued in December, 1874. (See Comptroller's report for 1875-76, page 8.) It appears that before the close of this session in January, 1875, the members had come to the conclusion that this revision and compilation of the laws was not complete, so they passed another act which was approved January 15, 1875. (See p. 871, Rev. Laws Eighth Session.) This act created a new revising board of com- missioners, consisting of three men, conferring upon them full authority to examine, correct errors and compile as in force, all the laws of the Territory of a public nature, beginning with the First and including the Eighth session (which was the then present ses- sion) and prepare them for publication. This commission was to serve without pay and was to complete their work on or before the first day of March, 1875. Provision was made for printing the Revised Laws, in case Congress failed to pay. An appropriation of $1400 was made, to be paid from the Territorial treasury. A warrant was issued for this amount in July, 1876. (See Comptrol- ler's report for 1875-76, p. 11.) What these commissioners did I do not know, but they evidently did a considerable amount of good work, free of charge. What disposition was made of the money appropriated by Congress to pay for the printing of the laws and journals of the Eighth session we do not know, but we do know the journals were not printed, and only a portion of the laws passed at that session were printed in the Revision of Laws.
The Eighth session adjourned on January 15, 1875. The cer- tificate of the Secretary, certifying to the correctness of the laws published, is dated February 1, 1876, but my recollection is that the laws were not ready for distribution until several months later.
In addition to the acts mentioned, this Eighth session passed a new revenue act, which was quite lengthy, covering forty-five pages, and a lengthy habaes corpus act that covered seven pages. They His-13
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
also passed a few acts dissolving the bonds of matrimony between husbands and wives, then adjourned and went home. No doubt they as well as their constituents were glad that the forty days allotted to them in which to make laws had expired, and certainly we are glad to quit writing on this subject. There was something about the purchase and printing of these Revised Laws that never was shown to the light of day.
CHAPTER XLI.
PROGRESS MADE BY THE PEOPLE IN IDAHO FROM 1873 TO 1877.
For the four years between 1873 and 1877, we can say but lit- tle, as there were no great improvements made and nothing of a startling nature took place.
IMMIGRATION AND AGRICULTURE.
During these four years, Idaho's adult population did not in- crease any. A few people came in, but fully as many left. Neither did taxable property increase any. The Comptroller's report shows the amount of property assessed in the Territory for the four years as follows: In 1873, $4,363,582; in 1874, $4,513,022; in 1875, $4,652,919; in 1876, $4,381,277. During these four years, the number of poll taxes collected fell off from 4,924 in 1873, to 3,151 in 1876.
Some little improvement was made in agriculture, a few new locations were made and some fruit trees set out, and some new land put in cultivation.
MINING.
This industry had not been nearly so prosperous the past four years as in previous years, owing mainly to the fact that many of the once best paying placer mining claims had been worked out. There were a number of gold and silver quartz ledges in the Ter- ritory that prospected well, but it was difficult to get sufficient cap- ital to open them up and put up the necessary machinery to work them successfully. The output from the mines for the four years of which we are speaking, fell off considerably from what it had been in former years.
STOCK RAISING.
This industry had been fairly good, so far as increase in num- bers is concerned, but the supply was greater than the home mar- ket could consume, so the price of all stock went down to a much lower figure than in former years. There was no near transporta- tion to carry stock to distant markets, and the distance was too great to drive overland. The stock business was not as profitable as in former years.
TRANSPORTATION OF MERCHANDISE.
Merchandise transportation was still carried on, in most parts of the Territory, by means of large wagons and teams of either
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
horses, mules or oxen, mostly from Kelton, on the Central Pacific railroad. These freight outfits generally consisted of three wa- gons, coupled together, and drawn by ten horses or ten mules or by five to seven yoke of oxen. Quite a large number of teams were engaged in this business, and the rate per pound for trans- portation was greatly reduced, owing to the great number en- gaged in the business. So but few made any money in the freight- ing business during these four years. Some little packing on mules was still carried on into the mountain mining camps where there were no wagon roads, but this was very limited.
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