USA > Idaho > The history of Idaho > Part 28
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"This district properly belongs to Judge Edgerton, not only from his position as Chief Justice, but from his high moral and offi- cial character, and his large experience. But circumstances rendered it inconvenient, if not impossible, for him to be here; while the pressure of business in your court, the crowded state of your jail, and the natural impatience of your people made it necessary that a
297
INTERESTING NEWSPAPER ITEMS
court should be held at as early day as possible. Under these cir- cumstances, Governor Wallace assigned this district to me. I con- sented to the arrangement reluctantly, and with a deep sense of the responsibility it devolved upon me. To some, and perhaps to a con- siderable extent, the property, the liberty and the lives of many men depend upon my action in this court. I do not think that any Judge can always decide aright; I know that I can not. All that I promise is that to the best of my ability I will discharge the duties incumbent upon me, and by so doing strive to secure the confidence of the Bar and of the people. And from my acquaintance for some months past with some of your numbers, and the cordial greeting you have extended to me on my arrival among you, and the uniform courtesy with which you have treated me since, I feel confident I shall have your assistance in the effort to make this court a means of suppressing disorder and wrong, and promoting good morals, harmony and peace.
"Whatever popular prejudice there may be against the profession of the law, it is a useful and noble one calculated, when properly pursued, to expand and elevate the mind and heart, and has fur- nished many of the loftiest intellects and purest characters that have adorned the history of our race. Associated in fraternal re- lations with the members of such a profession here, I cannat doubt that I shall find them in the conduct of the business of this court devoted to the real and substantial interest of their clients, and not to technicality and free form; relying for success not upon arti- fice and fraud, but upon professional knowledge and skill-labor- ing not to embarass but to assist the court.
"Amid the difficulity and embarassments of an untried position of an unfamiliar practice and of heavy responsibility, I rely for success much upon your assistance and generosity. In some degree my reputation depends upon the result of this court; if it shall not succeed, I am sure the fault will not be yours. Hoping that it may not fail, and that the just expectation of the community may not be disappointed, I enter upon the discharge of the duties of the office assigned me.
Boise News, February 27, 1864 :- Appointments of county offi- cers. The following is a list of the officers sent in by the Governor and confirmed by the council to hold the offices until the next gen- eral election in Boise County.
"Sheriff, Summer Pinkham.
"Probate Judge, Daniel Mclaughlin.
"County Commissioners, John C. Smith, Frank Moore, Henry I. Crow.
298
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
"Auditor, Washington R. Underwood.
"Treasurer, Charles D. Vajen.
"Assessor, George Woodman.
"Justice of the Peace, Idaho City, Charles Walker.
"Justice of the Peace, Centerville, J. H. Johnson, C. W. Depuy.
"Justice of the Peace, Placerville, T. H. Stringham, Chas. Wood- bury.
"Justice of the Peace, Boise City, Daniel S. Holton.
"Notary Publics, John Cummins, Henry C. Anderson. George I. Gilbert, C. J. Fitzgerald.
"Constable, Idaho City, John G. Howell.
"Constable, Centerville, Edward Thore.
"District Attorney for 2d district, Geo. C. Hough."
Rates charged by Wells Fargo & Company's Express from Boise Basin to San Francisco and intermediate points in 1864; taken from their advertisement in the Boise News of May 21, 1864:
"Rates from Idaho City, Placerville, Centerville and Pioneer City will be as follows:
To San Francisco $1000.00 or over, insured 41/2 per cent
Under $1000.00, insured 5 1/2 per cent
To Portland, $1000.00 or over, insured 31/2 per cent Under $1000.00, insured 41/2 per cent
To The Dalles, $1000.00, or over, insured 31/2 per cent Under $1000.00, insured .4 per cent
Umatilla, $1000.00, or over, insured 31/4 per cent Under $1000.00, insured 4
per cent
Walla Walla, $1000.00, or over, insured .3 per cent
Under $1000.00, insured .31% per cent
LaGrande, insured 21/2 per cent
Auburn, insured 21/2 per cent
(Signed) Wells Fargo & Company. J. J. Smith, Agent.
"Boise News, published every Saturday evening by T. J. and
J. S. Butler, Editors and Proprietors. Terms invariably in advance. Rates of Subscription :
One Year $12.00
Six months 7.00
Three months 4.00
Single copies .50
Rates of Advertising :
For one insertion, one square $5.00
One square (10 lines or less) 4 insertions 8.00
299
INTERESTING NEWSPAPER ITEMS
"All advertisements of half column or more will be inserted by special contract.
"Advertisement to insure insertion must be handed in as early as Monday, and the number of insertions noted on the margin."
Taken from the Boise News, published at Idaho City, Saturday January 23, 1864.
CHAPTER LIX.
ITEMS TAKEN FROM THE IDAHO TRI-WEEKLY STATESMAN IN THE SIXTIES.
Boise City, Thursday, September 15, 1864. James S. Reynolds & Co., Proprietors.
Terms of Subscription :
I copy one week, payable to carrier $ 1.00
I copy one month by mail or express 3.00
1 copy 3 months by mail or express 6.00
1 copy 6 months by mail or express 10.00
I copy one year by mail
20.00
Agents supplied on liberal terms.
Terms invariable in advance.
Rates of Advertising :
1 square, (10 lines or less) 1 insertion $ 3.00
1 square, 2 insertions 4.00
1 square, one week 5.00
I square, one month 10.00
1 square, two months 15.00
1 square, three months 20.00
1 square, six months 30.00
1/4 column, 1 insertion 5.00
1/4 column, 1 week 10.00
1/4 column, 1 month 15.00
1/4 column, 3 months 30.00
1/4 column 6 months 50.00
1/2 column, I insertion 8.00
1/2 column, 1 week 15.00
1/2 column, 1 month 25.00
1/2 column, 3 months 60.00
1/2 column, 6 months
1 column, 1 insertion 90.00
15.00
1 column, 1 week 30.00
1 column, 1 month 45.00
1 column, 3 months 90.00
1 column, 6 months 150.00
Transient advertisements to insure insertion must be paid for in advance.
301
ITEMS FROM STATESMAN
Special notices charged for at the rate of one dollar a line, each insertion.
Office corner of Main and Sixth Streets."
From Idaho Statesman of September 15, 1864:
"Personal .- Governor Wallace (now delegate to Congress) and his lady arrived in town last Tuesday and put up at the Iowa House. The Governor started for Owyhee yesterday morning, whence he will return in a few days and address his constituents at this place. Notice will be given. Col. Drew also started back to join his command."
From Idaho Statesman of October 8th, 1864:
"Governor Lyons arrived at the Fort late last evening. He was greeted by the firing of cannon. We have not had a chance to take him by the hand, but shall today and bid him a hearty wel- come."
From Idaho Statesman, October 19, 1865:
"Several of our hotels have raised the price from twelve to four- teen dollars per week for board. The next fluctuation in the price of flour will very likely produce another change. They are fre- quent."
From the Idaho Statesman:
First National Bank of Idaho, Boise, I. T.
Authorized capital, $500,000.00, with circulation. Paid up capi- tal, $100,000.00.
Organized March 11, 1867, under act of Congress, approved June 3rd, 1864.
(Signed) B. M. DuRell, President.
(Signed) C. W. Moore, Cashier.
Correspondents and Agents :
National Bank of North American, New York City.
National Bank of Commerce, Boston, Mass.
Union National Bank, Philadelphia, Pa.
First National Bank of St. Louis, St. Louis, Mo.
Bank of California, San Francisco, Cal. Ladd & Tilton, Portland, Oregon.
B. M. DuRell & Co., Idaho City, Idaho.
DuRell & Moore, Silver City, Idaho.
(This bank is still in existence on a large scale in Boise, and C. W. Moore is the President.)
From the Idaho Statesman, March 9, 1867:
"The latest information from General Crook is that he is on his
302
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
way to Harney Lake. He had gobbled a few Bucks on the way, but had not had any important engagement. He expects to find In- dians more plenty at the point of destination."
From the Idaho Statesman, March 14th, 1867:
"Special Notice :- Fire Company .- There will be a meeting of the citizens of Boise City held at the Court House on Friday even- ing at 7 o'clock for the purpose of organizing a Hook and Ladder Company. A general attendance is desired."
From the Idaho Statesman, March 30, 1867:
"General Cartee intends to start next week to look for a proper initial point from which to commence the public surveys."
(This was the beginning of the surveys of Idaho.)
From Idaho tri-weekly Statesman, July 27, 1867, Jas. S. Rey- nolds, Editor. Volume IV:
"Today the Statesman commences the fourth year of its publica- tion. Three years ago we issued the first number of the tri-weekly with no U. S. mail running nearer Boise City than Umatilla in Ore- gon, and no express except a pony which was run between Humbolt and Idaho City by the lamented McCommons, who afterwards lost his life by the Indians. The prospects did not look very encour- aging to start a newspaper of any kind in Boise City at that time, and every one predicted that the Statesman would fail in three months. It has, however, made its tri-weekly appearance ever since. In a few weeks after its first appearance, Wells, Fargo & Co., es- tablished an office here for their express, and Ben Holliday com- menced the regular trips of his overland stage from Salt Lake to Umatilla.The placer mines of Idaho were then in their period of highest productiveness, and all manner of excitement ran at the very highest speed. Speculations were abundant and further hopes looked as big as continents. They have not in every instance been realized. The metaliferous veins of quartz just begun to be dis- covered, and their extreme richness promised such great develop- ments that Idaho was looked upon as the richest spot on earth and the place to secure the largest fortune in the shortest space of time. The development and progress of the country has been very much slower than was then anticipated. We all expected before this time to see twenty quartz mills in successful operation, where there is one now. And this is the chief and about the only disap- pointment there is to note. Various causes have contributed to re- tard the development of the quartz mines of Idaho. They cannot be enumerated here, but we will say in candor and earnestness that no man whose opinion is worth anything and who knows anything
303
ITEMS FROM STATESMAN
about the subject, but is now convinced that our mines are richer and more numerous than they were ever before believed to be. Our mines are as good, yes, many of them are far better than was dream- ed of three years ago; but there have been less capital and labor intelligently expended in making them productive than we hoped to see. During these three years some important changes have tak- en place in Idaho. Like all placer mines, ours are beginning to show signs of wearing out. There is consequently not the same periodical rush in the spring that there was then. Nearly all the loose and mi- gratory population has drifted away and left the country possessed of only permanent settlers. Then every article of consumption was brought from Oregon or California. Now the valley produces enough for home consumption. The price of oats and barley has been re- duced from 18 and 20 cents per pound to 3 cents per pound, and all other farm produce in proportion. The price of lumber is re- duced from one hundred dollars per one thousand feet to forty dollars, and the cost of living, more than one-half. Boise City, from being no place at all, has grown to be the most important in the territory, and will soon number the largest population. Six lines of stages on four different routes arrive and depart each day. Another one if not two more will shortly be added to this number. Wells, Fargo & Co. dispatch daily their express in four directions and thirty different U. S. mails arrive and depart each week. It has already become the central point of business, and more improve- ments are now going on than at any previous time. Three years ago the Boise and Payette valleys were just being settled by the first squatters that took possession. The Boise valley is now almost one continuous field for fifty miles in length on both sides of the river, dotted every now and then with orchards just beginning to bear their first specimen fruits.
"The capabilities of soil and climate have been so far tested as to establish our independence of foreign produce in the future. A few companies have failed in mining, but not until they had de- veloped and established the fact that it is useless to seek elsewhere for richer mines; while many more are slowly opening their mines and surely laying the foundation for fortunes. All things consid- ered, Idaho Territory was never at any time really so prosperous as at the present time. The general decline of business consequent upon the wearing out of the placer mines, was looked for by every sensible man. But the growth of quartz interests has not equalled expectation.
"We begin, however, our fourth year's work in Idaho as cheer- fully as we did the first, and with greater assurance that the Statesman will continue to make its appearance as heretofore. We
304
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
propose making no promises for the future except this: That the Statesman is a fixed institution and that we shall continue to en- courage as well as we are able, but without exaggeration, every material interest in the Territory. The support we receive in the circulation of the paper and its advertising patronage are suffi- cient evidence to us that we have in a good degree met the expec- tations of the people."
(We have copied the above from the pen of James S. Reynolds, because it gives a fair statement of the condition of things in gen- eral in southern Idaho at that time. Mr. Reynolds passed away some years ago, but his writings are still with us. May he rest in peace !)
From the Idaho Statesman, November 14, 1867. (Written by Jas. S. Reynolds, Editor.)
"For Brothers and Sisters: Family intimacies should never make brothers and sisters forget to be polite and sympathetic to each other. Those who contract thoughtless habits towards the mem- bers of their own family will be rude and thoughtless to all the world. But let the family intercourse be true, tender and affec- tionate and the manners of all be uniformly genteel and consider- ate, and the members of the family thus trained will carry into the world and society the habits of their childhood. They will re- quire in their associates similar qualities. They will not be satis- fied without mutual esteem, and the cultivation of the best affec- tions and their own character will be sustained by that faith in goodness which belongs to a mind exercised in pure and higlı thoughts."
CHAPTER LX.
CREATION AND ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES IN IDAHO-AREA OF LAND IN ACRES IN EACH COUNTY-SURVEYED AND UNSURVEYED-
MILITARY, INDIAN AND FOREST RESERVATIONS AND AREA OF LAKES UP TO DECEMBER, 1907.
Before the passage of the act of Congress creating the Territory of Idaho, approved March 3, 1863, the legislature of Washington territory had by legislative enactment created four counties in that portion of Idaho taken from Washington Territory, viz., Shoshone, Nez Perce, Idaho and Boise counties. The last three counties nam- ed had organized and had their county governments in operation. The first county created by act of the first session was Owyhee county. It embraced all territory south of Snake river and west of the Rocky Mountains. Approved Dec. 31st, 1863. The second was Oneida, out of the eastern portion of Owyhee county. Act of Jan. 22, 1864. (p. 625.) At this first session of the territorial legislature of Idaho, an act was passed re-bounding and organizing these same four counties that had been created by act of the Washington territory legislature, without any apparent change, viz., Nez Perce, Shoshone, Idaho and Boise counties. In the same act the counties of Alturas and Owyhee were organized and Owyhee county was re- bounded, thus creating and authorizing the organization of six counties in one act, which act was approved February 4th, 1864. (See pp. 628 to 630, inclusive, 1st Session laws.)
Ada county was created out of the southern and western portion of Boise county by legislative act at the 2nd session. Approved Dec. 22, 1864. (See p. 430, 2nd Session laws.)
Latah and Kootenai counties were created out of the north-west- ern portion of Idaho by legislative act at the second session. Ap- proved December 22, 1864. (See p. 432, 2nd Session Laws.) These counties did not organize for several years later, but remained and acted as a part of Nez Perce until organized, of which mention will be made later.
Lemhi county was created out of the southeastern part of Idaho county and was organized in 1869 under an act passed at the fifth session of the legislature, approved January 9, 1869. All of these nine counties have been spoken of before in Chapter 20.
The next county created was Bear Lake, which was created out of the southeastern portion of Oneida county by an act passed at His-20
306
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the eighth session of the legislature and approved January 5th, 1875.
Washington county was created out of the northwestern portion of Ada county by an act passed at the 10th session of the legisla- ture, approved February 20th, 1879.
Cassia county was created out of the eastern portion of Owyhee county and the western portion of Oneida, by act of the 10th ses- sion, approved February 20th, 1879.
Custer county was created out of a portion of the northeastern part of Alturas county and the western portion of Lemhi county, by legislative act passed at the 11th session, and approved January 8, 1881.
Kootenai county, of which we have spoken, appears to have or- ganized and put her county government into operation in 1881, un- der the old creative act of Dec. 22nd, 1864.
Latah county appears to have organized and put her county gov- ernment into operation in 1883, under the old creative act of Decem- ber 22nd, 1864.
Bingham county was created out of the northern and eastern por- tions of Oneida county by act of the 13th session of the legislature, approved January 13, 1885.
Elmore county was created out of the Southwestern portion of Alturas county by an act of the 15th session of the territorial leg- islature, approved February 7, 1889.
Logan county was by the same act created out of the southern part of Alturas county.
Canyon county was created out of the southwestern portion of Ada county by act of the first state legislature, approved March 7, 1891.
Fremont county was created out of the northern portion of Bing- ham county by act of the 2nd session of the state legislature, ap- proved March 4, 1893.
Bannock county was created out of the southern portion of Bing- ham county at the same session. The act was approved March 6th, 1893.
These compose all the counties in Idaho up to January 1, 1907, except that the boundary lines and the names of Alturas and Lo- gan counties were changed at the 3rd session of the state legisla- ture in 1895. The name of Alturas was changed to that of Blaine, and the name of Logan, to that of Lincoln. I shall not give any statement of the different kinds of legislation and litigation had over the territory embraced in these two last named counties, cover- ing a period of about nine years, involving great expense, unrest and some bad feeling. After this, Alturas county will be dropped,
307
CREATION OF COUNTIES
and Blaine county will take its place, and Lincoln county will take the place of Logan county in this and further writings.
Twin Falls county was created out of the western portion of Cas- sia county by act of the 9th session of the state legislature approv- ed Feb. 21, 1907.
Bonner county was created out of the northern portion of Koo- tenai county, by act of the 9th session of the state legislature, ap- proved February 21, 1907.
This completes the names and number, twenty-three, of counties in Idaho on December 1, 1907. All of them have their county gov- ernments in operation.
We are under obligations to U. S. Surveyor General, Ern C. Eag- leson, for the following letter and table:
"Boise, Idaho, February 27, 1908. "Mr. John Hailey,
Secretary Pioneer Special.
I enclose herewith a statement I had prepared on December 1, 1907, giving total areas of counties surveyed and unsurveyed, mili- tary, Indian and forest reservations, as well as the lake area of Idaho, also comparative diagrams taking the area of Delaware as Unit and comparing the same with Indian and forest reservations, surveyed and unsurveyed lands and the total area of the State.
"The areas given, I think, will be found absolutely correct for all of the counties except Fremont and Lemhi. The returns of the survey of the Idaho-Montana boundary along said counties were not available at the time of making the above calculation. The to- tals, however, in said counties will differ very little from the above figures when the final calculations are made.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) Ern. C. Eagleson, U. S. Surveyor General for Idaho.
Table showing areas of counties surveyed and unsurveyed, military, Indian and forest reservations, as well as the lake area of Idaho, compiled by Ern. C. Eagleson, U. S. Surveyor General for Idaho, on December 1, 1907.
COUNTY
SURVEYED ACRES
UNSURVEYED ACRES
TOTAL ACRES
MIL. RES. ACRES
IND. RES. ACRES
FOREST RES. ACRES
LAKE AREA ACRES
Ada ..
337,728.32
192,398.40
730,126.72
639
Bannock. .
1,475,053.54
546,876.46
2,021,930.00
154,628.20
570,748.00
7,733.00
Bear Lake.
416,912.46
227,777.54
644,690.00
169,600.00
44,720.00
Bingham.
975,116.69
1,680,693.31
2,655,810.00
484,120.00
18,060.00
Blaine.
1,233,033.29
2,643,386.71
3,876,420.00
1,180,800.00
Boise. .
1,210,889.81
1,033,450.19 578,982.34
2,047,265.33
1,691,222.00|108,000.00
Canyon .
772,969.19
55,030.81
828,000.00
Cassia.
1,195,688.55 295,081.26
583,741.45
1,779,430.00
443,204.00
Custer. .
2,951,130.00
1,776,780.00
2,150.00
Elmore.
1,082,742.01
2,656,048.74 630,987.99
1,713,730.00
622,080.00
Fremont.
2,176,597.43 911,165.88
1,716,842.57
3,893,440.00
1,128,960.00
Idaho. .
7,213,490.00
1,283,141.73
439,300.00
Latah.
118,264.64
Lemhi. .
106,950.00
2,203,180.00
Lincoln . .
1,105,561.53
994,108.47
2,099,670.00
Nez Perce.
1,574,515.41
888,324.59
2,462,840.00
Oneida.
1,033,276.63
653,543.37
1,686,820.00
160,880.69 128,800.00
820,480.00 274,500.00
Owyhee. .
1,494,329.15
3,427,900.85
4,922,230.00
Shoshone.
606,467.06 714,098.01
878,412.94
1,484,880.00
1,174,160.00|
Twin Falls ..
398,031.99
1,112,130.00
103,880.00
Washington.
1,407,727.02
418,012.98
1,825,740.00
784,669.00
Total.
23,866,746.09 |29,395,839.05|53,262,585.14
639
(990,558.89|20,336,427.00|208,363.00
308
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
27,700.00
Kootenai
1,147,326.54 688,698.80 343,484.52
6,302,324.12 135,815.19 3,592.56
692,291.36
2,749,555.48
3,093,040.00
5,036,480.00 357,739.36|
2,244,340.00
1,368,820.00
Bonner.
1,468,282.99
CHAPTER LXI.
EARLY SETTLERS IN IDAHO.
What might be called the first permanent settlement, made in what is now Idaho, was made by the Rev. Henry Spaulding at what is known as the Lapwai Agency on the Clearwater river, twelve miles above where Lewiston now stands, in the year 1836. True, a few Catholic priests had passed through the country but none made settlement. Old Fort Hall was built in 1834 by Capt. Nathalin Weyth, and old Fort Boise was built by the Hudson Bay Trapping Company in 1835. But neither of these could be regarded as permanent settlements as they were built solely for trading and trapping stations. Mr. Spaulding, with his wife and a few other Americans, built this Lapwai station in 1836 for a permanent set- tlement for the purpose of civilizing, educating, and christinizing the Nez Perce Indians. Mr. Spaulding succeeded so well in his un- dertaking that this tribe of Indians gave but little trouble other than the Joseph band which was in the northeastern portion of Oregon.
Mr. Spaulding succeeded in getting a small printing press at his station from Honolulu, the first that we have any account of ever having been brought to the northwest Pacific coast. He had school books printed, also a part of the New Testament-the Gospel of St. Matthew-printed in the Nez Perce Indian language, and some books in the jargon language. This was soon learned by both In- dians and whites. They could talk understandingly on almost any subject. This language was almost universally used in conversation between the whites and the Indians in Oregon and Washington Ter- ritory for many years. Thousands of Indians who could not speak or understand any of our English language soon learned to speak the jargon fluently, so that they could talk with the whites under- standingly. For the great sacrifice made and the noble work done by the Rev. Spaulding and his wife, their memory should be revered by all the people of Idaho. These good missionariese had to leave their home mission in 1847 on account of the war waged by the Cay- use Indians. They were escorted by Peter Ogden's men of the Hud- son Bay Company safely to old Fort Wallula, at which place they joined other white people and went down safely to Oregon City. But the good work they did among the Nez Perce Indians had the effect of keeping them at peace with the whites ever after.
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