, 1865-12-29
InAHn CURRENCY.

IDAHO CUHAENCLs
nm known perhaps 10 the other portions Of
the earth that in Idaho Territory we nave the
most eccentric ideas about wealth aud the MODES
~ s.,,;.~ !. II h probably not known gener-
suI ,hat s.r the 6rst time on the Pacific coast,
and no doubt for the frst time on the continent,
We use for A curreaey the two articles OF dirt
and gold mixed. and tAat we value this stnt at
two dollars per ounce more than It Is really
worth cleaned. Several years ago in dinerent
portions of California, gold dust was useu as
currency; but where % used II WAS always un-
derstood to pass for two dollars LESS thah iIS
real value In stead Of that much more as at pres
ent. In Tuolumne county, where gold was
really worth eighteen dollaes per ounce, it was
used "a A currency at sixteen. In Sierra county
where il was worth seventeen per ounce it never
passed current for more than sixteen. Thus It
has alWas been on this coast until Boise turned
up, H..
Even in Florence, in this Territory, the dust
of which would coin thirteen dollars, it was only
counted at twelve in all business transactions.
Bat in the Boise Basin, rich as it is, aud con-
taiping as II does people with at least an av-
erage Of intelligence, everybody except the NIL
| uers. has allowed himself TO be thocOughly and
completely imposed upon for the last two years
by taking dust, very dirty In the hrst place, and
! allowing two dollars more for 1t than it was
| worth in the second place. Why is this Be-
| cause there has been o ruiuous and bankrupt
competition for trade, and each and every body
| who has had q pound Of tea or sack of -four to
sell, has been ia such hurry to remit cash to
the real owners Of the "truck , below, that he
would sell the articles at any sacrifice, and give
any price demanded for dirt and sand rather
than allow his creditors to think he was not do"
ing business,
Il is shame and disgrace to have to repeat
such things Of a community like this, but is
| nevertheless tue of the past as we'll as the
present.
A miserably deprecated article of gold, with
red sand mixed in, is now the currency of Boise
Basin.
A gentleman of our acquaintance not long
since in this very city actually passed at sixteen
dollars per ounce a quarter Of an ounce of clean,
| unadulterated RED SAND wITHoCT ANY GOLD IN 1T
| AT ALL! Merchants aud all take it, everybody
wants it, nobody pretends to blow your dust,
nobody pretends to examine whether it has been
well oiled aud saDded or not, nobody knows or
cares whether it is Florence dust, or Owyhee,
| or South Boise.
| Whatever is offered is taken and the conse-
uuence is that wares and merchandise, includ-
| ing all the staples, are rated much higher than
they should be, and that portion OF the commu-
nifty who really have an honest desire TO deal
on the square with their neighbours, are being
swnded nearly to death.
The facts are plain the Argument is a tangi-
ole Onei ana scarcely neeOS ulSCuSSlOn
We think it high time the practice was stopPedi
high time that measures be taken to reduce
CLEAN Boise dust to a maximum value of four
teen dollars per ounce as a general currency
We think ANYBODY who opposes it is a fool or q
knave, and works against his own interest.
If the thing were once put in such shape that
| all could see it as some do, we feel certain
the time might Immediately come when this re-
duction would be made, and when there might
be little brighter spot of hope when this sui
cidal course might be looked upon by our peo-
pie as it really is.
Not only are brass weights bored and neatly
filled with lead to make up losses, but red sand
from certain districts brings high price as q
commodity, and all the meahest tricks that ever
were invented.in the world are re5orted to fol
the purpose of keeping up the equilibrium.
| THERE IS A WAY NOW to abate the nuisance
The time has been wheu.tbere was easy cure
for it; but now let twenty of our leading buSi-
ness houses sign and live mp to pledge not tc
pay more than fourteen dollars per ounce fol
clean Boise dust, in every transaction, great
and small and let the weights be arranged ac.
cordingly, what are not already, and You will
see that in ten days dust will come down tu
somewhere near its approximate coin value
| Idaho World.