Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-09-10
Letter from Pierce City.
PIERCE CRY, Sept. LIST, 1880

Mr.. EDIroR:-I will just get into
he traces without any preliminaries.
Shoshone county was formed in 1854.
| have no time to examine statistics to
whether or not, at tina. time,
she belonged to the family of Wash
ington Territory or not, neither does
il make any difference for the present
Shoshone was one Of the first organized
counties which made up the Territory
of Idaho and is therefore not ''new
county" Gold was first discovered
within it's boundaries in 1860, / be-
lieve IN what is at present known as
Canal Gulch at all events the pros
poets were very EN- ,ouraging,, and the
glad tidipgs soon brought forth imm
grafton and capital to develope the
newly discovered placers, to throw
open the vaults Of hidden treasure,
and establish seat of commerce to
say the least Of considerable import
ance. The Eat situation in the angle
formed by the waters of Orc Elmo
creek and Rhodes creek, was soon
transformed from an unknown wilder
ness into large and flourishing town,
which took the name of Orc Fino.
The placers paid well. Rhodes creek
named after, or for the famous propri-
etor, Bill Rhodes produced probably
the richest. People flocked into the
new Eldorado by hundreds, and soon
Shoshone became the abode Of thous-
ands and known to the w1rld, for the
amount of treasure. shipped from her
borders, and this series Of prosperity
continued during a series of years with
out interruption. But alas The pla-
GERS have in great measure ceased to
produce with their former munificense
our beautiful and fertile valleys have
not been properly introduced to the
pillow share, and Orc Elmo has passed
away. only the funeral site remains to
recall the remembrance of her passed
glory. Nevertheless Pierce City lives
and hourishes to day in her stead Tho
proud metropolis of Shoshone and from
the direction of which the birds O
omen fly, it is fair to auger that upoi
the tomb of the dead past, will b.
reaved commerce moro prnhtahle an.
enduring tor Shoshone than has here
tofore existed. The attention of GU
people is now being drawn to the dc
velopment of the quartz leads, and tn
cultivation Of the agricultural valley
with which our county abounds, am
through the energy and perseveren,
of Messrs Moody 4 Ceilings, the worl
will soon be appraised Of tho value @
some of our quartz deposits. They ar
in process of erecting machinery upo
their Tiger ledge at Democrat gulcf
and soon viii be heard in that wild
and dismal region, the busy hum O
the quartz mill. These gentleme
have also purchased the lode know
IS the Last Chance, situated at tn
heud Of Barclays gulch and fror
which first class ore has been extra,
ted since the first discovery Of the lod
but for the want of capitol has re
naainsd unknown and improbable
machinery will soon be erected upol
the lode also, by the energetic propr q
tors, and then will he produced tn
golden bricks to lay the foundation
upon whichto build the future pros
perity of Shoshone. During the pas
season the placea have not paid well
and BY no means as largely as was ez
pected, consequently money has beer
and is at pr aseut most mcomfortabl
scarce, for which reason creditors dc
and they are permitted in silence t
grumble little: "Tis true, it's pit
and pity tbs, It's true We hop
twin not always ramain so. The in
hahitants Of Shoshone, are for tn
s most part oldresidenters, pioneers VIII
took from the stump the, material q
which our beautifulsand lofty edifce
habe been constructed. They are hor
est, honorable, generous, hospitabl,
and il fortune has for nearly half
century gazed upon the greater portion
OF them, with iercest frown, they don
permit it to stop their growth in tn
least, to ruffle the native eveners O
their. tpmpor a - A. s.