Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1883-06-08

arose on the subject OF the remOvai VI
the Territorial capital between the
residents Of Northern, Central and
Southern Idaho. Hon. Caleb Lyon,
Of I.yonsdale, N. Y, was then Gov
ernor Of the Territory, and it was not
until late in the summer of 1866 that
the Territorial archieves and officers
all arrived safely at Boise City, the
new Territorial capital. Lewiston, in
particular, made a very determined
and desperate resistance to the reme-
val, and after all this lapse Of years
there still remains not little Of old
local prejudice, passion and animosity
as between these different sections Of
Idaho upon this important subject.
mention briefly these historic facts
and "reminiscences because Boise coun-
ty as originally and at first organized,
embraced Boise City and Ada county
within its boundaries, and because
this removal of the Territorial capital
was, in great part, the result Of the
actual cooperation of Boise county
capital, labor and influence. Honor
ever unto those to whom honor is due.
From almost the date Of the first
discovery of gold in paying quantities
in Boise county, more or less attention
began to be paid to the thorough
practical Investigation and prospect
ing" Of gold and silver and mineral
bearing quartz rock, and all species
of rock that contained any kind of
mineral whatever.
Lodges, lodes OF in Eastern parlance,
"mines," were not only discovered, To-
Gated and recorded according to the
then miners laws, customs and usages
of the country in every direction, but
assays and other practical tests dem
onstrated the fact, beyond all reasona.
BILE doubt, that many such discoveries
of mineral wealth in the hitherto hid
den and unknown arcana of natures
rocky and mountainous crypts and re-
cesscs, many of them almost inacces-
sble, apparently to the steps of man,
were more than valuable, and that
some of them babe fair, with a reas-
able amount of capital invested, labor
expended, machinery erected, and skill
rightly directed, to make the discover
ers and their associates if not million
aires, at least independent for life
within a very short space of time.
Rude arastras and other primitive ma
chinery adapted to such mining ope.
rations were constructed, shafts were
sunk, tunnels were bored and drilled
and blasted through the fiinty rocks,
and the quartz mining interests and
industries of Boise county given To-
cal habitation and a name early in
1868. Not less than l4l such lodges
were discovered, located and recorded
in Boiss Basin prior to the first day of
January, 1865. Some of these were
traced for long distances, and many
thousands of feet of such quartz led
ges were reduced to personal owner
ship and possession long previous TO
that date in Boise county, and as in
Boise county, so it was in Idaho, Owy.
bee. Nez Perez, Shoshone, Alturas and
every other county in the Territory,
where the white man could set his foot
and maintain ever so precarious an
existence. But still after lapse Of
twenty years quartz mining in Boise
county and in Idaho Territory, is still
in its most infantile existence, slowly
but surely emerging into one of the
most profitable, extensive and destined
perhaps yet to be the chief mining
industry of Boise county and of Idaho
Territory.