National Republican., 1883-08-22
The Miners Now Holding Down Beer Kegs in
the Mountains Of Idaho
They All Have Claims, Which They
Hold at Very High Prices,
And They Are Now Playing Treezo Out While
Waiting for Capitalists TO Come and Buy Them.
A Washington Mans Experience i'm tho
Ear West.
Special Letter.


"Go west, young man aud grow up with tho
country" is not altogether good advice to all
young men in these days, as has been signally
proven during the last SpBing and summer.
Thousands of mon, yonnG and ald, have been
deceived by glowing descriptions of our
mineral wealth, and they camo in crowds to
land unprepared to receive them. Tho men
we need now are the capitalists, ana this tor
ritory has but little employment to offer those
who are e-stitute of means Day after day
during last spring special trains, crowded with
pilgrims" from tho eastern states passed
over tho Utah and Northern railway
to Red Rock and Butte City, Mont, every
man with o thirst for the wealth which is
hidden in our mountains while not one in
twenty had sufficient sum in his possession
to purchase prospector's outfit. To-day
one-half of those in whom, but Il short time
ago, hope was so strong, are returning to
their eastern homes, poor in pocket, but rich
in the experience which teaches that all men
should not go west"
Communication with the mining districts
of Texas Camp, North Fork, and Leesburg is
kept up by stage line from Red Rock, Mont,
to Salmon City, Idaho, via junction, a dis
tance of 100 miles. During the wet season
the ride is one of extreme discomfort, for the
roads are almost impossible, and the stage
accommodations SO very bad that man
needs q moro than ordinary amount of pa
thence to carry him through without coloring
the air with profanity.
Junction City derives its name from the
fact that it is the junction of the Red Rock
and Salmon City and Salmon City and Carnas
stage lines, and it is a thriving little settle
ment, with q population of about one hun
dred. Much has been done during the past
few months to make it village of q more
0r1a hnG
AT present the business portion of it consists
of two hotels, three grocery stores, hard
ware store and tinshOp, and one saloon. The
professions are represented by two doctors
and the county attorney. Business in their
line is anything but brisk, and one of the
doctors, with true comprehension of the
adaptability to circumstances SO often neces-
sary In the mountains, has opened fruit
store, and dispenses the luscious" to the
inhabitants and visitors, and by selling
fair proportion of green fruit manages
to create u demand for his services as a
mediCO. His brother lancet" would, l
honestly believe, be considerably in arrears
for his board, were it not that he is gifted
beyond his fellow mortal5 with that very
essential western omplishment-"p poker
ability" Junction is the supply store for the
mining camps of Texas and Spring mountain.
Striking out in southerly direction from
Junction, over a fine stretch Of grazing land,
some day to be dotted over with thousands of
cattle, but now serving only to feed few
"cayuses" and n stray steer or two, one finds
very ilat country compared with much in
the northern part of Lemhi county. The
valley, which is here about eight miles wide,
seems to be walled in by the pine clad snow
tipped mountains-the main range Of the
Rockies" on one hand and spur of the
Pah-Simari " Oh tho other. From innumer-
able hollows in their verdant slopes flow
streams of ice-cold water, and every few
miles wo see u long, thin stretch of timber,
extending from the pines down to the Lemhi
river, denoting the presence Of q big " crick." J"
Two hours smart driving brings us in full
view of a bunch of houses situated ON the
rising upland west of the river, and in n few
minutes more we are in Bannister, the town
of the future. Here is the postoiiice for
Texas mining district and the saloon.
Round the doors of these two buildings are
congregated the men whose wealth, as yet,
lies in the hills on the west of us, and in the
last-named structure will very large per-
centage of that wealth be spent, for so it has
been and will continue to be. Men who
should be busy working their claims are to be
found here from morning till midnight play
ing " freeze-out" for the drinks and " stud "
poker for the money, but where the money
comes from is mystery, for not one out of
twenty is earning cent. They seem to live
on expectations and whisky. You see
a man in ragged overalls sitting ON q
bundle of pick-handles outside the
postoifico? He owns half share in
the Jumbo, and wants $4,000 for his inter-
est, while restless little chap, the heels of
whose boots are so run over" that he walks
like 0 hospital cripple out for an airing,
thinks $4,000 too small for his little "hole in
the ground" Mingled with the crowd of
grizzled, sunburnt :" old timers" may be seen
the yachting shirt and clean overalls of the
newly arrived "tenderloot," whose interest
in everything respecting mines is intense
Eagerly does Inc swallow the more than eXag-
gerated stories of rich finds" and grand
prospects" but he is learning and in few
months time will be playing the same game
on some more recent arrival. But let us not
classify miners and pilgrims" by their at
tire, for that very mild looking gentleman
dressed in broadcloth, and who in addition
sports "baldfaced shirt, is the best miner
in camp, and knows more about quartz than
any other man in this part of the territory.
Leaving the motley assemblage to discuss
the latest STRIKE" and fill up their interiors
with mountain "tangle leg" at two bits" a
drink, we move westward upa steady ascent
to the foot of the mountains. The first milo
is an easy grade and at the end of it we stop
to give our horses time to lay in a stock of
wind for the heavy pull. Looking down on
the valley from here the view Is beautiful
On our right are the headwaters of the
Lemhi, an insignificant collection of small
springs that may easily be crossed at a single
stride, giving but little promise of ever be-
coming river. Beneath our feet the valley
lies smiling in its bright green dress,
dotted here and there with the
ranches of those whose faith in
its future is strong enough to induce them to
settle 1000 feet above sea level and struggle
with the irrepressible climate in their en-
deavors to raise enough vegetables for family
use, conflict which is invariably decided
adversely by the summer frosts. To the left
is q broad, open piece of country, the
monotony of its appearance unhrollen save by
few antelope coming to tho Lemhi for their
evening drink. In the distance, but plainly
visible lies Junction City, standing out in
pretty relief from its background-the grand
old hills; so clear is it,, that one unaccustomed
TO judging distances in the mountains would
scarcely imagine that seventeen miles of
space separate us Resuming our as
cent we follow faint wagon trail
up the creek side and after another
mile of collar work for our team
we are in little canon, with trees around
and above us. The road here has been graded
on the mountain side, and / have very vivid
recolections of the difficulties encountered in
making it, for I was one Of the three that
made the road A short piece of corduroy, a
sudden ascent, and we arc in camp. The
snowy canvas of the new tent shows up
brightly against the background of fir trees,
while the smoke issuing from the kitchen
stovepipe seems to wreathe itself into the
mystic letters, s-u'p-p-e-r. There Is hearty