Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-03-13
N, p. CIRCULAR NO. 6.
Relating to the Occur d'Alene Mines

Copy Vi tHiS IeIuaThaoie uocuhcut
was handed to us last week. We had
before heard that such printed circular
had been published and extensively circu
lated in the eastern states and in Califor-
MIA and wondered why it had not been
seen in this vicinity. But We had not
the credulity to suppose that the mana
gers Of that company would assume to
place before the general public, over their
signature or that CT any of their agents,
q Northern Pacific document containing
any such statements as facts about the
mines, such as were reported to u.s. But
the printed document is worse than had
been reported to US, and develops to us
the fact that the N. p. company and its
agents are responsible for large share Of
the misrepresentation regarding those
mines, and that they have become so to
delude the unweary and induce them to
0UauuOu tueH nOlueS anu UusiucSS anu
come over their road to section of coun-
try where but little was known of its
mineral resources, only that few spots
had been found where there was gold,
and quartz, the extent and value of which
was all matter of imagination, as moth
ing warranting an excitement and rush
had yet been disclosed, although the
months from May to February had been
expended diligently searching for some.
thing rich and permanent as diggings
had been made without avail But this
circular is the most wanton and extrava-
giant effort to produce panic of franzy
about mines that we have ever seen since
we have been on this coast, for over "a
years, and to all appearances could have
been published only for the purpose Of
deceiviug the public and thereby causing
thousands to pay fares over their road, in
order to get to the mines, even if it took
their last dollar and turn them adrift in
rough mountain district to seek for
grub and shelter, without means or any
immediate prospect Of acquiring means
to obtain lively Wood there in the mines,
or to pay their expenses back home or to
where they could obtain the means of a
kvelyhood. We are not surprised that
sometimes an individual either through
entire ignorance or from some personal
avarice, will be induced to take chances
in making either false representations,
knowing them to be false, or from his
eredulity in believing in the representa-
tons Of others who are false. which go to
entirely mislead the public to their great
damage, but that great corporation,
having the full information themselves
or the means Of acquiring the facts with
mercenary intent, and induce men to
travel over their road hundreds and
thousands Of miles at great expense to
the victims to reach nook in the noun
tains with the expectations Of acquiring
sudden fortunes, when nothing has been
disclosed that warrants the conviction
that 500 miners can in one whole mining
season take out of the earth an average
Of one dollar per day, is an affrontery on
the American public that subjects that
corporation to the charge Of dishonesty
and bad faith. There are perhaps hun
dreds Of others who from personal in
terest may utter as strong inducements
merely from superstition without any
personal knowledge, and if the facts they
claim prove untrue, they will cndeavor
10 shield themselves on the ground of
others say so, but the influence Of such
in moving population to desert their
homes and business, would be compare
lively powerless compared with that of a
corporation like that Of the Northern
Pacific, and hence they would produce
no great damage, To old and experienced
miners, such statements as contained in
circular No. 6, would be taken as merely
untrue. But to men who know COM
paratively nothing about mining, con-
viction would be much more easily pro-
dueed. But says one the camp may
prove to be all that is claimed for it, and
IN that case all would be well enough.
But the point We make is that no such
facts as recited in that circular have never
yet been developed in the Ceur d'Alene
district, and hence the inducement is
grossly false. We want to see popula-
ton in this western country, not only in
prospecting, mining and other employ
ment, but to such an extent do we want
people here as to present inducements for
them to come, that we know have no
foundation in fact. When farm labor
was only 81 so per day in this section,
that company might just as well issue