The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-07-31
UNITY, IDAHO, SATURDAY, JULY 81, 1885.
YELLOW PINE BASIN.
The Probable Discovery Of an
Extensive Placer Camp.

The Probable Discovery Of an
Extensive Placer Camp.
idaho Democrat, July ISL
There is many a man who poses
as hero before the world in pom
derous and gilt-edged volumes of
adventure and hair breadth escapes,
who in reality has not encountered
one-half the perils that are yearly
met and overcome by the fearless
and indomitable prospector. This
latter wanderer of plain and noun
tain, whose life is made up of thrill
ing scenes of danger, is ever reti-
cent of his exploits, and seldom
alludes to them unless drawn out.
Idaho-the whole northwest-is
alive with men, each Of whose ex-
perience, if reeled off into chapters,
would make book of intense in
terest.
Two men, Edwin Clifford and w.
NJ. Sutherland, arrived in Boise last
week after supplies, and whilst in
Post & Bilderback's store incident
ally mentioned what they TERMED
"some little hardships" recently
undergone by them. Last fall they
fitted out in HALEY for trip into
the Salmon river mountains. Deep
creek was their objective point.
They went to Sawtooth, thence to
the main Salmon; thence to Bo-
nanza ,and from there to Loon creek,
down which theys travelled to Mid
die fork, prospecting for Deep creek
as they went along. They finally
took across the mountains and got
on to Hot creek, leaving which they
were several days wandering about
in succession of swamps. Getting
out of these they crossed the sum-
NIT and descended into what they
named the Yellow Pine Basin. This
was the third or fourth of October.
They liked the appearance of the
basin and found prospects indicat-
ing good placer mines. sTheir in
tention was to remain as late as
possible and then go over onto the
Salmon and winter, and return in
the spring. They had grub enough
to last until the first of December.
Their four horses were accordingly
turned out and cabin and smoke
house were built, and they pros
pected until a heavy storm admon-
ished them of the danger of re-
naming longer. They then at
tempted to get out, but failed in
consequence of depth of snow on
the mountains. Realizing that
they were imprisoned, and know
ing their supplies would last
but few days longer, they COM
menced killing deer-which were
plentiful-and jerking the meat.
They had a Winchester rifle, and
killed altogether thirty-fve deer
and two. bears. Meanwhile winter
opened in earnest, and when the
temperature permitted, with a
rudely constructed rocker they kept
up prospecting. They got down to
deer meat straight the first week in
December, but saved enough pro-
visions for Christmas feast. Ven
ison diet alone disagreed with Gif-
ford much more than with Suther-
land, and along toward spring he
began failing fast. The latter then
saw that unless he could reach the
settlements and return with proper
nourishment his partner would
starve to death. On the 18th of
March, fortified with three or four
pounds of dried deer meat, Suther-
land started out, but after strug-
Cling four days in the deep snow he
was compelled to 60 back unsuc-
cessful. They both continued
growing weaker, and at last Clifford
took the scurvy. On the 21st of
April, with sure death staring them
in the face in few days if they
remained, they both started in
desperate effort to 60 out for sue
cor. They made fifteen miles,
where deep snow was encountered,
when Clifford, unable to proceed
further, told Sutherland that he
must make the attempt alone.
They now had but few cartridges
left, and Clifford, who could still
shoot tolcrably well, shot three