Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-02-18
FROM MURRAY, TT.
MURRAY, 1. 7. Feb. Z, 1856


For few days past we have had fin
clear sunshiney days and the beautiful i.
melting away very fast, aud the gulche.
and creeks are full to overaowing. Pla.
Ger mining is going on again and thu
first clean up on the Ives claim was 4
good one. The Reese boy. took out az
even pound Of gold dust, for three men ia
one day. Dream Gulch people are fixi.a
for work and the Missoula. Alder, Acct.
dem, Cougar and many other gulches arc
now being worked.
Quarts mining goes on as usual, and
freight and machinery is being hauled
in very fast for them.
At present the annexation question i,
the vital one to the politician who seem
to be or hand for place and prospect
A public meeting was called for the 3D.,
which met and an organization effected,
and Committee Of FIVE appointed to
draft resolutions to congress for the an.
nexation Of part Of North Idaho to Mon.
tana territory, and adjourned till Satur.
day for the committee to report. On
Saturday evening at 7:3O, the meeting
was called to order and the preamble and
resolutions were read and vote moved
for adoption Of the came by the meeting
which was done. The preamble recited
that as all north Of the 47th parallel, in
ciuding all of Kootenai county and part
OF Shoshone, at the headwaters of the St.
Joe river was mining country and the
Montana men who arc engaged in min.
ing pursuits wanted to be annexed 10
Montana, as the laws there was made and
enforced by miners, and the judges we're
skilled in mining laws, while in Wash.
ington the judges and courts were not
fit or qualified to try mining cases, for
lack OF capacity and experience. Judge
Clagget was the first speaker and his re.
marks WIS made up Of a sort Of appeal
to the miners in favor Of Montana terri.
tory, for the reason that Montana terri.
tory was essentially a mining country
and miners would control all legislation.
while in Washington territory these
mines if annexed would be under control
Of the granger and carrot raising and
moss back farmers, who would never give
legislation in favor of the rights or priv.
ileges of miners; they would be the tail
end of the dog and could not wag a
healthy wag. The speaker gave heavy
rub to the woman suffrage part of the
granger territory and asked if they
wanted to be under "peticoat govern.
ment," which they surely would If they
annexed to Washington, claimed Mon.
tana would be a state before Washing
ing and that Washington had no chance
for admission for years in the dim future.
Mr.. Hepburn was the next speaker. he
favored Washington as having a great
future and very prosperous state with
her mineral, timber and agricultural re.
sources she must come to the front. He
denounced the language used 10 the pre-
amble as rejecting on the judiciary Of
Washington territory. They, perhaps,
as honest, capable and qualified as any, if
they were not learned in mining law and
ricks and trades of mining law suits; he
rpprehendea no danger from that point,
while not favoring woman suffrage he
did not think it so great an evil geni as
ma y regarded it. He believed that the
interest Of the whole people Of North
Idaho would be benefited by going to
Washington, that we had no Interest,"
with Montana in any way but were
closely allied to Washington territory, by
social and commercial ties which we're
strong. Th't the people Of Montana did
not want us and the people of North
Idaho had ever asked them. But the
people OF Washington had memoralzed
congress to accede to the wishes of the
people Of North Idaho. praying for an
nexation to Washington territory. That
the people of Montana had formed con-
sttution, but had not invited the people
of North Idaho to assist in the framing
or adoption Of it; but the people OF
Washington had, and they had as good a
constitution framed by the grangers and
moss backs, as the much boas.ed one
OF Montana. He closed by saying he
hoped the miners would vote dow the
preamble aud the resolutions and go to
Washington where we had not asked or
even been asked to 90. Judge Mayhem
was the next to speak, he said he was for
Montana. That the mining laws there
was best suited to the interests of miners,