Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1886-08-10

Inter-Idaho.

pectors, who stopped near Farmer
Frank brakes ranch, adjoining tbs
town of HALEY, started out to pros.
pect in North Idaho. Their names
are Sutherland and Clifford. They
were quite well known here, and
Mr.. Drake was glad to get the follow
ing letter from Clifford the other day,
for many supposed them lost and dead
long ere this date. 1t will doubtless
be read with much interest:
BOSE err, July 10, 1886.
Friend Drake-We got here yes
terday, rather badly used up.
Last fall, after leaving Sawtooth,
we followed the main Salmon river
to the Yankee Fork, thence up that
river to Bonanza and Custer. At
Bonanza we turned west, took up a
creek and over high mountain some
20 or 80 miles to Loon creek, where
there are few white men and some
Cinnamon prospecting. We went
down this creek to the middle fork
of Salmon river 30 miles, killed one
bear and came near losing our horse
"Baldy," who fell off the trail over
the rocks. We went down the river
some IS miles to a cattleman's ranch,
where he directed us to Deep creek,
80 miles over the mountain from
where we camped. We never found
it. We hunted two weeks for the
trail over all the mountains for 20
miles or more up the Salmon. We
found the new mines where the boys
stayed the winter before, deserted
no pay. Every rocky point the rat
tlesnakes would try to bite us, and
maybe one of the donkeys would fall
off and go like ball to the bottom,
breaking some of the cooking utensils.
We tried out two gallons of bear oil,
which We we're endeavoring to pack
in cans. The cans were smashed and
the oil ran over our blankets and
things. From the new mines up the
river we had to make trail to where
we were forced to camp for the win
ter, distance of 100 miles, over
high mountains, up and down creeks,
through canyons and swamps, killing
deer and bear all we wanted. In
October we crossed the main summit
OF the mountains, dropping down
some 40 miles into basin, where we
could not get out until June, then
Just alive, having to live on meat
straight, no salt or pepper for FIVE
months. We built US cabin and
smokehouse, and filed it with fat
venison, and what time we could we
prospected; it being cold and the
snow deep we could not do much.
We found some bars, where we work
ed-Sutherland making rocker with
an AK and auger, taking out some
nice gold, but finally we got SO weak
we could not do anything.
The boots we purchased at HALEY
proving failure and snide, left
as barefoot. The men we bought
them of are worse than perjurers.
Language is inadequate to explain
our sufferings or the feelings we both
have for the parties who sold us those
boots. Brown paper boots would
have been better.
The slst Of April we started to get to
some settlement. not knowing where we
were We travelled fifteen miles and
brought up in the snow five or six feet
deep, We were also nearly out of ammu. |
milton, not having more than one cartridge
Tor the ride and some eighteen or twenty
halfioads for the shotgun. But killed |
two or three pariridges, some ducks and
pine squirrels. Sutherland said he would
Try and get eat to some settlement and get
litile doar and other things He start.
ID on the soih Oh April to yet over the
thinking he could make the