, 1888-05-03
BYCONE DAYS.

INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF GENER-
NINE.--AN OLD TIMER VISITS SPOKANE
AND Is DELIGHTED AND AsToNIsHED
AT ITS GROWTH.
A REVIEW reporter came up yester-
day on the Spokane Il Palouse road
with Mr.. John Silcott, of Silcott's
ferry, Idaho territory. Mr.. Silcott
represe nted the territory of Idaho in
the last national democratic conven-
ton and voted for Cleveland, and his
friends are urging his name again this
year for delegate to ST. Louis.
The reporter said, "Mr. Silcott how
long have you lived in Idaho. and have
you been over this road before?" Nh.
Silcott replied: II have been in Idaho
territory for 20 years. l have never
been on this road before till to-day"
The reporter then suggested that
some "reminiscences of early days
would be acceptable TO the readers of
the REVIEW. Mr.. Silcott expressed IL
doubt on that point, but gave the re-
porter permission to publish such por-
tions of his conversation as he desired.
al came," said Mr.. Silcott, "around
the horn in 1S49, stopping at Rio Jan
eiro, and going up the river la Platte,
and visiting the island of Juan Fer.
nandez (Robinson Crusoe's island) on
the way around. / arrived in Califor-
MIA in 49, and went from there to the
Frasier river mines in '58, in
British Columbia. In 80 / came
to the Nez Perces Indian reservation in
Idaho with A. j. Kane, the first In
dian agent for that tribe. There was
not at that time a single white mans
house nearer the reservation than
Walla Walla, distance OF one hun
dred miles"
AT this point the road crossed the
Moscow branch of the o, r. Il N. and
the reporter said: "Have you ever
been to Mosoow?" "Yes," replied
Mr.. Silcott, "but there was no Moscow
there then. All along here where we
are travelling the last time was here
the Indians and wild animals and my
horses and cattle roamed unmolested.
Do you know think it is pity a
plow was ever stuck in this soil. These
cursed agricultural implement ma
chimes have ruined the country.
fitted out the first miner at Walla
Walla that ever entered the mining
camp at Orc Fino, which were the first
mines discovered in Idaho, and from
which millions of dollars worth of ore
were extracted. The present mining
camp of Pierce City was named for
this mil er. Yes; have been some
thing of an Indian fighter, too, and
,.1on oD1Itnr N tho Nayiaan
and was at Vera Cruz and the taking Of
the City of Mexico. l was we'll ac-
quainted with General Taylor" "Y es,"
continued Mr.. Silcott, II knew
General Grant we'll at Vancouver. He
was "a true man to his friends. can
tell you funny story about Grant.
He was always n visionary man in
money matters. / had q partner named
Sam smith, and Grant and he went
into an ice speculation, putting up ice.
They built a big high ice house and
filled it with ice and covered the ice
with blankets bought from the Hudson
Bay company to preserve 1T. Grant
expected big profit out OF the VEN
ture. When the time came round to
use the ice Grant sent fellow named
II ltlu uD u luuuCl w 6o Ah - NOoA III
the ice house and see how everything
looked. The door was pretty high up
the front of the building and Field
climbed up the ladder, got on the door
sill and jumped in and came d-n near
being drowned. The ice had about all
melted and he went down to the bot
tom of the house. This same man
Sam Smith lent Grant the money to
return east on, and when Grant was
elected president he appointed Smith
post captain at Fort Walla Walla.
Smith was a democrat and the repub-
licans would not confirm him. Grant
then appointed him postmaster at
Walla Walla, which position he held"
The reporter at this point said "you
have doubtless met many OF the great
men of the country in the old days
Mr.. Silcott9" "Some of them, replied
the gentleman. II knew Henry Clay
and have heard him speak often. He
WAS the greatest Roman OF them all.
l have also heard Tom Marshall, of
kentucky, and s. 8. Prentiss, OF Mis-
sissippi. No, i never heard Jenny
Lind sing, but I did hear Kate Hays
sing in California. Fifteen hundred
dollars were paid for one ticket to
hear her, which was more than was
paid to hear Jenny Lind by any one
person"
The conversation here drift
ed to the late war and the
high prices prevailing at the south.
III have paid" said Mr.. Silcott "two
hundred gold dollars for fifty pounds
of flour in the mining days Of Califor'
MIA"
"Those were great dsys,' said Mr..
Silcott, "there will be no more like
them. Indeed the old days are pass
ing away and am going with them"
rVL,n ~n,o.So. youk,,roA IN aav OMr