Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-07-27

ana without any prOVocatlOn on tn
,)fpart of the whites found us lily prepare
N TO defend ourselves. Innocent and in
offensive people were killed whereve
, found, property was burned and de
stroyed and q general reign of terro
; prevailed. | shall not dwell on thes
, fearful and unhappy days, only TO sa.
/. that nearly 100 citizens and soldier
were killed by the Indians before the,
were driven across the Bitter Roo
mountains. All of the old pioneer
know the condition of the settlers a
that time aud tho danger that sur
rounhsd them. To those noble mer
who went forth to battle that other.
might not perish. and fell in the fight
let Us ever hold in grateful remem
brance and draw the veil of sadness
over those perilous and fearful days
From that time to this our relations with
the Indians have been exceedingly
friendly, particularly those residing at
| Clearwater and known as the Kamiahs
Nothing has occurred to mar that good
feeling, and we trust will not. They
have made rapid strides towards civili-
zatioh. Miss Susan l.. McBeth has for
twelve or fourteen Years been the mis-
slonary school teacher among them, and
by her kind and firm control, they have
become quite Industrious. peaceable peo-
pie and are fast preparing themselves
for citizenship. They are making COM
| Portable homes, and we may say that the
Nez Perces are the model tribe in the
great northwest. Miss McBeth has for
the last two years kept her school at Mt.
Idaho and has a class who are progress
ing exceeding well, some of her pupils
are preachers on the reservation and in
neighboring tribes. Miss McDeth has,
it must be truthfully said. accomplished
great good, more than all others on the
Nez Perce reservation and is entitled to
the thanks of our people.
Mr.. President, we have now. in as
brief q manner rs possible, presented to
You what has been accomplished by the
early pioneers in settling, building and
deve loping the great resources of Idaho
county. The change that we have wit.
nesse % in the last % years, looking back
from this day seems wonderful. But
these notes are written for the young
pioneers that in the future, say 25 years
hence, they may compare notes and see
if they, the descendants of pioneers.
have built more secure. on more solid
and permanent foundation or have &C.
complished more in making homes for
early settlers. They must take into con-
sideration the isolation and condition of
our county, and the dangers we had TO
contend with, and I am sure they will |
do full and ample justice to the old pio-
neers, whose days of usefulness are fast
passing away, to them commit the task
of upholding and sustaining this young
pioneer association of Idaho county. Itl
is well that you should rreseve all that
is worthy of preservation for the future |
history of Idaho which will, presume.
contain much valuable information in
time to come. To-day, what has been
said may not seem of much Importance.
but in after years the young will begin
to inquire who were the first settlers on
Camas prairie and where did they come
from the answer will be found in our
records when the members prepare
SIX etCh of their lives. We have now about
$50 names enrolled as members of tlis
association, and let me impress on your
minds the Importance of furnishing n
memorandum to the secretary for record
of your lives to date. Do not delay it
until it is too late.
Among the early pioneers of the coun-
ty came J. NJ. Crooks and family. He |
settled on three mile creek, was sterl-
ing and active man, foremost in all en-
terprises tending to advance the inter
ests ofthe community and was held in
high esteem by his neghbors. He died |
at Grangevile about 4 years age; he wasl
a pic dneer of Oregon and Idaho.
Messrs. Caleb Witt and James Witt,
were here in 1861, Shnmway, Odle,
Jones, Robinson, Gov. Ward, McDer-
mont, Gerton, Watson, Fem, King,
Hughes. TeIcher, Pearson, NJ. II. Rice
and Markham were among the early |
settl ers on the prairie and all have con-
tributed their share and their aid in
making Idaho county what it is. TO |
them in after years others will do ample
Justice.
We have spoken of the past, let us
turn to the future. l predict that in
% years from now you will behold a
vast change on Camas prairie; you will |
hear the whistle of the locomotive ap-
proaching from different directions; you i
will hear the rumblng of the cars day |
and night, bringing you what may be |
needed in exchange for yonr surplus;
farmers will be encouraged, and the |
prairie will become one vast grain field, |
and the golden harvest will be millions |
of bushels for export; you will find all |
tBo dNclltlcS vi ITd'to Slllnu!dIeu anu IN |
creased; you will find new towns built;
you will see the settlement improved, |
good buildings will be constructed, |
churches and schools will he established !
sufficient for the wants of the people. |
You will find the farmers with good |
bones, surrounded with all the comforts
of life, contented and happy and you will
hear the steam whistle at various points
of the prairie engaged in the manufac-
tur0 OF our produce. You will find that |
mill have been erected at Clearwater, /
White Bird, Cottonwood and Craig's |
mountain, producing lumber, -four and /
perhaps little of that, that excites the |
brain and spols the man, and you will |
find quartz mills in successful opef-
alton, working the gold and silver rock !
from our mountains. You will find that |
wagon roads have been constructed to |
all of our mining camps, and thousands |
of men employed in quartz mining,
which will afford II greater market for
n nf tl,aA x.,i1