Wichita eagle., 1888-05-20
AN OUTING IN IDAHO.
rESOLATlON OF WHAT WAS ONCE
A RICH GOLD FIELD.

Camping Out in the Depths Of . Forest.
Interview with an Old Prospector-A
Dream Of afi,lions--An Unuelcoue visi-
tor-A Shot,
a tourney of about th;rty-five miles
brought Us to- Boise Basin, trough like val
lev. that was at ono time the richest gold
field in the world The small forest set cave
gave up s., 900 600 OF the precious dust in a
single year. Where the throng Of miners
battlei in the strife in those palmy days Is
now silent shaded waste. reminding one OK
an ancient catacomb. The trunks OF giant
trees are rottins where they were uprooted
by the hydraulic force thai removed noun
tsins The creek that furnished the water 20
work the desola,iol and wash out the gold
Still gruInbles and sishs and splashes in its
mad rush. lt winds among the limits of
trees forty feet above its old bed where is
has been raised by the debris We Joited
along over a road bed Of rock washed bars
by the stream that hsd been drawn from It's
channel hundred times by the changing
sands, till a cooler breath warned Us night
was coming on snd that We must choose a
camp ground We passed beyond the most
desolate part of the abandoned gold teid
There was evidence Of later work IN all the
gulches leading up the hill side, where water
could not De conducted from the large
creeks
We came TO a green plat near an old cabin
and decided u camp fer the night. New were
so deep in the heavy forest that no wind
Tanned Us Ii came 10 Us in a nurrnur that
added TO the solitude. The signing Of
waterfall came up from Morro's creek IN
sweiIs that mingled with the music OF tie
trees We wondered " no cuuld be ths occt-
pant of tho tumble down log cabin-wao
could have buried himself IN such living
tomb. We soon learned that IL was the home
Of Mr. B., well known prospector, Who bal
lived ia those mountains since U he came
cut and introduced himself 4 gray. G1lkeinps
beard and long hair seemed 20 crowd upward
70 the sIouched has that held them Ia bounds
rs tho binders hold loose hay. lie was
dressed IN soiled canvas clothes. but he acted
the host with the air of one who Knew bis
iu,pos1Ance in his element The rude stTuet-
ura he called home pile os round logs
and 80 low Was the door that We had 10
stoop to pass through We could not resist
his invitation, however, and soon were De-
tween the rough sooty walls y broad hro-
place, built OF stones and dirt, set OF from
one end of the single room. Il mattress os
pine boughs covered with fur ski1s and Old
blankets was held in a framework 20 the logs
and was his bed 4 side of bacon hung frCIn
the low rafters His chair was a block sawed
from a round log; and 10 stood on end by
shelf that was used for q table, IA cupboard
and a pantry.
He told us his claim yielded gold dust
enough in two or three weeks, while the
snow was melting rapidly, 20 supply his
wants for a year. The balance OF his time
he spen, IN making prospecting tours far into
the most rugged mountain regions. lie
searched for quartz mines exclusively.
Every inch OF the old house was a cabinet
Of mineral specimens he conyersed wisely
of sulphUrets, copper stains, gaiaDl and
ledges with walls and dips Of assays and OK
various grades OF ore he told Us OF pros
poets on 900 hills that by any process OF
reasoning would have made him ten TIMES a
millionaire he WIS 50 absorbed ia his sub
ject--his dream of miilions-that We re-
treated through the doorway before ho bt-
came aware OF our intentions.
The first night cut IN Il lonely woods, ono
cannot sleep soundly. That night two ladies,
three Gentlemen and two small children,
who constituted our party, were restless even
at the still hour OF midnight. The ladies and
the children were In the tent; the ge1ticgnen
were tossing about hard, iInprov1s'sd
couch under the wagon The slightest noise
seemed TO be annoying. The horses buortei
restlessly sometimes as though they had
seen some strange object in owi booted
near by. and his dolefJl notes awakened
answers TINT came like strange voices from
the other world. The FIRE had not burnel
out. aud IL liickeresi up uIIsteiDiily and made
weird figures on tho tent walls Our most
tilnid friends were by that time in "A mood -
be easily frightened. a Stsalthy football was
beard Something was sneaking around the
camp II passed between the tent and tho
slender shoots Of hAIne. It's shadows came
and went on the canvas IL WIS hideors, it
was a monster IN proportions. 50 az issst
thought the ladies they buried their faces
under the quilts. Scrstch, scratch, Was heard
on the tent, lightly at first, theu Il ripped
with loud sound.
A scream camc from the folds of bed
clothes The iaen were reused. They could
sao some animal, by the light 81 tie uncertain
tire, with half its body through hole ia tie
side Of the tent IL was rayenoazly deYoar-
ing roast chicken, boiled ham and other deli
cacies Of the harder. A gun wss at hand, a
bullet was sent through the Intruder. \
scream from the brute followed the repsrt %
the gun II spr2ng forward into the tent
directly upon the bed The occupants aers
dumb with fright Ia frenzy the animal tore
Us wounded siIs-tore it, own yitais fr0In
the bullet ho.e and u.sdly shook blood and
filth over the tent. the bed and ths clothes
scattered about, and then WITH cries thas
,1.u. rha ar fell dead Il s-aa found u bs a
Rocky mountain wolvsrige. II wsz A. largo
ca a xoK.-goxey Newton in Detroit Fres
Presa