Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-12-13
BITTER ROOT COUNTRY.
II LeBshi County PrOspectOr De
scri6es a Trip from ShOWp
to EN- City.


Owing to the early failure OF water at
Cove creek this spring, ] quit mining
operations and prepared to make n pros
pecting trip through these mountains
in the direction of Elk city and Mt.
Idaho. Myself and three others per-
fected our arrangements and started from
Shoup July 8, and returned August %.
and made permanent location.
Like many others who have passed
through these mountains with the like
object that actuated IFS, we started out
and Travelled as if some very pressing
business lay at the other end, and there
was not a minute to spare for any other
purpose, but to get to given point and
transact that business, and start on their
return, and travel AS if they had just
received q dispatch to make all haste if
they wished to zee some dear friend or
relative before they died; at any rate
that is about the haste We displayed in
prospecting (?l the country between
Shoup and Mt. Idaho. 1t was not our
intention to do much prospecting until
we had passed beyond that burg, when
we discovered the entire country to be
lava bed with reefs and ridges OF ba-
salt, and upon inquiry found all the
country OF that character westward to
the Snake river and beyond, north and
south for hundreds of miles, and up the
Salmon river to the Wire bridge. So
a., ..ta 20.
hi county, but to do il e,urely, and to
actually prospect. But from the mo-
ment we turned out faces homeward
each step was fastened by forest fires.
However. no danger therefrom occurred
TO us until at the upper end OF Red river
meadows. Here we were in the midst
of the fire, and the question of getting
through to Shoup was as impenetrable
as the smoke. But We plunged into it.
and made our way safely to the divide
between Horse and Owl creeks, where
we separated, my object being TO reach
the mouth of Coulson creek. Although
the distance was not over twenty miles
l was just eight days in getting here.
The smoke was so dense that every
landmark distance OF a mile WAS en-
tirely Obscured. Hence could not tell
which divide to take to reach the river
just at the mouth of the creek, and fl
nally did have TO turn back and cross
Owl creek above the canyon. head OF
the east fork of Owl creek, and come II.
round to ridge near the Nabob mine
thence back to Owl creek within a mile
of its mouth. and from there over rug
ged mountain to the Salmon river. and
down that to Coulson creek. So here |
am, ready to give you an insight into
this wonderful country.
L say wonderful country and that
expression precisely ii d It, for looking
at 1t from several directions the thought
will cause the mouth to articulate, WON
derful country Here stands Compact
mass of mountains, unbroken by val.
ley large enough TO plant 100 acre
field, from the Big Bottom below Car
men creek, Lemhi county.to Big Camas
prairie i laho county. "A distance OF about
2U0 miles, with width of 100 miles or
more, through the ceuter of which
river courses, and that river enclosed by
"a canyon that is little known by any
great numoer of people, even of idaho
territory, aud the people of that terri
tory to day voting on the acceptance or
rejection Of a state constitution. There
are many Who proclaim that they have
u perfect knowledge Of is intricares
aid resources, but let them wait few
years longer aud they may see their |
mistake. Are they not mistaken now? |
Have they not said that Warrens was n |
played out camp? The f.ct is that War |
Iens is now entering upon career OF |
prosperity that will dim its palmiest |
days in placer times. TO my mind il is |
patent that the country adjacent to E!k
city will ieverberate With life the result
of some big quartz find. At a casual
glance | determine that old d .lapidated
Florence will be reha biltated through
the medium of quartz. 1t is an impeach-
ment of the Divine wisdom to say that
~, COO square miles of territory was Gre
ated for no nse To man in this latitude.
Man may in his haste say so, forgetting
that these things gradually dawn upon
the minds of men at the proper time,
through an inuux imperceptible and
unknown to man. From the aggregation
of circu mslances surrounding us at this
day il is plausible for us TO believe that
the hour is fast approaching when the
Uses for which this region was designed
will be made known. The territory is
about 10 become a state, land when such,
its various resources in every direction
VIII be more infinitely searched out.
Railroad mrn are viewing the country
" nh the ol ject Of penetrating it. This
81 artles the pros pector, and he searches
the mountains with greater care.
S,meb ,dy-I think it was Jim Bridg-
err the trapper, before S alt Lake was set
/ led by tl.e whites-sald that "he would
eat all ilae vegetables and fruit that
could be grogn there" who will doub,
but that he was a very. very rash man? .
The man is oa par With hin gho says I
these hills Of the salmon are worthless, {