The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-25

Office is yet standing, though somewhat
modernized, near the Lapwai mission in
Idaho. This was the first printing Office on
the Pacific coast of America north OF
Mexico Thus Idaho has the honor of hav-
ing the first printing office on the coast:
The Roman Catholic missionaries have
been more successful with the Indians
than the Protestants, and in some instances
have sustained their missions to the pre-
sent day. Father De Smet, in his letters
published at Philadelphia in 1S43, is respon-
sible for the following statement:
'The Jesuits De Smet, Mengarmi, Point
and others had, since 1910, made several
missionary tours through the Columbia
countries, in the course of which they bap-
tized some thousands of Indians; they also
erected a church at place near the Kali
lerspelm Pend d. Oreille], on Clarke's
river, where the Blessed Virgin appeared in
person to little Indian boy, whose youth,
piety and sincerity, say the good fathers,
Joined to the nature of the fact which he
related, forbade US to doubt the truth of his
statement"
Onderdonk's "Facts and Statistics says
1.-THE Occur d. Alene mission was estab
lished in 1853 The building is still in ex-
istence at the edge of the Indian reserva-
ton on the Occur d. Alene river, about
sixteen miles from the lake where the
steamboats, make their upper landing"
The same author says: sit is reported
that gold was discovered by a French
Canadian in Pend d. Oreille river in 1852.
Two years later General Lander found gold
while exploring the route for military
road from the Columbia to Fort Bridger.
The earliest discoveries of which we have
any authentic record, however, were prob
ably made by members of the party with
that veteran pioneer and pathfinder, Cap
tain John Mullan, the originator of TIE
now famous Mullan road, built nearly
thirty years ago, from Fort Benton to
Walla Walla, a distance of 624 miles"
In a letter addressed to A F. Parker,
now editor of the Idaho Free Press, bearing
date of June4, 1884, he relates how one of
his men, named Noise, came into camp one
day with handful of coarse gold he had
found while out hunting for the expedition.
Captain Mullan relates the expedients he
made use of to discourage gold-hunting.
He then regarded it as of the utmost i'm
portance to himself and to the public to
open base line from the plains of the
Spokane on the west to the plains
of the Missouri on the east, and for that
reason did not want to be deserted by his
men, which would have had the effect of
entirely breaking up his undertaking. A
+oIa Sc FOL &c H.
which led to the Orc Elmo excitement in
1860. Tradition relates that in that year
Nez Perez Indian informed Captain E. D.
Pierce that while himself and two COM
panions were camping at night among the
defles of his native mountains an appari-
ton, in the shape of brilliant star. sud-
denly burst forth from among the cliffs.
They believed it to be the eye of the Great
Spirit, and when daylight had given them
sufficient courage they sought the spot.
and found glittering ball that looked like
glass imbedded in the solid rock The In
dams believed it to be 'great medicine, ~
but could not get it from its resting place
With his ardent imagination fired by this
tale, Captain Pierce organized company,
and, with the hope of finding the "eye of
the Manitou," explored the mountains in
the country of the Nez Perces.
Captain Pierce was accompanied by
w. F. Bassett, Thomas Walters, Jonathan
Smith and John and James Dodge. The
Indians distrusted them and Nez Perce
squaw came to their relief and piloted
them through to the north fork of the
Clearwater until they reached mountain
meadow, where they stopped to rest.
While there Bassett went to stream and
found gold at the rate of about three cents
per pan. This was the commencement of
the famous Orc mines excitement.
During 1861 and 1862 the rush continued. |
Steamers arrived at Portland and San
Francisco and Victoria, loaded down with
freight and passengers for the new gold |
fields. New mining regions were con-
stantly discovered. In the spring of 1861 |
Pierce city was founded and named in
mines were discovered early in 1861 by |
miners from Orc Fine. Florence wa. dis
covered in the following autumn.
In August, 1862, James Warrens and |
others located claims in what was there
after known as Warrens' Diggings Those |
last named are all in Idaho county on the |
tributaries of the Salmon river. Warrens'
never caused the rush and excitement that
at ended the discovery of Florence. The |
after, it was claimed, was found by a |
yreenhorn, one of party of seven hunters |
The ureckless characteristics of new min
ng camps found full play here. Thirty |
men were killed in the first year; shooting
and cutting were everyday matters. Flour
cost 81 per pound; bacon, S1.25; butter,
%; sugar, S1.25; gum boots, per pair, $50,
md other articles in proportion The
newspapers of Washington and Oregon
we're filled with the most glowing accounts
If the mines, and it was estimated that in
May, 1862, from twenty five thousand to
thirty Thousand persons were on their way
20, in or about the mines.
In 1862 the gold known to have been
aiken out amounted to 81, $780, 900; in the fol-
owing year, 81, 100000, besides such as was
lot shipped but taken out by private
parties. Lewiston, Lapwai, Orc Elmo,
Pierce city, Elk city and Florence were
names on the lips of everybody. One of
.he effects of the Florence excitement was