Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-02-15

The Romance in the Life OF an idaho
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spring, in 1862, Mr.. George w. Mil
Ter, then a resident of Falls City,
Richardson county, Neb.. babe fare
we'll to his family and started for the
gold mines of Idaho, being attracted
by the stories Of fabulous wealth
which had been discovered in Boise
Basin. Our readers are well aware
Of the fortunes which were made in
that mining camp during the sixties,
and how the little trading post and
Quitting station at the base of the
mountains grew and prospered ana
afterwards became the capital city of
the Territory. In those days the tras-
eler left tho railroad far behind him
when he reached the Missouri river,
and the journey overland was made
by mule or OK teams through All al
most continuous Indian country.
The early pioneer history of the ad
venturesome spirits who settled Ida
no, was similar to that Of all others
who came to the mountains in adj
vance OF its permanent settlement.
Boise Basin was filed with miners,
spectators, and mixed multitude
of fortune seekers, and for some
years gold was plenty and free as
pumpkins on Nebraska farm. The
cost of living was high and the freight
alone on merchandise and machinery
sometimes reached s25 per 100
pounds, and diggings that did not
pay over eight or ten dollars per day
| to the man were not considered of
much account. Mr. Miller was more
or less successful and at one time
possessed several thousand dollars in
dust But in later years this was ex-
pended in various mining camps pros
pecting. When Wood River opened
up in 1880 there was quite rush
from other camps to the new galena
mines and soon after the subject OF
this sketch followed the crowd and
began prospecting here. For the
past seven years he has been engaged
in various ways in making living,
the most Of the time working on his
own claim about four or FIVE miles
from ketchum on Elkhorn Mountain.
During tho past twenty years Miller
has been as one dead to his family,
and no tidings except that he had
died in the mountains of Idaho had
reached his friends after the first sew
en- years of his absence. Among his
children was bright little girl, four
years old, whom he named Arizona
She grew to womanhood and being
married came to the Northwest with
her hus band and settled in Nez Perez
county, Idaho. Her husband was
elected to the Legislature and went
to Boise, the capital, as a member Of
the House. There he enquired, a
, his wife's urgent request, for tiding:
T of her long absent father and SCOT
/ found several citizens who knew Geo
( Miller, and his present place wa'
traced to Ketchum. A letter wa
D sent asking his full name and forme
{ home. The answer proved that The
missing man had been found, anC
the writer of the enquiry, Hon. j
, Mitcham, took the next train to visi
/ his wife's father at his cabin nea
ketchum, where he found him las
Monday and enjoyed pleasant visit
Mr.. Miller went to town at once an,
: when shown the photograph of hi
former little girl, now woman grown
| he was much affected. Hon. Nj
. Miteham, in making social call a
! the Journal office, gave a brief ex
a PLANTATION of the object of his visit
: and said that in the spring MIR. Mile
: would become one of his household
a where a daughter was waiting to wei
5 come long lost father and surroun
n his declining years with comfort an