Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-01-15
A TALE OF TABLE ROCK.
[By oar Boise City Correspondent. I

Pehai institution bel nging to the
United States, where our Territor;,,
boarders are kept, stands one Of the
most prominent land marks for many
miles around. 1t is a. table NOM.
tain standing out in bold relief at the
mouth of the canyon where Boise
River leaves the mountains. 1t stands
like some sentinel watching the rise
aud progress OF the beautiful valley
that commences at its feet and winds
its way to Snake river. Who knows
what scenes it has witnessed amid
the convusions of nature that threw
up the great syenite dyke that ex-
tends for three miles west of the CITY
with a mcacious belt of quartz that
will sometime in the future be worked
at profit.
/ must tell you of an incident that
occurred in the year 1864 at this
mountain, amid all the excitement
then prevailing in our Territory,
when thousands of people came seek
ing for wealth. Idaho was the eldo-
RADIO, where orc was to be had for
| digging a little pit in the ground and
washing the dirt taken out, aud some
times the result was marvellous, as
much was taken out in some places
in the Basin as would buy small
farm. Among the many who sought
the smiles of the tickle Goddess was
a gentleman whose name is not neces-
sary, but will call it Robinson for con-
venience sake. He left the classic
State of Indiana with his family, con
sisting of wife, son and daughters,
the son about fourteen and the daugh-
ter in her seventeenth, just verging
into womanhood, endowed with all
the beauty and grace of gazelle with
more than an ordinary training in
culture and refinement, an accom-
plished musician and thorough
scholar. Her parents belonged to
that class who had seen better DAYS,
but the inevitable result of circum-
stances over which they had no con
troll caused them to journey to the
land OF gold Arriving in Boise City,
(then small place. on dry, sultry
August day, worn and travel stained,
sunburnt, the cattle worn out with
the long journey, foot-sore and weary
, they halted in front of George Wash
ington Stills blacksmith shop anc
inquired the way to Idaho City, O.
West Bannock, as it was more gen
, orally known to emigrants in thos'
days. George, in his usual affabl'
, sty lie, gave them all the information
possible and suggested that they hat
better find some grass and recruit VI
llttle, anu lOli tiiSlti thde at eiio iOO
of table rock there was fine sprins
: and abundance of good grass, ant
t then it was out of range5of any stra,
shots that might accidentally be set
after a retreating bad man. What
that crowd doing up there?" "Ot
that is nothing. They just had
. little shooting scrape at the Head
u quarters saloon; only one dead mar
another shot for shooting off hi
mouth about what was none of HI
business" says honest George. "W ell
= good day, stranger; if you want t
= get your oxen shod, | will do the jo
'. IN good order; never mind the morey
V you can pay when you get it. Gooc
Is day"
IF Mr.. Robinson drove up to tt
spring and camped. 1t was n'
r, long before their camp became II
l. resort of some of the young an
IS daring men who had broken all II
" ties that bound them to the domest
a. hearth. Bidding father, mother al
ID the loved ones goodbye, they can
IF to the land of gold, and let me St
re this: 1t takes more courage al
"a confidence in ones self to start am
all the dangers that presented the'
m selves in that day than 1t does no
u when a fond mother can pack
to boy clothes enough for year IN
a. trunk and he can take it everywhej
so The average trunk in those days "
en- one half of gunny sack ~ III
M who had flour sack was gooa
all two meals at a dollar apiece a
mn called a Colonel or General. l
ks gunnie sack brigade were all u
,ut or Majors of the line. 1t was
he long before Mr.. Robinson's camp
he came the talk of the town. WI
Il n