The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-01-08
nlanitowof pilot.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8. 1891.
GOLD IN IDAHO.
Some Interesting "reminiscences of the
Discovery of the Precious Metal.

Now that the President has signed
the bill admitting Idado into the
Union. the forty-fourth star in our
glorious constellation of States, it may
rot be out Of place for one who. if he
did not really give the name to this new
State, first put that name in print, to
record page or two of its early
history, and recall an incident that
still makes his nerves tingle as he tells
it.
Gold was first found, in that vast and
trackless region now forming the new
States of Washington, Idaho. and
Montana, in the spring of 1860, by a
small party of prospectors led by Cap
tain Pierce on the spot where Pierce
CITY nov stands.
The writer. although not then of age,
had read law and been admitted TO
practice under Judge Geo. Ii. Williams,
afterwards President Grants Attorney
General. And when news of the dis
coyery of gold reached Oregon, |
gathered up Que law-book and two
''six-shooters, aud set out on ride
of many hundred miles through the
mountains for the new placers.
But as gold was not plenty, and there
was no use for the law-b5ok. because
there was no law; aud as there was an
opening for a good and handy horse
man 10 carry letters and money to aud
from the new mines. the writer and
young man by the name of Mossman
soon had nailed up over the door of the
only store az yet in all that wild region,
a sign which read: .Mossman and
Miller's Express"
1t was two hundred miles to the
nearest post-oflice at Walla Walla.
The lover of pretty names will easily
trace this Walla Walla back to its
French settlers T0iiQ! VOiiar'
No man can look down from the en-
vironment of mountains on this sweet
valley, with its beautiful city in the
center, whose many flashing little
rivers run together and make it for
ever green aud glorious to see, without
instinctiyely crying out Volta! Voii0!
1t is another Damascus, only it is
broader of girth and far. far more
beautiful. In this ride of two hundred
miles there was but one town< Lewiston.
Get your map now, and as you follow
the story of The ride, fix the geography
of this new empire in your minds for
it will be grand land.
Lewiston. you observe, is at the head
of navigation on the "Shoshoneen on
Snake River, by way of the Columbia
River. This word Shes. ,nee means
snake. / fancy YOU can almost hear
the rattle of the yenomous reptile as
you speak this Indian word. The &C.
cent, as in nearly all Indian names,
such as DAKOTA, Iowa. and SO on, is on
the middle syllable. In reading Long
fellows poems you will find he has
preserved the proper pronunciation of
Omaha by putting the accent where it
belongs And more than once this
learned man reminded me that Idaho
must be pronounced in the same soft
and liquid fashion: | dp ho.
In these long, long rides we changed
horses from five to ten times daily, and
we rode ut a desperate speed. We
used Indian ponies only, aud usually
rode without escort. with pistols ready
at hand. Indians were numerous, but
our fear was not of them, but of white
men. In fact, the Indians were by far
the most peaceable people we had to
deaf with. They always kept our
stations that is, the places where
we changed horses and drank a cup of
coffee. These Indians were of the
Nez Perez tribe. 1t NAV not be oener-
ally known that these noble Indians
were nearly civilized long before the
renowned Chief Joseph (who fought
the whole United States for half a year
not long ago) was ever heard Of.
These Indians, under the direction of
good old Father Spaulding, Published
the first newspaper that was issued west
Of the Rocky Mountains. They also
printed some portions of the Bible in
their own tongue. including many
Psalms. Keep THESE facts of history as
well as the geography of this great
region in mind.
As before stated. we did not find gold
plentyat first, aud the Express" did not
pay. We two boys worked Lad. took
many desperate risks, and lived almost
literally on horseback. with little food
and with less sleep for the first few
months But suddenly gold was found,
as thick rs wheat on thrcshing floor,
far away TO the east of Il big black
mountain which the Indians called
"Iddh-ho,' which literally means
mountain where light comes |
happened to be in Lewiston on my way
to Pierce City with the Express, when
the ragged and sunburut leader of the
party that had made the discovery be-
You'd the Black Mountain came in. He
took me into his confidence. | sent an
Indian on with my Express; and
branching of a hundred miles to the
southeast, reached the new mines, took
up claims, and opened IA Express
Office before dozen people knew of
the discovery which was to give State
after State to the Union. You will find
the place or the old maps. aud some
of the new ones. marked "Millers-
Lurgh." But there is no town there
now.
The gold lay almost in the grass
roots, in the shallow surface like
grains of wheat. 1t was high bleak
place densely wooded and Intensely
cold as winter came on. Greater dis
coveries lay further on and in kindlier
chimes, and broad valleys and rich
cities receive you there now But our
story is of the snov and the stony
sleeps of Mount I-dsa-ho
Returning to Lewiston with saddle
bags nearly fully of gold, | wrote the
cry; and the new mines were naturally |
called in that publication, as they were
called by all that excited mass Of peo-
pie from Lew vision on their way to the
mines beyond the Black Mountain. the
"lddhho Mines" The name, however,
like that of Omah-ha, soon lost in the
mouths OF strangers its soft. sweet
sound.-JodqUiH MIiier, IN st. Nicholas. |
A Man Finds His Exact Worth.
A traveller in Morocco tells in The
Land of an African Sultan" the follow
inc story: The Sultan not long AGO
discovered that one of his viziers was
becoming too powerful. He therefore
summoned him TO tea and compli-
mented him on his great wealth. The
Nlzier, becoming vain. boaSted OF the
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