The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1891-12-05
GOLD IN IDAHO.
Some Interesting "Reminiscences of the
| Discovery OF the Precious Metal

4
the bill admitting Idado into the
Union. The fortv-fonrth star in our
glorious constellation nf States IL NAV
not he ont of place for one who ii he
did not really give the name to his 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
trackloss 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 now 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
covery of gold reached Oregon, L
gathered up one law-book and two
''slx-shooters, and set out on a 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 book. because
there was no law; and rs there was an
| opening for good and handy horse
man to carry letters and money to and
from the new mines. the writer and n
young man by the name of Mossman
soon had nailed up over the door of the
only store rs yet in all that wild region,
n sign which read: "Mossman and
Miller's Express"
| 1t was two hundred miles to the
nearest post-oilice ut Walla Walla.
The lover of pretty names will easily
trace this WalIa Walla back to its
French settlers Foiid! HoHam
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 and glorious to see, without
instinctivelv CRYING out V0ua! T0tiat
IT Is another Damascus, only it is
broader Cf girth and far. far more
beautiful. In this ride of two hundred
miles there was but one town, Lewiston.
Get your map now. and rs you follow
the story of the ride. fix the geography
of this new empire in your minds. for
1t will be grand land.
Lewiston. You observe is Mt the head
of navigation on the "Shoshonee" or
Snake River, by way of the Columbia
River. This word Shoshonee means
snake. ! fancy you can almost hear
the rattle of the venomous reptile as
you speak this Indian word. The ac-
cent. as iii nearly all Indian names.
such as DAKOTA, Iowa. and so on. is on
the middle syllable. In reading Lony-
fellows poems you will iiad he has
preserved the proper pronunciation of
Onlala 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 he
In these long. long rides we changed
horses from live To ten times daily. and
we rode 1T desperate speed. We
used Indian ponies only, and 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. tue Indians were by far |
the most peaceablc people we had TO !
deal with. They always kept our |
stations that i. the places where |
we changed horses and drank "A cup OF |
coffee. These Indians were OF the |
Nez Perce tribe 1t may not be genrr- |
ally known that these noble Indians !
were nearly civilized long before the |
renowned Chief Joseph (who fought |
the whole United States for half "A wear |
net long ago) WAS ever heard of.
These Indians. under the direction of
good old Father Spauliing. published
The first newspaper that was issued west
OF the Rocky Mountains They also
printed some portions of the Bible m
their own tongue. including many
Psalms. Keep THESE facts of history as
well rs the geography OF this great
serion in mind.
A. before stated we did not find gold
plenty NJ first. and the Express did not
pay. We two BOYS worked had, took
many desperate risks. and lived almost
literally on horseback. with little food
and with less sleep for the first few
But suddenly gold was found.
n thick as wheat on Il thrcshium floor
far away 10 the east of big black
which the Indians called
"l-ttah-ho," which literally meana.
"monntain where light comes"
happened to be in Lewiston on my way
TO Pierce City with the Express, when
the ragged and sunburnt leader of the
party that had made the discovery be-
sond the Black Mountain came in. He
took me into his confidence. | sent an
Indian on with my Express; and
branching off n hundred miles to the
southeast, reached the new mines. took
up claims and opened an Express
)llice before dozen people knew of
.he discovery which was 10 give State
after State 10 the Union. You will find
he place on the old maps, and some
If the new ones. marked MilIers-
lurgh." But there is no town there .
low.
The gold lay almost in the grass
'oots, in the shallow surface. like
.rains of wheat. 1t was a high bleak
'iace. densely wooded and intensely !
'oid as winter came on. Greater dis
'oreries lay further ON and in kindIier
,limes. aud broad valleys and rich
'itles receive you there now. But our
tory is of lnp snow md The STONY