Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-07-17

oack the dollar with the bacon weighed
bid him depart in peace. A large heart
ed liberal spirit prevailed with the first
settlers here so long that it became a
habit which led to financial disaster
with many of them when the reverses
OF later years came. A compliment,
however. was paid to the honest endea-
vors of the Pioneers from an unexpect-
ed source: one of the first merchants
who sold goods here, on
CLOSING OUT HIS BUSINESS
Made the remark De peoples on dis
fralrle scratch harder to pay what dey
owe, dan any peoples ever see. Since
/ come here, make more ash 500 600.
and l only lose shust $500 in bad debtsl'
Having given a few incidents of the
early times in this country. illustrative
OF the work, character, amusements and
enterprise of those who first broke this
soil and found it productive, we would
add word to those who have cast their
lot with us in these later years. By in
vitation you meet with those to-day
who fought the tiger in the mining
camps and kept back the wolf of hum
ger from their doors in this settlement
while most of you were in quiet homes
within the pale of civilization. While
Pioneers ask no fayors or commenda-
tion from those who now cross the con-
tlnent in palace cars, there is respect
due them while they live. Within a
very few generations hence, when tran
SIT from the Atlantic to the Pacific is re-
duced to hours instead of days, when
the valleys and plains of this vast west
abounds in wealth and a more perfect
civilization and all trace of the Pioneer
has vanished, then the story of those
who forty years ago traversed a wilder
ness of 1000 miles which then lay be.
tween the frontier of the east and this
new frontier, will be read with doubt.
The question will be asked, would men
with wives and children, with but
wagon and
THE sLow-MovING OK,
with no shelter but the sky by day. nor
bed save the earth at night, plod his
weary way for many months over
mountains, plains and deserts, with the
compass alone for guide, surrounded
by savage beasts of prey, and men more
savage still than they, and at the end of
the long journey find but a wilderness
in which to erect home? Thousands
of families had this experience, and the
records of such societies as this are de-
signed to tell those who live in the CEN
turies to come what was the first cost of
their heritage. True, these early trav.
elers followed in the wake of such he.
roes as Kit Carson, Whitman and FIRE.
mont, but how different the purpose
which animated them These men and
women, like those who sailed in the
Mayflower, were seeking an independ-
ence denied them in the east and the
uncertain hope of finding it spurred
them on toward the setting sun. While
Carson for love of adventure, Whitman
and Fremont to save Oregon and Cali
fornia to the nation. blazed the first
trails to the Pacific, they knew that if
successful their names would be crown.
ed with glory justly won. Shall those
other thousands of
BRAVE MEN AND FEARLESS WOMEN
Who first dared to follow be forgotten &?
Americans will never cease to sing
praises to the Pilgrims of jamestown
and Plymouth Rock, but their dangers
and discouragements we're no greater,
perhaps, than those of the early pill
grims in Oregon, Washington and Ida
no. The foundation upon which you
are building was laid under difficulties
which you can never experience, and
we trust you meet us, not as moss
grown fossils, but as friends. The Pho.
neer has ever welcomed the stranger,
no matter from what part of the Union,
or the world. if of the character to build |
up. More help is needed here to inn
prove and advance our system of edu-
cation, to raise the moral standard high
er and establish more correctly our So
cial, intellectual and religious interests.
The children of the Pioneers are fast
taking their places and are ready to u
mite with you in moving on the car of
progress to height equal to that of any
county in the state. The elements OF
greatness, both of people and country,
to form great commonwealth are all
here. They lie buried as glittering trea-
sure in these mountains, they lie spread
out before you in
THESE RICH VALLEYS AND PLAINS,
They lie, too, in the virtue and industry
of you to whom this noble heritage has
fallen.
1t is a noticeable fact that the ages of
those who pioneered it here are nearly
alike. Strong, hopeful, determined men
and women in the very prime of life,
willing to make any sacrifice, to endure
every hardship that protection, homes
and education might come to those de-
pendent upon them. Self-denial, ex-
posure, and constant toll during those
first years have brought death to some,
and premature age to many of the little
band, and ere long all will be remem-
bered only for the good they have done.
The 18th of June is peculiarly our
day in this locality. 1t was on that
date in 1877 that savage war burst upon
the Pioneers, sudden as the coming of
cyclone. Resistance seemed in vain,
armed as the settlers were with but
few worthless guns. Glad as we are to
welcome the Idaho Guards to-day, they
would have been thousand fold more
welcome on that fatal morning fourteen
years ago. These boys in blue alone
carry more good arms than could be
found in all north Idaho among the
people then, while the Indian, through
mistaken policy, was supplied with
the best guns then in use, and handled
them with fatal skill that
LAID LOW MANY A PIONEER.
A fitting anniversary then is June Is to
get together and brush off the dust from
pictures that hang ON memory's wall,
and join in good fellowship as of yore.
We are glad that circumstances this
year were such that we can join in cele-
brating day held sacred by the nation,
as we'll as one commemorating local
events. No people in our broad land
cherish stronger love for the stars and
stripes than those of this great north
west. The Pioneers are grateful that
they are able, some of them perhaps for
the last time, to celebrate that memora-
BILE event. the Declaration of Independ-