The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1892-12-17
WE'LL ALL WEAR DIAMONDS.
The Old Excitement Of Diamond
GulCh" Revived.
Mysterious Parties Prospecting In the
Supposed Diamond Fields, Thirty
Miles South Uf Caldwell.


Miles South Of Caldwell.
Full many gem of purest ray serene
The rugged Hills Of Old Owyhee bear.
"Have you been to sthe diamond
fields 7" is the popular question in Cald-
well these days. 'No; but I'm going"
is the answer. The great opal MINES
have suddenly lost their charm, and the
magnificent specimens OF that stone
which have flashed from shirt fronts
lately have disappeared. He who does
not wear diamonds is not III it now.
Some enthusiasts have gone to "dia-
mond gulch" and returned with the
startling information that the country
IS full of prOspectOrs. The Boise
Statesman iltimateS that some good
stones have been found, and that the
present excitement is due to the reports
of the New York diamond dealers.
The TRIBUNE does not take enough
stock IN the diamond fields to offer one
with every paid up subscriber yet, but
who can tell? The following from the
De Lamar Nugget explains the situa-
ton:
Yesterdays Statesman published a
report that Russ Walters, of Walters
ferry, was out with Ex-Governor Steven
son and party of eastern men, lOcat-
ing diamond mines near Snake river.
This diamond hunting fever. as lOug as
Charley S. Beck was around Silver City,
would break out periodically and we
are glad to learn that Russ Walters has
preserved some of the microbes of the
disease. and that some of them have
found their way into the system of
such another stannch old democrat as
ex.(,oy. stevenson. The complaint is
as harmless az the crystalized carbons
are scarce. but it serves as a diversion.
But. who knows? The Statesman
hints at the cause of the first diamond
excitement here, started by Caleb Lyon,
the then governor of Idaho and Mon
tana. when it was all one territory. It
also suggests that Gov. Lyon was a
magnificent old liar, but is does not
tell the story as tradition and Charley
Peck had it in Silver City: This story,
according to old Peck's story, ran
thusly: Gov. Lyon on a trip east met
on a train two miners who told him
they had been working a placer claim
about fifteen miles southeast of the
Snake river NOW Walters) ferry and
had not found it very rich. One of
them showed the governor some pretty
CRYSTALS he had picked up. The gov
ernor examined and, thinking they
might be diamonds, obtained three OF
them. He kept track of the men, and
when they arrived in New York had
the stones examined by an expert who
pronounced them diamonds, and he
afterwards sold them for $500. He
then told the miuerS what he had
learned, and arranged to meet them in
Boise the following spring. Lyon
came as per appointment and the two
miners got as far as San Francisco
took the steamer, Brother Jonathan
for Portland on the fatal trip, and were
lost with all on Board. Lyon, being
thus left in the dark as to the spot
where the stones were found, came to
Silver City and let few men into the
secret of his mission and the search
was begun. It became public In day
or two, and one night 200 men picked
upon q spot called Diamond basin
some three miles west OF Cr0cheron's
ranch on Sinker, and all the ground IN
that Basin was staked of IN claims IN
no time But the diamonds failed to
materialize and Governor Lyon &C.
quired reputation which has since
been inherited by Tom Ochiltree and
Joe Mulhattan.
"Coming down to sound reasoning, is
there not ground for believing that
Lyon told the truth, and that those two
miners really did find gems of purest
rays sereneY Why should Lyon be to
the expense and trouble of making the
long and wearisome trip, which 1t then
was to get here, IL he did not think he
would find what he was afterY The
writer was once on War Eagle noun
tain with a gentleman who had been In
the Kimberly diamond mines In Africa,
who had never heard Of Governor
Lyon and the wild search for the stones
here, who, looking over the Snake river
plains and taking IN the magnificent
view before him, remarked that It. was
nearer like the African diamond fields
than any spot he had ever seen. Russ
Walters and Gov. Stevenson are long
headed and practical men. Whey are
not the kind of men who would start a
new search and excitement just for q
sensation. Perhaps they have found
something. Who knowsp
LOCAL NEWS.
Alex Dement, has purchased Jim Kin.
kaid's cattle.
Concert next Wednesday night at