The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-12-24

tOu8n tlat the tuTtte can crush the
bones of the hand to pulp, but az
for biting off even a finger, the feat
lis, to the turtle, an impossibility
Idaho Diamonds.
Fridays Statesman published a
report that RussWalters of Walters
ferry, was out with Ex-Governor
Stevenson and a party of eastern
men, locating diamond mines near
Snake river. This diamond hunt
ing fever, as long as old Charley S.
Peck 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 sys-
tenn of such another staunch old
democrat as Ex-Governor Steven
son. The complaint is as harmless
as 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 Montana, when it was all one
territory. 1t also suggests that
Governor Lyon was a magnificent
old liar, but it does not tell the
story as tradition and Charley Peck
had it in Silver City. This story,
according to old Peck's story, ran
thus: Gov. Lyon on trip east met
on a train two miners who told
him they had been working 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 governor exam
ined them 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 ex-
pert who pronounced them dia-
monds, and he afterwards sold them
for 5000. He then told the miners
what he had learned, and arranged
to meet them in Boise the following
spring. Lyon came as per appoint
ment 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 Sill
yer City and let few men into the
secret of his mission and the search
was begun. 1t became public in a
day or two, and one night two hun
dred men picked upon spot now
called Diamond Basin. some three
miles west of Crocheron's ranch on
Sinker, and all the ground in that
Basin was staked off sin no time"
But the diamonds failed to mate
rialize and Governor Lyon acquired
a reputation which has since been
inherited by Tom Ochiltree and Joe
Mulhattan.
Coming down to sound reason
ing, is there not ground for believ-
ing that Lyon told the truth, and
that thos6 two miners really did
find gems of purest ray serene?
Why should Lyon be to the ex-
pense and trouble of making the
long and wearisome trip, which it
then was to get here, if he did not
think he would find what he was
after? The writer was once on War
Eagle mountain with gentleman
who lad been in the Kimberly dia-
monl 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 magnifi-
cent view before him, remarked that
it was more nearly like the African
diamond fields than any spot he
had ever seen. Russ Walters and
ex- -Governor Stevenson are long
headed and practical men. They
are not the kind of men who would
start a new search and excitement
Just for sensation. Perhaps they
have found something who knows?
|-Owyhe Avalanche.