Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-04-14

BULLETIN waded through ueep Snow
on foot and reached st. Louis, then
a prosperous mining camp in Sierra
California. There was but
one hotel in the camp, kept by
Richard Tregaskis, fine looking
young man who had, with his wife
and baby boy. Harvey, recently
s'come the plains across" from Wis
cousin, and who took the first wagon
into st. Iouis--then a herculean
Job. The town was crowded with
miners, tenderfeet, gamblers and
graybacks. and it cost 800 for the
privilege of spreading your own
blankets upon the ground floor OF
! the Tregaskis Metropolitan Hotel"
which ii was called. 1t was ut this
house we, then a boy, first met big
hearted Lloyd Magruder, who was
running general supply store IN
the camp. He, without solicitation
on our part, suggested that we re-
move our blankets to his store and
sleep upon his pnncheon floor, where,
he remarked, we would not, at least,
be attacked by such q variety Of
hungry graybacks as we're encoun-
tered at the oyer-crowded hotel.
We of course accepted the kind offer
and to this day our eyes moisten in
recalling the sad fate Of poor Ma
pruder, which occurred in Idaho ten
years later.
A short time ago the following bit
Of half-forgotten history was pub.
lished in the Spokane Chronicle
. Many old-timers yet in Idaho will
Q remember the circumstances:
: Lewiston was not good place 10
' tenderieet in the fall OF 1868 All th
gamblers, steerers and toughs in tn
y northwest had been drifting through
n the town for years. The vigilance com
mittee had hardly got started. A fe'
i OF the had men had left town the da
after Dave English and Billy PEBBLES
= the highwaymen, were found hangin
u TO the roof OF the Jail, but there wer
" lots of them still loasing around at Oh
'r time the Bitter Root massacre On
b, CURED.
,e Hill Beechey, son-in law OF oil
o. Jubai Early, Ike the Luna House
IA those DAYS. His special chun was
IA California packer named Magruder,
i, joviai, whole-sonled Hercules, who ha
more friends than any man In tow
lie was making trips from Lewiston
. Virginia City, Montana, carrying pa
= sengers, trading and making mo
On money than would satisfy a bank PR
ne ident in these days. Magruder W
ut late starting on his trip for Vigin
on City that fall, but was bound to
On anyway. He had four extra ma
,c- whackers with him ON that trips
vl- maine, Howard, Lowry aad Pal
~ Incy were uv.ssr anu ~
ar gruder didn't need them, bu. they bt
ged fo- the sake Of that which is he
TO take them over the country so III
wouldn't starve. He was good heart
"a and finally helped them over
!. mountains aud landed them in '
-. ginia City. Magruder cold his go'
-, at big profit, booked five passengs
each with big bag of dust, and
- ready to journey home. But just
fore he started, the four tramps hun
him up again. little dirtier and r
!, geder than they were before. II
~ said Virginia City meant quie
-. starvation than Lewiston, and beg
~ Magruder to take them back to Ida
u. He didn't want 10, bat they pleades
N. hard he gave in, and the whole pa
~ started west again.
vna tHFrG wscAH shtGf ~ botAs W. VIZ
:. era from Virginia City put mp at
~, Luna House in Lewiston. and Beecl
IA. asked them when Magruder was @
90, ing in. They told him Magruder
4. started several days ahead oil them
~. ought TO have been at home long !
- Beechey didn't stop TO hear
more. He rushed into the saloon
r. ing "Boys, they've murdered NJ
ri. They've murdered Maci" The WI
-, town was up in arms before nj
There was no doubt about it-Mac
been waylaid and robbed in The Bi
Root mountains. Hill Beechey
not he would avenge him II II took
inns years, and hundred men promise
nore stand by him.
' liz They got the 6rst clue the |
held morning. Rancher Bish Goodr
I'd ia with speckled reputation, came
rned town driving team OF Magrue
D'u.. mules. The crowd came near lyl
ner. ing him without any questions,