Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-03-16

The most notable case Of this kind WAS
David Parks, who located on Parks bsr
News oil Marshall's discovery had reached
Parks on the plains, while on his way To
Oregon. with his wife and family of
children OF graduated sizes. He at once
changed his destination and early In the
sum mer reached the Yuba, and located
on the bar which afterward bore his
name. He was we'll supplied with pro-
Visions, and, when he learned the WAYS
OF the unsophisticated Digger, it took
him but q short time to become con-
WINGED that his household could dis
Isense with the luxury OF sugar in their
coffee, as long as the Indians were will
ing to pay gold dust for it, measure for
measure. When they had filed pint
cup with the yellow particles, they took
IL to kind hearted Mrs. Parks, who filed
another cup with sugar, of almost the
same color, and exchanged cups. This
was as good thing as the Indians
wanted. Sugar was q new luxury to
them, and it was just like finding it to
have 1t given them in exchange for this
useless yellow dirt, which they could
neither eat nor wear. The Parkses were
also satisfied. Their supply of sugar was
light. and was soon exhausted, and the
Indian trade threatened to leave them
and go to other points. 1t was then that
the ready woman's wit OF Mrs. Parks
came to the rescue.
In the family outfit was a lot CT red
cloth, from which, as occasion required,
various garments were manufactured for
the members. Mrs. Parks converted
this material into flaming shirts, and
display ed them before the covetous ewes
Of the savages. To be sure the cutting
was crude and the stitches were few.
while the whole garment extended but
part way down the back; but then, a
warriors social position depended little
on the length OF his raiment, and what
was the use Of making them long, when
short ones answered all the ends Of their
creation? This matter OF wearing clothes
was an innovat on, at best, upon the i'm
memorial customs OF the Diggers, and,
as the garments were purely ornamental
in their nature, their brevity was no de.
traction from their commercial value.
Mrs. Parks had hit popular idea. The
latest fashion Of wearing the indication
of shirt swept like wild fire through
the ranks OF Digger society. The price
Of these garments depended upon the
ability OF the savage to pay-for Mrs.
Parks took sll she could get-and the
eager savages we're willing to pay all the
dust they could dig. When the red
cloth was used up, the market was still
booming" and other colors were called
into requisition, blue and white soon
mingling among the crimson. Their
relative values were somewhat proper.
tomato TO the ivory Chip" which cir
cnlated 30 freely along the Yuba few
months later, the red, however, being the
most valuable. They paid more for the
color than they did for the cloth. There
was more OF it. The fashionable color
came higher than the shirt, considered
simply as shirt, although the latter
viewed in the same light, came high
enough in all conscience. Owing to com
petition by traders at other points, and
as we'll, to the rapid education Of the ma.
tives in the comparative value OF gold
dnst and other articles, the trade rapidly
became lees profitable. The Parkset
then folded their tents" and departed
bearing away with them $85 900 as the
result Of few weeks of vicarioue mining
The competition which drove the Parks
family from the lndian trade, was chiefly
that OF Rose aud Reynolds, at Rose bar
They, too, discovered that the Indians
ignorant OF the value of the yellow stuff
we're willing to dig it up and trade it t,
the new corners for anything which
pleased their eccentric fancy. Rose 4
Reynolds, being regular traders, had
varied stock Of provisions, which th,
Parkses did not possess, and thus alb
sorbed the trade, for the natives first de
manded pound of sugar ior a pound Q
gold, then struck for two pounds, an,
then three, until, finally, the pugar be
came 30 cheap that they did not care TO
it any more, and the trade was ruined
To offset the shirt excitement down tn
river, they procured, in Yuba Buena,
quantity Of beads. A string Of bead
made splendid substitute for one O
Mrs. Parks shirts, and was soon pre-
scribed by Dame Fashion for all he
votaries Gaudily colored glass bead
we're sold, measure for measure, for golt
dust, and not enough could at first b
procured to meet the demand. Bead
soon became plentiful. and, under tn
competition Of other trading posts, fel
from their high estate, though for severs
years they were prominent and profita
BILE item in the Indian trade. A transfer
and profitable fever was created by tn
introduction Of calico dresses. which th
squaws seized upon with ayidi.y.
squaw bedecked with one OF these gaud
garments, and warrior gorgeously al
rayed with necklace Of porcelain beads
and an abbreviated shirt, constituted
family of Digger bon ton, whose socit
position was impregnable.
} HARRY L. WELLS.