Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-02-09

and garden produce is general all
through the canyon, and is attrib-
utable to the mineral elements dis
solved in the soil, to its sheltered
climate where the heat is to some
extent tempered by the colder air
of the higher attitudes surrounding
and to the fertilising qualities of
the mineral-charged waters used
in irrigating the thirsty soil.
Barring its isolation, Shorts bar
is an ideal spot for the placer mi
ner, for in addition to having a
claim where he can take out money
as he wants it, he is also living
under the shadow of his own vine
and fig tree, with plenty of wood,
water and horse feed surrounding
him, and genial climate where
he can raise the great bulk of the
necessaries of life with small effort.
The placer miner with a paying
claim is proverbially the most in
dependent man ON the footstoOl,
and Salmon river has many such.
There was time in this county
when all miners were honest and
each was type of the expression
'ye honest miner" There are lots
of such still left among us, the lord
be praised, and the Salmon river
camps have plenty of them. But
there are other localities where
another type of "miner" has put
in an appearance; the miner whose
hands are un-calloused, but whose
head is always active in plotting
to extOrt blackmail and blood-mo-
ney, or to Jump" other mems
claims on trivial technicalities, and
who will accept your hospitality in
order to listen to your confidential
talk and then betray the same for
their own advantage. This class
of miscreant has not yet secured a
foot hold on Salmon river, and we
hope never will.
The lines of the men who mine
on Salmon river are cast in plea
SAINT places, with the one disad-
vantage of isolation; and even this
is in great measure removed, for
every ,bar and plot of ground on
the river banks, level enough for
agricultural purposes and with
accessible water, have all been set
tied upon and more or less improv-
ed in the past three years, so that
neighbors are now pretty close to-
gether along the river, while on
the Wheeler Flat and up the Little
Salmon valley the settlement is
comparatively dense. The popula-
ton of the river has surely increas-
ed 400 per cent. since our last trip
in the summer of 1889. There are
two settlers on the lower end of
the Short claim, and dance was
given in fine new house on the
evening after our departure.
1t was our intention to have ex-
amined Mr.. Shorts claim and then
have proceeded up the Little Sal
mon and look over that and the
Rapid river country, but snow fell
to the depth of four inches that
night and then the weather cleared
up. and turned cold, with small
prospect of the snow going off for
some days, so this part Of the pro-
gram was abandoned. So we finally
in the forenoon swim the horses
across the river and proceed up the
stream to Mr.. August Berg's,
where we spend the balance of the
day and all night. Mr.. Berg is a
large stock grower who has been
located here almost since the first
settlement of the river, and who,
with his estimable and hospitable
wife made us cordially welcome.
The house is full of young people
of both sexes attending a school
taught by Miss Lyons, a graduate
of the Pullman university, and a
lovely and accomplished young Ia
dy, whose parents have recently
settled in the White Bird country
Thus, even in these distant noun.
tain solitudes, we find the school.
master, or, rather, the school
ma am abroad in the land, teaching
the young idea how to shoot, ant
illustrating in the most practica
manner the determination of al
classes of this free and enlightened
country to give their children the
benefit of an education, live they
never SO far away from the Jump
, ing-off place" of civilization.
Mr.. Berg has fine hay rancl
) and orchard here, and raises grea
: quantities of fruit for which ther,
: is no market. Here, too, we ar
INDUCED in the luxury of whit,
/ wine made from pure unfermentes
/ grape juice, and makes an excellen
l might cap" to put on before retir
: ing, for the liquor has undoubtet
, virtues as a sopori6c. Amid sucl
: surroundings and in such congeni
l al society an altogether memorabl
7 and happy evening was spent.
5 The next settlement above her
: is the old Bill Alison ranch, no,
2 owned by Mr.. Berg; the next SET
D tlement is Orville Howard's, up a
+ the old Shearer's ferry; four mile
/ above is the Iron Bridge crossin
| of tho Stafa Road hatwaan Flo,