Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-11-29

the farmers of the eastern slope Of
Clearwater will have to farm much
more extensively than they do at
present in order to supply the ne
cessities of the mining population
beyond.
After few miles of poor road
we at length strike the new state
wagon road about two miles above
the Riebold place. 1t was our
first trip over this new thorough
fare and we were agreeably sur
prised to find what a splendid road
it is. The survey followed the
line of the old trail pretty closely,
only deviating therefrom where it
was necessary to make the grades,
and as a consequence the ascent to
the summit of Big Badly is scarce
ly perceptible. There are places
where the road does not, in our
opinion, come up to the specifica-
tionc called for in the contract, but
it is, nevertheless, the best piece
of mountain road we have ever
travelled over in this state. The
only regret in our mind is that the
last appropriation was not made
available for the completion of the
entire road to Elk City.
As we reached the summit of
Big Badly and beheld the vast
mineral belt in sight from that en-
inence our mind naturally revert
ed to the vicissitudes which the
mining industry has undergone.
What a history of bright hopes
shattered, of baseless enthusiasm
and of inexecusable ignorance is
furnished by almost every old min
ing camp in the state. The days
of the placer excitements in the
early eos read like medieval
romance. Camps were established
in the wild Gods and gorges half
a-thousand miles from civilization
one week and in the next they had
developed among the pine stumps
into flourishing towns with broad
streets, fair hotels, drinking saloons
and hurdy houses. The gambling
tents with their square dealers and
shooting toughs, touched elbows
with the dance houses filled with
"Calamity James," Banjo Nells''
and other noted characters of the
under world. Everybody made To-
cations and thought the possession
of a claim insured a fortune. A
buckskin sack was the only pocket
book and gold dust was the only
currency of the country. For q
time everything was prosperous
The gulches yielded their golden
grains with the minimum of labor
and the surface quartz gave big re-
torts, and all supposed the thing
would last forever. But by and
by these resources became exhaus
ted, the people were disheartened
and left. a blight fell over the boom
and the mining industry fell into
a disrepute from which it has mo-
yet fully recovered.
But in the long interval which
has elapsed great changes have
taken place in the mining world
The greatly reduced cost of mining
coupled with the economical con
ditions brought about by the set
Element of the country and the de
velopment of its agricultural lands
have made it practicable to reals,
profits where once there were onl,
losses. Science has been brough
to the aid of the mining man, ant
the once despised and refractor,
pyritic ores are now made to yielt
all their full value of the preciou
metals by the improved method
of treatment. Men, too, hav
learned something about mining
They have learned that it is
trade; that it must be followed a
closely and economically as an,
other business; and that, as a rule
: it won't support Calamity James
and gambling houses. The practi
cal mining man of to-day does no
build castles in Spain because hi
mine is in good ore one week, no
is he discouraged because the or
plays out the next. He has learn
, ed to judge something about tn
character of his vein, and to eA
pect, if that character is fair, tina
,, year by year a given amount
! work will produce given amour
value. In fact, they recognize mir
. ing as legitimate business, wit
fewer failures, when properly cor
! Quoted, and with richer reward
than can be found in any othe
= honorable occupation in the cour
try. These men know and reals
to the quick the injustice of tn
old cry, born of the old-time disal
: pointment and bad and extrav,
CANT management, that mining
"a gamble" an uncertain and risk
business, etc. The fact is, tia
mining in the mountains of oil
Idaho county, is just beginnin
= upon the basis of an understandin
of what constitutes mining, whic
means the dawn of an age far MOI