The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1895-12-10

gentlemen de loisir never come
to see the beauties of the noun
tain scenery-or to study the
pleasure of country life." Hons
ton, like all mining camps,
sprung up like toad stool in a
night, only to wither away when
the great silver sun, that set in
81, sank behind the western
hills. Houston has two daily
events, viz: the departure of the
south bound stage and it's arriv-
al going north at supper time.
(Then Houston moves on as be-
fore.) To do honor to both of
these, the farmers ''crop de
loisor' are wont to gather on
the station platform twice day,
to talk about their crops, and
get their mail and dry goods
and wet goods too, am afraid,
for found very sociable crowd
had assembled to welcome us, as
| had the honor of arriving in
Houston on the stage from Black
foot. When within about mile
of the village, the driver, with a
flourish and a yell, lashed the
jaded mustangs into a run and
we dashed up the street in fine
style. This is customary ON en-
tering town. 1t was the fastest
pace we had struck during the
day. There is but one hotel in
the town, and when we arrived
the Office boy was pounding a tin
pan as fast as could work his
arm. We were received at the
door by a son of the proprietor.
He presented a bellicose appear
ance in his close fitting sleeve
less jacket and his shirt sleeves
rolled above his elbows; though
he seemed peaceably inclined, /
afterwards found that he acted
as cook, clerk, and general man
ager. The landscape seems to
have grown bald headed. Where
it spreads out in luxurious pro-
fusion there is nothing to break
the monotony but sage brush.
To the eastward the copper peaks
rear themselves suddenly out of
the range before US, as if to
knock their foreheads against
the stars. Then you turn and
look about you, and finally dis
cover Houston, hidden behind a
sage brush. There is but one
street which rudely thrusts itself
through the heart of the city.
At the north end of ''main
street. is a grocery store kept
by Mr.. L. Staples. At the south
end is blacksmith shop of which
George Baxter is proprietor, and
is also justice of the peace. And
Mr.. Green makes himself known
by selling the cheapest and best
merchandise in town. And there
is the Jag foundry where hqu-
ors are sold, to elevate the drink
er to deeds of heroism, Gn his
own mind), and bring the blush
of shame to the nose of the pion-
eer. Houston has had its day.
1t is thing of the past. 1t was
at one time destined to have a
population not exceeded by New
York. The big copper mine
shut down and Houston withered
away and there is nothing left
but a lot of old buildings still
standing. Houston has a his
tory, but one thing that has not
been recorded was its newspaper,
edited by the most talented, inn
agintive, and vivid liar that
could be found. When Houston
was at its height, he got out
handsome little book, entitled
Houston and Vicinity" 1t con-
tanned photographs of all the
leading buildings; and he took a
. cut of Vanderbilts house and
printed it as the Office of the
Houston Publishing Co., repres-
enting it to be in the suburbs of
, the city of Houston; and a grove
(: of pine trees, twelve miles out
represented as bit of Houston
: scenery. But, ''he that writes
J and says his say, briefly, may
, live to write another day" and l
) will tell you about Cliff next week.
j. S. Langrishe, editor of the
Wardner News, died at his home
in Wardner recently. Aged "a
, years.
Joe Kaufman, a miner employ
/ ed at the Black Hornet mine near
: Boise, was badly injured a few
? days ago by an explosion of
giant powder that was thawing
} out.
w. G. Sweet, of Bayhorse, is
now employed as book keeper in
! /. I. Lewis store at Ketchum.
L. Greene, of Clayton, has