The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1896-01-11
THE DE LAMAR NUGGET.
SATURDAY, JANUARY II, 1896.



Pacific Northwest. He came to the
coast in $50 and has represented the
people in many positions of trust and
honor. He has a vast fund of interest
ing "reminiscences, and can tell many a
stirring story of life in the early DAYS.
"Governor, the people would like to
hear some Of your recollecions of the
rush to the placer camps of Northern
idaho" said a Spok esman- Review re-
porter.
"The big rush was in 1862" was the
reply. In 1861 | was in Walla Walla,
and the news came of The strikes in the
Pierce City country | loaded a pack
train and took in stock of goods. We
reached the diggings early in the spring
of '0l, and had to shovel snow for two
weeks &c open the Trail. We found
about 200 men at the camp, but hy-sum-
mer there We're several thousand. Later
put in stock of goods at Orc Elmo,
few miles from Pierce City.
''The discoveries at Elk City followed
closely upon the excitement at 0ro
Elmo, and The fall of '6l the Florence
placers We're discovered. They were
The richest ever struck in the north
west, aud among the richest in the gold
history Of he world. In the fall of
'6l, I was going ont to Lewiston, and on
the summit Of Craig's mountain, met
Jack Morrow Phillips, one of the dis
coverers of Florence. He was leading
mule with packed dust, and had $50
pounds Of gold, which be and his
brother had taken out in little more
than three weeks. He said he left Is
or 20 men in Florence, and they were
taking out gold at fabulous rate. |
asked him how mnch man could rock
out in day, and he said the daily
cleanup of each man averaged from
yeast powder can to an oyster can full.
His arrival in Lewiston created an i'm
mense excitement, and many rushed in
over the snow and wintered ia the new
camp. The snow was deep, ard pro-
visions were very high. Supplies were
taken to Slate creek by pack train, and
from there carried on mems back 40
miles to the camp. These pack ers re- {
ceived 60 cents per pound for the 40
mile pack.
/ went 10 Walla Walla and set the
women of the valley to work knitting .
socks. | bought all of these l could get !,
and early in the spring of 50 took the ,
first pack train into Slate creek. At the 7
house, a few miles from the =
creek, sold my entire stock at whole !,
sale. got lump price of ST a pound :
or all my -four, bacon, sugar and beans, q
and proportionate prices for the rest of =
ny goods. ! sold the socks at 81. so a G
'air These goods were then taken 80 !,
niles further, to Florence, and of course ;,
etailed there for prices largely in ad- !,
'ance of the prices had received.
The first rich diggings were al Pierce
;ity, at first known as Bunker Hill and
canal Gulch. Next came the mines on
rhodes creek, three miles distant, W
which soon became known as Orc Elmo. oil
iik City came next, and then Florence. D,
he richest of them all. Orc Elmo was n.
3 miles from Lewiston; Elk City ll0 ga
piles, and Florence 40 miles. ra
Lewiston was humming town in ST
S62. 1t was the supply point for all
hese mines, and had population of
'om 5000 to 7,OOO mostly in tents. At te
east 80 wholesale stores were doing
usiness there, and there were IL res at
lurants and about so saloons and gamb- an
ng houses. sp
The winter of lS6l62 was the severest bs
| the history of the country. For So sp
avs there was no communication be- IL
veen Wa4la Walla and Portland. The
st stage left Walla Walla for The IA
allies on the 8th OF January, and Sc go
avs later, Marion Moore, who had SIT
presented Walla Walla in the council an
Olympia, and a Wells Fargo messe n va
# came in afoot from Portland, lead ]
e horse. They brought copy of of
e 0regonian containing news of the flo
Il of Fort Donelson. For weeLs dur 70
g January and February the mercury on,
pod 90 to so degrees below zero, and IND
henit rose to zero we felt that spring the
ID come. 90,
Communication between Walla Walla
d the mines was uE broken all winter. l
man named Mossman, and another tba
med c. II. Miller, ran an express, t
lyeling on snowsboes. This Miller mis-
IS joaquin Miller, the famous poet. OF
, had great deal of grit. Everybody on
en- called him Charlie"