Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-03-13

is on the Clearwater, about IL
miles north from Mt. Idaho. This
river can be wing-dammed, after the
winter freshets are over, and the
bed of the river worked with pick
and shovel. Further up this
stream it has been worked in this
manner for many miles, and it has
always paid one ounce of gold per
day for every man who has worked
it. This was in 1864, at the time
when Ex-Governor Thayer and
myself used to travel over the
| country, dragging a cayuse horse,
on an elcctioneering tour, when
we would camp with the miners,
and gather information of mining
matters, so that l know the above
statement to be fact. have not
the least doubt but that the whole
river would pay at the same rate
for so miles or more. Besides
there are numerous quartz veins
near the bridge on the county road,
and q most excellent TOWNSHIP of
cleared land~which at no distant
day will be the terminus of some
railroad which will reach there
from Moscow, SO that it is bound
to be an important point, or outlet,
for all that mountain region, in
Guiding the old camps of Elk City,
and Orc Elmo. If l were only 25
years of age, would go there and
: settle for life, and with the mining
and other advantages man would
grow rich in a few years, although
there would be lots of hard work
about it.
The advantages for mining to
4 day are 90 per cent more profitable
: than they were in 1865. Trans
portation is only ope-fourth what
y it was then; labor is one-fourth
Q now what it was then; during that
time / had to pay $50 for pair of
: gum boots, 81 for shovel, IS for
a pick, and if / remember correct
Q ly, used to pay 40 cents for a
y pound of beans and the price OF
u everything else was in the same
. ratio. Now all these supplies can
|
Portland prices, so that mining can
q be conducted in this day and made
q much more profitable than could
be even thought Of in those times
81 There is more gold left in those Ole
70 camps than was ever taken out O
er them. They now have goot
A. wagon roads, where they formerly
to packed all freight into the countr,
y by mule train. / have spoken 0
~ Northern idaho, because that stat
n was once contingent to Portland
Ell and derived all it's supplies from
here, although it is fast being di
is verified to Spokane and the Soun'
II points.
:" John w. Holman, of Portland
:, himself one of the pioneer miner
- - of Idaho, calls for convention @
Nv all the old boys to talk over tn
~ flush days of long since. In
n column of "reminiscences in tn
~ Telegram he mentions the name
-, of well known pioneers many c
90 90 whom are in the church yards laid
:. some sleep beneath the sea an
~ others again resting in unmarke
q. graves in the canyons, or on til
Nv hillsides or under the pines nea
where they gave up life's burdens
The following is an extract fror
:, Mr.. Holman's retrospections:
on "Three-Fingered Smith had til
40 richest claim in Florence digging
-. The boy Holman, who carrie
,,u water ON the day of the big clear
10 up is myself. That big day of tn
- cleanup they took out 81 $50 wit
w. ~. a rocker. Jim Poe was for som
-. time-and may be yet-prosecu
~ ing attorney at Lewiston. Georg
-" Cole, who wrote a letter to q Spt
n kane paper recently, was one I
~ oI the miners of those days. Thel
eos was fellow by the name of Kell
I'VE Jim or John, l don't remembt
If Which-whom ran across at Van
ire couver not long ago America
RITZ Bob was local celebrity in tn
,lv camp, whom l should like yer
mt much to hear from again. tn
of famous Three-Fingercd Smith live
nv high and fast in his halcyon day
ole and after all his wealth, whic
MT was gathered SO carefully in til
led Idaho mines, died poor man."
Wv (Olutubus keyrs