Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-09-03

cause for being in the rush for the
diggings in the early 6o's-Cotton-
wood, Denver, Grangeville and
Mount Idaho.
Just above Cottonwood, out in
the glare Of a desert spot, and
close to the wagon tracks, is tiny
enclosure of pickets containing
grave marked by a small white
marble shaft and covered by
number of hardy rose bushes. The
inscription is: "a Public Tribute
to William Foster, killed by In
dams July 4, 1877. Aged "a
years"
Foster was young cattle man
who gave the people of Grange
vile warning of the approach of
the hostile Nez Perces fsom the di-
rection of the mountain. He was
scoffed at, called for volunteers
and got them. They were caught
in ambush, and a bakers dozen
killed including two lieutenants.
Foster alone was honored with a
monument.
There is but one route and it is
almost impossible to leave it. From
Mount Idaho on the very edge of
the prairie, there is sharp rise,
which / should estimate at $500
feet; thence along the rolling crest
of the mountain for nearly 20
miles, then a dip of fully 1900 feet
to Slate creek, and several rises
and falls until Boulder creek is
reached, after many turns and
twists; then comes the toughest
rise of all, ON Boulder hill, rise
perhaps 5000 feet, nearly all of
which must be walked, and finally
after few more toboggan chutes
you are in the Florence basin.
There are three stage stations on
this stretch, and positively no other
habitations, and good meals and
! comfortable sleeping quarters are
to be had. 1t is really nothing
, more than the old Indian trail
amplifed, and is fully 10 miles
| longer, in A, than there is any
t necessity for.
In many places steep grades are
3 assembled only to come down again
j. on the same side of the hill, with.
out cause or warrant. Leaving
l Grangeville at 5 a. M, l got dinner
!. at the middle station, and arrived
/, at Florence at 6 p. III. On al
\ sides are the relics of the great up
\ heavals of the various working.
a the ground has had by it's success
@ sive occupants in the search for tn,
1 yellow dust. The first discoveries
j were made in the early COS ant
r the Florence stampede quickly fol
n lowed, the population rising to full
ly 1000, and nearly every foot 0
the gold-bearing sands were wash
ed over, mainly by hand. Thel
came decline, followed by anothe
= working over the abandoned
- ground by more effective MACH
: merry and hydraulics.
% This was supplanted in turn b.
the labor of thousands of China
. men, who worked the sands
! third, and in some instances
=. :, fourth and fifth time. Toda
II nothing remains Of all this activit
: but the rotten remnants of hur
dreds of fumes, an amazing net
work of abandoned bitches, and
I'd half dozen of the old buildings
n the original Florence. All else
* the early days has disappeared
~ Over all the hills, once denuded ,
al their growth of timber by the ex
it gencies Of great camp, has..sprun
RS up a thick forest of young frs an
of pines, which are in their turn b
to ing used by the developers of Il
Id new Florence. For nature on
ne commenced her disrupting proce
ey when she distributed her rich
at oyer the sandy fiat, and in Il
bed rock underlying it all the owl
ers of the present camp hope
.ls find many times the so odd mil
NJ lOllS WIiiCll IluNe Uttl ulfcduy L
in covered.
20 The new town is located abo
III one mile south of the old, and t
at day consists of three hotels, thr
.es general stores, three saloons,
to blacksmith shop, two livery st
;s bles, the Office of the Floren
,ot Miner, small school house al
i q probably 20 dwellings.
,st The TOWNSHIP consists of
nd acres, and was plated in 1896
nj G. Il. Pittman, and in May OF IL
year the mineral survey for t
purpose of applying for patent fro
the government was made
ID. w. Hannah, d. M. S. T
present population is about 10C
b. but so scattered is it that seldo
tn more than 80 people are to be Sc
Or in town, except on special oc6