The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-04
illegally sIaughtering game for tn,
TOLD BY AN OLD TIMER.
Stirring Times In the Old Florence
Oiggings IN the Early zoos.

04SSAES III CIS Gd11y U.S.
An old-tirne Florence pioneer was
telling e. Spokesman Review represents
alive some of the facts regarding that
famous camp in the early COS, when il
was swarming with road agents and
was producing gold as laviShiy as
k-rondike is today.
was one of the first to arrive at
the camp" said he, when we had to
pack practically every pound of grub
over 100 miles through several feet of
snow. This was in the winter of 6l-'62,
and by the close of the season we had
one of the largest and undoubtedly one
of the toughest mining camps in the
northwest.
Il was quite a tenderfoot at the time,
but soon learned that life counted for
little in that camp. if the owner was
possessed of Wad and did not know
enough to keep away from the drink
ing shops TIE camp was fabulously
rich one from the start and this at
tracted host of gamblers. bldcklegs
and professional road agents. Hold
UPS, even cold blooded murders, were
of everyday occurrence. The Judge
and every other ofJicial-was an agent.
and an 'acquittar Was always easily
obtained. provided the acqufttee
promptly irrigated the crowd
We never travelled alone in those
days. remember going into the camp
one night for supplies. the whole party
going along for security In the hustle
at the store we forgot one of the most
essential Of all miners supplies-tea,
and offered to return for it alone.
When | got back into town the day
was just breaking. There was a, row
going on in one OF the biggest saloons.
accumulated now and then by a fusil-
ade Of pistol shots Just IS was about
to turn the corner of the main street in
full sight of the scene Of the furore the
front door OF the saloon opened and
man dashed out, pursued by another,
pistol in hand On the opposite of the
street the sidewalk was raised about
three feet, and here the pursued fell
in attempting to clear it. In an instant
the other placed his gun under his vic
TINS chin and almost blew his head off.
Then he coolly rolled the body under
the sidewalk,
While this was going on instinct
told me to hunt cover and the nearest
hole was the door of q butcher shop,
through the two-inch crack of which l
could see the eyes Of the proprietor
watching the proceedings too fright
ened to move On my quick demand he
opened the door enough for me to
crowd in, but he wouldn't let me out
until after O'clock that morning. If
Of the killing they would have killed
me before night
BY the close of the year 1868 many
Of US were eager to go out. many hav-
| ing large stakes, and all anxious TO
return to civilization once more; and
SO we circulated among the digginss a
notice by the underground road that
on certain day we would all leave
| together. Practically nothing was
known of the movement by any but
| those in it, and you can imagine the
surprise and discontinue of the
agents when nearly 500 men came to-
gether strapped their packs on their
backs. and, marching in squads of
about 20 men each, fully armed,
and brought very man and every
ounce of dust safely to Lewiston.
TN one squad was an old Hudson
Bay man, who attracted considerable
attention by his solicitude for the well
fare Of his somewhat bulky pack
Wherever he went and under all con-
ditions. he never parted from it, and I
! doubt if he slept more than two hours
a night. we offered to help him out
| by carrying at least a portion Of it,
for some of US had good pack animals;
but he never would accept any faYors
and stuck it through 70 Livingston, 100
miles, without muTmur.
Arrived at Lewiston. the first thing
the old fellow said was: Say, boys, I
wish two or three of yer would come
on TO the express Office with me. I'll
show yer sonethin'.' So a half dozen
Of us Went along to satisfy him. He
had never parted from his pack, and
backed up to the counter like a coal
! cart. Unstrapping his harness his
blanket fell on the counter with crash
for rolled up in it was over 100 pounds
Of the finest Florence dust in buckskln
sacks. You can imagine that we made
quite q hero of the old fellow"