Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-05-05
The Pioneer Days of On.

roofs OF boughs and bark. The throng !
moved about in beaten paths between |
walls OF snow. In the middle bf the |
pretentious city was public square
which was exempt by common con-
sent from private occupancy. 1t was
in the center Of the business district,
and was subject to trespass on part OF
business men who were then, a. ever,
awake to the advantages Of location in
trade.
One persistent trespasser was a ira
der by the name of Sheldon, who had
u small tent in the public square in
which he established merc camille
business. He soon gained the repu-
tation for weighing bis little finger
when he weighed the dust received for
his goods. Still he did thriving
business about three days out of the
week. The nearest supply point at
that time was 20 miles distant at the
the Mountain House. Sheldon car
ried his merchandise on his back from
that point and retailed each INV dice of
goods before he departed for mother
cargo. One day he would sell sugar ;
another day tobacco and perhaps on
ions. On one occasion he was pack
ing upon his back big sack OF onions.
AT the top of the Rocky canyp IN hill
he improvised toboggan of fir limbs
and climbing upon the load began a
rapid descent upon the hard snow.
The vehicle became unmanageable
and disaster followed. A tree blocked
the course and the shock burst the
bag and scattered the valuable cargo
all over the mountain side. T. he on
ions were worth Sc pound. His loss
in the wreck was over 800 after col
lecting all the precious fruit he could
Fl nd by diligent search. After the loss
of the onions this merchant, perhaps
to retrieve his losses, began to wheigh
his lit lie finger twice in every trans
action. He was finally disgrade ed, and
his merchandise came to an unfortun-
ate end. A miner who had purchased
plug of tobacco declared that the
pile of dust taken for pay was bigger
than the plug. He took She don by
the collar and hurled him over the
counter into the snow. The miner
then returned, took both dust and to.
bacco and departed. The charge OF
fraud and the fact that he did not re-
sent the indignily of being kic ked out
OF his own house, ruined his trade, and
he soon departed from the city of
tents.
In April 1862, there were bout 20
merchants in Florence. Pack trains
had been running to the Mountain
House. From that point pack train
of men was engaged in public trans
portation Of freight. The price paid
was 81 pound for 30 niles Bags
were pulled over the feet OF packers
and they were stuffed to prevent sink
ing deep into the snow. The men
carried from 100 to $50 pou hds, &C,
cording to the strength and expert
ence of the individual. There wal
one Hercules IN the train who carried
regularly $50 pounds loa d for q
horse over good road. These bur
dens were transported about Id miles
per day, and the men struggled all the
distance through the snow.
After the camp was well 81 Implied
the merchants formed a trust and
suddenly advanced their prices. The
dealers believed they had corner or
flour and the price was advanc ed from
S75 to $3.50 sack. This action ere
ated great indignation. A riot wa
Threatened. All night thou sands o
men IN arched the snowy valley walks
An idea of the throng may be con-
veyed by an incident OF the night
The narrator was talking to frient
on one of the streets on i'm portan
business, when pistol shots were heart
in nearby saloon. The mas OF hu
man beings was put in motion, and 81
} irresistible was the force that he hat
to cling to a tree to avoid being born
on; and the friend was carried ava,
so far that the two did not meet agail
7 for week.
The threatened riot was avNrted il
an unexpected manner. Tom Wade
one of the leading miners, cam for
ward with 25 sacks of flour and offere,
J, to lend the staff of life to the miner
until another source of supply coul,
be devised. Many others followed thi
lead and soon almost all the flour il
, camp, outside of the holding of thu
trust. was in a common store for fire
use of the needy and worthy miner
e and prospeetors. From that date th
old merchants were boycotted, an,
: most of them broken up, and they a.
3 closed out and left the camp Lewis
5 ton Teller.