The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-09-16
The Oldest Pioneer Of Warren Grew
Talkative.
SKETCH OF OLD WARREN.
A SIGNAL Reporter Takes Old Rube Un-
awsres and Worms From Him Some
"Reminiscences Of Early Days.

d ~ Ill of 1862 Jim Warren,
ST1&.lss5N prospector, miner, gam
]NN. bier, adventurer and pi-
oneer of the west, left
the then roaring camp Of Florence,
with four companions, for pros
pecting excursion into the surround
ing wilderness, then wilder than the
jungles of Africa, aud as yet but
little familiar To men. Dissensions
among the members Of the little par
ty arose and near the present Burg
dorf hot springs, it split up, resulting
in Jim Warren s'rapping pack to
hls back and pursuing his wander
ings alone Chance brought him
eventually on to the creek now known
as Warren creek and he pitched his
solitary camp Qf Il man can carry
enough on his back to ''pitcli" camp
with) almost on the identical spot
here tile town now stands. Here
lie found some pretty fair prospects,
and also some excellent float quartz
But he was now about out OF grub.
Panning out seven pans of dirt lie
saved the proceeds, took some sam
Piles of quartz and headed back to-
ward Florence, where, duly arriving,
he reported his gold discovery to
Hank Deffenbecker, who afterwards
ran ferry on Salmon river near the
wire bridge.
The gold was weighed and found
to amount to 20 cents or 10 cents tu
the pan. Though this was no big
Thing it led to the expectation OF
richer strikes, and accordingly II
party OF 16 WAS quietly formed to in.
vestigate the new discovery. This
original party of 16 men, the po
neers who made the rich strikes
which brought thousands in theil
wake, were Rube Besse, jim War
rem, Hank D,trenbecker, Fred Os
good, . l. Whiting, = Russell, =
Wall, ami nine others whose name,
would not return at will to Oh
Rube's recollection The date o
their departure from Florence wa
July 15th, 1862
AT the mouth Of French creek
they came across the four compali
ions of Jim Warren, with whom h
had started out earlier in the season
These four men were tinhorns an,
poor prospectors. Seeing jim War
rem with the crowd, itstruck the foil
that jim had made strike and ha
gone after his friends to reap tn
harvest, and they started to folio
the party. Jim and his friends sa'
they were followed, and, not cherish
ing any good feeling for his forme
companions, decided to throw theI
off the scent Therefore they struc
toward Payetle river, above the Iii
tie Lake, and camped around sever,
: days between there and Sccesh creel
The four, having been out since III
first start with Jim in May, wei
most about out of -four and baco
y and of course could not stand
II siege with the party fresh from
d supply point, 30 they finally tire
: up the sponge and started back
Il Florence. This happened on IL
!, head of Secesh creek. The war ,
? Secession then being the event Of u
" time. secession WAS the first for
% of expressing the departure of Il
r disappointed tinhorns, and becau
8 they had '.seceled' and turned bac
= the creek was then and there digi
'r fled with the name Seccsh cree
i, which it maintains today.
The party then fastened towar
,e jim discovery, camped on Warr
Meadows and began stalking {
claims $50 x 200 feet. As each IN
- also located claim for every friel
he had left behind at Florence, tn
,r soon had the Meadows staked off a
clear up the creek to where Balls @
arrastre now stands. Eight m
y. y we're sent back to Florence with