Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-04-09
PIONEER SKETCHES
.,,.. A Merchants Trust. aud Boy
Oh f '",,; Flour Three Dollars a r'''''
S' A Pack train Of Men,

,nril. 1862, Florence was Guy OF
III 81 ,,e The snow was Elk feet
low" a level. The business men
deep ~ miners who wintered IN the
anu W. I'D loo houses, but the masses
camp IN tuts and under roofs OF
h hsss and bark. The throng@ movea
ooos j., neatsn paths between walls OF
a0oa r In the middle of the preten'
s"'"' .,ty WAS II public square when
wv axampt by common consent rom
wa occupancy. 1t was in the cen
ofthe business district and was
IS a,;set to trespass on the part OF "osi-
mo, who were then, as ever
wake to the advantages OF ioca''o" III
trade. ..s .roaor
n,e persistent trespasser was 'raoer
40 name of Sheldon who had
III tent in the public square in
'';oh he established mercantile
,,s;ness He soon gaineda reputation
g. va;ching his little finger when he
,.;uhea the dust received for his
,.ood. Still he did thriving business
shuu, three days out of the week. The
nearest supply point at that time was
twenty miles distant at the Mountain
ho,s. sheldon carried his merchan-
,,,o IN his back from that point and
ro,.;lpd each invoice Of goods before
10 denarted for another cargo. One
d,v he won d sell sugar; another day
tobacco and then perhaps onions. On
oue occasion he was packing upon his
back big sack OF onions. At the top
oftbe Rocky canyon hill he impro-
vised a toboggan of fir limbs, and
climbing upon the load began a rapid
descent, The yehickle became I'M
manageable and disaster followed. A
tree blocked the course and the shock
burst the bag and scattered the valua-
ble cargo ali over the mountain side.
The onions were worth three dollars q
nouud His loss in the wreck was
over hundred dollars after collecting
all the precious onions he could find
BY diligent search. After the loss OF
the onions this merchant perhaps to
retrieve his losses began to weigh his
little finger twice in every transaction.
He was finally disg raced and his mer-
chandising came to an unfortunate
end. A miner who had purchased a
plug of tobacco declared that the pile
of dust taken for pay was bigger than
the pl g. He took Sheldon by the
collar and hurled him over the counter
out into the snow. The miner then
. returned took both dust aud toba co and
departed. The charge of fraud and
the fact that he did not resent the in-
dignity of being kicked out Of his own
house, ruined his trade and he soon
departed from the city of tents.
In April, 1852, there were about
twenty merchants in Florence. Pack
trains had been running to the Noun
tain house. From that point u pack
train of men was engaged in public
transportation OF freight, TIL. price
paid was ore dollar pound for twenty
miles. Bags were pulled over the feet
Of the packers, and they were stuffed
toprevent sinking deep into the snow.
The men carried from 100 to $50 pounds,
according to the experience and
strength of the Individual. There was
one Hercules in the train who carried
regularly $50 pounds-a load for a
horse over good road. These burdens
were transported about ten miles day
and the men struggled all that dis
lance through the snow.
After the camp was we'll supplied
the merchants formed a trust and sud
deny advanced their prices. The
dea ers beived they had corner on
Hour and the price was advanced from
S15 to $3.50 sack. This action created
great Indignation. A riot was threat.
ened. All night thousands of men
marched the snow valley walks. AL
mea OF the throng may be con-
Veyed by an Incident of the night
Inc narrator was talking to friene
on oe OF the streets on important bus
mess when pistol shots were heard il
anearby saloon. The mass of human
oe'ngs was put IN motion, and SO IRE
slst'ole was the force that he had Il
cl'ng to tree to avoid being borne OH
ana the friend was carried away SO ia
mat the two did not meet again for
week.
The threatened riot was averted IL
an unexpected manner. Tom Wade
one OF the leading miners, came fol
ward with twenty-five sacks of flou
ana offered to lend the staff of life t
Tue miners till another source of sur
ply could be devised. MANY Others fol
""ed this lead and sooa almost all tn
n = l. L. L., 81 n