The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1900-05-16
DECLINE OF
PLACER CAMPS.
Their Lives Are Always Of
Short Duration.

The following editorial in the Spokes
man.Review describes the conditions IL
eastern Oregon:
The early history of Idaho is repeated
In Alaska. IN ,S6J, 10000 gold seeker.
were drawn to the rich placer camps OF
Idaho. Bancroft says that notwthstand
ing the falling off IN eastern immigration
the Boise mines alone drew between 5000
and 10000 men TO southern Idaho. These
figures about cover the highest estimates
OF the number OF men who will go into
Alaska this year.
In those days, rs now, there was keen
rivalry between town aud cities over the
trade OF the placer camps. Portland,
Walla Walla. Lewiston, Umatllla land.
ing, and even Sacramento. California,
competed tor the business Of the various
camps IN northern and southern Idaho.
Lewiston was lively place. II COM
manded the rich diggings Of northern
Idaho. aud its ambitious merchants had
dreams OF reaching out for the richer trade
Of the Boise country. They dispatched a
party to old Fort Boise to ascertain II II
were practicable to navigate Snake river
from Lewiston to that point or beyond
This party, after waiting until the river
was near its lowest stage, descended from
Fort Boise to Lewiston on raft. at was
soon made apparent, however," says the
historian. "that Lewiston was hopelessly
cut off from Salt Lake, and even from
BOISE Basin. Ivy craggy mountains and
impossible river canyons and falls"
As radidly as one rich camp was eN.
haustet. another was found, and the mer.
,urial miners darted hither and thithrr
like globuies Of quicksilver In search Of
gold. For few years the new discover.
les ovrrhaianced the exhaustion OF the old
dlgglngs and the population increased
rapidly: hut there came time when the
balance turned. and then the country lost
It's transient population nearly rs fast rs
1t had gained Il in the colorado days.
Thus now with Alaska. Dawson has
lost the greater part oi It's population, and
even now has the appearance Of u de.
serted mining camp. IN a few years, at
tui,hest. the same tate will fall on Cape
Nome. aud IN few more years, the thou.
sands who are now gathering In Alaska
will scatter to the tour winds. This has
been the history Of California, OF the |
placer camps ci Australia. and Of the once
famous camps oi Idaho. Alaska's indus. /
tries viii then tall back ON its permanent
resources quartz mines, II commercial
ore shalt We discovered, and its fisheries
ana lumber.
II is significant. though, that thus far
paw ore has clulel the Alaska searther. /
The rreaiwcli mill Is still pounding away
on great bodies ot low grade ore on the .
seashotr, hut that Is apart from the pres.
rn, rush o gold seekers. Nothing that
would invite the operations OF the eNper.
entei and prudent quartz miner has been
found IN the interior.
In this respect Alaska differs from the
rarly history M Idaho. Even when the
placer miners were washing out their
primitive means were rigged up
10 crush the rich ore OF adjacent lodges.
al South koise, In 1904, between forty
and ttty aras,ras were run BY water pow.
~, making nattering returns, and the
number soon increased TO eighty.tour,
rath crushing about ton day. In the
same wear quartz mills were brought In
from st. Louis, San Francisco and Port.
land, aud Idaho fairly entered on the de.
!. claimant ot her remarkable quartz