The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1900-03-10
aEnlnIlcErdrs 81 4 lrarrEa.
Ths Basy and Rvsatful LIE Il Douglas Z.
Ballard.

The Dasy and Rvsaffnl Life II Douglas Z.
NJ Ballard.
! Douglas Z. Ballard Was born Ia An.
guSta, Maine. on the 3rd day OF Febru.
Z airy. 1923, went to Muscatlm, Iowa.
wbess seven years old. with an older
brother, removed from there 20 Chicago,
learned the carpenter trade under the
tutOrship Of bis brother, vino was q
master workman. Mr.. Ballard con-
tinued 10 work with mis- brother until
iete, When he started for the newly dis
covered gold 6eIds OF California, but
did not reach the new eIderado until
the following year. He secured some
property on sheep creek; not respIug
the expected golden harvest, he went TO
Feather river where be worked at min.
ing for some time. He came 10 the
conclusion that be was not success 40
q miner and went 10 Sacramento where
he engaged 10 the carpenter business.
In 1868, news reached California Of the
rich gold discoveries just made 10 Aus
tEalia. Every vessel which arrived In
San Francisco from that far of island
more than confirmed the previous report
Of the fabulous richness of the whole
country. California was Wild with ex-
element. and It was impossible for the
thousands who wished to 60 70 the new
Ophyr TO secure passage. Mr.. Ballard
and four hundred other adventurous
spirits chartered weasel at San Fran
cisco and started for the new gold fields.
They arrived at Sidney after pleasant
voyage. 70 dnd the reports had been
somewhat exaggerated, although the
discoveries already made were NJ rich
As any In California. lie secured
claim 1t Abednego, about three hun
dred miles inland. After working 1t
awhile he sold out to good advantage,
went TO the BalIeratt district where he |
engaged In mining for few months. |
Becoming tired Of the excessive beat
and deep digRings, he GSld out and went |
70 Melbourne. intending 10 engage In \
the carpenter business. On his arrival |
at Melbourne there was great excite
ment about the most wonderful dis |
coveries Of gold. silver and precious |
stones on the river Amazon. II riYaled !
anything that had been discovered |
since the time Of King SolomAn. lie |
immediately caught tie Amazon fever |
in its wont form. With six hundred
others who had been exposed 10 the
epidemic, he chartered the good ship
Windsor 70 transport them 10 the city
Of Lima. Peru, from which place they
would transport themselves on mule
back across the Andes 10 the land Of
gold and precious stones. On their ar
rival At Lima they learned that the
whole thing was gigantic fraud gotten
up by an eastern steamboat company;
there never had been an ounce Of gold
taken from the Amazon or any Of it's
tributaries. Sit. Ballard remained ia
Lima about four months and retnrned
10 san Francisco in the fail OF 1855, after
an absence Of seventeen months. He
mined IN different camps for about a
year, and went TO Eugene, Oregon. |
where he worked at his trade until the
spring OF 1855, when lie started for the
Frazer river mines which had just been
discovered. lie got ~ far as the Dalies,
met friend returning from the new |
mines Who advised him 70 turn back, |
which he did. going TO Jacksonville,
Oregon. lie remail.ed in and around |
Jacksonville until 1881, when he went !
20 the scene Of the FlOranee gold ex |
citement In the Boise basin, engaged in |
the packing business for u couple Of
SEASONS. sold out his train. and WAS em
plOyed by the government Nc a trusted |
courier OH numerous missions OF great |
responsibility, was PACK master for Gen- |
eral Crook Ia his expedition against the |
Snake and Ute Indians and had charge !
Of the herd after the expedition dis |
banded. In 1877, he was wagon master
in General o. o. Towards expedition
against the Neg perces. and was again !
wagon master with General o. o. How |
ards expedition against the BannOcks
Ia 1873. In 1873. he went TO Port Town |
send, on Puget Sound, aud reconstructed |
aud renovated the government post al
that place. lie took charge Of the Oaks !
House In Cheeney, WASH in 1859. went
to Spokane In the spring OF 1883. and |
was employed in the Sprague hotel
which was then kept by man by the
name Of kyser. In 1854, he came TO |
CGur d'Alene and was employed 10y !
Messrs. Monaghan 4 King IN the sut. |
tier store at Fort sherman, remaining
here until his death.
The major, ~ he was Familiarity |
called by his friends and acqualntences,
was very interesting conversationalIst
when he could be induced 70 tell sOm-
OF his many experiences, and his fund
Of army and political anecdotes Was in
exhaustible. But e was only on rare
occasions that he could be induced TO
tell much Of his past experiences. lie
was ~ charitable as his purse would
permit him to be, and was As eccentric
In this a. In most other things, for the
recipient Of his bounty never knew
from whom Il came. The name "Dug-
Ballard was the synonym for honesty
wherever he was known. When death
removed this interesting character on
Tuesday Of last week, one Of the Oldest
q