The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
UP SALTRIVER
HEADwATERS OF SALT RIVER, !
November 18th, 1904. I

| write you few lines to let
you and other friends know my
whereabouts. | got my quarters
all right. Baker, Woods and
Uehren were coming up and
wanted me to come along. /
was not hardly eligible, but
came. We landed some time
during the night of the 11th, I
suppose, as we were here this
morning.
We left Mackay on the morn
ing of the 18th, taking passage
on the Salt River Liner the
boat "Demo-Republi c n o. a
crazy, rotten old tub that had
outlived its usefulness. We had
a rough trip all the way up, but
when we got to Goldburg we
were up against the real thing. :"
At this point there are seventeen
Republican reefs that run clear
across the channel stopping nav
igation entirely. These reefs
are dangerous at any time, more
especially SO in case of a tidal
wave. There is no way around
them; but there are four little
channels here and there, but you
cannot depend on them in case
of emergency as they are small
and shallow, and ordinarily would
not float a stern wheel dock.
just as we made this point we
were struck by a heavy tide set
ting up stream caused by the
Roosevelt tidal wave from the
South. We were driven onto
the rocks with such force as to
smash our boat, the old tub went
to pieces and down like a North
Sea fisherman before the Rus
sian guns, with all on board.
We were dumped into the angry
and irresistible waters of Defeat
like so many rats in a swill tub,
and were carried far up stream
and left on the beach at the head
of navigation by the tide. When
we went down and were thrown
into the angry waters I knew
nothing until | regained con-
seriousness here on the sands,
then l knew less.
This is a very quiet place
nothing doing dark dismal
depression of disappointment and
defeat. Our party is the only
one here just now. The accom-
modations are very poor sand
and salt water. We are sur
rounded on all sides by big Re
publican Majority Cliffs, which
are unscalable, with one small
outlet at the lower end of the
gorge like the drainage channel
of a small sewer. Escape seems
impossible as there is no way of
getting over or around these
cliffs, and starvation is the por-
ton of he who tackles them. l
think we will have to wait for
the river to freeze over and go
out on the ice. The aptness of
the old adages now occur to me :
He who enters here leaves hope
behind, " Fools rush in where
angels fear to tread"
The warm, friendly grasp of
the Socialist hand would be a re-
4 lief just now. Near me lies a
small, still form. l take it to be
Charlie Baker, as in the nerve
less hand is grasped a bottle lab
eled "Shoop's Restorative. y
Poor Woods seems in his de-
lirium to think that the whale
Morgan" run over him. All
that Uehren can say is "Ola
did it !" AS for myself l am too
full for utterance, but over me l
can see tall, gaunt, wobbling
form l take to be Fitzpatrick.
Baker is fast coming to. He
must have been up against
/ Shakespeare for he is crying
Hold on Macbeth Damn it;
that's enough 20
! There was an attempt made
this morning to hold a meeting
of the Board of County Commits
sioners to receive the Assessor S
report, but it was found that the
Legislators had possession OF
the hall and a clash was narrow
| ly averted. The sheriff could
not be found.
There must have been Chal-
| lis party here as the shores are
strewn with wreckage, among
which we found a spoon stamped
New Challis House," some
school books, cancelled vouchers
on Custer county, and casket
handles.
On the towering obsidian cliffs
| read this motto: Graft vim
dicated, trusts upheld, polygamy
sustained, unlawful co-habita-
tion legalized. God Bless