Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1906-04-07

of other whom it has been utterly i'm
possible to see or hear.
This evening, in obedience to such
sensation, raised my head and glanced
down the trail, fully expecting to see
some one coming. l was not disapy
pointed, for, Flooding along through
the snow, man was approaching the
cabin. AS he drew near 1 preceived'
that he was a stranger.
1t was something quite unusual for
others than friends to strike my camp
at so late an hour and l wondered what
his mission might be. =
AS he came up gave him good even
ing. GLOW de do" said he, "expect
you think it rather odd, but I was on
my way to Elk City, and seeing your
mail box and the trail broke, thought
I'd just run up and stay over night with
you, if you had no objections. I've
been alone so much these last four
years that I just despise the towns and
still want to talk to some one.",
told him he was welcome. In truth
he was. A chap gets so that he's glad
to see yellow dog when he's been
working all alone in the mountains
month after month, x
We entered the cabin and I went
about preparing supper. ~
My guest was middle aged man of
medium stature, comfortably enough
clothed in the winter apparel of the
mountains. Indeed there was nothing
unusual about him unless it was a
rather quizzical look in a pair of very
light blue eyes. e.
After supper, with our pipes going
nicely, we held desultory conversation
on the outlook of the different camps,
prospecting, mining, hunting and fish
ing, as men of the mountains are wont
to do. g =.
Speaking about game he remark
ed, hitching his box nearer the stove
and thumbing down the tobacco in his
pipe, ''for the last four yearsyI've been
where it was just plum nuisance.
Now, I've never told soul and what
I'M telling yeu must go no further.
Pm, going to tell you something that
will make your eyes bug OUT
He spat accurately at stove leg
leaned forward and jiggled the CRATE
with the lid litter and continued:
81 was working in the Butte mines
when the Thunder mountain excitement
began and all that winter you could
hear nothing but Thunder mountain
Everyone predicted big stampede as
soon as spring opened.
az was pretty chummy with a young
fellow who worked in the same stope
with me and of course we talked about
the new country. We got map Of
Idaho and studied out the best way tx
get in there. AS everyone knows, it's
a mighty tough trip into that camp
anyway you go. l.
eve finally made up our minds to e.
just as soon, as there was chance tt
get througha Of course the snow OF
the devides would not go off, so tina
pack horsess could get over until late
and now that we had concluded to q
we wanted to get there at once, human
like.
1--WE figured it out at last, that b,
going to Salmon City, on the Salmon
river. we could take boat from Their
and, going down the river until w
reached the trail crossing from thi
country, get in there quite bit earle
than any other way.
1--WE had both been working stead
for a good while and saving our none
too, so we had pretty good stake be
tween US, much more in fact than w
needed for seasons prospecting.
GAS spring approached reports wer
thick about the scarcity of provision
and the enormous prices grub wa
bringing.
''Bys the time we reached Salmo
City we had it figured out that by tai
ing a. good big scow and putting ou
, extra money into supplies we coul
make a good big clean up right on tt
START
"We. picked up twenty-eight foS
scow cheap, and loaded her up with
fine outfit. Tent, sheet iron stove
tools and everything in that line, the
J the rest of our money we laid out
> supplies.
Everyone tried to tell us that "
couldn't make the trip down the rive