Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-03-09
FORTY YEARS AGO
Some "reminiscences Of Early Days
In Idaho.
WHAT IT COST TO TRAVEL
By Stage and Ship Goods by Pack
Train When Idaho was First
Settled.

ities," said an old timer at the Hotel
Perrine few evenings ago, .you
should have done business in this
couDtry 80 or 40 years ago to
obtain proper conception of what
you are talking about.
"The first mail from Walla Walla
to the eastern states, by way of
Boise and Salt Lake City, left Walla
Walla July /, 1868. 1t passed over
the. old stage road which traverses
the Twin Falls tract from end to
end. Ben Holiday, the noted stage
operator, had the contract. The
passenger fare from Portland, Ore
gon, to Atchison, Kansas, was $3.50
with 25 pounds of baggage free. 1t
was supposed to take 90 days to
make the trip and meals en- route
cost $40.
"They used TO have their troubles
IN those days. In the Boise States
man of January 80, 1865, you will
find this: "The overland mail start
ed for Salt Lake on wheels again
yesterday morning. A large mail
came in Sunday but brought nothing
east of Salt Lake owing to Indian
troubles on the plains. The last
storms have been severe between
here and Fort Hall, and would have
closed the route entirely but for the
determination and perseverance of
Holladay's agents and drivers. A
note on the last wayblll says: The
mail was packeds over the Bannock
mountains. One horse froze to
death. Snow from Is to 90 feet
deep and still storming.'
"Just imagine how you would
feel if you did not get your news
papers in those days when the wear
ers of the blue and The gray were
struggling on southern fields and
there were no telegraph wires TO
carry the news. On March 30, 1865,
the postmaster at Idaho City re-
ported: sFor the information of
the public, l would state that the
overland mail came IN tonigh',
bringing Salt Lake papers of the
10Th, having been 1s days on the
road. The mail matter was in a
horrible condition. wet and dripping
with water, and a perfect mess of
mush. Many of the letters are SO
nearly dissolved that it will be i'm.
possible to decipher them.' To this
the editor added: we received q
basket full of mush from the post
office last night which, from scraps
of paper found therein, purported to
he the Salt Lake mail of the 10th
instant. The pile is supposed to be
our exchanges. The postmaster said
that was his impression. We have
spread the mess out to dry and will
examine it today. It must have EN-
countered great dangers by land ano
sea, principally by sea, judging
from its appearance. The addition
of little more liquid would hay'
made porridge.'
eff that wouldn't teach complac
ency, what would? We were thank
full to be alive those days. A littl
hardship teaches man to be lenien
and charitable. After he shake
hands with hard luck, privatlon ant
( annoyance for few years he is abl
to face anything cheerfully. Tha
is what has made the west.
"Talking about freight rates beinI
high. I'll admit that they are to
high, much too high for this da
and generation, and most decided
too high on the Twin Falls branch
We must have rate regulation. Bu
just compare present freight rate
with those which prevailed 40 yea,
ago. 1t used TO cost $345 ton t
ship goods from San francisco t
Helena by way of Owyhee and th