Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1911-12-09
"REMINISCENCES
OF A PIONEER
THE STORY or ELMoRE couN-
TVS STRUGGLE FOR FREE
DOM

Old Alturas County, of whiclra FL
more, at one time, comprised the
the north fork OF the Boise, south to
the Snake River, and from American
Falls, west to Indian creek, having
an area of about 10000 square miles,
as large as most OF; the New Enk-
Iand states, and Rocky Bar was the
county seat. from '65 to 85.
IN the year 81, the picks OF the
prospectors uncovered the many rich
mines In the Wood River country,
bringing multitude into that region,
and new towns sprung up Ii that
valley. among them, HALEY. Bellevue,
Broadiord, Bullion, smoky, and
Ketchum.
With the decline Of the value Of
silver, most OF these towns have
passed into history.
HALEY became the stamping ground
of the swiftest among that throng Of
adventurers, and the gambling joints,
dance houses, variety theatres, and
other garish features Of the frontier
mining town, ran In full blast and
Ut q high pressure, making q good
ield FIR tine legal profession, and
there was a. brilliant assortment OF
that kind there, from all parts of the
west
Pretty soon political ring was
formed there, and wire-pulling was
worked to a science. The old Hail
ey Ring was a school OF big fish In
Che deep sea, compared to which the
ringsters OF the Snake River Valley
were only tadpoles In puddle.
HALEY wanted the county seat In
'S2 and the gang went after it.
A chain OF grade camps along the
route OF the Oregon Short Line, then
In construction. extended from Sho-
shone north to Ketchum and west to
the principal ones being
kilpatrick's Corrigan's. Carlisle's,
Wards and Micky Green's contract
crews and outfits, most Of them be-
Ing a tough bunch who followed grad
lng, outfits, with also an assortment
u aagoes and greasers, The HALEY
ties, never asleep, secured the CO.
operation of these contractors, and
The votes OF the graders for the
county seat at HALEY.
There was no registration these
lays, and forces voted strong for
Haley at the election in that fall.
i iley won out, and the county seat
was taken from Rocky Bar.
Bellevue had entered the race for
The plum and she was a good sized
lively burg at the time. A meeting
was held in that city the night be-
ore election, and committee of
welve leading citizens, among whom
vas Josh Cowan of this city, were
elected to go to Haley, and see
hat Believe got fair play at the polls.
The polls opened In Believe at Z
'clock next morning, when these
welve men voted, and we're hurried
III to HALEY as fast as swift horses
ould carry them.
They arrived at HALEY in 40 min
tes, and found that already TIC
otes were cast at the polling place.
Disguised with Wood River tactics.
bill passed the territorial legisla-
IRE, in '82, creating Butte county,
18th Rocky Bar as the temporary
ounty seat, but the vigilant Haley
es won Governor O'Neil over, and
Q put the new county to sleep.
In "a, the Butte county bill, with
Home as temporary county
lat, again came up In the legisla-
ire, but was lost while In the hands
the committee on counties, and
utte county never came to birth.
In 81. the bill to create Elmore
cunty, with Mountain Home as tenn
orary county seat, came up In that
'ssion of the legislature, but was
efeated by tie vote In the lower
,use.
The HALEY coterie were on hand
ith all kinds of sacks, and they were
, cheap skates either, and they
lcceeded In putting Elmore county
rest. Hon. e. g. Helfrich Of our
ty was at the time a member OF the
opor house and worked necessarily
r the new county.
Defeated but not dismayed, the FL
oreites awaited the sweet after-a
bile and at once began to lay plans
win out at the next session. Geo.
Fayne, a veteran newspaper man.
Continued on page four.)