Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-11-22
MINING CONGRESS
NATIONAL MEET AT SPOKANE,
BEGINNING NOVEMBER rs,
DRAWS THOUSANDS.
SPOKANE DIGGINS A GREAT FEATURE
A Typical Frontier Mining Camp Of
Early Days-Most Unique Enter
tainment Ever Put On for
Amusing Delegates.

When the delegates to the Fifteenth
Annual Session of the American Min
ing Congress, which meets in Spokane
the week of November 25th. have fin
ished the strenuous labors of the con-
vention, and have set their stamp of
approval upon plan of campaign for
the coming year, they will be taken
in a body to view one of the most
unique entertainments ever presented
in this part of the country if not in
the world.
A building 210 feet long, 100 feet
wide and so feet high will be used.
The visitor will step from the street
of a modern city into the center of
mining camp typical of that long past
day, when the word was passed from
village to village that gold has been
found in California, and thousands OF
men, hoping to win happiness and for
tune from the treasure vaults of Moth
er Nature, leaving friends and home
behind, trudged YEARLY across desert,
plains and mountains, until at last, ar
irving at the place where gold was
found, pitched their tents or built their
shacks along the sides of a rocky gorge
and called it city.
There are few men left today who
remember those old-time frontier camp |
scenes, and it has been left to the
efforts of the entertainment commit |
tees composed of many mining men to |
revive those memories, as we'll as in
struct a younger generation in the |
manners, customs and language of the |
early-day Mining Camp.
Not detail will be missed. A strag-
ely irregular street winds through the |
center of the building, both sides of !
which will be occupied by buildings
of that nondescript character only
found in the frontier camp. Above and
back of the shacks, rock work is con-
structed, which will form the walls of
the Gulch and the top of which will
blend into the blue sky stretched over
head.
What form of entertainment will the
shacks contain? All that is the sur
price which the committee is reserv-
ing for the visitor We are informed,
however, that realism is the watch
word and not a detail is being over
looked that will aid in conveying to
the mind of the visitor the impression
that he has stepped back to the time
when men settled their disputes with
the aid of a Colts 45, when the main
topic of conversation was the latest
strike" and the principal amusements
were dispensed at the Bucket of
Blood" thirst parlor, the Golden Prom
Use Faro Palace" and Dutch Jakes
Dance Hall" OF course, the PONY
Express" will be there as well as the
picturesque stage coach and driver
with his ever recurring load of ten
derfeet" while Faro Nell" will take a
conspicuous place in the setting.
We often see so-called scenic re-
productions of the old-time Mining
Camp on the stage" stated Mr.. Sidney
Norman, secretary of the local COM
mittee, in an interview yesterday; but
they are never true to life, and even
) if they were, would not compare with
this stunt In the theatrical produc-
= tons, the audience sits out in front
and merely looks while in this show
! the visitor enters into and becomes
part of the scene"
1t was intended originally to give
this show on Friday night the goth,
only, and make it strictly a stag affair,
but the demand for tickets was so
great and the demand that another
night be added when visitors would
,, take their ladies so insstent, that the
committees decided to devote two
' nights to the show. Thursday night
for ladies and gentlemen and Friday
night for gentlemen only
OF course there will be other fea-
~ lures than those mentioned above
~ among which may be cited a four-round
boxing tournament in which champions
and near-champions from Washington
Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British
~ Columbia will contend for the Inland
'- Empire championship, the best acts
&c from the local theaters and many orig
&c inal stunts not yet divulged, but all in
. perfect harmony with the atmosphere
. of the old-time mining camp.
The committee has decided that ad
Is mission will be limited to the number
~ that can be conveniently cared for
-- delegates and visitors from out o.
-- town receiving first consideration.