The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-01-26

The people of Caldwell and vicinity
will be grieved to learn that Nampa
is not going to get her mammoth
smelter. This smelter was to have
been the largest in the world and to
have cost million dollars or more.
The scheme was promoted by one DR..
Chas. H. Gage. The following from
the Leader Herald explains the situa-
ton at present:
DR.. Chas. H. Gage, who spent sew
eral months here ostensibly promot-
ing a mammoth smelter that was to
employ thousand or more men and
make Nampa the largest city in Ida
no within a year after it was in oper-
alton. met up with the strong arm of
the law shortly after he left here for
Baker City about two weeks ago.
While here it was quietly reported
that the gentleman was little indis-
Greet in writing checks. but there was
always a plausible reason on tap and
the money was always forthcoming in
time to prevent trouble. 1t seems,
however, that he overstepped his luck
after leaving here and the following
from the Baker City Democrat is ex-
planatory of the results:
Charles H. Gage, erstwhile smelter
and wooden mill promoter, is in the
Baker county jail. unable to wiggle
out of the net drawn about him by
the authorities for passing of worth
less checks. He was arrested yester-
day, waived examination at his pre-
liminary hearing and was unable to
secure bail.
Gage has been in town trying to
promote smelter proposition. which
was only few of the games he was
working in the state. While he was
trying to land some local men inter-
ested in his smelter scheme, his wife
has been putting up fancy line of
heated ozone to sheep men, whom she
has tried to tie up with contracts for
the sale of wool, saying that she rep
resented Portland syndicate, who
would build $25O.OOO wooden mill
here on her "say so" if she found the
conditions satisfactory. None of the
wool men paid any attention to her
talk. although she was given credit in
some quarters.
Differed From Nampa Plan.
Gage himself, whom she repre-
scented to the wool men as being in
terested in eastern Oregon mines.' has
really been interested in nothing but
his own welfare. The information that
led to his arrest came from Mr.. Pear
son, merchant at Homestead, on
whom Gage passed a worthless check
for $50 on the Bank of Nampa. Other
bad checks in large number it is said
were passed by Gage in towns on
Snake river. where he was promoting
an electric road proposition and even
had some of his come ons' believing
an electric line would be operating
down the Snake river the coming
summer. He was also the promoter
and stock salesman of the Blue River
Smeltcr company, which was another
pipe dream, along with the electric
line, wooden mills, etc.
Hard to Get Bail.
when arraigned before Justice of
the Peace Peterson, for preliminary
hearing, Gage hung a great bluff. He
tried to intimidate Acting District At
torney H. H. Clifford, when the latter
in his examination qestioned his
(Gage's) integrity. Will you admit
me to bail, if the bond is signed by
so-and-so and so-and-so? he asked,
naming two well-known mining men.
Sure thing said the district attor-
ney. but when called up on the phone
and told about he affair nothing do
ing was the answer of each. So Mr..
Gage is the guest of the county Jail
until the grand jury gets chance at
him.
"Mrs. Gage. promoter of the WOOL
en- mill project. for her husband while
he was trying to build smelter, has