The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-09-18
NOW A HOTEL MAN IN
TWIN FALLS, IDAHO
E. b. williams Formerly of North An
son Gives Us An Interesting News
Letter


E. B. Williams, who is now manager
of Hotel Perrine at Twin Falls, Idaho,
was born in North Arson. We are
in receipt of most interesting letter
from him and we offer ii to our
readers, knowing that he still has
many friends in old Somerset County
who will read with sympathy of the
trials which he has bravely sustained
and will extend hearty well W she's
for a continuance of his seeming pres
ent prosperity.
"Fifty-seven years ago on the 9th
of last February, at North Arson, in
Somerset County in a little old red
brick house situated about one hun
dred yards from the bridge across the
Carrabasset river, l was born, and
there lived until the age of twenty
one with the exception of three years
in Skowhegan which were put in as
devil" in the Somerset Reporter Office
Simeon M, Sawyer was then foreman.
Later / went with him to Fairfield on
the journal, and then to Lewiston on
the Lewiston Journal where it took
| lie ABOUT tWO WCChb " hhu out W h0e
failure l was as q printer. Then
back to North Arson for a few
months, where there was nothing to
do. Then came a letter from Idaho
from George Steward to brother, H.
F. Steward, giving glowing accounts
of that state, and Boise in particular.
This was in March, 1879 After re-
ceiving this letter H. F. Steward and
| fhnir lie
to go West From them Will Pease
and myself got the Western fever.
Will went to st. Paul, Minnesota. 1t
was ways and means with me, so with
the help of a brother, w. H. Williams,
borrowed 800, and on the 10th day
of April the four of US started.
On the last day of April
the three of us landed in
Boise Ia place of about 1900 people),
the capital of Idaho, a territory at that
time, and the largest place in the ter
ritory, and now a city of twenty-five
thousand. Idaho in area is as large
as all the New England states togeth-
er, SO the population was rather small
in comparison. The nearest railroad
station was Kelton, Utah. about $50
miles distant, which we made by stage.
LIE Olu ONCIld oSd6C Aohu pe~SSNo
through the Twin Falls tract of land
and through the town of Twin Falls.
Our first meal in Idaho was eaten at
an old Rock station, about one mile
west of where Twin Falls now stands,
at that time only a desert, and was
certainly some hot and dusty. Land
ed in Boise without dime. Went to
work in a restaurant the next morn
Nrlr Cd For nj niOhtnQn
months; then got the mining fever,
bought horse and pack outfit and
started for Wood river, where l fell
in with an old prospector who was
looking for partner. We prospected
all that summer, having in the mean
time sold our horses, put the money
in grub, packed the same on our backs
to our camp about eight or nine miles,
and stayed in the mountains until we
were starved out, and then a weary
and homesick walk back to the min
ing camp of HALEY, where we landed,
both broke. My old partner starte |
Lhat evening for one of the mines
where ne went to work the next morn
ling. | stayed in town and after part
ing with my old friend of months,
took a look around the town, mama 4
cd 10 DOTTOW pl llOll du acquaintance
went into a restaurant, saloon and
gambling hall combined and bought
dollars worth of ham and eggs, took
my blankets and slept that night down
on the river under a tree. From
there | drifted to another camp,
twelve miles away where | met the
Steward boys who landed the posi-
ton as postmaster for me, which
held for twelve years.
| then opened a small store, was
burned out, built and ran a hotel in
the camp for a number of years; was
burned out again; and then went to
the Twin Falls tract. Was one of
the first to land heretofore a house
of any kind was built, and where |
have since resided. My wife and
we're the first ones to prove up on
land on the Twin Falls tract Was
representative of the State Land
Board for two years, and in that time
passed and signed applications for
over 100000 acres of land. This was
during the first boom days of Twin
Falls.
| was married twenty-nine years
ago on the 3rd day of this month to
a native-born Idaho girl. We have
one daughter, eighteen years old, who
is a graduate of the Twin Falls High
School. Have been manager of Per-
rine Hotel since it was built in 1905.
This little city is one of the best to
be found in all the United States; it's
people are from the cream of the
earth.
Have taken in most of the mining
excitements of this section OF the
country; been broke and hungry; but
have always managed to make a raise
when l needed it. Am sitting now
at my desk in the hotel-can look
across the country to mountains in the
distance and locate peaks close to
where | put in many days climbing
and prospecting many years ago, and
where there is a lost mine which /
have looked for many times but have
never been able to discover.
Yours very truly,