The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-06-12

ten cents pound, or two hundred
dollars ton. D''ui 81
All their hay and grain was cut with
scythes. Forks were made from viii.
lows or balm, and had only two
Prongs. The first fork with three
Prongs was bought by Mr.. Bowman
Inc hrst mower in the country he
longed to Elijah Frost. Mr.. Bowman
PAD one hundred dollars for the first
PloW, which he had made in Bo;se
Inc hrst cook stove belonged to Mr.
Bowman too and that cost him one
hundred dollars. All the neighbors
TOT miles around borrowed his pillow.
AT this time, however, thereNw
plenty OF money, or its equivalent,
The miners all had lots of gold dust
and whenever they got a meal at any
ranch, they paid a dollar or a dollar
and a quarter. Gold coins were
brought in by the settlers, and green
backs, although they were worth
only nifty cents on the dollar. An
ounce of gold dust was worth sixteen
dollars.
Potatoes were the cheapest food,
put their price seems enormous now.
The eyes were cut out of the frat
potatoes brought in, for planting, and
then the rest of the potatoes were
hauled to Idaho City in freighters or
on pack horses, and sold for a dollar
a pound. They were called blind"
potatoes. Dressed pork was 80 cents
a pound. One man was taking A COW
to Idaho City and on the wav he cut
Oft its feet in order to tighten the
load. When he got to Idaho CITY.
the buyer told him it would take lust
four dollars off his profit as feet were
worth a dollar a piece.
The ranchers at first had a hard
time raising the first chickens. Mr..
Bowman brought in the first, paying
three dollars piece for them. Eggs
in 1908 were worth one dollar and
twenty-five cents a dozen. At one
time, in Idaho City, they were worth
one dollar a piece.
The first settlers who came in.
drove OK teams. A very few had
horses or mules. Many used their
cows to plow with. They thought
no more of going visiting behind
team of cows or oxen than people
now do of their automobiles. They
only feared the Indians, who inhabit-
ed the country There were few
Indian encounters in Canyon county
there were many all around.
The first fort was built out in Dixie.
BreastworkS were thrown up, and the
hubs Of wagon wheels put in to
brighten off the Indians; since they
had no cannon. At one time, the
Indians attacked the stage driver
from Umatilla as he neared the ferry
and killed him. The chief trouble
with the Indians was their horse
stealing. They stole great numbers
of horses and cattle from the whites
At little cabin on the Snake, two
or three men were living. The stable
was off thirty or forty yeards from
the house, and one night the Indians
came and stole their horses. The
next morning the whites followed
them, catching them on the river near
the ferry. In fight the white men
we're killed. Another time, in Silver
City, four white men and four In
dams, among them Hoon Chief of
The Bannocks, was killed in attack of
The redskins. In '63 Mr.. Byall found |
| squaw, several bucks, and a two
year old boy and a baby. They ran
away, leaving the little boy. Mr.. By
Ill kept the boy and made him bell
BOY, whose duty it was to ride the
back horses.
However, as great was the danger
rom Indians and the lonliness of the
olace, the first settlers hated to see
my others come in. They could cut
heir rye grass and grain, haul it to
IDAHO City and get a very high price
or it. They thought they could raise
III the hay they needed, and if others
anne in, it would lower the prices.
So they were at first antagonistic to
III newcomers. In 1869, also, the
irst peach and apple orchard was