The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-02-12
N THE DAYS OF OLD
THE DAYS OF GOLD
IT COST Sc TO TAKE A TEAM ANsc
WAGON ACROSS SNAKE RIv-
Err At LEWISTON.
(Lewiston Tribune

Professor II L. Talkington of the
Lewiston state normal school in an
address at the teachers meeting Sat
urday, commenting on matters Of In
terest dealing with the early history
of Lewiston, and to suggest the scale
Of prices existing In those days, quoted
items from the ledger Of one Of the
old business houses showing, for In
stance that eggs brought SIS dozen.
Those were the days Of the great rush
to the Idaho placer fields, and money
throughout this district was as free as
water" and flowed as freely through
the channels of trade. In that rush the
cost of reaching the mines was never
a factor considered, for the object
sought by all was to reach the virgin
ground as early as possible.
Two Ferries Near Lewiston.
That fact revives interest In the
early ferries For period during this
rush ferry at Alpowai. few miles
below Lewiston, brought the traveller ID
the north side of the Snake river and
when he proceeded just few miles fur
ther he crossed over the Clearwater To
Lewiston. A single ferry over the
Snake river at Lewiston would have
sufficed, but the pilgrim of those days
was too busy to stop and think seri-
ously over such a matter. when the
penalty involved simply the paying Of
a double toll However, ferry was
finally established over the Snake river
at Lewiston, and county document
relates in an interesting way to the
feature of tolls applying to the same
The document is an application for az
increase Of toll rates, and the original
is In the possession of the Tribune
The document reads as follows:
Cost Money to Run Ferry Boat.
ITO the Honorable County Commits
sioners of Nez Perez County, and
State of Washington:
'E. ID. Pearcy Joseph L. Davis. Gill
man Hays and George Woods COR
porators of the Walla Wala and
Clearwater Road company respectfully
represent to your honorable body that
the rates of toll allowed and establish
ed by act Of legislature granting them
the said franchise are insufficient In
some respects to give a reasonable
compensation to them: that the said
rates OF toll allow them but SO for one
wagon and two horses, Sd for each
wagon and four horses. and SIS for
each wagon and six horses, at which
rate your petitioners do represent that
they can not afford to run ferry.
wherefore they pray your honorable
body to order and decree that at their
ferry at Snake river. near the town of
Lewiston. and just above the junction
of the Clearwater and Snake rivers,
they may be able to have and collect
at the said point the following rates.
viz: For each wagon and two horses.
mules or oxen. SO; and for each addi-
tlonal span Of horses or yoke of oxen.
$3.50. Further than the above your
petitioners ask no charge, as the rates
OF toll allowed by the act of legislat-
ure other than the above are ample !
and sufficient
Filled September 20. 1862.
Granted September 22, 1912"
Ferry Quit Few Months Aqo.
The Snake river ferry at Lewiston
did not go out of service until few
months ago. 1t still received sufficient |
patronage after the construction Of |
the lewiston Charleston bridge to war;
rant its operation while the bridge /
was also maintained on the toll sys-
tenn, but when the bridge entered into
the free highway class the ferry had |
to go.