The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-02-23
MURDOCH N. MePHERsoN's RE,
COLLECTIONS
Trip to Naplas Creek, Idaho.

AT this time (after arriving at
Boise basin) my friend, George Fen
nedy. received letter from his
brother. who was then az Bear Gulch.
Montana, telling him about rich
diggings being struck on Napias
creek, Idaho. and asked him 10 come
at once As he was then starting for
the new camp, George asked me TO
go with him instead of going home.
- ! had intended, | joined George
We bought a saddle horse apiece and
pack horse, loaded il with all our
household effects and grub sufficient
for a month in the mountains. We
procured an old map of the terri
tory which showed Fort Lemhi locat
ed on the Lemni river. We were ad-
yised by Georges brother that we
would cross the Salmon river at the
mouth of the Lemhi. Thus informed
we provided ourselves with a pocket
compass and started for the new El-
dorado. We went by way of Center
Vile and Placerville, crossed the
Payette. and followed a trail up what
was called Lightning point II was
zig-zag trail, so steep at the turns
that | would step back for fear of the
horse falling back on me. We camp
ed for the night in a nice cove at the
head of a gulch. Crossing the divide
towards Deadwood on the summit, |
saw my first fool hens. ! was going
TO shoot at them. George told me to
save my ammunition. He secured a
pole and knocked two of them down.
We could have gotten some more but
George said IL was best to leave some
for other parties that would likely
q a n
ditch and followed IL to It's head. but
failed TO find anyone there. We camp
ed one night in Bear valley, staked
our horses out, but the bears were
so thick they scared our horses and
Georges mule so that they were
about to break away until we got up
and brought them up by our camp
and tied them to trees near by un-
til morning.
We followed a stream that Is now
called Cape Horn creek. We had
been going up stream for a long time.
George was riding ahead when |, in
watching the stream, concluded that
we were going down stream and call
ed George to stop. When ! got up TO
him ! told him that we were turned
around, that We were going down
stream. He wanted to know what
was the matter with me and was
about TO move on when | asked him
to stop ! got OF my horse and
threw = handful Of grass into the
water and. sure enough. we were go
ing down stream. We turned back
To see whore we made the turn and
discovered that we were crossing a
divide which was a low swampy
place on the summit and the creeks
raised in springs close together and
ran in different directions. When
We got to what Is now called Valley
geek. We were oyertaken by three
men who heard Of our starting for
the new mines and travelled night
and day TO overtake Us. They were
Tom WriEh,. Tom Bronson and old
man Honyman. They had one pack
horse and one saddle horse which the
old man rode We camped that night
on the Salmon river. .,eIt morning
ze travelled down the river TO the
point where the Stanley basin mines
we're located. Ascending to the top
OF the point and looking Jack up the
river we noticed some objects com
ing on the trail from where we had
camped. We thought they were elk
and waited for them 10 come closer
80 We could get some meat. but as
they approached we discovered that
they were horSemen- We remained
on the point until they came up to US.
They were a party from Alturas GO
ing 10 the new mines and Joined Us
for the remainder of the trip. In
! travelling down the riveT We would