The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-03-02
MURDOCH N. McPHE SONS
REcoLLEcTIoNs
EARLY DAY HISTORY c


There was quite a number OF build.
ings put up during the months OF
November and December. A party BY
the name of Phillips from Bannack
started a store In GrantsviIle and
placed man by the name OF Cook
in charge of it, The man was a lit.
tie OF at times and the boys called
him Crazy Cook."Along in the win
ter he got to acting strangely and
Mr.. Phillips sent man by the name
| OF Howard to take charge of the
store. But Cook would not give up
his position as manager and threat
ened TO take a shot at Howard. Mat
ters began 10 look serious about the
store. Each had a gun Cook would
prepare his meals with his pistol
IN one hand and a frying pan in the
other. Matters became so threaten
ing that miners meeting was call
ed TO settle the trouble. This was
the court of last resort from which
there was no appeal, and to save a
killing Cook was confirmed as man
ager until such time as Mr. Phillips
could come over from Bannack and
take charge himself, and Howard
left the store for more genial lodg.
ings. Cook, claiming that his pop,
ulaTity carried the meeting, under.
took TO run the whole camp. He
would get up sometime before day
light and go round to every cabin
on the hill, cali the boys up and
curse them for being a lazy lot wear.
out in bed when he had half a days
work already done
This man Moore brought a dutch
oven over from Bannack and
bought II from him for $I1.5O This
oven was kept busy all winter. 1t
went from one cabin 10 another.
When We wanted to bake we would
chase il from one cabin to another
and perhaps would wait until the
party finished their baking, and as
soon as we got through il started
ON the circuit again
Our next miners meeting was
held on Arnetts creek. There was
number of camp followers went IN
10 Arnetts creek and began to re
measure the claims and move the
stakes up or down the creek as il
suited them, creating factions and
locating claims where they expected
10 find the best pay. The original
claimhOlders objected and called
Tor miners meeting to settle the
matter. II was in midwinter and the
snow was very deep. All gathered
az a cabin in Arnetts creek not far
from the disrupted claims. The snow
was shoveled away from the front
of the cabin and was banked up at
the end 50 that a number stood up
on the roof of the cabin. After both
sides were heard a vote was taken
resulting in confirming the original
holders in their rights. This anger.
ed the jumpers. They numbered in
all about three hundred at the meet
ing, but gave up any further con
test. One of them stood in the cabin
door and said they were outnumber-
ed and could not expect any justice
at the meeting. At this point Dan
richardson, who was standing on
the cabin roof replied, THAT is the
man who jumped my claim on Bear
Gulch." He drew his six shooter and
jumped, landing in front OF Jim For
ester who grabbed Dan around the
waist and arms and prevented what
might have been quite a killing Ev-
cry pistol in the crowd was drawn
and you could hear click, click" all
around. IL was rather an unpIeas-
ant feeling but the snow was too
deep for running
TO come over the mountain and some
~ them suffered a great deal OF
hardship, being short of food and
wadlng through deep snow Some
failed TO get through and perished |
j. W. Davis and his party coming
from Boise Basin were five DAYS
coming across the lava beds, lived |
on roasted cactus. secured a little |
food on Snake river. and went four
days more before they got TO the
head of the Lemhi. They boiled |
strips OF a buffalo robe and would |
chew 1t as they walked along. Sal |
mon, being the terminal OF the wag-
on roads, began to be an important
point The town was started and /
teams and pack trains coming with |
large stocks OF all kinds OF merchan-
disc were awaiting the opening of /
the trail to Leesburg The trail was 4
shoyeled out over the summit for
some distance through as much as
feet of snow. After this the 4
ruSh or stampede became general /
some coming on foot packing all i
their worldly goods. grub and cook /
ing utensils, on their backs: Others /
with saddle and pack horse: Others i
along with pack trains.
About this time there was quite an
emigration OF undesirable characters \
who. through fear, escaped from the 4
sigtlant committees Of Montana. They
became menace 20 the peace and i
good order OF the camp and made
their boast that they escaped those
Montana strangers and wera nov
in country where they breathed /
and slept without fear OF beirg stran-
zled In order 10 take care Of this i
element, a vigilance committee was
organized AS soon as this was
known there was an exodus out over
he mountain and made Salmon. for
while, . rendezvous for as hard a
ot OF men as the west could pro
luce al this time While there were
one or two men killed in Leesburg.
think Il was one OF the most peace
able towns in all OF the mining eoun-
.ry. The Leesburg Basin al one time
had an estimated population OF AZ
.een thousand, and between forty
and fifty stores. some Of them with /
arEe stocks Of Rnods ho4eIz vaaf.u |