The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-06-15
INCIDENTS or THE TIME
OF THE LEMHl INDIAN WARS


The followink contribution Is by a
pioneer OF Lemhi valley. At one time
be and his brother settled ON and
owned the larger part OF Big Fiat
ON the Salmon river, but Mr.. Clark
| followed principally the occupation
OF mining and has worked In all the
mining camps OF upper Lemhi AT
one time he conducted a store and
was postmaster at Junction and
while 80 employed he was elected
County Commissioner and served the
people well in that capacity. His con.
Itribuaion is a vivid portrayal OF the
events Of those stirring days.
Some "Reminiscences OF John Clark.
am asked by the Iemhi Hlstori.
cal society 10 write a contribution of
events as | witnessed them In the
early days of Lemhi valley. Hayme
an uncle at Junction, Mr.. A. NJ. Ste.
phenson. whom ! wished To be- with.
| left Kansas City, Mo, June 18th
1871 and after several DAYS travel
ing ON the Union Pacific finally
landed In Corinne. Utah. ON the l5,...
This was the nearest railroad point
TO the Lemhi country and here | had
TO ind wagon transportation for the
l
ing about eight or ten days | at last
succeeded in getting in with Albert
Green. a freighter, whom ! viii speak
of later on. and with him l Journey,
ed with good luck and very success
fully to Junction where we arrived
ON July 9th. Here | met my uncle
and aunt and also Mrs Henrietta
Smith (now Mrs, Pattee) and her
two children Annie and w. C. Smith
Two miles west of Junction, John
Yearian and his family and his son
u. B. Yearian and family had located
on ranch and ms they had not time
as yet 10 build, were living Ia tents
John Mcdonald, known to every one
as Red" was carrying weekly
mail from Bannack. Mont. 10 Sal
mon City.
Al that time the mountains Were
full of elk. deer and "a few moose, and
in the valley antelope were plentiful
and sage hens very numerous, while
along the streams bear were 10 be
met quite often. Money was some
thing person seldom ever saw, as
/ gold dust was the medium of ex
change and IL was weighed ont q
one just the same as other goods are
weighed out to people now. The prin
cipal industry was placer mining
However few near and around Sal
mon had begun TO farm To limited
extent and the majority of the ranch
trs along the Lemhi were in the cat
tie business. The range was In fin'
condition and kept that way the en-
tire year, no one pretending to feet
IN the least as the cattle were bee
fat at all seasons, A very little hal
was put up occasionally by som,
rancher who wished TO work team
or perhaps keep saddle horse. Th'
Lemhi agency was located on ole
Agency creek with A. ]. Smith o
Bannack. Mont, as the agent. Tina
year the grasshoppers were very bal
in the valley. but IN 1877 they wer,
very much worse, for in that yea
there were so many that at times II
the DAY they would obscure the sun
In 1876 | helped Neal MeDeyit
drive band Of cattle from the Lemh
to Horse shoe Bend OF the Payett
river for his brother Jim. Along thi
route there were no houses until ",
almost reached Boise but In the VI
cinity of Rocky Bar at the junction
of some stage roads there was
stage station.
ON Camas Prairie we saw abOu
500 Indians trading horses. dlggin
camas root and having a good tim
in general They were visiting an
for choice meals they used crickeu
kind OF grasshoppor Here ! vii
messed as much ar ten bushels q
dead crickets in a pile prepared 10
! food. understood they reliHhe
, these insects very highly,
In 1877 Witnessed our first II
? dian trouble The Neg Perces, wh