Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04

~ ls 81 q whom
s Long
SR s&g Dusty naks 1verPla s7

Of him A. "a steady mAn' In 1880 we
again find him in the Snake river
country, this time with the, brigade of
Chief Trader John Work.
John Works journal contains nu-
merous references to his excellence as
hunter. In 1883 Payette was an as
sOciate Of Francis Ermatfinger, who
led several trapping expeditions to the
Flat1ead country. In that year Ma
thaniel J. Wyeth took east with him
Baptiste. the 1S-year- old son OF Fran
els PAyette. and his Flathead wife. In
1888 Payette was stationed at Fort
Boise and presented the Rev. Cushing
Eels' party with milk. turnips. pump
kins and salmon. ~ well as fine stur-
geon. In 1889 Thomas j. Farnham was
q dinner guest and was served with
salmon baked. boiled, fried and
brotled." In 1870 Rev. ]. 8. Griffin and
wife were kindly received by this big
hearted trader. The minutes Of the
council Of the Hudson's Bay company
for. 1841 show that Payette was as
signed to- "Boissi' a. postmaster for
that year. In 1842 he welcomed the
members Of the first large overland
emigration who passed by his door on
their long journey over the oregon
trail.
81.
c. Fremont and j. w. Nesmith, des-
tined later to be United States sena-
tor from Oregon. The Nesmith diary
mentions dance which was celebrated
the evening his party camped near the
fort The Huds0n's Bay company coun-
Gil minutes for 1914 show that Fort
"Boissie" was again assigned to F..
Payette, clerk for that year.
In 1s45 the late w. A. Goulder Of
Boise met Payette at the fort.
After 1S45 the writer has been unable
to find any reference to this generous,
courtly man whose kindness and all
embracing charity to almost countless
emigrants cast halo of glory over this
little outpost Of civilization and should
increase mans faith in man through
all the future years.
JAMES cRAIGlE
The next trader whose name is prom
inently identified with Fort Boise was
James Craigie. When Major Osborne
Cross, the artist who drew the sketches
of Fort Boise which Illustrate THIS
article and which. by the way. are the
only known sketches Of the post ex-
tant, visited Fort Boise In 1S4S he
found Craigie in charge Of the estab-
lishment.
Craigis told Major Cross he had been
in the vicinity since 1886. He was born
in Scotland. After coming to Amer
lea he entered the Hudson's Bay COM
panys service as common laborer.
His assignment to Fort Boise came as
the result Of long years OF faithful
service in a company III which per-
formances counted for much and "pull'
for little.
Hon. Henry J. Coke of London, Eng
land, spent restful evening under
Craigie's roof in September, 1850. Mrs.
Craigie, Bannock Indian woman, pre-
pared an excellent salmon bake for
her guest. A few days before Mr.
Coke's arrival an emigrant by the name
of Clarke died after a lingering ILL
cent burial in the little fort cemetery
Wound patient at this fort, a Swiss.
who was suffering from 4 gunshot
wound which had. resulted from the
accidental explONi0n OF his rifle.
Craigie dressed his wounds faithfully
twice each day and served as both
nurse and surgeon to this unfortunate
man, who was crippled for life.
Rev. *. w. Conyers. an. emigrant of
1859. tells us in his diary that the Au-
gust afternoon he entered the fort
grounds he found Mr.. Craigie making
the rounds of the prairie schooners
begging fresh milk for an emigrant
woman and her little babe who had
been dumped out at the fort by her
inhuman husband and left to shift for
herself. AS we brush the dust from the
faded pages Of many an emigrant jour