The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1920-03-20

by John Il. Slater, historian stevens
County Pioneer Association
The power of mammon, the lure of
gold, which has led the advance of
civilization into all the new worlds,
played the royal part in the redemp-
tion of the Northwest as it had pre-
viously done in California and the
neighboring commonwealths, the pros
pector in his quest always enjoying "a
similarity of emotion and correspond
ing motive-to wrest with the best
provocation to his environments, the
real token of value from its primeval
hiding place. However, despite the
peaceful and harmless intentions of
the prospector, his invasion of the in
terror Of the Columbia basin, follow
ing the report of the discovery of
gold, caused bloody wars with the
Indians with the consequent sacrifice
of the lives of innocent people A
cursory review of those wild times
may serve of interest now.
On June 9, 1866, at WalIa Walla,
Governor Isaac |. Stevens concluded
negotiations with the So Indian
chiefs of the Inland Empire in
treaty for peace among all the in
terror peoples, both aboriginal and
white, living in the country Not
withstanding the pact was carefully
drawn in form and solemnly executed
on the ground, it was understood by
all the contracting parties that it's
binding force would not be impelling
until finally ratified by the congress,
and this was not done until March 8.
1859, nearly four years later. In the
meantime, nevertheless, Joel Parker,
superintendent of Indian affairs for
Oregon and Washington, made this
treaty the basis for his proclamation,
July 10, 1855, declaring all of the
country east of the Cascade noun
tains and from latitude "A north to
ketfifey edtfify Faallfe@ & ReteaRs ssttseaTehr W
the signing of the treaty a party of
four French Canadians from French
Prairie in the Willamette valley on
prospecting expedition had camped at
Fort Shepard at the mouth OF the
Pend Oreille river. Their leader
Wau-ke panned out considerable
color of gold from the bar at that
point This is said to have been the
first gold discovered in Stevens
county. Exaggerated reports Of the
find reached the coast papers and the
gold hunters from the south inn
mediately rushed across the country
to the New Eldorado. The Wells
Fargo Express Co. Immediately dis
patched an agent to examine and re-
port on conditions, having in mind
the extension of their especial traffic
in gold dust. His report affirmative
of the new discovery gave fresh I'M
petus to the excitement and without
further delay miners We're riding
with reckless abandon across the
country to the utter disregard of the
Indians who deemed it an unwarrant-
ed trespass upon their territory. They
had been given to understand that
the whites had no rights in the
country until the terms of the treaty
which, among other things, provided
for the payment by the government
of 100000, had been confirmed at
Washington, and in many instances
resisted the oncoming of the miners.
Pierre Jerome, an Indian chief at
Kettle Falls, refused Mr.. Wilson, the
Wells Fargo agent, permission to
proceed to Fort Shepard. The
murders of a number of prospectors
precipitated the troubles which
brought expeditionary forces of the
Z. S. army into the field, and uiti
mately Fort Colville was established
to preserve quiet, but not before the
Indian wars of 1855 and subsequent
years had been fought and won by
the whites with great disaster to
the Indian tribes.
During the progress OF all these
hostilities the miners piled their ac-
tivities. From the mouth of the Spo-
kane river along the Columbia as
far north as Death Rapids, b. O.,
over a distance of 400 miles thous-
ands of men were sluicing the gravel
bars, fuming the waters OF the
small streams to their diggings, and
today one may see great winrows OF
gravel and powders where hundreds
of rich claims were worked for the
riches of gold aggregating millions
of dollars. The steamer Forty-Nm'
carried commerce of great magnlh'
cence and merchants gathered wealth
from the trade that sprang from th'
wealth of the sands.
The first mining was in placer an'
the gold was extracted by rockers
and similar contrivances operated b!
i IL h.t kA n