The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-12-29

The Butte Miner of December is re-
originally published in that paper on
December 16. 1889. After making due
allowance for the imagination of the
writer, there is enough truth in the
story to refresh the memories of the
few old timers still here who were
among the stampeders and who were
a part of the wild life that was the
forerunner Of the great mining dis
trict as we know il today. The story
from the Butte paper follows:
The Days Of Old, the Days Of Gold.
Nearly every man who has lived in
Montana any length of time has heard
of the Great Occur d'Alene stampede,
which took place during the winter Of
1SS4-5, when it was reported by per-
sons prospecting and laying out town
sites in the heart of the Occur d'Alene
mountains that gold was being taken
out in carload lots from the gulches in
the vicinity of Eagle City and Murray.
Not many of the men, however who
have heard of that stampede have the
least idea of what it was like or the
suffering and hardships endured by
the men who rushed madly into that
desoiate country with the expectation
OF loading themselves to the gunwales
with gold and living a life of luxury
thereafter. Men rushed to the center
of attraction from all parts of the
United states and Canada, only to be
met with bitter disappointment on en-
tering the portals of the new "Eldora-
do" While the rush was going on tele-
graph wires belonging TO the railroad
and Western Union companies, aided
by a few cheap newspapers along the
line of the railroad. were sending forth
the startling intelligence that noun
tains of gold had been discovered in
the mountains a short distance from
the railroad. For more than three
months this mad rush was kept up, I'M
til the towns of Eagle, Murray and a
half dozen other places of less i'm
portance were full to overlooking
with gold hunters.
ne rOut Greek trail
Eagle City. then the metropolis of
the Occur d'Alenes. was about 80 miles |
from the nearest railroad point. Trout |
Greek. on the Northern Pacific, and in |
order to reach Eagle it was necessary /
to cross the mountains on foot There |
was not even a wagon road leading |
INTO the mines-Only a trail over the |
top of the snow. which in places, es- /
pecially on the summit of Old Badly, |
was so feet deep Every man, before |
starting on the journey across the |
was informed by some of |
The railroads of the necessity of taking |
along at least enough grub to last him
two or three weeks. II was impossible |
for a man TO carry on his back enough !
10 last him any great length of time.
L was also impossible for animals TO
pack over the snow owing to it's depth
md softness. There was only one way
IF getting food and bedding over the
Mountains and that way presented it.
self to the average tenderfoot in any
hing but an agreeable light To man
fracture a sled large enough to hold
80 pounds of blankets, bacon and
'eans and other deicacies and luxur-
es calculated to tickle the palate of
he hauler and add to his bodily COM
orts, was a small job but to haul it
cross the mountains to Eagle City did
ot meet with the hearty appreciation
f many who had that solemn duty to
erform or stay away from the ex-
itement at the other end of the trail.
t the foot of Old Badly, about half
'ay between Trout creek and Eagle
ity. a station, consisting of a small
'g house and a tent was established
)r the purpose of furnishing shelter
nd whiskey to the stampeders. The
" shanty portion of the station was ,
sed as a bedroom (for proprietors
nly). kitchen. parlor. dining ROOM
ar etc, while the tent apartment in
lie center of which was a large sheet
on stove. was used as a bunk house q
y persons going in and out of the e
iiggings." 1t was not an uncommon :
,currence for so men to roost in that :
mt in one night Some of them would Il
ave blankets and others would have a
, covering save the clothes they wore.
hose who had money, but no blankets 4
ould wrap themselves up in a few
inks of half whiskey and lie down l
] the wet floor of the tent in appar- 4
It contentment, with their feet as c
ar as possible to the stove. The feet c
the same instances were piled up so c
gh that it was almost impossible to {
Itch a glimpse of the heater. The =
ghts were cold and the fire poor and c
oh man in the tent wanted his ped c
5 where a little heat would strike =
en- One man would stretch himself G
t on his back and with his feet tow
d the stove. Presently another man ID
,uld put his feet on top of the first l;
ans hoofs. This would be kept up II
til the lower feet would be no longer II
lie to stand the pressure of a dozen II
more above, when they would be T. 7.
thdrawn and placed on top. The L.
ice was a perfect pandemonium. IA
ofanity such as never before escaped -