Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-24
BY JOHN p. HARLAN


In my last article l promised to
introduce the reader to real,
live, old-fashioned, mining boom.
There are few, who, through their
own memory, know l am not exag
gerating the facts, but, l fear there
are many who will feel l am over
drawing matters. l am not. use
what others have told me, or take
that which l know to be true from
personal observation.
Often have l wondered what was
the subtle influence that entered
the minds of Gods creatures and
caused them in those days of old,
those days of gold" to frantically
stampede at the cry of Eureka"
and though they might be doing
quite we'll in their chosen line of
! endeavor, they were seized by the
spell, and away they would go to
this embryo boom, hoping they
might be among the first, in order
perhaps, to establish themselves in
their chosen vocation and pick up
the first easy money that always
flowed into a mining camp Of real
merit.
The spell was no respector OF per-
sons. 1t embraced in its grip all
classes of society. Many in the
business element, and many of the
old experienced "sour doughs" had
a mania for stampeding. 1t, per-
haps, was the lure of finding some
thing easier that drew them. or
course the riff-raff of creation was
drawn into this maelstrom. The
footpad gentry, the tinhorns with
gambling lays and devices to cheat
the unwary. The frayedout, brok-
en- down "battle-axes," or painted
| jezabels,, were sure to be among the
| first. But whenever the glamour
and "hurrah' of the boom in the
camp began to wane, they were
ready to move to the scenes of new
adventures. in new strike"
Thus did perfect deluge OF nu-
manity pour into California. 1t was
estimated that at the end Of 1S49
$4,000 gold-seekers and their fol
lowers, had spread out over the Sac
ramento valley and its tributaries
They, mostly. were unseasoned. yer
dant "tenderfeet" or "gringoes" as
dubbed by the Mexicans who hac
just lost California. or "chechacoes'
as named by the Indians. The!
knew little about what they wer,
going up against and We're lily pre-
pared to do mining Of any kind.
History says that the craze causet
ships coming into the bay OF Sai
Francisco to be deserted by thei
/ crews. who would rush up the Sac
remento. lured mostly to hardships
that IL II hadn't been for 'the glor
ious climate OF California" man.
would have perished. Knowing tn
character OF the people who ar
drawn to a BOOM" l know this wa
quite true.
: Many an amusing happening
could be related In the first en-
deavor at mining among these ten
derfeet miners. Many Of them ha
no mining tools. 1t was hard TO
the merchants to supply the deman
l u In 30 short time. Picks an
: shovels were at premium. Crowbar
. spades, grub-hoes, mattox and pitc
Q forks were impressed or anythin
that would attack the gravel.
Then there was no mining law
or rules and regulations governin
| III the lOCdllOu VI tuC 6Aou"u' w ~"
little real law they had existed frol
the old Mexican regime and 1t wa
not applicable to the character c
!, these early argonauts or the spir
: Of those seeking gold. At fr'
there was nothing to guide them.
. These people scattered out ovt
:. the creek and river bars, bench'
, and hillsides and began wcr'
Others would and could set In clos
= by and also go to work. They b.
. . came for a while like ants. The
: would hear Of q strike on flat
. bench somewhere else and man
. would chase off to these diggini
= and others take the place left.
Judge Cowen told me that whe
n he landed on the scence OF a
tivity, q patch Of ground Is fe