The HISTORY of
IDAHO
BY JOHN HAILEY
MCMX
PRESS OF
SYMS-YORK COMPANY, Inc.
BOISE. IDAHO
Copyrighted 1910 by Syms-York
Company, Inc., for John Hailey
PREFACE
What is now the State of Idaho, at one time was a part of what
was called the Northwestern Territory. Before commencing to
write about Idaho proper, in order that the reader might get a
correct understanding of this Northwestern Territory, it was
necessary to give a brief description of the discovery, exploration
and settlement by Americans, settlement of title with other nations
which laid claim to this territory, the first Provisional Government,
Indian troubles, and the organization of Oregon and Washington
Territories.
The endeavor has been to give a statement of the operations of
the people since Territorial organization up to statehood in 1890,
with a brief reference to some of the legislative enactments at each
session, the times, where held, names of all members, financial con-
dition of the Territory from time to time, with frequent accounts
of the progress made by the people in the settlement of the coun-
try, including the various modes of transportation, mining, farm-
ing, irrigation, kind of land, area of territory by counties, stock
raising, Indian wars, building of railroads, schools, churches, etc.
In fact, most everything of importance connected with Territorial
days has been at least touched upon. The aim has been to give a
brief history of the most important events connected with the set-
tlement and development of the country through Territorial days —
more than twenty-seven years — and at the same time not to have
the book so voluminous as to be cumbersome to either old people
or children; and also to give a brief review of the progress made
by the people of Idaho since statehood up to 1909> with a brief
view of the outlook for the future.
Having made Idaho my home since its organization up to the
present time and being familiar with the topography as well as
the people of the Territory in early days, and having preserved
copies of some valuable records and taken an active part in the
early settlement and development of this country, I have been able
to write mostly from personal knowledge of events. I have at-
tempted to give the facts as I understand them, without exagger-
ation.
Writing for publication is entirely out of my line, and I cer-
tainly would not have attempted this had it not been, first, for the
many misstatements published about Idaho in early days, and par-
ticularly concerning the character and conduct of the good people
of those days; and second, for the earnest solicitation to do so by
many friends as well as by my children, and especially by my
only daughter, Mrs. Leona Hailey Cartee, to whom this work is
affectionately dedicated.
THE AUTHOR.
INDEX
CHAPTER PAGE.
1. Discovery and description of the Northwest Territory — Spain
and Russia ceded their claims to the United States 1
2. Hudson Bay Company — Organization of Provisional Govern-
ment in Oregon 11
3. Captain Wyeth, Rev. Dr. Whitman and other Missionaries —
Agent White and Indians 14
4. Settlement of boundary line between the United States and
Great Britain — Cayuse War — Murder of Dr. Whitman —
Meek's trip to WalsTimgtbn— Congress passes act organizing
Oregon Territory— Joseph Lane appointed Governor — Joseph
Meek appointed U. S. Marshal — Arrival at Oregon City. . . 20
5. Governor Lane and Oregon — Capture of the Whitman Mur-
derers— Their trial, conviction and execution 25
6. Organization of Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming
Territories 26
7. Early settlers — Indian treaties — Mormon settlement — Dis-
covery of gold at Florence, Boise Basin and other places
in Idaho 27
8. Robbery of Mr. Berry, a packer, on trail from Florence by
English, Scott and Peebles, in 1862 34
9. Story of Moses Splawn's discovery of gold mines in Boise
Basin in 1862 36
10. Organization of the Territory of Idaho — Appointment of Fed-
eral officers — First election of members of the legislature
and delegate to Congress 45
11. Indian troubles in Southern Idaho in 1863 49
12. Rush to Boise Basin mines — Packing — Saddle trains — Mer-
chandising, mining, etc 61
13. Discovery of gold in Owyhee and Rocky Bar 65
14. Murder of Lloyd Magruder and others, by Lowry, Howard
and Remain — Their capture and return by Hill Beachy —
Their trial, conviction and execution at Lewiston 66
15. First session of the legislature of Idaho Territory 77
16. Trouble with Indians in Owyhee County in 1864 86
17. Fort Boise, Boise City and Valley in 1863-4 88
18. The people and their doings in the different counties in early
days 91
19. Transportation and staging to Boise Basin in 1864 95
20. Second session of the Territorial legislature 100
21. Mining and mining towns in 1864 107
22. Third session of the legislature of Idaho 109
23. Mining in Boise Basin and other mining camps, in 1865 116
24. Assessable property — Territorial revenue — Schools, etc., up to
December 4, 1865 118
25. Staging, carrying U. S. mails, express and freighting, up to
July, 1870 123
26. Progress made by the people in development of the country
in 1865 and 1866— Conduct, etc 127
27. The Fourth Session of the legislature of Idaho 130
CHAPTER PAGE.
28. Southeastern Idaho 136
29. Mining in 1866 138
30 Farming, stock raising and freighting in Southern Idaho in
1866 140
31. Progress and doings of the people in Idaho in a general way
from 1867 to 1870, inclusive 142
32. Fifth Session of the legislature of Idaho 145
33. Classification of Land — Creation of Counties — General Re-
view of counties and men, from 1863 to 1870 149
34. Sixth Session of the Legislature of Idaho 160
35. Federal and Territorial officers from March 10, 1863, to Jan-
uary, 1870 166
36. Mining, public buildings, mills, farming, etc., in 1869-70 170
37. Seventh Session of the legislature of Idaho 173
38. Agriculture, stock raising, mining, transportation, and doings
of the people in a general way in 1871 and 1872 180
39. Interesting contribution from Hon. J. S. Butler 183
40. Eighth Session of the legislature of Idaho 188
41. Progress made by the people from 1873 to 1877 195
42. Ninth Session of the legislature of Idaho 197
43. Indian war with Nez Perce Chief Joseph, in 1877 201 4—
44. Indian war with the Bannock and other tribes of Indians in
1878 223
45. Farming, mining, stock raising and transportation in 1877,
1878 „ 255
46. Tenth Session of the legislature of Idaho 256
47. War with the renegade mixed Bannocks and Shoshone Indians,
called "Sheep-eater" Indians, in 1879 260
48. Transportation, farming, stock raising and mining in Idaho
in 1879 and 1880 263
49. Eleventh Session of the legislature of Idaho 264
50. The Wood River mining district in 1880 and 1881 268
51. Twelfth Session of the legislature of Idaho 269
52. Farming, transportation, stock raising and mining, 1883-1884 . 271
53. Thirteenth Session of the legislature of Idaho 272
54. Farming, transportation, stock raising and mining, 1885-1887.275
55. Fourteenth Session of the legislature of Idaho 276
56. Fifteenth Session of the legislature of Idaho 279
57. Names of Federal and Territorial officers during Territo-
rial days — March 10, 1863, to Decembr, 1890 288
58. Interesting items taken from the Boise News published at
Idaho City in 1863 and 1864 293
59. Items taken from the Tri-Weekly Statesman published in
Boise in the sixties 300
60. Creation and organization of counties in Idaho— Area of land
in each county, surveyed and unsurveyed — Military, Indian
and forest reservations — Area of lakes, December, 1907 305
61. Early settlers in Idaho 309
62. Historical Society of the State of Idaho 313
63. The status of the different tribes of Indians located in Idaho
Territory at the beginning of statehood, 1890 315
64. Interesting history from the pen of Jud Boyakin, one of
Idaho's pioneer editors 319
65. Account of Brice's rescue of Manuel's child from Indians . . . 322
66. Rev. Henry Spaulding — Established Mission at Lapwai in
1836 f 326
67. Names of members of Constitutional convention and names of
first State officers 332
68. A pioneer or pioneer's life 335
CHAPTER PAGE.
69. Some of the first Americans who came to the Northwest Ter-
ritory 338
70. The frequent changes that have been made in the names and
government in what is now the State of Idaho 343
71. The progress I have seen made in the Northwest in the past
fifty-six years 346
72. The massacre and suffering of the Otter party of immigrants
on the Overland Road, some twenty miles below Salmon
Falls on the south side of Snake River, in 1860 352
73. The late General Lane 358
74. Time the old trapping station commonly called Old Fort Hall
was located — First U. S. troops 362
75. A brief explanation 364
76. Government of State, Legislative, Executive, Judicial, Federal
and County Officers .365
77. State lands sold or leased — Forest reserves — Civil and criminal
laws — Lawyers and doctors — Health and climate — Increase
in population since statehood 368
78. Stock raising, ranges, lumber industry fruit industry, sugar
beets and sugar factories, dairies and creameries, foundries
and machine shops, fish hatcheries, lakes and hot springs,
State public institutions, schools — Country schools 370
79. State and private institutions, deaf, dumb and blind school,
State industrial school, Children's home-finding and other
private hospitals 373
80. Land, farming and irrigation since statehood 374
81. Indians in Idaho in 1907 377
82. Banks, National and State — Newspapers, periodicals, towns,
hotels, restaurants, store houses and merchandise, residence
buildings, cihurches, ministers and Sunday schools, new
towns and improvements of old ones, railroads, telegraph
and telephone, wagon roads, stages and transportation by
wagons and pack animals, mining for gold, silver, lead, etc.,
falls on Snake River, electric power plants 380
83. Idaho State Fair, 1909 383
84. Violation of criminal law — causes of — Some proposed preven-
tatives 385
85. Altitudes of county seats in Idaho 389
86. About myself 390
87. Idaho's future 392
88. Suggestions about the future — Importations and home produc-
tions— More home manufacturers — More farmers and fewer
traders and idlers 393
SONGS.
From Idaho's Mother, Oregon 396
A Pioneer Song \. 397
Idaho Song — by H. C. Thompson 398
Idaho, O, Idaho— by Ernest O. Mills 399
My Country 400
THE HISTORY
OF IDAHO
CHAPTER I.
DISCOVERY AND DESCRIPTION OP THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY
SPAIN AND RUSSIA CEDED THEIR CLAIMS TO
THE UNITED STATES.
Before entering upon a description of the early settlement of
Idaho, we think it due to those who may read this that we should
at least give a brief sketch of the discovery of this Northwestern
part of the United States, including the settlement of title to all
of the land west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the
Pacific Ocean, and as far south from the 49th parallel to the
42nd parallel, to the northern boundary of California. It will
be remembered that the territory included in the above description
was all called, first, the Northwestern, and later, Oregon Terri-
tory, and was all included in the Organic Act of Congress creating
and organizing a territorial government called Oregon. It must
also be borne in mind that the Territory of Oregon, as first organ-
ized, included at that time all of what is now the States of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, and a considerable portion of what are now
the States of Montana and Wyoming.
DISCOVERY.
As early as 1789, we find Captains Robert Gray and John Ken-
dricks, commanders of American sailing vessels, were sailing along
the coast of the Puget Sound country, (the coast of what is now a
part of Washington State) and trading some with the Indians
for furs of wild animals. In 1792 Captain Robert Gray discov-
ered the mouth of the Columbia River, and sailed several miles
up the river in his ship "Columbia."
We take the following from an article published in the Idaho
World at Idaho City, Idaho, June 30th, 1866, which seems to have
been taken from some correspondent of a paper in Oregon called
The Bulletin. This article seems to give some additional facts in
reference to the discovery of land and the great Columbia River,
which we think are substantially correct. The article is as fol-
lows:
"The other day in rummaging over the archives of the State, I
found a silver medal of the size and appearance of a Mexican
dollar, struck and bearing the date of 1792, in the town of Boston
in the Province of Massachusetts. I can only describe it as it ap-
pears to the unlearned eye. On one side is the inscription, 'Colum-
His— 1
$ THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
bia and Washington commanded by J. Kendrick,' and inside the
circle made by the legend, are, 'Vessels under sail in Blivo.' On
the obverse side are the words: Titted at Boston, North America,
for the Pacific Ocean by J. Burrel, S. Brown, C. Bullfish, J. Darby,
C. Hatch, J. M. Pentard, 1787.' This medal was presented to the
State of Oregon in I860 by J. Quin Thornton, and I condense its
story from his memorial accompanying it. In the year 1787, a
company of merchants of Boston, consisting of the persons named
on the obverse side of the medal, fitted out the ships Columbia and
Washington for trade and exploration on the northwest coast of
North America. The first named vessel was under command of
Captain Kendrick, and the latter, under command of Captain Gray.
On the 30th day of November of the same year, both vessels sailed
from Boston with letters from the Confederate government of the
thirteen United Colonies and passports from that of the Bay State.
Both vessels arrived at Nootka Sound in September, 1788, and
spent the Winter in trading with the natives for furs. In the
Spring of 1789, Captain Gray sailed for Canton and thence to
Boston, where he arrived in the Autumn of 1790. In the Spring
of 1792, Captain Gray returned to the northwest coast in the Co-
lumbia, accompanied by the brig Hope, Captain Joseph Ingraham.
While sailing southward, Captain Gray discovered an opening in
latitude 46° 16' and from which a current flowed with sufficient force
to prevent him from entering, although he spent nine days in at-
tempting to do so. In April, 1792, Captain Gray hailed the Brit-
ish ship Discovery and informed her commander, Captain Van-
Couver, of his discovery of the mouth of a river which he was unable
to enter. On the llth of May, 1792, Captain Gray, feeling con-
fident that the current came from the mouth of a river, renewed
his efforts to enter into this river and with some difficulty succeeded.
He sailed up the river to a place now called Tongue Point, where
he cast anchor and remained until the 20th of the month, trading
with the natives. Upon leaving the river, Captain Gray exercised
the prerogative of a discoverer and named the river after the first
keel that ever rested upon its waters, the good ship "Columbia."
The land on the north side of the entrance, like a true Bostonian,
he called 'Cape Hancock/ and that on the south, 'Point Adams.'
The name of the river and the south land we still retain, but the
north land has the unpleasant appellation of Cape Disappointment,
given it by Hears in 1788. Hears concluded that no river flowed
into what he thought to be only a bay, and named the opening De-
ception Bay, and the head land, Cape Disappointment. Upon the
final return of the expedition to Boston, a few silver medals were
DISCOVERY AND DESCRIPTION 3
struck to commemorate the discovery of the mouth of the Columbia
River. One of these medals was deposited in the State Depart-
ment at Washington and is now in the Congressional Library. One
was retained by Captain Gray. It is believed that these two are
the only ones that are now in existence. Captain Gray having
ended his voyage and passed away, his widow became the possessor
of his medal. After keeping it for several years, she gave it to Hall
J. Kelly in trust, that he would make some appropriate use of it.
In 1848 Mr. Thornton, being in Washington, D. C., as a sort of
envoy from the Governor of the provisional government of Oregon,
received this medal from Mr. Kelly with a like injunction. Mr.
Thornton brought it to Oregon and retained it in his possession until
I860, when he presented it to the State of Oregon.
"So, after three-quarters of a century, Captain Gray's medal has
found an appropriate resting place among the archives of a State
near the banks of the river named Columbia by Captain Gray, the
first white man that discovered this great river."
In the year 1803, Thomas Jefferson, then President of the
United States, had learned something of the supposed value of this
great Northwestern country. Believing it would be a most valuable
acquisition to the United States, he conceived the idea of sending an
exploring expedition up the Missouri River and across the moun-
tains to the Pacific coast. In order to do this, it was necessary
for him to call on Congress for a small appropriation in order to
equip his men, who were mostly soldiers taken from the United
States army. Owing to some unavoidable delay, the exploring
party, consisting of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
with about thirty-three men, did not start from St. Louis up the
Missouri River until May, 1804. The following letter from Presi-
dent Jefferson it seems well to place in this history as showing the
wonderful forethought of Jefferson:
"To Meriwether Lewis, Captain of the First Regiment of Infantry
of the United States of America:
"Your situation as secretary of the President of the United States
has made you acquainted with the objects of my confidential mes-
sage of January 18, 1803, to the legislature; you have seen the act
they passed, which, though expressed in general terms, was meant
to sanction those objects, and you are appointed to carry them into
execution.
"Instruments for ascertaining, by celestial observations, the ge-
ography of the country through which you will pass, have been
already provided. Light articles for barter and presents among the
Indians, arms for your attendants, say for from ten to twelve men,
4 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
boats, tents, and other traveling apparatus, with ammunition, med-
icine, surgical instruments, and provisions, you will have prepared,
with such aids as the Secretary of War can yield in his department ;
and from him also you will receive authority to engage among our
troops, by voluntary agreement, the number of attendants above
mentioned ; over whom you, as their commanding officer, are invested
with all the powers the laws give in such a case.
"As your movements, while within the limits of the United States,
will be better directed by occasional communications, adapted to
circumstances as they arise, they will not be noticed here. What
follows is with respect to your proceedings after your departure
from the United States.
"Your mission has been communicated to the ministers here
from France, Spain, and Great Britain, and through them to their
governments; and such assurances given them, as to its objects, as
we trust will satisfy them. The country of Louisiana having been
ceded by Spain to France, the passport you have from the Minister
of France, the representative of the present sovereign of the coun-
try, will be a protection with all its subjects; and that from the
Minister of England will entitle you to the friendly aid of any
traders of that allegiance with whom you may happen to meet.
"The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri River,
and such principal streams of it as, by its course and communication
with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon,
Colorado, or any other river, may offer the most direct and prac-
ticable water communication across the continent, for the purposes
of commerce.
"Beginning at the mouth of the Missouri, you will take observa-
tions of latitude and longitude, at all remarkable points on the
river, and especially at the mouths of rivers, at rapids, at islands,
and other places and objects distinguished by such natural marks
and characters, of a durable kind, as that they may with certainty
be recognized hereafter. The courses of the river between these
points of observation may be supplied by the compass, the log-line,
and by time, corrected by the observations themselves. The varia-
tions of the needle, too, in different places, should be noticed.
"The interesting points of the portage between the heads of the
Missouri, and of the waters offering the best communication with
the Pacific Ocean, should also be fixed by observation; and the
course of that water to the ocean, in the same manner as that of
the Missouri.
"Your observations are to be taken with great pains and accu-
racy; to be entered distinctly and intelligibly for others as well
as yourself, to comprehend all the elements necessary, with the aid
DISCOVERY AND DESCRIPTION 5
of the usual tables, to fix the latitude and longitude of the places
at which they were taken, and are to be rendered to the War Office,
for the purpose of having the calculations made concurrently by
proper persons within the United States. Several copies of these,
as well as of your other notes, should be made at leisure times, and
put into the care of the most trustworthy of your attendants to
guard, by multiplying them, against the accidental losses to which
they will be exposed. A further guard would be, that one of these
copies be on the cuticular membranes of the paper-birch, as less
liable to injury from damp than common paper.
"The commerce which may be carried on with the people inhab-
iting the line you will pursue renders a knowledge of those people
important. You will therefore endeavor to make yourself ac-
quainted, as far as a diligent pursuit of your journey shall admit,
with the names of the nations and their numbers :
"The extent and limits of their possessions;
"Their relations with other tribes or nations;
"Their language, traditions, monuments;
"Their ordinary occupation in agriculture, fishing, hunting, war,
arts, and the implements of these;
"Their food, clothing, and domestic accommodations;
"The diseases prevalent among them, and the remedies they use;
"Moral and physical circumstances which distinguish them from
the tribes we know;
"Peculiarities in their laws, customs and dispositions;
"The articles of commerce they may need or furnish, and to what
extent.
"And, considering the interest which every nation has in ex-
tending and strengthening the authority of reason and justice
among the people around them, it will be useful to acquire what
knowledge you can of the state of morality, religion, and informa-
tion among them; as it may better enable those who may endeavor
to civilize and instruct them to adapt their measures to the exist-
ing notions and practices of those on whom they are to operate.
"Other objects worthy of notice will be:
"The soil and face of the country, its growth and vegetable pro-
ductions, especially those not of the United States;
"The animals of the country generally, and especially those not
known in the United States;
"The remains and accounts of any which may be deemed rare or
extinct ;
"The mineral productions of every kind, but more particularly
metals, lime-stones, pit-coal, saltpetre; salines and mineral waters,
6 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
noting the temperature of the last, and such circumstances as may
indicate their character;
"Volcanic appearances ;
"Climate, as characterized by the thermometer, by the propor-
tion of rainy, cloudy, and clear days; by lightning, hail, snow, ice;
by the access and recess of frost; by the winds prevailing at dif-
ferent seasons; the dates at which particular plants put forth, or
lose their flower or leaf; times of appearance of particular birds,
reptiles or insects.
"Although your route will be along the channel of the Missouri,
yet you will endeavor to inform yourself, by inquiry, of the char-
acter and extent of the country watered by its branches, and es-
pecially on its southern side. The North River, or Rio Bravo,
which runs into the Gulf of Mexico, and the North River, or Rio
Colorado, which runs into the Gulf of California, are understood
to be the principal streams heading opposite to the waters of the
Missouri, and running southwardly. Whether the dividing grounds
between the Missouri and them are mountains or flat lands, what
are their distance from the Missouri, the character of the interme-
diate country, and the people inhabiting it, are worthy of particu-
lar inquiry. The northern waters of the Missouri are less to be
inquired after, because they have been ascertained to a considerable
degree, and are still in a course of ascertainment by English traders
and travellers; but if you can learn anything certain of the most
northern sources of the Mississippi, and of its position relatively to
the Lake of the Woods, it will be interesting to us. Some account,
too, of the path of the Canadian traders from the Mississippi at
the mouth of the Ouisconsing to where it strikes the Missouri, and
of the soil and rivers in its course, is desirable.
"In all your intercourse with the natives, treat them in the most
friendly and conciliatory manner which their own conduct will ad-
mit; allay all jealousies as to the object of your journey; satisfy
them of its innocence; make them acquainted with the position, ex-
tent, character, peaceable and commercial dispositions of the United
States; of our wish to be neighborly, friendly and useful to them,
and of our dispositions to a commercial intercourse with them; con-
fer with them on the points most convenient as mutual emporiums,
and the articles of most desirable interchange for them and us. If
a few of their influential chiefs, within practicable distance, wish
to visit us, arrange such a visit with them, and furnish them with
authority to call on our officers on their entering the United States,
to have them conveyed to this place at the public expense. If any
of them should wish to have some of their young people brought up
with us, and taught such arts as may be useful to them, we will re-
DISCOVERY AND DESCRIPTION 7
ceive, instruct, and take care of them. Such a mission, whether of
influential chiefs, or of young people, would give some security to
your own party. Carry with you some matter of the kine-pox;
inform those of them with whom you may be of its efficacy as a
preservative from the small-pox, and instruct and encourage them
in the use of it. This may be especially done wherever you winter.
"As it is impossible for us to foresee in what manner you will be
received by those people, whether with hospitality or hostility, so
is it impossible to prescribe the exact degree of perseverance with
which you are to pursue your journey. We value too much the lives
of citizens to offer them to probable destruction. Your numbers
will be sufficient to secure you against the unauthorized opposition
of individuals, or of small parties; but if a superior force, author-
ized or unauthorized, by a nation, should be arrayed against your
further passage, and inflexibly determined to arrest it, you must
decline its further pursuit and return. In the loss of yourselves,
we should lose also the information you will have acquired. By
returning safely with that, you may enable us to renew this essay
with better calculated means. To your own discretion, therefore,
must be left the degree of danger you may risk, and the point at
which you should decline, only saying, we wish you to err on the
side of your safety and to bring back your party safe, even if it be
with less information.
"As far up the Missouri as the white settlements extend, an in-
tercourse will probably be found to exist between them and the
Spanish posts of St. Louis opposite Cahokia, or St. Genevieve op-
posite Kaskaskia. From still further up the river, the traders may
furnish a conveyance for letters. Beyond that you may perhaps
be able to engage Indians to bring letters for the government to
Cahokia, or Kaskaskia, on promising that they shall there receive
such special compensation as you shall have stipulated with them.
Avail yourself of these means to communicate with us, at seasonable
intervals, a copy of your journal, notes and observations of every
kind, putting into cipher whatever might do injury if betrayed.
"Should you reach the Pacific Ocean, inform yourself of the cir-
cumstances which may decide whether the furs of those parts may
not be collected as advantageously at the head of the Missouri (con-
venient as is supposed to the waters of the Colorado and Oregon or
Columbia) as at Nootka Sound, or any other point of that coast,
and that trade be consequently conducted through the Missouri
and United States more beneficially than by the circumnavigation
now practiced.
"On your arrival on that coast, endeavor to learn if there be
any port within your reach frequented by the sea vessels of any
8 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
nation, and to send two of your trusty people back by sea, in such
way as shall appear practicable, with a copy of your notes; and
should you be of the opinion that the return of your party by the
way they went will be imminently dangerous, then ship the whole,
and return by sea, by the way either of Cape Horn or the Cape of
Good Hope, as you shall be able. As you will be without money,
clothes or provisions, you must endeavor to use the credit of the
United States to obtain them; for which purpose open letters of
credit will be furnished you, authorizing you to draw on the exec-
utive of the United States, or any of its officers, in any part of the
world, on which draughts can be disposed of, and to apply with our
recommendations to the consuls, agents, merchants, or citizens of
any nation with which we have intercourse, assuring them, in our
name, that any aids they may furnish you shall be honourably re-
paid, and on demand. Our consuls, Thomas Hewes, at Batavia in
Java, William Buchanan, in the Isles of France and Bourbon, and
John Elmalie, at the Cape of Good Hope, will be able to supply
you necessities, by draughts on us.
"Should you find it safe to return by the way you go, after send-
ing two of your party round by sea, or with your whole party, if
no conveyance by sea can be found, do so; making such observa-
tions on your return as may serve to supply, correct, or confirm
those made on your outward journey.
"On re-entering the United States and reaching a place of safety,
discharge any of your attendants who may desire and deserve it,
procuring for them immediate payment of all arrears of pay and
clothing which may have accrued since their departure, and as-
sure them that they shall be recommended to the liberality of the
legislature for the grant of a soldier's portion of land each, as
proposed in my message to Congress, and repair yourself, with your
papers, to the seat of government.
"To provide, on the accident of your death, against anarchy, dis-
persion and the consequent danger to your party, and total failure
of the enterprise, you are hereby authorized, by any instrument
signed and in your own hand, to name the person among them who
shall succeed to the command on your decease, and by like instru-
ments to change the nomination from time to time, as further ex-
perience of the characters accompanying you shall point out su-
perior fitness; and all the powers and authorities given to yourself
are, in the event of your death, transferred to, and vested in the
successor so named, with further power to him and his successors,
in like manner to name each his successor, who, on the death of his
predecessor, shall be invested with all the powers and authorities
given to yourself.
DISCOVERY AND DESCRIPTION 9
"Given under my hand, at the city of Washington, this twentieth
day of June, 1803.
(Signed) "THOMAS JEFFERSON,
"President of the United States of America."
(Before this expedition started, France had ceded the Louisiana
Purchase to the United States. — Writer.)
It is not our purpose to give any detailed descriptions of this
great exploring trip, as it has already been published in detail from
a daily diary kept by Captains Lewis and Clark while on this mem-
orable trip through a country inhabited only by uncivilized Indians
and wild animals.
This trip consumed about two and one-half years' time. The
first Winter they stopped on the Missouri River; the second they
spent on the banks of the Columbia near where it empties into the
Pacific. They returned the following Spring. Suffice it to say,
we consider this one of the most hazardous and yet the best man-
aged expeditions that was ever made in the United States, and all
credit is due to the cool, brave and intelligent management of Cap-
tains Lewis and Clark. It was a complete success in every essential
particular, and secured to the people of the United States such a
knowledge of this Northwestern Territory that they were induced
to undertake the settlement and reclaiming of it from the savages
and from the claims of Great Britain and Spain.
It has been said by some that when President Jefferson sent his
confidential message to Congress January, 1803, asking for an ap-
propriation of twenty-five hundred dollars to fit out the Lewis and
Clark expedition, Congress refused the appropriation upon the
ground that the country was worthless. This is an error. Congress
doubled the amount asked for and gave him five thousand dollars to
fit out the expedition. (See page 496, Jefferson Cyclopedia, edited
by John P. Foley, 1900. This we consider correct.)
The next thing of importance done by Americans in the North-
west, was the establishment of a trading and supply post in 1811 on
the Columbia, at the point where now stands the town of Astoria.
This post was established by a detachment of the American Fur Com-
pany, of which John Jacob Astor of New York was the head, but
before this time, many of the French Canadians and some of the
British had commenced trapping and trading with the Indians along
the coast and up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, and also in
the interior of the country.
The coming of the American Fur Company created a sharp com-
petition in the trade for furs with the Indians, the first traders hav-
ing the advantage in knowing the country, the ways and customs of
the Indians, and some of these men had also taken Indian wives.
10 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Altogether, the advantges were decidedly in favor of the British
company. This competition caused a large cut in the price of goods
sold to Indians, and, correspondingly, a large increase in the price
paid for skins and furs, all combining to make it an unprofitable
business for the American Fur Company. This, coupled with the
unfriendly treatment they received from the traders and the Indians,
caused the Americans to return from the Pacific coast in 1814.
In the meantime, the question as to whom this western territory
belonged, began to be agitated. The British claimed it; Spain had
some claim, and Russia and also the Americans. At last it became
necessary for the home governments to come to some definite under-
standing as to the rights of the people. The matter was taken up
by the British government and by the United States, and a treaty
ratified October 20, 1818, whereby it was agreed that the territory
should be occupied jointly by the subjects of Great Britain and the
citizens of the United States for ten years from that date. (See
Article 3, page 299, Revised Treaties United States.) In 1819,
Spain ceded all of her right to this Northwestern Territory, north
of the 42nd parallel, to the United States. (See Revised Treaties
U. S., p. 712, February 22, 1819.) In 1824, Russia ceded all of
her right to the United States, south of the 54' 40" parallel (see p.
664, Revised Treaties, April 5, 1824,) leaving only the United
States and Great Britain contending for this great Northwestern
Territory. On May 15, 1828, the treaty of agreement for joint oc-
cupation of this territory between the United States and Great
Britain was renewed, and was extended indefinitely, subject to be
annulled by either of the contracting parties after giving the other
twelve months' notice. (See p. 311, Revised Treaties United States,
Articles 1, 2, 3 and 4.)
CHAPTER II.
HUDSON BAY COMPANY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PROVISIONAL GOV-
ERNMENT IN OREGON.
About the year 1821, what is familiarly known as the Hudson
Bay Company, was organized — a British corporation with plenty of
money, whose object doubtless was to absorb and monopolize all of
the trade with the Indians in the Northwest Territory, from the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. Soon after this organization
was effected, Dr. John McLoughlin was placed at the head of the
company as general manager. He was a very brave, good and far-
seeing, shrewd business man, and while always kind and generous to
needy American emigrants, he never lost sight of the main object of
his company, which was to hold all the Indian trade and discourage
emigrants from settling in Oregon. Dr. McLoughlin built and
established his headquarters at what is now known as Vancouver on
the north bank of the Columbia River, now in the State of Washing-
ton. This place was soon stocked with all necessary supplies and
plenty of such goods as were needed for Indian trade.
Very soon after this, the Hudson Bay Company had control of
all the Indian trade throughout the Northwestern Territory. The
employees, consisting of English, French, Canadians and Indians,
traversed the country in different sections from the Rocky Moun-
tains to the Pacific coast, with the object in view of controlling the
entire fur trade which was very large and remunerative. So com-
plete was this organization in all its details, that any and all Amer-
icans who ventured to take part in this fur trade, were soon com-
pelled to quit. The competition was too great for them. But this
did not deter the Americans from making their way across the
plains, as it was then called, with their ox teams and bringing their
families to settle and make homes in the far northwest.
Captain Bonneville of the U. S. A., was given leave of absence to
explore the Northwest in 1832, and with about ninety men, he
crossed the plains and came as far west as the Columbia River.
Later, others came to stay. Many who came between the years 1836
and 1843, received valuable assistance in the way of provisions and
seed from the kind-hearted and generous Dr. McLoughlin, who
could not bear to see emigrant families suffer. However, things
generally were in a very unsatisfactory condition, especially for the
Americans.
Governor McLoughlin, as he was sometimes called, seems to have
12 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
had some rules or regulations by which he governed his men and
employees, including the Indians, but the Americans had neither
laws, rules nor regulations of any kind to restrain them from doing
violence to themselves and others. They seemed, however, to have
been a good and orderly set of people; still there was a great deal
of dissatisfaction, especially in regard to the Hudson Bay Company,
which acted as if they owned the whole country, while the Americans
considered the country as belonging to the United States and that
they had the best right; and last, but not least, it was claimed by
the native Indians who had occupied the country long before the
advent of the white man.
Our United States government had not by action of Congress or
in any other way made an effort to settle the title of ownership of
this northwestern country, between the United States and Great
Britain, excepting the agreement of joint occupancy made in 1828.
Neither had our government furnished any protection or passed
any laws to organize a government for the people who had braved
so many hardships in coming to this western country and reclaimed
the uncultivated land. These brave pioneers had sent petitions to
the President and to Congress asking for protection and organization
of the territory, but for some unknown reason, they received no re-
sponse. Surrounded as they were by British subjects, half-breeds
and French Canadians, they were necessarily compelled to organize,
for self -protection, an American Provisional Government.
On May 20th, 1843, the Americans met at a place near where
Salem now stands, Shampoig, and organized their provisional gov-
ernment. This government consisted of an executive board of three
men, a judge, a sheriff and a legislature. Oregon City was desig-
nated as the temporary capital. At the first session of the legisla-
ture, held in Oregon City, in a rough board carpenter shop, some
wholesome laws were enacted. In this legislature there chanced to
be a man from Iowa who had brought a copy of the laws of Iowa
with him. The legislature passed an act adopting all the laws in
that statute that might be applicable or suitable to their provisional
government.
This government gave general satisfaction and continued until
1846, when it was decided to abolish the executive committee of three
and elect a Governor. Hon. George Abernathy was elected Gover-
nor and a better selection could not have been made, for he was a
brave, intelligent, far-seeing, honorable man. The officers and
members of the legislature were honorable, intelligent, brave men,
willing to give their best service free, for the good of their country
and the protection of the lives and property of the citizens of the
far west.
OREGON'S PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IS
Sitting in this crude carpenter shop, these noble pioneers inaugu-
rated and put into operation the same kind of a government that our
forefathers did in the time of the Revolutionary war. Though on
a smaller scale, yet they laid the foundation well, and we now have
from their noble work the grand and prosperous States of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, and a part of Montana and Wyoming.
CHAPTER III.
CAPTAIN WYETH, REVEREND ^WHITMAN AND OTHER MISSIONARIES,
AGENT WHITE AND INDIANS.
In the fall of 1832, Captain Nathaniel Wyeth with ten men ar-
rived at Fort Vancouver, having come overland from Boston with
the intention of establishing trading posts in the Northwest. A
company in Boston was to send a ship loaded with necessary supplies
to meet them at Vancouver. Long and anxiously Captain Wyeth
and his men waited for the ship that never came. At last in the
Spring of 1833, Captain Wyeth concluded the ship had been lost at
sea and with some of his men, returned overland to the east.
During his stay at Vancouver, Dr. McLoughlin treated him very
cordially but never encouraged him to remain or asked him to try
and get people from the east to emigrate to the west. On the con-
trary, the good Doctor always discouraged such emigration. Cap-
tain Wyeth, however, realized the possibilities of the West and in
1834 returned overland and a ship was sent loaded with supplies and
merchandise for trading, including a few live goats, sheep and
chickens. A number of men were with Captain Wyeth on this trip.
Among them were the Rev. Jason Lee, Cyrus Shepherd and T. L.
Edwards. These three men came to do missionary work and were
the first missionaries to come to Oregon.
Captain Wyeth selected a site for his headquarters on an island
called Wapato near the junction of the Willamette River with the
Columbia. Here he built his fort and headquarters and also located
different points for trading and trapping. One of the places he se-
lected for a trading post was the site of old Fort Hall on Snake
River, now in Idaho. He built a trading post at this place in 1834.
But wherever Captain Wyeth undertook to build up a trade with the
Indians, the Hudson Bay Company would soon open an opposition
trading post near by and reduce the selling price of goods and in-
crease the price paid to the Indians for their furs and skins. The
Hudson Bay Company's men consisted principally of English,
French, Canadians and Indians ; men who were well acquainted with
the country and with the various tribes of Indians. All of these
things, combined with the loss of many men, some by deserting and
others being killed, tended to work against Captain Wyeth and at
the end of two years, he was forced to sell to the Hudson Bay Com-
pany for what they would give him, and return to the East.
During this time, the Rev. Jason Lee and the other missionaries
CAPTAIN WYETH'S EXPEDITIONS 15
had been busy establishing a missionary post in the Willamette Val-
ley at a place called Shampoeg. They succeeded very well and did
not have any serious trouble with the Indians.
In the year 1836, the Rev. Spalding and wife and Rev. Dr. Mar-
cus Whitman and wife, with a few others, crossed the plains. They
also came with the intention of establishing missionary posts. On
reaching Wallula where the Hudson Bay Company had a station,
they were met by Superintendent Panbrum who gave them a kindly
greeting and treated them right royally. After a short rest from
their long and dangerous trip, Superintendent Panbrum furnished
transportation for them in a small boat down the Columbia River to
Vancouver, to Dr. McLoughlin's headquarters. The Doctor having
been advised of their coming, met them with outstretched hands and
treated them in a very hospitable manner.
Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spalding were the first white women
who ever came from the Eastern States overland to Oregon.
Dr. McLoughlin, knowing that these missionaries had come
to educate and civilize the Indians and that they would not inter-
fere with the interests of the Hudson Bay Company, was delighted
to see them. He treated them very kindly. After a few days' rest
and advising with the Doctor, they began to look for the best loca-
tion for missionary posts. They had been advised to go into the
Walla Walla country, as there were more Indians there and they
were also a more intelligent class and could be civilized more
readily than those farther west. Dr. McLoughlin assisted them in
outfitting for the trip and insisted upon their wives staying with
his family during their absence.
After examining the country up the Columbia and the Snake,
they concluded to locate and build missionary posts, one to be built
about twenty-five miles east of old Fort Wallula and about six
miles west of where Walla Walla now stands. This was to be the
head station of the Presbyterian mission in Oregon. This is now
usually called the old Whitman mission. Another site was selected
about twelve miles above where Lewiston now stands. This mission
was on the Clearwater and was called Lapwai. Mr. Spalding and
his wife were to be stationed at this point. These two missions
were about one hundred and twenty miles apart.
After having located these missions, the missionaries returned
to Vancouver to procure tools and supplies to build the stations.
The Doctor and his family had been very kind to their wives dur-
ing their absence and assisted them in every way in securing sup-
plies and a suitable outfit for their new homes.
The missionaries with their families reached their new homes
without serious mishap and began the work of building. For the
16 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
first year everything seemed prosperous. The Indians were pleased
to have the opportunity to learn something of the white man's re-
ligion and were especially pleased to have their children educated.
The Reverend Doctors Whitman and Spalding brought their
wagons through to Walla Walla Valley. These were the first emi-
grant wagons that were ever brought west of Green River. Now
in Wyoming they opened up a road for wagons from Green River
to Walla Walla Valley, a distance of seven hundred and fifty
miles, which included the cutting of the timber out across the Blue
Mountains for at least twenty miles in order to get their wagons
across the mountain. For this and for many other things these good
men did, their memory should be reverenced by us all.
We must not overlook the fact that during this time the Meth-
odist missionaries, the Rev. Jason Lee and his associates, had not
been idle. They had established their main mission at Shampoeg,
and branch missions at The Dalles and other points. Dr. Whit-
man's post was near the lands claimed and owned by the Cayuse
Indians, a large tribe numbering several thousand. In addition to
these, there were several small bands of the Umatilla and Yakima
Indians who roamed over that part of the country. The Rev.
Spalding's station was located in the most central part of the Nez
Perce Indian settlement. The Nez Perce Indians were the most
intelligent Indians on the Pacific coast and numbered several thou-
sand. They had possession of all the country that is now Latah,
Nez Perce and Idaho Counties in Idaho, and in Oregon, the Grand
Ronde and Wallowa Valleys. In 1838, Dr. Whitman established
another branch station on a branch of the Spokane River in what
is now Washington State, about forty miles from Old Fort Colville,
a Hudson Bay fort. The Reverends Elkland, Walker and Gush-
ing Eells were placed in charge. This part of the country was
occupied by the Spokane Indians.
Still another branch station was established in 1839 about fifty
miles northeast of Lapwai, called Kamia. This branch was for the
benefit of the Nez Perces and was placed in charge of A. B. Smith.
The wives of these missionaries were with them and assisted in
teaching the Indians. There were also a few other Americans at
each of these stations.
All of these missions received assistance from the missionary
board in the east. Necessary supplies were shipped to them to
Vancouver and from there taken to the respective stations by canoes
and pack animals.
In the year 1838, the Reverend Fathers F. M. Blanchet and Mo-
diste Demers came into the Walla Walla country from Canada
and stopped a few days with some French Canadians who were lo-
CAPTAIN WYETH'S EXPEDITIONS 17
cated a few miles from the Whitman mission. The Reverend
Fathers met many of the Indians during their brief visit and a
great number accepted the Catholic faith. The Fathers also se-
lected a site for a mission to be built in the near future.
Soon after this the Indians who frequented the Whitman mis-
sion began to show signs of discontent and complaints were made
that Dr. Whitman had not paid them anything for their land. They
began obstructing his irrigating ditches, turning their horses in
his fields and annoying him in many ways. I am inclined to think
that most of the trouble with the Indians at this time was caused
by the inability of Dr. Whitman and Rev. Samuel Parker to keep
a promise made to the Nez Perce and Flathead Indians in 1835. At
that time the missionaries talked over the matter of establishing
missions in Oregon with the Indians and promised they would pay
for all the land taken by Americans. The Indians had communi-
cated this promise to all the other Indian tribes. No blame, how-
ever, could be attached to the course the missionaries pursued, for
this reason: Our American Congress had failed to make any pro-
vision for extinguishing the title of the Indians to any part of the
land or to furnish any assistance or protection to missionaries or
to any other person in this northwestern country. Hence a great
deal of friction was caused.
Things continued in this unsatisfactory condition until 1842,
when Dr. White came to Oregon with other emigrants. The Doc-
tor held some kind of a commission from the U. S. government as
an Indian Agent. He was expected to treat and keep peace with
the Indians, but he had no troops for protection and neither money
nor goods to satisfy the Indians. In the meantime, Dr. Whitman
had received orders from the head mission in Boston to abandon his
missionary post. After talking the matter over with Dr. White, he
concluded that by going east he might induce the government to
render some needed assistance in the way of furnishing troops for
protection and means to pay the Indians for their claims to the
land. He also believed the home mission in Boston would be willing
to pay for at least a part of the land. So he lost no time in pre-
paring for the trip overland. William Geiger was placed in charge
of the mission and Mrs. Whitman also remained at the mission.
It seems almost impossible to imagine how Dr. Whitman could
leave his wife at that dangerous place and undertake such a long,
hard trip. But Dr. Whitman was a brave, good man and believed
it his duty to go and plead for the white settlers of the west.
On October 3rd, 1842, accompanied by A. L. Lovejoy, an Amer-
ican, and two or three half-breed guides, he started on his long
journey. They crossed the Blue Mountains via old Fort Hall and
His-2
18 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Fort Benton to Santa Fe. At Santa Fe Lovejoy and the guides
stopped and Whitman joined a trading company going to St. Louis.
He arrived at St. Louis in March, 1843, and hurried on to Washing-
ton. There he found that he was not alone in his desire to help the
western settlers. Petitions had been pouring in to Congress from
Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and other States, insisting upon the United
States taking the necessary steps to occupy Oregon. When Dr.
Whitman learned what influence had been brought to bear on Con-
gress, and without success, he began for the first time to realize how
hopeless it was for him to plead for aid for Oregon.
His mission in Washington resulting in a failure, he turned to the
home mission in Boston. From there he received the discouraging
answer: "If you cannot protect yourself and make your missionary
post self-sustaining, abandon it." This was certainly cold comfort
and enough to discourage any man. But Dr. Whitman with his in-
domitable will, determined not to give up. He went to his old home
in New York and from the sale of a small amount of property which
he had left there when he first went West, managed to get enough
money to buy an outfit for himself and a nephew to return to
Oregon. They started out alone with saddle and pack horses. At
the Platte River they overtook some emigrants and traveled with
them to his mission near where Walla Walla now stands.
In the meantime, all had not been serene at the mission. The
Indians had made a raid on the mission and burned the grist mill
and some other buildings. Mrs. Whitman, Mr. Geiger and the
other occupants of the mission had made their escape under cover
of the night through the bushes to the Hudson Bay fort at Wallula
on the Columbia River. The Hudson Bay Company took them in
and later furnished them transportation to the Methodist mission
at The Dalles, where Mrs. Whitman remained until her husband re-
turned the following year.
About the time this raid was made, the Nez Perce Indians at
Lapwai showed hostile demonstrations towards Rev. Spalding and
his wife. Indian Agent White, hearing of this trouble, called to-
gether some of the influential citizens who were well known to the
Indians. Several of these men belonged to the Hudson Bay Com-
pany. These men went to the Whitman mission first, but the In-
dians would not talk with them. They then proceeded to the Lapwai
mission, and after several days council with the head chiefs, suc-
ceeded in getting them to agree to keep peace with the whites.
Agent White is certainly entitled to great credit for his manage-
ment of this affair, and all the men with him well deserve our praise.
It is a well-known fact that on such occasions the Indians expect
presents and a promise of more in the future. Agent White did
CAPTAIN WYETH'S EXPEDITIONS 19
not have the means to make contributions. However, it seems he
had in some way managed to secure about fifty garden hoes and
some medicine, and these he left to be distributed among the In-
dians after making the peace treaty. These presents were to be
given by Mr. Spalding to the Indians who would work. This
pleased the Indians very much.
After the treaty they had a feast and smoked the pipe of peace.
The agent and his men then returned to the Whitman mission and
after much talk, the Cayuse Indians finally gave their pledge to
keep peace with the Americans.
On the return of the agent to The Dalles, he found there had
been some disturbance at this agency with the Indians. After a
four days' conference with these Indians, he finally persuaded them
to agree to keep peace with the Americans. Other disturbances be-
tween the Indians and the missionaries at Astoria were settled by
Agent White.
It is wonderful how Agent White succeeded in quieting these dis-
turbances when we consider he was not provided with either money
or protection to enforce his will. He seems to have been a man of
wonderful resources and equal to every emergency.
About the first of October, 184-3, Dr. Whitman arrived at the
Whitman mission. The only encouragement he had received for
his long, hard trip was the large number of emigrants who had
come to Oregon that year. At least eight or nine hundred people
had come to the far western country. Of these about two hundred
and sixty-five were men. The majority of these emigrants would
rest for a while at the Whitman mission and then move on to the
Willamette Valley. The Doctor failed to induce any of them to
settle at his mission. He remained, however, at his post of duty in
spite of the danger from hostile Indians and many other difficulties.
Rev. Spalding also still worked faithfully at his mission in Lapwai.
As we intended to give only a brief history of Oregon, we will
now pass rapidly on.
CHAPTER IV.
SETTLEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES
AND GREAT BRITAIN CAYUSE WAR MURDER OP DR. WHITMAN
MEEK'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON — CONGRESS PASSES ACT ORGANIZING
OREGON TERRITORY JOSEPH LANE APPOINTED GOVERNOR JO-
SEPH MEEK APPOINTED U. S. MARSHAL ARRIVAL AT OREGON CITY.
Early in the year 1846, a treaty was made between Great Britain
and the United States. This treaty gave to the United States all
land south and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast,
between the 42nd and the 49th parallels, except the holdings of the
Hudson Bay Company and the holdings of the Puget Sound Agri-
cultural Company, with an agreement that the United States might
purchase these holdings in the future if they desired. This treaty
was concluded at Washington, D. C., June 15, 1846, was ratified by
the Senate June 18, 1846, approved by the President June 19, 1846,
and proclaimed August 5, 1846. (See Revised Statutes of the United
States, pages 320, 321 and 322, Articles I, II, III and IV.)
July 1, 1863, a treaty of agreement was made by the United
States with Great Britain to purchase the Hudson Bay Company's
and the Puget Sound Agricultural Company's land holdings, at a
valuation to be fixed by the commissioners. This, however, was not
done until September 10, 1863. (See pages 346, 347 and 348, Re-
vised Treaties of the United States.) The value of the Hudson Bay
Company's property was fixed at four hundred and fifty thousand
dollars gold coin, and the holdings of the Puget Sound Agricultu-
ral Company's at two hundred thousand dollars. One-half of these
amounts was to be paid in one year, and the remainder to be paid
in two years from the date of the award. So it was some time be-
fore all British claims were extinguished in the Northwestern Ter-
ritory. The old Hudson Bay fort at Vancouver was, however, oc-
cupied by the United States several years before this final adjust-
ment was made.
We must now turn our attention to the emigration to Oregon and
the troubles with the Indians there.
Emigrants still continued to come overland to Oregon in consid-
erable numbers. No disturbance of any great importance occurred
until the fall of 1847. That year many of the emigrants who came
had the measles. The Indians contracted this disease and many of
them died, owing to their custom of taking cold water baths while
having a high fever. In vain Dr. Whitman remonstrated with them
BOUNDARY LINE SETTLED 21
and tried to relieve them with proper remedies, but they would not
heed his advice. The cold water baths were continued, resulting in
the death of many of the Indians. The good Doctor and his wife
were unceasing in their efforts to assist the sick Indians. There
were also at this time about sixty emigrants at the mission who ex-
pected to spend the winter there. This also seemed to arouse the
anger of the Indians, and they began accusing the Doctor and his
wife of bringing people there to take their land and of poisoning
the Indians so that the white men could have the land.
On the afternoon of the 29th of November, 1847, while Doctor
and Mrs. Whitman were attending the sick in their home, and sev-
eral of the white men stopping there were dressing a beef which
they had killed, a number of Cayuse warriors came upon them and
perpetrated one of the most fearful massacres of innocent, defence-
less people. They killed Dr. Whitman and his wife and eleven of
the men and boys. Two young girls who were sick upstairs were
left uncared for until they died, making a total of fifteen innocent
people murdered. About thirteen people escaped by running to the
brush and hiding. They gradually made their way to the Hudson
Bay Company's fort at Wallula, where they were kindly treated. A
few of those who escaped, made their way to the Lapwai mission.
The remainder of the people at the Whitman mission, about thirty-
four in number, mostly women and girls, were taken prisoners and
treated in a most heartless manner.
While this cruel work was going on at the Whitman agency, Dr.
Spalding of the Lapwai agency was down the Umatilla River on
some business and did not hear of the massacre until the next day.
He managed to elude the Cayuse Indians by leaving his horse and
taking to the brush, hiding in the daytime and traveling at night.
Without food, sore-footed and worn, he finally reached Snake River,
near where Lewiston now stands. Here he met a few friendly Nez
Perce Indians who set him across the river. These Indians told him
that his wife and children had been removed from the mission but
they could not or would not tell him where. So he went on, not
knowing where to find them. Finally he was overtaken by two
friendly Nez Perce squaws on horseback, who told him that his
wife and children had been taken to William Craig's place several
miles away and were safe. Mr. Spalding was nearly worn out,
starved and foot-sore, having had to throw away his old boots. One
of the squaws, seeing his pitiable condition, allowed him to ride be-
hind her and took him safely to his wife and children.
Mr. Craig, who had protected Mrs. Spalding and her children,
was a good and intelligent white man who had come into the Nez
Perce country some years before. His wife was a half-breed woman.
22 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The Indians seem to have liked Mr. Craig and his wife and
wanted him to settle among them. He and his wife were very
kind to Mr. Spalding and family and took care of them until at
last the Indians consented to their leaving the ranch and returning
to the white settlement.
As soon as the news of the Whitman massacre reached Fort Van-
couver, James Douglas, who was then in command (Dr. McLough-
lin having resigned some time before), sent a special messenger to
Governor Abernathy at Oregon City informing him of the mas-
sacre and also that Peter Skean Ogden, second in command of the
Hudson Bay Company, would leave Fort Vancouver as soon as pos-
sible with a small party of men for the scene of the massacre. The
legislature of the Provisional Government was called in session im-
mediately and Governor Abernathy stated to them what had oc-
curred. The government was without money and no place to bor-
row. There were no United States troops, no organized militia and
but few men who could be spared from the other settlements, for all
had to constantly guard their homes lest the Indians should come
upon them at any time. They had neither arms nor ammunition,
excepting what the emigrants had brought across the plains, and
yet in spite of all these adverse conditions, the legislature with the
assistance of the women of Oregon did devise ways and means to
equip a company and start them out the second day after receiv-
ing the news of the massacre. And later they sent other volunteers
to the scene of the trouble. But before the volunteers could reach
the mission with their slow mode of transportation, Mr. Ogden with
his small party from Vancouver had arrived, held a council with the
Indians and succeeded in having them surrender to him all of the
captive women and children taken at the Whitman station. He also
persuaded the Nez Perce Indians to bring the Rev. Spalding, his
wife and children and other captives they held, down to old Fort
Wallula where they were met by Captain Ogden with his party and
all the captives from the Whitman mission.
Captain Ogden was a man of great ability and undaunted cour-
age. In negotiating with the Indians for the release of the cap-
tives and in order to save their lives and have them released as
soon as possible, he gave to the Cayuse Indians, for the release of
all their white prisoners, about fifty blankets, fifty shirts, some
handkerchiefs, a quantity of tobacco and a few guns and ammuni-
tion. A smaller amount was given to the Nez Perce Indians for the
release of the prisoners taken at the Lapwai mission. It should be
stated that Captain Ogden in negotiating for the ransom of these
prisoners, did not promise the Indians that the Americans would not
make war on them for the atrocities they had committed. The Whit-
BOUNDARY LINE SETTLED 2S
man mission captives were surrendered to Captain Ogden December
29, 1847, having been in captivity one month.
Having arrived at Fort Wallula, Captain Ogden had boats pre-
pared and started out with the captives, about fifty-seven in all. He
landed them safely at Oregon City and left them in care of Gover-
nor Abernathy, who, with the assistance of the good people of Ore-
gon, cared and provided for them. James Douglas and Captain
Ogden certainly deserve the everlasting gratitude of the American
people for the wisdom and bravery they displayed in rescuing these
captives from the Indians.
The volunteers proceeded into the country occupied by the Cay-
use Indians and had a few running fights with them, killing a few
and capturing some of their horses.
Believing that the actual murderers at the Whitman massacre
had gone to the mountains and not being prepared to follow such a
long distance, it was decided after a short campaign to leave a por-
tion of the volunteers at the Whitman station permanently or until
the United States government should furnish protection, and the re-
mainder of the company returned to Oregon City, where they dis-
banded.
In the meantime, preparations were being made to send Joseph
L. Meek to Washington to try and persuade the President and Con-
gress to do something for Oregon in the way of organizing a ter-
ritorial government and giving them some protection.
Joseph Meek started on this long journey March 4, 1848. He
was accompanied by eight men who desired to return to the East.
His route was across the Blue Mountains via old Fort Boise, Fort
Hall, Bear River Station, Fort Bridger, Fort Laramie, the Platte
and Ash Hollow. Each of these stations was occupied by trapping
traders. Fortunately Mr. Meek had been a trapper some years be-
fore, so found friends at each station who were glad to have him
and his companions rest for a few days with them and furnished
them with fresh horses and supplies. Mr. Meek and his companions
were compelled to leave their horses at Bear River and make snow
shoes of willows to cross the Rocky Mountains, carrying with them
only their guns and blankets. For food they secured what they
could in the snowy country with their guns and at this time of the
year, game was very scarce. Two of the men stopped at old Fort
Boise and two more at Bear River, reducing his party to five.
On the 4th of May, Meek and his party arrived at the Missouri
River where he met a party of emigrants bound for Oregon. At
this place Meek separated from his companions and went on to
Washington alone. He arrived there about the 25th of May, 1848.
He at once called upon President Polk and delivered the official
84 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
documents he carried, from Governor Abernathy and from the Ore-
gon legislature. He explained in detail the situation of the people
in the Northwest and all about the country. President Polk not only
listened to all Mr. Meek had to say about the country, but treated
him in a royal manner, having him make his home at the White
House while in Washington.
It is said that Jo Meek was a cousin to the President's wife and
this assisted him in his talk with the President. But one thing is
certain, Jo Meek was one of the most noble of men, brave, strong,
honest, untiring, kind-hearted and possessed of a great amount of
natural ability.
Meek's arrival had the effect of arousing the authorities at Wash-
ington and on the 29th of May, 1848, President Polk sent a special
message to both branches of Congress, uring them to pass an act
creating a government for Oregon and provide protection for the
people. On August 14, 1848, the act was passed, commonly called
the Organic act of Congress, creating and organizing the Territory
of Oregon, which territory included all west of the Rocky Moun-
tains to the Pacific Ocean, and north to the 49th parallel, and south
to the 42nd parallel, or to the California line. General Joseph Lane,
who had served in the Mexican war, was appointed Governor for
Oregon, and Joseph L. Meek was appointed United States Marshal.
They started soon after for Oregon, overland, with a small escort of
United States troops. They took the route via California, and had
a hard trip. Some of their escort were killed by Indians and some
deserted. They arrived at San Francisco in February, 1849, and
took a steamer for Oregon, arriving at Oregon City March 2nd,
1849. The people received them with great enthusiasm. Governor
Abernathy immediately turned over the Provisional Government to
Governor Lane.
On the 3rd of March, 1849, Governor Lane issued his proclama-
tion declaring the territory organized and under the control and
laws of the United States. This occurred one day before the close
of President Polk's administration.
CHAPTER V.
GOVERNOR LANE AND OREGON CAPTURE OP THE WHITMAN MURDER-
ERS TRIAL, CONVICTION AND EXECUTION.
General Lane's office as Governor of Oregon had connected with
it the office of Superintendent of Indian Affairs. He deemed it nec-
essary for the safety of the people of Oregon to have the leaders of
the Whitman massacre captured and punished. In October, 1849,
five of the leaders were captured and brought to The Dalles. Gover-
nor Lane immediately went to The Dalles with a small escort and
brought the Indians to Oregon City where they had a fair trial
with good counsel, before a judge and a jury. They were all con-
victed of murder in the first degree, upon the testimony of the sur-
vivors of the Whitman massacre, and were sentenced to be hanged.
The sentence was carried out in a short time.
A few months after Governor Lane's arrival, two companies of
United States troops were landed at Vancouver. These troops came
by water; later other troops came by land. The United States sol-
diers aided by Governor Lane's excellent executive ability, kept the
Indians at least partly subdued so that the farmers had a little time
to look after their farms.
We have already given more space than we intended to the early
history of Oregon, and must omit many important facts, or an-
other volume will be necessary for the history of Idaho.
I met many brave, kind and generous people, both men and
women, during my residence in Oregon, beginning in 1853 and
ending in 1862, with an occasional short visit since, and I would
like to say something good and kind about each and all of them,
and especially those with whom I was associated during the Indian
war of 1855 and 1856, but space forbids. I shall ever cherish kind
thoughts for all of them.
CHAPTER VI.
ORGANIZATION OF WASHINGTON, IDAHO, MONTANA AND WYOMING TER-
RITORIES.
On March 3, 1853, Congress passed an act known as the Organic
act, creating and organizing the Territory of Washington, giving
all the territory west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean
to Washington, save and except that part which now constitutes the
State of Oregon. On March 3, 1863, Congress passed the Organic
act creating and organizing the Territory of Idaho, taking in all
that portion of Washington west of the Rocky Mountains save and
except that portion which now constitutes the present State of Wash-
ington, and also taking in a large tract east of the Rocky Moun-
tain range. The eastern boundary is described as follows: Be-
ginning at a point on the 49th parallel of latitude at the 27th degree
of longitude west of Washington, thence south along said degree of
longitude to the northern boundary of Colorado Territory. This
eastern boundary of Idaho appears to have extended over on the
east side of the Rocky Mountain range and taken in quite a large
strip of what was then known as the Louisiana purchase. This made
Idaho a very large Territory, but it was not allowed to remain so
large long.
On March 17, 1864, Congress passed an act creating and organiz-
ing the Territory of Montana. This included all that portion of
the northeastern portion of Idaho east of the Bitter Root and the
Rocky Mountain range, and leaving the line between Idaho and
Montana to follow along the summit of the Bitter Root Mountains.
Later, in 1868, Congress organized the Territory of Wyoming and
took another portion from the southeastern part of Idaho. Since
this division, Idaho has been allowed to remain intact, although not
in a very handsome shape, being three hundred miles wide at the
south end and less than sixty miles at the north end. Hence our
designation as the Pan-handle State. Several attempts to still fur-
ther divide our State were made, but were unsuccessful.
We have now come to the history of Idaho proper.
CHAPTER VII.
EARLY SETTLERS INDIAN TREATIES MORMON SETTLEMENTS DISCOV-
ERY OF GOLD AT FLORENCE, BOISE BASIN AND OTHER PLACES.
The first American settlers in Idaho of which we have any posi-
tive record were the Reverend Spalding and his family. This pio-
neer missionary established a Presbyterian mission in the fall of
1836 on the Clearwater River, about twelve miles above where the
city of Lewiston now stands. This mission he called Lapwai.
In the year 1839, Rev. Spalding succeeded in having a small
printing press brought to this lonely mission from a mission in Hon-
olulu. This was the first printing press brought to the Northwest
and was a great assistance to Rev. Spalding for he was thus able
to print the New Testament and some other books into the Indian
language. The Rev. Spalding did some excellent work among the
Indians, but in 1847 was forced to leave his mission on account of
hostilities owing to some misunderstanding for which Mr. Spalding
was not at all responsible. He and his wife went to the Willamette
Valley and made that place their home.
In 1849, the Rev. Spalding taught school in Linn County, Oregon.
The writer's wife was one of his pupils. At that time she was Miss
Louisa Griffin, the daughter of Captain B. B. Griffin, who crossed
the plains in 1848 and in 1852 removed to Jackson County, where I
met his daughter soon after the close of the Indian war of 1855-6,
and we were married August 7th, 1856, and are both here yet.
The Hudson Bay Company had men trapping in what is now
Idaho, early in the twenties, and built old Fort Boise in 1835. Cap-
tain Nathaniel Wyeth built old Fort Hall in 1834. None of these
were permanent settlers and all left at an early date, except a few
Canadian Frenchmen who were closely allied to the Indians.
Mr. William Craig, of whom we have spoken before, settled with-
in the limits of what is now the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in
the early forties, and it seems he was the first permanent white set-
tler in what is now Idaho.
As early as 1805, when Lewis and Clark made their great ex-
ploring trip from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, they passed
through the Nez Perce country, met many of the Indians, traded
with them, found them friendly to the whites, and very intelligent
people. Lewis and Clark left their saddle and pack horses with
these Indians while they made their trip to the Columbia, sailing
down the Clearwater, Snake and on to the Columbia river in canoes.
28 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
*
In the following Spring when Lewis and Clark came back, their
horses and all other equipment were returned to them in good con-
dition and the Indians were paid according to agreement.
These Nez Perce Indians roamed over and claimed the greater
part of what is now called North Idaho and a portion of what is
now the northeastern part of Oregon, commonly called the Wallowa
Valley.
Until the year 1855, there had been no serious trouble between
the Indians and the whites, except the Whitman massacre. There
had been some individual trouble at various times but all had been
settled without any great difficulty. In 1855 they began to grow
restive. Governor Stevens of Washington Territory, who was also
ex-officio Superintendent of Indian Affairs, went immediately to the
Nez Perce country and with the assistance of William Craig and a
few other practical men, called the Indians together and made a
treaty with them on the 1st of June, 1855.
This treaty set apart what is known as the Nez Perce Reserva-
tion for the Indians and in consideration of the Indians ceding to
the United States the remainder of the land they claimed, the
United States was to make them certain annual payments in the
way of annuities, establish an agency and Indian schools, to con-
tinue for a number of years. At this time the agreement appeared
to be satisfactory, but there was one branch of this tribe who made
their home in the Wallowa Valley, headed by a brave and wonder-
fully sagacious chief named Joseph. This chief claimed that he
did not sign the treaty, that his home was in the Wallowa Valley
in Oregon, and he would not consent to leave that place and re-
move to the reservation selected for him and his people. The
other Nez Perce tribes kept the treaty in good faith. We will re-
fer to the trouble with Chief Joseph later.
The Shoshone and Bannock tribes occupied what is now the
southeastern portion of Idaho and the western part of what is now
Wyoming. These tribes made a treaty with the United States about
the year 1868. In this agreement General Sherman acted for the
United States. At this time two reservations were set apart for
them, one east of the Rocky Mountain range for the Shoshones,
and one in the Portneuf and Snake River country, including the
present site of Pocatello, for the Bannocks. One clause in this
treaty stated that they should have a reasonable portion of the Kan-
sas prairie country and in consideration of their ceding to the United
States the remainder of the lands claimed by them, the United
States was to establish an agency, give them quite a large amount
in annuities, and provide schools for them. The Bannock Indians
always claimed that they were to have Camas Prairie. This prairie
EARLY SETTLERS 29
lies on the northwest of Snake River about 125 miles from the
nearest point to the Bannock Indian Reservation as laid out and
surveyed by the government officials. At a later date, according to
the survey, the reservation did not cross Snake River.
This prairie is about forty miles long and ten miles wide and
the Indians, so far as the white men knew, had been in the habit
of coming to this prairie every summer to hunt and gather the
Camas root — a tuberous root of which they are very fond. Natu-
rally they did not wish to give up this country, and when the treaty
was made, the clause which reads, "reasonable portion of the Kan-
sas prairie country," was understood and meant to the Indians a
reasonable portion of the Camas Prairie country. The treaty hav-
ing been made at some point east of the Rocky Mountains in an
early day when but little of the country was known, this mistake
in spelling the name "Kansas" instead of "Camas" was easily made.
There was, however, no serious trouble with these Indians for many
years.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Going back to the early settling in Idaho, before the country
bore the name of Idaho, among those who came some years later
than Rev. Spalding were the Jesuit Fathers. These Catholic mis-
sionaries came into the northern part of Idaho in the early forties
and were very successful in their missionary work among the
Indians. A small colony of Mormons also moved into the Lemhi
Valley and located at or near where the town of Salmon City now
stands. In the year 1854, they were farming and raising stock
in that part of the country, but after remaining there about three
years, the Indians became so troublesome they were forced to
leave and return to Utah.
In the year I860, United States troops were sent to the old
Lapwai Station, twelve miles from Lewiston, on the Clearwater
River. The United States built a military post at this place and
kept from one to two companies of troops stationed there.
By this time a few white people had come into the country. The
majority of them were men prospecting for gold up the Clearwater
River and its tributaries. About seventy or eighty miles from Lew-
iston, they discovered gold at three different places and named
these mining camps Oro Fino, Elk City and Pierce City. The lat-
ter was named for a Mr. Pierce.
In 1861, prospecting was continued further back into the moun-
tains, to the east and southeast. From the latter the discovery
was made of what is commonly called the Salmon River mines.
These mines were situated in a basin in the mountains from ten
to twelve miles from Salmon River and about sixty miles south of
30 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
east from the mines discovered the year before, and about one hun-
dred and ten miles southeast from Lewiston. This was a placer
mining camp, very limited in extent, but easy worked and some of
the claims were very rich. Often a man would wash out with a small
rocker more than one hundred dollars per day. This camp was
situated in a very high altitude where the snows fell very deep
and lasted for a long time. Added to this, forty miles of moun-
tain road had to be traveled before reaching the camp. It was a
hard task for the prospectors to get there and very expensive to
take in the necessary provisions and tools. But nothing will stop
an old miner when he hears of a rich strike, so they came from all
parts of the Pacific coast. Pack trains were rushed to Lewiston,
as that town was at the head of navigataion on the Snake River
where all supplies had to be taken, and from there transported to
the mines on pack animals. Even then they could not be taken
all the way — only to the foot of the mountains, and from there
carried in by the men on their backs or on small sleighs or tobog-
gans. Supplies were often very scarce and the prices very high.
At one time in 1861 and again in 1862, the price of flour was one
dollar per pound. Some groceries, such as sugar, tea, coffee, bacon
and tobacco, were much higher.
In the Spring of 1862, two pack trails were opened into the
Salmon River country, one going lengthwise across Camas Prairie
to Salmon River and up the Salmon River about twelve miles,
thence up and across the mountains fifteen or twenty miles to the
mines. This was called the Slate Creek or Salmon route. The
other route went from the east foot of Craig's Mountain, east
across Camas Prairie, via where Grangeville and Mt. Idaho now
stand, and commenced to ascend the mountain at Mt. Idaho, where
the late Hon. L. P. Brown settled in 1862. This last named trail
had forty miles of mountain country to pass over before reaching
the mines, and many places were cut through thick timber and on
steep hill-sides. This trail was constructed by Moses Milner and
was called the Mose Milner trail. On each of these trails, toll
was charged at the rate of one dollar for saddle or pack animals.
Even with these high rates, I doubt if the owners made any money,
as the opening of the trails cost an immense amount and the sea-
son for heavy travel did not last long.
The reader may wish to know how good these trails were. I will
answer by saying I have packed over both of them, and each time
I went over one, I wished I had taken the other.
In the summer of 1862, there was great excitement in Florence
about rich mines having been discovered at Buffalo Hump, a camp
forty miles in a northeast direction and in rough mountains. By
EARLY SETTLERS SI
this time the claims in Florence had been pretty well worked out
and there were several thousand people there, many of whom did
not own any mining property and could not get work. They were
ready to rush to any excitement, and especially to the rough moun-
tains; for it is a fact that miners and newcomers alike seem more
anxious to rush to some almost inaccessible camp than to a mining
camp easy of access.
This excitement furnished a good market for provisions which
had been packed to Florence in large quantities. Many men left
Florence for Buffalo Hump and each one had to have a small outfit
of grub and tools, tobacco, etc. Merchandise went up to a high
figure. Those who had no means to purchase an outfit, would get
some friend who could not go to outfit them with the promise of a
division of what they found. This is commonly called "grub stak-
ing." It is understood that the prospector is to divide whatever
he finds with the man who "staked" him, and do the necessary le-
gal recording and work to hold the claim or claims.
Florence was a lively place for a few days, while the men were
outfitting to start to Buffalo Hump. All who could, got horses and
packed them with the necessary supplies. Those who could not
get horses or mules, would pack their outfits on their backs, many
of them starting out with one hundred pounds on their backs. So
they went in every way and the trip was indeed a hard one and poor
fellows, after all their hard efforts, when they came to Buffalo
Hump, they found only a few low grade quartz ledges instead of
the rich placer mines they had expected. Of late years these
quartz ledges have been made to pay, but at that time it was im-
possible to take in machinery to operate them. Many of the men
who went to Buffalo Hump were discouraged and some disgusted
with seeking mining claims, so they soon scattered to different
parts of the country. Some returned to their homes in Oregon and
California, and others went to the mining camps on the Clearwater,
Oro Fino and Pierce City, while others came back to Florence or
the Salmon River mines.
A townsite was now formally laid out near the center of the
mines and called Florence. A little town was built up in a short
time. As there was plenty of small timber near, the houses were
built of logs and were substantial and comfortable. Numerous
supply stores were opened, one of which was owned by Captain
Relf Bledsoe and C. C. Higby. They carried a general assortment
of supplies suitable for mines. Whiskey mills or saloons with
gambling were very plentiful. Among the many saloons in this
town was one run by the late Ben Anderson of Boise, who con-
ducted his place in a very orderly manner.
8* THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
During the rush to these mines in the Fall of 1861 and the
Spring and Summer of 1862, Lewiston being situated at the head
of steamboat navigation on the Snake River, and being the near-
est point from which supplies could be purchased for the mining
camps, had a splendid trade. It was soon quite a town, but owing
to the scarcity of building material, the houses and stores were
mostly large canvas tents boarded up on the sides from seven to
ten feet high. This made them warm and comfortable. Hill
Beachy, known and loved by all pioneers of those early days, ran
a first-class hotel at Lewiston at this time, and his buildings were
made of canvas and boards and were considered very comfortable.
WARRENS' MINING CAMP.
One of the parties that left Florence in the Summer of 1862 on
a prospecting trip, was headed by a man named Warrens- These
men discovered a camp which they called "Warrens' Diggin's," sit-
uated in the mountains about thirty miles south of Salmon River in
what is now Idaho County. This was a small camp with a limited
number of fairly good placer mining claims, but it never created
much excitement or caused a rush of people. Of late years, some
good quartz claims have been discovered at this place and worked
successfully.
During the Buffalo Hump excitement, many of the men engaged
in running pack trains between Lewiston and Florence bought
cargoes of goods in Lewiston at greatly increased prices and hur-
ried them into Florence on their pack animals, expecting to get big
prices. But unfortunately, when they reached Florence, they
learned that the Buffalo Hump placer mines were a complete fail-
ure. The demand for goods in Florence was very limited and the
prices offered by the merchants about the same as the packers had
paid in Lewiston. This was very discouraging, so many of the
packers went to other fields, myself among the number.
By this time many of the placer claims in Florence were about
worked out and the miners becoming anxious to prospect other
fields, several parties were organized to go prospecting in a south-
erly direction across the mountains. One of the first was headed
by George Grimes with John Reynolds, D. H. Fogus and Moses
Splawn and others. Another party was led by Jeff Standifer. Each
party had to go around through the eastern part of Washington
and Oregon to get into the southern part of Idaho to prospect. An-
other party started with Relf Bledsoe for Captain, with Abner Cal-
loway and others.
Grimes' party was the first to reach what is now called Boise
Basin, and stopped to prospect on a creek near where Pioneer City
EARLY SETTLERS 83
was afterwards built. This was in August, 1»62. The creek was
named for Mr. Grimes who led the party through the mountains and
discovered the first gold in this rich camp. Mr. Grimes was soon
afterward killed by an Indian while washing a pan of gold in this
creek. Later Captain Bledsoe with his party arrived and pitched
their tent at or near where the town of Placerville was soon after-
wards built. It is said that Captain Bledsoe and his party washed
out the first pans of dirt that were ever washed in this famous old
mining district.
A few days later, Captain Jeff Standifer and his party and some
others arrived at and made their camp near where Idaho City now
stands. Idaho City was formerly called Bannock. The name was
afterwards changed by act of legislature.
The news soon went over the country that rich placer mines had
been found in the Boise Basin. Many others came in the Fall and
the work of prospecting, locating claims and building cabins was
carried on at a lively rate. Many of the miners whip-sawed lumber
to build rockers and sluice boxes to wash out the dirt and gravel
from the gold. Merchants came with pack trains loaded with pro-
visions, mining tools, clothing, etc. Sawmills were soon brought in
and set up. Timber was near suitable for making lumber, and soon
these mills were running day and night. The lumber was taken
from the mills as fast as it was cut and sawed, at prices from one
to two hundred dollars per thousand feet. Every foot of lumber
cut through the night was taken away by sunrise in the morning,
and all cut through the day was immediately built into some kind
of a house or sluice boxes. The towns of Centerville, Placerville,
Idaho City and Pioneer were built up as if by magic. The
houses were small and built of rough lumber, just as it came from
the sawmill. Merchants usually built underground cellars at the
rear end of their buildings, where they kept large quanities of
goods. These cellars were built to protect the goods from fire.
In March, 1863, the great rush from California and Oregon to
these mining camps began. The road between Umatilla, the steam-
boat landing, and the Boise Basin, was lined with people, some on
horseback, with a few pack animals, but the majority were on foot.
Many pack trains were on the road loaded with merchandise of all
kinds.
We are now back to the time, March 3rd, 1863, when Congress
passed the Organic Act creating and organizing the Territory of
Idaho. We will soon take up the early Territorial government of
Idaho.
His-3
CHAPTER VIII.
ROBBERY OF MR. BERRY, A PACKER, ON THE TRAIL FROM FLORENCE IN
IDAHO COUNTY, BY ENGLISH, SCOTT AND
PEEBLES, IN 1862.
As we had left the Lewiston country some two months before
this robbery occurred, we are not able to give all the particulars,
but give it as nearly as we can remember, as we got it from one who
was at Lewiston at that time.
Some time in October, 1862, in what is now Idaho County (then
in Washington Territory) a Mr. Berry, then a packer operating a
pack train of mules between Lewiston and Florence, a mining camp
in Idaho County, delivered his cargo of freight and collected his
freight money, amounting to somewhere about two thousand dollars.
He started from the Florence mining camp with his train of mules
to go to Lewiston, a distance of about one hundred and ten miles.
After getting over and out of the mountains on to what is known
as Big Camas Prairie, he left his train with his men to drive them
on to Lewiston, and he, on his saddle mule, with his money, struck
out alone to go ahead to Lewiston to look out for and engage more
freight to pack by the time his train should arrive. While crossing
this prairie, which is some twenty miles across, he was stopped and
held up by three notorious highwaymen. Their names were Dave
English, Nelson Scott and William Peebles. They took all of his
money. It is said that Scott insisted upon killing Mr. Berry, but
the others would not agree to it, so Mr. Berry was allowed to re-
sume his journey.
Arriving at Lewiston, Mr. Berry told what had happened to him
and the report, with a description of the men, was sent to Walla
Walla next day by stage (a distance of 85 miles) to the officers
there. These highwaymen did not show up in Lewiston, but made
their way to Walla Walla within a few days after they had com-
mitted the robbery, and were arrested by officers there and taken
back to Lewiston, where they were identified by Mr. Berry, the man
whom they had robbed. At that time, in fact all of what is now
Idaho, belonged to Washington Territory. The country was new
and judicial courts did not operate much in that part of the country,
and there does not appear to have been any safe place in which to
keep these desperadoes to wait a long time for a court to try them.
At their preliminary examination, the evidence of their guilt of
highway robbery was conclusive. Mr. Berry identified them as the
ROBBERY OF MR. BERRY 35
men that robbed him. These three men had the reputation of hav-
ing committed other robberies. It was thought best to put them
where they could commit no more. Swift punishment is sometimes
necessary to evil doers. That appears to have been the course pur-
sued in this case. These three men were hanged soon after their
guilt was proven, which ended their earthly career.
CHAPTER IX.
THE STORY OF MOSES SPLAWN's DISCOVERY OF THE BOISE BASIN GOLD
MINES IN 1862.
The following is the story of the discovery of the Boise Basin
gold mines as told by Mr. Splawn himelf :
"While mining in Elk City, Idaho, in the Summer of 1861, there
often came to our camp a Bannock Indian who would watch us
clean up the sluices and gather the gold after the day's work was
done. The latter part of the Summer, I left Elk City and went to
a new discovery near Salmon River.
"I was among the first arrivals in the camp of Florence and here
I again met this Indian, who still showed his interest in the yellow
metal that was being taken out of the ground. When the early
snows had come and further mining was difficult, I saddled and
packed my horses and started for Walla Walla, where I intended to
pass the Winter. While camped at the mouth of Slate Creek, on
Salmon River, I again met the Bannock Indian. We had met so
many times in the past few months, we had become quite friendly.
While we talked and smoked around the camp fire that night, he
told me of a basin in the mountains far to the south, where he had,
when a boy, picked up chunks of yellow metal such as he had seen
me work out of the gravel. His earnest look and pains-taking de-
scription made me believe the story, and I felt, if I ever came near,
I would recognize the mountains that surrounded the rich basin.
In the following Spring, 1862, I determined to find, if possible, the
country described by my Indian friend. It was no easy matter, as
the Indians were well known to be hostile and it was necessary for
a reasonable number of men to travel together to insure any degree
of safety.
"On reaching Auburn, we found Captain Tom Turner with fifty
men from the Willamette Valley, going to Catherine Creek above the
Owyhee in search of the Blue Bucket 'diggin's/ a lost mine sup-
posed to have been seen by a company of emigrants in 1845. The
name was derived from the fact that the emigrants claimed that
they could have picked up a blue bucket full of the yellow metal.
(This blue bucket was a large kind of bucket used in those days.)
We agreed to join Captain Turner's company provided if he failed
to find the lost mine, he would then join us and go on the north
side of Snake River in search of this rich basin. This agreement
was accepted by both parties, and we started on our journey.
DISCOVERY OF BOISE BASIN $7
"Arriving at the country where the lost mine was supposed to be,
diligent search was made, but it was of no avail. But here we found
what was known later as the Silver City 'diggings.' The men who
found the gold here were Jordan, Jack Reynolds and some others
of Turner's party.
"All this time it seemed to me that something kept telling me
that I could look into the distance and see the mountains for which
I was searching. I asked Turner at this place to fulfill his part of
the agreement, to cross the Snake River to the north side. I made
a speech to the company, reminding them of their agreement and
telling them what I believed we would find. My position was then
voted upon. Several of Turner's men voted to go with us. Turner
then said: 'If you will go with me to the next creek emptying into
Snake River above here, and we fail to find what we are searching
for, I then agree to go with you on the north side of Snake River.'
Agreeing to this, we went with him to the creek named. The next
morning, hearing Turner giving orders to move on farther up the
river, I called his attention to our agreement. He made no reply.
I then made another speech and called for a vote. Only seven men
answered. With these seven men I turned back and below the
Owyhee River we met George Grimes with seven men, hurrying on
to overtake and join Captain Turner's company. We explained our
experience with him and dread of his total failure, and why we l
wanted to go north of Snake River and near the Payette. Mr.
Grimes and his party turned back with us, making sixteen in our
company. That night we camped on Snake River just above where
old Fort Boise stood on the opposite side. We made up our minds
to cross here. We could see cottonwood trees along the banks of
the Boise River opposite us, and we determined to build a raft with
our tools, cross Snake River and build a boat.
"We crossed the river safely on our raft, but landed on a bar
just below the mouth of Boise River. We tied the raft and waded a
slough before reaching the main shore, and we here discovered that
all our guns were wet, excepting mine. To add to our dismay, we
saw an Indian boy riding over a hill not far distant. This brought
the question to our minds, what might be behind us ? We were with-
out ammunition save that in my musket, and knowing that to guard
the men who were to build the boat we must have ammunition, we
resolved to return to camp. Going back to the raft, we shoved it
out into the stream. We landed on an island, tied our raft to a pole
we stuck into the ground for that purpose, and made camp. We
cooked our supper and went to sleep, leaving one man on guard.
"After breakfast next morning, we went out to the point where
we had left our raft. It was gone and there were five of us on the
38 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
island and one could not swim. There were only a few sticks on the
island, so we were only able to construct a small raft. It was so
very small that when we put our outfit on it, and Silvi, the man
who could not swim, got on top of the raft, it sunk so low that, the
water came up to his knees. There was another island just below
us, and we had to float down to the lower end of it before we could
commence swimming to the opposite shore. Swimming and shoving
the raft, we passed down to the lower end of the island without ex-
periencing extreme cold, and still the broad, cold, silent Snake River
lay between us and the shore we must reach. The cold water began
to have an effect on us, and soon we became chill and numb. Two
Portuguese, who were with us, grew tired of helping push the raft,
and swam to the shore. Grimes soon followed but returned to help
me push the raft with Silvi on it. We took turns pushing the raft.
While one swam and pushed the raft, the other would rest, beat his
breast and throw his arms to keep up the circulation, tn this way
we reached the shore, more dead than alive. Seeing an alkali lake
near, we ran and jumped into it. Fortunately, this was the month of
July, so the waters of the lake were warm. The Portuguese who
had deserted us in the river, now came to us and we returned to
camp.
"When we were rested, a debate arose. Part of the men wanted
to continue the trip and others wanted to return to their homes. D.
H Fogus and I held out to continue and cross the river, but all the
others positively refused to attempt crossing the river again. I
stated that I had every reason to believe we could go back to Owyhee
and find timber to make a boat so we could cross safely. It was
finally decided that Fogus and I should return to Owyhee and see
if we could find suitable timber for a boat. If we could, they would
help us build the boat and we would all cross the river.
"We found the timber and all returned to Owyhee excepting John
Casner, Silvi, Martin and one other, who returned to Walla Walla.
We camped on the Owyhee about five miles above the mouth. We
were twenty-one days building the boat. We then ran it down to the
Snake River and crossed just below the mouth of the Owyhee. We
led one horse beside the boat, the others swimming loose.
"Grimes, the two Portuguese and myself were the last to cross.
Having the riding saddles, our load was very heavy, water was con-
stantly coming in and we had to bail continually with a bucket.
When about twenty feet from the shore the boat went down. The
men who had crossed before, came to our rescue and we saved every-
thing on board. I had all along stated that I wanted to go to the
Payette River and follow it up, but on leaving here, our course was
up the right bank of Boise river in quest of a ford. Coming to the
DISCOVERY OF BOISE BASIN 39
first canyon, we saw granite hills. Here we constructed a raft and
crossed to the north bank. I was asked if we should go towards
Payette. I said 'No, for in this granite formation, we may find
what we are looking for.' So we went up to the hills and camped.
"Here something occurred that made me uneasy. Grimes and
Westernfelter were in advance of us and I heard the report of a
gun. When they returned, I asked if they had shot anything. They
said no, but I had my doubts and made up my mind to be on my
guard. We hobbled and staked our horses, dug holes in the ground
for a defense and put out a double guard that night, for I believed
the_men had shot or fired at an Indian while ahead of us. At day-
light we were up and brought in our horses and tied them good and
fast in the camp. I then told the party I would go to a butte near
by and take a view of the country, and if they saw me start to run
towards the camp, to get out their fire arms and make ready for
battle, as I would not run unless I saw danger. While standing on
the hill, I saw a party of Indians, stripped naked, all mounted and
riding at full speed up the creek towards our camp. I ran for the
camp, barely getting there before the Indians. Our men were all in
line to do battle. With both arms outstretched, I cried, 'Don't shoot
until I tell you.' On came the Indians not twenty yards away. Un-
moved I stood there, and our men waiting, with guns drawn, for the
word. Our nerves were well tested, for the Indians did not halt until
within twenty feet of us. Had we been less firm, there would have
been one more fearful tragedy enacted on the frontier. After stand-
ing still and watching us a moment, one of the Indians called out
in good English, 'Where are you going?' This was Bannock Louie.
I replied that we were going to the mountains to find gold. He asked
if we did not think he spoke good English, to which we rep lied, we
did. We invited them to have breakfast with us and they very
readily accepted the invitation.
"The Indian who spoke English told us that the trail we were fol-
lowing would lead us. over the mountains to a large basin. Those
words sank deep in my heart, for I had been thinking how much
these mountains and surroundings tallied with the description given
me by my Bannock friend. He also told us that in this basin there
were over one hundred warriors of the worst type, and if we were
not on the lookout, we would lose our scalps.
"After breakfast we saddled and packed our horses and moved on
to the top of the mountain, where we camped for noon. When the
time came to start out after dinner, Grimes and I differed as to the
route we should take. He wanted to follow the ridge leading to
Payette, which I had all along spoken about, but I had now discov-
ered that in this basin to the right of us was the spot described to
40 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
me by the Indian on Salmon River. Grimes and I differing we called
for a vote. All the men but one voted with Grimes, so we followed
him. We had not gone far, however, when Westernfelter, who had
been behind, overtook us and riding up to Grimes, asked where we
were going. After Grimes told him, he said: 'I understood Splawn
wanted to go down into the basin and we are following him now and
not you, and we will follow him, and I want you to remember he is
the one to say where we are to go/ Some sharp words passed be-
tween them and both dismounted and leveled their guns, the barrels
coming in contact. I jumped off my horse and got between them and
succeeded in making peace. Both of them were brave men and we
did not have any men to spare. Grimes was asked why he did not
want to go down into the basin when Splawn said it looked just like
the place described by the Indian. He answerd, 'I am afraid of the
Indians.' Westernfelter said, 'If we are afraid of the Indians, we
should not have come here at all and we had better return home/
This remark of fear from Grimes struck me as strange, for he was
well known to be the bravest of the brave. I spoke to Westernfelter
saying we had put the question of our route to a vote and Grimes
had won, so I would follow him. After traveling for a short dis-
tance, Grimes stopped and said: 'I will get behind and bother no
more/ Then I turned back on the trail, the pack horses driven be-
hind me, and went down into the basin and camped. I walked on
to look out our future trail and see if there were any signs of In-
dians, for I remembered the words of caution given us that morning.
I soon saw freshly blazed trees and returned to camp to get my
horse, for I was on foot. Joe Branstetter went back with me. Rid-
ing to the top of a little hill, we saw Indian lodges. We turned
back and concluded to go around the lodges, but seeing an Indian
dog, we thought the Indians were in their lodges ready to shoot.
We made up our minds to have it out and rode full speed toward the
lodges, but we did not find any Indians. The lodges, however, were
well filled with salmon, both fresh and dried. Going on further
up the creek, it occurred to me that the squaws had probably seen
us and had gone to tell the bucks. We went back to the lodges
and I took all the Salmon I could carry, and we returned to camp.
We had only been there a few minutes, when looking back from
whence we came, we saw about fifty warriors riding at full speed
towards our camp. Some of our party were in favor of giving
them blankets and so try to make friends with them, but I had
been raised in an Indian country and knew too much of their na-
ture to even think of such a thing. I said: 'Get your guns, and
remember to be firm and no gifts/ Insisting upon this display of
bravery, I took up my gun and went forward to meet the Indians,
DISCOVERY OF BOISE BASIN 41
as I had no intention of allowing them to run into camp. I waved
my hand at them, thinking they would stop, but on they came. I
leveled the gun on them and they halted. Branstetter and Grimes
were soon by my side. Grimes could talk good Chinook jargon
and I asked him to tell them that if they wanted to come into camp,
they must lay down their arms, take off their blankets and leave
them where they were, and not over ten at a time come into camp.
This they agreed to do. The two chiefs, each wearing a plug hat
and cutaway coat (doubtless the spoils from some massacre of de-
fenseless emigrants) came first, and Grimes stepping some little
distance in front of us, smoked the pipe of peace with them while
we stood guns in hand.
"The parley was soon over and we packed up, prepared to move
again. Here another disagreement arose as to which way we
should go, some wanting to return the way we came, and others to
go on. The majority was for going on. I again led the way, the
pack horses driven after me. We had gone only a short distance
when I heard the clattering of horses feet just over a small hill to
our right. I expected trouble when we came to the crossing of the
creek a short distance above. At this place Branstetter rode up be-
side me and said: 'We see Indians on our right, riding at full
speed, and they may intend cutting us off somewhere.' I said, 'We
are in for it, and the only way to act is with total indifference. Be
on the alert; ride on, and if we have to, we will fight.' A little
further on, near the crossing of the trail stood an Indian. I asked
him how far it was to the stream. He pointed in that direction,
knowing I had been there before, for our horses' tracks could be
plainly seen on the same trail an hour before.
"At the crossing there were some more Indians, but we paid no
attention to them. We continued on our jsvay and camped on this
creek at the place where the town of Centerville now stands. And
it was at this place Fogus put his shovel in the dirt and gravel and
from that shovelful worked out about fifteen cents worth of gold.
I then felt we had found the basin of my dreams, so accurately
described by my Indian friend.
"His story was true and this basin has proven a benefit to man-
kind and a direct cause of the birth of a new and great State, and
this story should have its place in its history.
"We moved on to where Pioneer now stands, stopped at this
camp two days, then over Pilot Knob and camped on the;creek at
noon. Mounting a horse, I rode up to the head of the creek, where
I climbed a tall fir tree and cut a Catholic cross in the top of it.
From this tree I could see a cut-off which we afterwards used in
our retreat. On coming down from the tree to where my horse
4& THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
stood, I saw an Indian and bear tracks. I mounted my horse
quickly and rode down the hill and over the underbrush to the creek.
In passing through this fearful entanglement, my trousers were
torn off, my shirt in shreds, my limbs and body cut in many places.
I arrived in camp after dark, bruised and sore. The men put plas-
ters on my back and gathered pitch from the firs and put on the
cuts on my body. £"
"The next day the men were busy sinking prospect holes. Provi-
sions were getting low about this time. About three o'clock in the
afternoon, while the Portuguese were making me a pair of pants
out of seamless sacks while I was asleep, Grimes came into camp
and wakened me, saying, 'There is trouble here. These Portu-
guese say the Indians have been shooting at them while they were
sinking prospect holes.' I got up and looked around and seeing
nothing, again laid down as I was still sick and sore from my
wounds received the day before. I fell asleep but was soon awak-
ened by the sound of voices and firearms. I got up and saw
George Grimes with his shotgun in his hands close by. Taking up
my gun I went to him and together we made a charge up the hill
in the direction of the shots. When we reached the top, it seemed
as if twenty guns were fired in our faces. Grimes fell just as we
reached the top. The last and only words he said were, 'Mose,
don't let them scalp me/ Thus perished a brave and honorable
man at a time when he stood ready to reap his reward.
"I called for the rest of the men to come to the top of the hill.
We left a guard there and carried Grimes to a prospect hole and
buried him, amid deep silence. He was our comrade and we had
endured hardships and dangers together and we knew not whose
turn would come next.
"We then commenced our retreat. It was almost dark and we
had nothing to eat. I decided to take the route I had seen from
the tree the day before. Riding in the lead for about a mile, and
when near Pilot Knob, looking down on the creek I saw a small
camp fire. When the men came up, I pointed it out to them and
told them it was necessary for us to know if this was a band of
warriors. I said, 'You wait here and I will go down on foot and
see if I can learn for certain/ I left my rifle and took only my
pistol, and told them that if they heard firing and I did not return
within a reasonable time, for them to go on as I would have been
killed, but that if I was not hurt, I would return within a short
time.
"I took down a ravine, crawling within a few yards of the
creek, but no signs of life did I see. I became impatient and made
up my mind to end this anxiety. I raised up and walked rapidly
DISCOVERY OF BOISE BASIN 43
to the bank of the creek and to my surprise and joy, found only
fox fire, the first I had ever seen in the mountains. I hurried back
to where the men were waiting, and we rode 09 to where Center-
ville now stands and tied our horses until morniig.
"We then climbed a steep hill where our horses had been grazing
a few days before and had made tracks all over the hillside. This
put the Indians off our trail, and they failed to find the route we
had taken.
"Arriving at the top of this hill, I climbed a peak near by and
below I could see the Indans riding in a circle, their faint war
whoops reaching my ears from the valley we had just left. We
went on towards Boise River, taking the same route we had in going
in.
"In a little valley on the way down, we saw some squaws dig-
ging Camas. Looking a little further on, some of the men pointed
out a wonderful sight. A thousand Indians, they said, on whit*
horses, were ready to bar our way. I stood dazed for a few mo-
ments, then it occurred to me that there could be no such number
of white horses, and taking a good look, saw that the seeming In-
dians and white horses were only white rocks. Turning around to
speak to the men, none of them were in sight. I hurried after
them and asked them where they were going. They answered
that they were going to avoid those Indians. I told them there
were no Indians only squaws, and succeeded in persuading them to
turn back.
"We rode down the valley, passing the squaws, and camped on
Boise River, still without anything to eat. Early the next morning
we were on our way and went on down the river until we came to
the place where we had crossed on our way to the basin. Looking
back we saw a great dust. Through our field glass it seemed to be a
string of Indians about two miles long, and there was also a cloud
of dust on the opposite side of the river, going down. We thought a
band of Indians must be going to attack Auburn. Seeing dust in
front of us and behind us, we concluded to get into a bunch of tim-
ber nearby on Snake River and fight it out until night. While re-
flecting on the situation, I was startled by the report of a gun
behind me. Looking backward, I saw Joe Branstetter who called
out that he had killed a rattlesnake. The report of the gun brought
out from the opposite shore several white men, who were camped
behind some timber. Some of them came down to the river bank
and we learned from them that the dust was caused by emigrant t
trains, Tim Goodell, captain of the train. We constructed a raft
and crossed over to where the emigrants were camped. We had
been without food for two days. Captain Turner came to us and
44 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
told us the people of the emigrant train thought we were allies of
the Indians and would not permit us to come into their camp or
give us anything to eat. The next morning they relented and let
us go into the camp and gave us something to eat.
"From this place we went to Walla Walla. Fifty men joined us
at Walla Walla and we returned to the Basin, located mining
claims, held and worked them, having good success.
"It was in August, 1862, when we discovered Boise Basin."
(Signed) "MOSES SPLAWN."
CHAPTER X.
ORGANIZATION OF TERRITORY OF IDAHO APPOINTMENT OF FEDERAL
OFFICERS FIRST ELECTION FOR MEMBERS OF THE LEGIS-
LATURE AND DELEGATES TO CONGRESS.
The Organic Act passed by Congress and approved by the Pres-
ident March 3, 1863, creating and organizing a territorial govern-
ment for the people residing within and those who might come
thereafter, in certain limits and boundary lines of territorial lands,
gave to that territory the name of Idaho. Various reasons are
given for the origin of the name Idaho. By some it is claimed that
it is an Indian name. One story is that some miners had camped
within sight of what is now Mount Idaho. In the morning they
were awakened by the Indians calling "I-da-ho" and pointing to
the rising sun just coming over the mountain, hence the term, "The
Rising Sun." Another story is that the name was taken from a
steamboat built by the late Col. J. S. Ruckles to run on the Colum-
bia River in early days. This boat was named The Idaho. Mr.
Goulder, one of the oldest living pioneers in Idaho, saw this steam-
er on the Columbia in I860 and noticing the name asked the mean-
ing and was informed that it was an Indian word, "E-dah-hoe,"
and stood for "Gem of the Mountains." Mr. Frederick Campbell,
one of the pioneers of the Pike's Peak excitement, says the word
Idaho is an Arapahoe Indian word and that in Colorado a spring
was named Idaho before the word was known in the Northwest,
and that it was even suggested for the name of Colorado. Mr.
Campbell's theory is probably correct, as neither the Nez Perce nor
any other Northwestern dialect seems to include the word.
The bill as it passed the House of Representatives named the
territory Montana. The Senate amended the bill by striking out
the name "Montana" and inserting "Idaho." The Senate also
amended the section defining the boundary lines of the territory so
as to make the area very much larger than the House bill provided
for. The change of the name was made on motion of Senator Wil-
son of Massachusetts, who claimed that the "word" Montana had
no meaning. Senator Hardin of Oregon, said: "The name Idaho is
much preferable to Montana. Montana, to my mind, signifies noth-
ing at all. Idaho in English signifies 'The Gem of the Mountains.'
This is a mountainous country and the name Idaho is well under-
stood in signification and orthography in all that country and I
prefer it to the present name." The amendment was agreed to.
46 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The bill, as amended, was returned to the House of Representa-
tives, and on motion of Mr. Sargent of California, the House con-
curred in both of the Senate's amendments.
The act of Congress dividing Washington Territory and creating
Idaho Territory, described the boundaries of Idaho as follows:
"Beginning at a point in the middle of the channel of the Snake
River where the northern boundary of Oregon intersects the same,
then follow down the said channel of Snake River to a point oppo-
site the mouth of the Kooskooskia or Clear Water River; thence
due north to the forty-ninth parallel of latitude; thence east along
said parallel to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west of
Washington; thence south along said degree of longitude to the
northern boundary of Colorado Territory; thence west along said
boundary to the thirty-third degree of longitude west of Washing-
ton; thence north along said degree to the forty-second parallel
of latitude; thence west along said parallel to the eastern boun-
dary of the State of Oregon; thence along said boundary to the
place of beginning."
These boundary lines not only included all of the southern and
eastern portion of the Territory of Washington, but went a way
over on the east side of the Rocky Mountain range and took in a
large strip of the Louisiana Purchase, including within the boun-
dary lines of Idaho Territory more than three hundred thousand
square miles. On March 17th, 1864, Congress passed an act cre-
ating the Territory of Montana. The most of the territory that
was put into Montana was taken from the northeastern portion of
Idaho. Later, on June 28, 1868, the Territory of Wyoming was
created by act of Congress and a large piece of the southeastern
portion of Idaho was included within the boundary lines of Wyom-
ing Territory. This last named act of Congress reduced Idaho to
its present area of about 85,000 square miles.
ORGANIZATION.
The organic act for the Territory of Idaho provided that the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, should
appoint for the Territory a Governor, a Secretary, a Chief Justice
and two Associate Justices, a United States Attorney and a United
States Marshal. The act also provided that the Governor should
appoint census takers to take the census of the Territory, and after
the report of the census taker was received, he should lay out the
territory in council and representative districts, and call an elec-
tion for a member of Congress and members of the legislature.
The legislative council was limited to seven members the first ses-
sion, and the number of representatives to thirteen, with power to
ORGANIZATION OF IDAHO 47
increase the number according to the increase in population, not,
however, to exceed thirteen councilmen and twenty-six representa-
tives. The Governor should name the time and place for holding
the election, appoint the judges of election, canvass the vote and
declare who was elected; also name the time and place for holding
the first session of the legislature, which session should not exceed
sixty days and subsequent sessions only forty days.
The officers arrived some time after their appointment. For
some cause unknown to us, the Governor saw fit to make his head-
quarters at Lewiston — certainly not on account of the population
being greater in that part of the State, for there were more people
in fifteen miles square in the Boise Basin than there were in all the
balance of the Territory at that time. Lewiston was, however, the
oldest town and had the advantage of being near the Governor's
former home, so he very naturally exercised his right and privi-
lege to locatae in the place that suited him best. If he had, how-
ever, considered the best interests of the people whom he was sup-
posed to serve, he would hardly have located the temporary capital
away up in the northern part of the Territory, just across the boun-^
dary line between Washington and Idaho.
The Organic Act also provided that the Governor should com-
mission such Territorial officers in addition to those named and
appointed by the President, as should be appointed to office under
the laws of the Territory, without waiting for a session of the
legislature to determine what offices were elective and what ap-
pointed. On the 23rd of July, he appointed John M. Bacon Aud-
itor and Comptroller, and on the 7th of September, he appointed D.
S. Kenyon Treasurer of the Territory.
The Governor issued his proclamation dated Lewiston, Idaho
Territory, September 22nd, 1863, calling for a general election to
be held on the 31st day of October, 1863, for a delegate to Con-
gress and members ^f the legislature, he having defined the coun-
cil and representativev districts as first, second and third districts.
We have been unable to procure a copy of this order, but judging
from the members elected, we think the first district embraced all
of Idaho north of the Salmon River and west of the Rocky Moun-
tains; the second district, all of the district south of the Salmon
River, and the third, all of Idaho east of the Rocky Mountains.
The act further states that at the first session of the legislature
or as soon thereafter as they may deem expedient, the Governor
and the legislative assembly shall proceed to locate and establish
the seat of government for said territory at such place as they
deem eligible. It seems from reading this act of Congress, that the
seat of government for Idaho was neither located temporarily or
48 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
otherwise, but simply left to the discretion of the Governor to name
the place for holding the first session of the legislature. It did not
even state that the Governor's and Secretary's offices should be at
the place named by the Governor for the holding of the first session
of the legislature. (See Organic Act published in the First Ses-
sion Laws of Idaho, pages 27 to 36, inclusive.)
From a careful examination of this act, we must conclude that
all this talk in respect to the capital being temporarily located at
Lewiston by this act was a mistake. The selection of the temporary
capital rested with the Governor until such time as the legislature
with his approval passed a law locating it at some different place.
APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS.
The President appointed the following officers:
W. H. Wallace, Governor, March 10, 1863.
W. B. Daniels, Secretary, March 10, 1863.
Sidney Edgerton, Chief Justice, March 10, 1863.
Alec C. Smith, Associate Justice, March 10, 1863.
Samuel C. Parks, Associate Justice, March 10, 1863.
D. S. Payne, U. S. Marshal, March 13, 1863.
G. C. Hough, U. S. Attorney, February 29, 1864.
CHAPTER XI.
INDIAN TROUBLES IN SOUTHERN IDAHO IN THE EARLY SIXTIES.
Prior to the coming in of white men in 1862, there were several
different tribes of Indians that roamed at their will and pleasure
over the southern and southeastern portion of what is now Idaho.
Up to that time, they had full possession of the country, and no
white person had attempted to settle upon or lay claim to any por-
tion of land in Southern Idaho, except a few emigrants who passed
across this country on the road from the States east of the Mis-
souri River to Oregon or Washington Territory.
These Indian tribes consisted of what was called the Snakes,
the Weisers, the Malheurs, the Bruneaus, the Shoshones, and the
Bannocks. They were all more or less hostile to the whites and
often levied tribute on the poor white traveling emigrants by first
begging all they could in day time, under the pretense of being
friendly and "good Indians," and at night, stealing and driving
away most of their stock, and in a few instances, murdering all of
the people who were traveling in small trains.
None of them^up to this time had ever felt the power of our
Uncle Sam's army^or tlie'force or a vmnnte^'cwiipany of miners.
They seemed to think the country belonged to them and that they
would make it so unsafe for the life and property of any and all
whites who came into this part of the country, that they would be
glad to leave soon if left alive. They commenced by shooting from
ambush and killing the leader of the first party of white men who
went into and discovered gold in the Boise Basin in the summer of
1862, a Mr. George Grimes, a few days after their arrival, while
he was at his work prospecting for gold on what is now called
Grimes' Creek, near Pioneer City in Boise Basin, Boise County.
This cowardly, murderous and thieving warfare was carried on
against the miners who were trying to prospect, and also against
the packers who were trying to pack supplies in for the miners,
and against all who attempted to travel on the roads or trails, until
about the first of March, 1863, when things got to such a state
that men could neither travel nor work with any degree of safety, ,
except several were together and well armed and some of them
constantly on the watch for Indians. By this time several hundred
white men had come into this mining district. Their supplies, tools,
etc., were running short. Packers of supplies had suffered the loss
of so many animals at the hands of the Indians, they hesitated to
His— 4
60 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
contract to pack more supplies in, although big prices were of-
fered. Something had to be done, although the snow was then two
feet deep in the mining district; but in the valleys where the trou-
bles were, there was no snow. The miners and the merchants rose
to the occasion, miners, saloon-keepers and some sporting men
agreeing to do the fighting.
I give this history as it was given to me by Daniel Ritchard who
was with the company, a man whom I believe to be perfectly truth-
ful, brave, and cool-headed.
"A company was soon raised, consisting of about eighty men, the
volunteers furnishing their own horses and arms and the merchants
providing provisions, ammunition and other necessaries. Jeff Stan-
difer was elected Captain and Greenwood, First Lieutenant. We
left Idaho City about March 1st, 1863, came down Moore's Creek
to the Warm Springs the first night. The next day we went east to
Indian Creek and camped at what is now called Mayfield, or the
Obe Corder ranch. In the morning, the night guard who herded
the horses drove them in early and reported that they had seen a
bunch of Indians at a point of rocks not far away. A majority of
the company immediately saddled our horses as rapidly as possible
and started for the rocky mount where the guard had seen the
Indians. The Indians saw us and galloped away on their horses
before we were near enough to open fire on them. We chased them
about ten miles and captured one, whose horse had given out. The
others had scattered in all directions in the rough, hilly and rocky
country, so we gave up the chase and returned to our camp for
breakfast.
"After a hasty breakfast, Captain Standifer ordered me (Ritch-
ard) to take sixteen men and go east and try and cut the Indians
off from getting to the mountainous country on the north. Captain
Standifer and the remainder of the company would follow in the
direction the Indians seemed to have taken when we abandoned
the chase. We traveled all that day and until one o'clock next
morning. At that time we heard what seemed to be a squaw moan-
ing. We supposed it to be the wife of the buck who had been
captured in the morning by the volunteers. Feeling satisfied that
the Indian camp was near, we quietly withdrew for about a half
mile until daylight. We would then be able to determine their lo-
cation and the nature of the surrounding country. At daylight
we discovered two Indians on horseback. We advanced on their
camp, shot and killed one of them at the first fire. The fight then
commenced in earnest, but did not last long. The men were all
good marksmen and we soon dispatched all of the bucks, about
INDIAN TROUBLES 51
eighteen in number, took the squaws prisoners and went back a few
miles south and met Captain Standifer.
Other scouts sent out by the Captain came in soon and reported
Indians in the hills to the northwest. We started that night and
found the Indians fortified in a large cleft of rocks with an open
place built up with rocks and good rifle pits arranged so they were
secure from shots that might be fired at them. At the same time,
they might fire on any person who came within range of their rifle
pits. We arrived near their fortifications just before daylight and
in a short time a few of them came out and we attacked and killed
several before they could get into their fort. We then surrounded
them and kept a guard around for three days and nights. One of
our men, John Dobson, was severely wounded, having been hit in
the jaw by one of their bullets. He recovered after a long time.
We talked with the Indians and told them if they would come out
and give up the man or men who had killed George Grimes in the
Boise Basin several months before, we would allow the others to
go. This they refused to do. We then cut a large number of wil-
lows, intending to tie them in large bundles for breastworks and
roll them in front of us to their fort and storm it. After consulta-
tion, this plan was dropped and it was decided it should be one
man for each of the Indian port-holes or rifle pits. The men should
crawl up before day, while it was yet dark, close to each rifle pit
and as soon as those on guard in these rifle pits showed themselves,
they were to shoot them and this would most likely cause the other
Indians to stampede. This scheme worked well. The pit guards
rose early, and, Indian like, had to take a look out. Each one of
them was shot down the moment he showed himself by the volun-
teers who had crawled up close and were waiting and watching for
them. This created such confusion among the Indians that it did
not take long for them to vacate their fort. Captain Standifer had
all of his men under arms at that time and nearby, so they dis-
patched the Indians about as fast as they came out. So far as known
only one buck Indian escaped. About sixty were killed in this fight.
We also captured about eighty head of horses here.
"We then made a litter to carry our wounded man, John Dobson,
fastening it between two gentle mules and putting on plenty of
blankets to make it as comfortable as possible. With a man to lead
each mule, we started back to the Warm Springs ranch. Arriving
there the second day, we found all of the ranch stock had been
stolen by the Indians. This place was then kept by a man called
'Beaver Dick/ We camped here for a few days and sent a detach-
ment of men to Idaho City to take our wounded man and to get
more supplies and more men. After a few days our men returned
52 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
with more supplies and a few recruits. We then took the trail of
the Indians who had taken the stock from Warm Springs ranch
and followed their trail across Snake River. Here the company
divided, one part going up Snake River, and the remainder up Mal-
heur River in Oregon, where they lost the trail, the Indians having
scattered in different directions.
"Captain Standifer sent me back with five men to scout west in
what is known as the Mormon Basin country. After two days'
scouting, we struck an Indian trail. After following it a short dis-
tance, we looked down a canyon and saw five Indians riding up.
We concealed ourselves and when near enough, fired at them. They
took to the brush. We captured one mule they left. We did rot
try to follow them, not knowing how many we might meet. We
then returned to Captain Standifer's camp on Malheur River.
"The company started up Malheur River, and we soon came to
a fresh Indian trail and further on, we found where Indians had
recently camped. We also found four Indian bows and quivers of
arrows, four spears, ropes, and we concluded they had belonged to
the four Indians we had shot a few days before while out scouting
and that they had died from their wounds. We continued to follow
their trail for two days and the greater part of two nights. Finally
we camped and Captain Standifer and myself went on top of a
high mountain after night to watch for light or smoke from Indian
fires. While on this mountain, we saw lights from the Indian
fires a long way off on the opposite side of the creek. We located
their position as nearly as possible and the following night, the
whole command moved up and surrounded them before daylight at
their camp near Goose Creek. Captain Standifer placed all of his
men, with the exception of eighteen, on either side of the camp,
leaving an opening in front. The eighteen men were placed on the
upper side and at the signal given by the Captain, they charged on
the Indian camp with whoops and yells and shots. This caused
the Indians to stampede and they were soon dispatched by the
other volunteers. Fourteen Indians were killed. The squaws and
children were left unharmed and allowed to go free, excepting one
small boy and a little Indian girl, whom we took to Idaho City with
us. It seems that another party of Indians had passed this camp
of Indians before we reached them and had driven off all the
horses they had.
"We were now pretty well tired out, and very gaunt, having
lived principally on horse meat for the last six days, so it was de-
cided that as we could not overtake the band of Indians who had
stolen the horses and as we were about out of supplies and our
horses were very much jaded, we would go back to Idaho City.
INDIAN TROUBLES 53
"The only man hurt in this last fight was Matt Bledsoe, who re-
ceived a glancing shot across the forehead, knocking him down, but
he was soon over it as the bullet only cut the skin.
"On the way back, when we reached Snake River, we all went
out to try and kill some game. The only thing we got was some
beaver. This we ate with relish for it was a great improvement on
the horse meat we had been using for the last ten days.
"At Warm Springs we disbanded. The Indian boy and girl were
taken to Idaho City and the boy given to John Kelley, the cele-
brated violinist, who taught the boy many tricks and exhibited him
in many parts of the world. The girl was given to a lady in the
Basin/'
Captain Standifer and his volunteers did succeed in capturing
and returning to their proper owners, several head of horses. All
things fairly considered in connection with this campaign against
these thieving and murderous Indians, it was a complete success,
save and except that one brave young man named John Dobbins, was
shot by the Indians and severely wounded. He lived about one year
afterwards, when he died from the effects of the wound he received.
The chastening given these Indians by Captain Standifer and
his brave followers had a salutary effect upon them, at least for
several months, for it was some time before they ventured on any
more of their raids. When we take into consideration that Captain
Standifer and his brave followers left the rich placer gold mines in
Boise Basin, where the daily wages of men to work in the mines
was eight dollars, and many that had claims of their own were
making one hundred dollars or more per day, to shoulder their guns
and go on a campaign of this kind, poorly equipped, hard worked,
poorly fed, in stormy, bad weather for two months, without any
hope of fee or reward other than to bring peace and security to
life and property, we must say we think this was pure and unadul-
terated patriotism, backed up with indomitable courage. And cer-
tainly all of us who are still left to enjoy our peaceful homes in
this now reclaimed and happy land, owe a debt of gratitude to
Captain J. J. (Jeff) Standifer and his brave followers who did so
much towards bringing about security for life and property at a
time when it was so badly needed; at a time when it required such
a great self-sacrifice to bring it about. Captain Standifer and most
of his brave followers have passed from this earthly career. Let us
remember their good works here with a confident hope that He who
judges as to the rectitude of our purposes in this world, will deal
kindly with them all and overlook and forgive any of their short-
comings, and assign to each of them a pleasant position in their
New Home.
54 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
T. J. BUTTON'S ACCOUNT OF ONE DIVISION OF CAPTAIN STANDIFER'S
COMPANY.
After crossing Snake River, Captain Standif er's company divided
and part of them, under the command of the First and Second
Lieutenants, went up Snake River. In this detachment of volun-
teers, was the late T. J. Sutton who had been selected as chief of
scouts, who was a very competent man for that business and was
also a very good writer. After his return, he wrote up the cam-
paign made by this division of the volunteers. Below we give it as
he wrote it up, which we think is correct:
"After crossing Snake River, the company divided up into two
parts, nineteen men having previously returned to the Basin. Of
the two divisions, the first numbering 45 men under Captain Stan-
difer, went up the Malheur River, the remaining 55 went up the
Bruneau under command of Lieutenants Greenwood and Thatcher,
journeying up Snake River to a point near Salmon Creek. We
halted a short distance below the mouth of the latter stream, the
purpose of this halt being to reconnoitre, and as far as practicable,
acquaint ourselves with the number of Indians we would probably
encounter, their whereabouts at that time, their disposition, habits,
armament, places of rendezvous and other things incident and nec-
essary to the successful conduct of a hostile campaign.
"While in camp at that place, a band of Indians, unaware of
our presence, drove about eighty head of stolen horses into Snake
River opposite our camp and attempted to swim them across. This
gave us an opportunity to capture both horses and Indians, and by
good management we could easily have done so, but lack of disci-
pline on the part of both officers and men favored the escape of
the thieves and they all probably got away, notwithstanding we
poured a shower of lead into the river as they scudded away to the
farther bank. And I might as well say here that Lieutenant
Greenwood was cool and competent, but being a half-breed Crow,
and fearful of insult because of his Indian blood, declined to ex-
ercise the functions of his office. This threw the responsibility as
well as the company's movements, upon Lieutenant Thatcher, who
though neither a coward nor unworthy, lacked that self-discipline
that comes only of experience. Hence when it was known that a
band of Indians with a considerable herd of stolen horses was com-
ing right into our camp, the excitement of the men in their eager
hurry to bring on the combat, broke over all bounds and restraints.
A melee followed, Lieutenant Thatcher being quite as much flur-
ried as the men. Firing began while the Indians were in the mid-
INDIAN TROUBLES 55
die of the river, with the result above stated. Had cooler heads
commanded, we should almost certainly have secured all of the
horses and probably the thieves as well, including, as I believe,
the noted 'Bigfoot' who was their leader and boss horse thief of
the plains.
"On looking over the ground after the skirmish, we discovered
the tracks of a band of Indians numbering ten or twelve who had
crossed the river at that point two or three days before our en-
counter of that morning, going north. We also discovered and
measured Bigfoot's track, which was seventeen and a half inches
long by six inches wide at the junction of the metatarsus with the
toes. At that time we had no knowledge of the man, but the
enormous size of his track attracted our attention and so aroused
our curiosity that careful measurements of its dimensions were
made, and no little discussion indulged in as to whether or not it
was a human track. A year or two later, the possessor of the
abnormally sized foot had become famous because of his connec-
tion with and known leadership of gangs of Bannock horse thieves,
who. though less bold than formerly, still raided the ranches of
the settlers whenever opportunity offered. This continued down *
to 1868, when Bigfoot was killed in an encounter with a highway-
man named Wheeler, after which wholesale horse stealing by the
Bannocks became obsolete, but not so much because of a growth
of moral sentiment among the tribes, as because no other such bold
and skillful leader could be found to take the place of the fallen
chief.
"On the morning after our skirmish with the horse thieves and
capture of horses, we set out for the headwaters of the Bruneau
and Owyhee Rivers, going up between the Bruneau and Salmon
Creek. It was about the last of April, according to my recollec-
tion of dates, and while the days went pleasantly enough on Snake
River, the temperature lowered rapidly as we ascended the moun-
tains, and two days after leaving the sunny and picturesque scene
at the mouth of the Bruneau, we were enveloped in a dense cloud
of falling snow, a very disagreeable experience for men to undergo
who hoped for no reward for their services and risk, whose sock-
less feet were exposed to the frosts through rents in boots that
were only boots by courtesy of a name, and whose clothing would
have served admirably for the attirements of a battalion of scare-
crows, but afforded little protection to a human body against a
mountain blizzard.
"Pursuing a southwesterly course, we crossed the Bruneau at a
point forty or fifty miles from its confluence with the Snake, and
keeping up the mountains in about the same direction, must have
56 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
been on or at the foot of War Eagle Mountain in our journeyings.
For one of our party, whose name should have been preserved,
picked up a piece of silver ore during our travels and on his re-
turn, carried it with him to Placerville, which circumstance led to
to the discovery later on of the world-famed quartz mines at Silver
City.
"During the two or three weeks that elapsed between the time
of our leaving Snake River and our arrival and encampment near
a small lake, somewhere in the Owyhee Mountains (I cannot lo-
cate the lake with any degree of precision, though I understand
there is such a lake a few miles out of Silver City), we traversed
great extents of lava, mahogany thickets and great mountains of
broken rock, probably a basaltic lava, which on steep hillsides
would slide under our horses' feet, carrying the animals with it
twenty or thirty feet or more. During all of that time, no Indians
were found, and the 'boys' were 'getting hungry for a fight/ as
they expressed it. It was therefore agreed that we should camp
at a point near the lake, which we had not yet found, and send out
scouts to scour the country. Taking the responsibility of this
work upon himself, Lieutenant Thatcher selected ten men and sal-
lied forth just after nightfall in quest of game. Failing in his
search, he returned on the following morning and retired to sleep
off the fatigues of the night's search for the ubiquitous foe. It
was still snowing, but by nine or ten o'clock in the morning, the
rays of the resurrected sun had dispelled the clouds, and the glare
of a cold, bright day lighted up the dreadful scene.
"Having breakfasted and saddled our horses, we moved camp,
going about ten miles, when mutterings of discontent became so
loud and general that in deference to a peremptory demand of a
majority of the company, a camp was made and T. J. Sutton, at
the head of four men as resolute and determined as could be found
in the world (viz: James F. Cheatly, Frank Crabtree, Thomas
Cook and Wall Lawrence) started out to find Indians. They had
orders, however, to be back by twelve o'clock of the following day,
but knowing that the men would desert and go home if he reported
no Indians, their leader ignored orders and continued his travels
until the morning of the second day out, when a camp of Reds
was discovered on what I now think was Jordan Creek. It had
no name at that time. Having made sure that we were not dis-
covered by the Indians, the little party stealthily retraced their
steps and by riding all night and until noon next day, reached
camp, to find the captain of the scouts booked for punishment for
disobedience of orders. The scouts rode nonchalantly into camp
and dismounted among as surly and desperate a gang of men as
INDIAN TROUBLES 57
could be found anywhere. Indifferent to their scowls and oaths,
the captain of the scouts made his way to Lieutenant Greenwood's
tent and made his report. He had two reasons for this. First, he
recognized in the lieutenant a warm, personal friend whose cour-
age no degree of danger could daunt. Second, he realized that
the least misstep might precipitate a riot that would terminate in
a slaughter, and he was confident of Greenwood's ability to avert
the threatened catastrophe. The lieutendant received the report
with a grim smile and a 'thank you' that meant a good deal, and
rising to his feet, went outside his tent, and calling the men before
him (they all respected the brave lieutenant), he said: 'Boys,
the scouts have found Indians enough to give us a fight that will
be interesting, and we will go for them tomorrow morning/ This
information was received with a burst of applause that made the
hill tremble, but declaring the news too good to be true, the cap-
tain of the scouts was called out and questioned. His answers and
explanations 'restored confidence.' 'Peace reigned in Warsaw.'
Preparations for the march were begun, and when morning once
more illumined the face of the earth, a happy, jesting throng of
devil-may-care men were riding rapidly over the hills in the direc-
tion of the doomed horse thieves, who, unconscious of their near-
ing danger, watched their stolen herd in the sweet little valley
that was so soon to be their graves. The first day of our journey
only developed the fact that we had not succeeded in reaching a
point from which we could determine the whereabouts of the
Indian camp. Early the next morning, Cheatly, Greenwood and
Sutton rode away while the company was preparing to move, and
ascending an elevation 500 feet above the surrounding country,
swept the horizon with a telescope, but no landmark or other fa-
miliar object rewarded their observation. Descending they re-
turned to the company, and requesting Lieutenant Thatcher to
meet them at a knoll far to the southeastward of us, Greenwood and
party reinforced by Riddle and Lawrence, went forth to recon-
noitre. They rode hard, and at about one o'clock in the afternoon
had the satisfaction of again discovering the hiding place of the
enemy. The Indians were still unguarded and evidently unsus-
picious of lurking danger.
Hastening back to the company, the cheering news was im-
parted to them. A shout of gladness was their answer. The com-
pany pushed on, 'hurting for a fight,' as some of them expressed
it, and when another day dawned, having secreted ourselves about
a mile from the encampment of thieves and determined its exact
location, the slumbering wretches were aroused from their couches
by the clamor and tumult of charging horsemen and belching six-
58 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
shooters, to perish in a strife again a recklessness of assault that
would have paralyzed a much braver foe. Three squaws and two
children were killed in the terrible melee and confusion in which
a rain of lead produced a whirlwind of fright and a harvest of
death. Thirteen warriors were slain, but enough survived to
stampede the horses we had hoped to secure, and to escape with
them to the high mountains at the head of the Owyhee River. Two
female prisoners were taken after the fight, both of whom were
probably murdered by Bob Emery, known as 'Yankee Bob,' but
this was not done with the consent nor connivance of the officers
or men, nor with their knowledge. The purpose had in view
when they were taken was to get a confession from them that
would enable us to capture the escaped Indians and secure their
horses. Finding it impossible to learn anything from them, Lieu-
tenant Fisher ordered their release while on the march. They were
accordingly turned loose and a scant supply of provisions given
them — as much as we could spare — and the company moved on
leaving them in the sagebrush. A few minutes after this, shots
were heard in the rear of the company and Yankee Bob was ab-
sent from the ranks. Men were dispatched in the direction of the
place where the firing had been done, who met Bob coming up and
were informed by him that he had been 'firing at a rabbit/ His
statement was accepted as true and nothing more thought of the
incident until the bodies of the women were found two or three
days later, perforated with bullets.
"This statement is made because it was falsely charged at the
time by Bill May field and other enemies of Captain Standifer
that men, women and children were indiscriminately slaughtered
by his command. Exactly the reverse was true. In no instance
that I know of, were non-combatants killed except the one above
related, and while neither Standifer nor his subalterns knew of
or could have averted that atrocity, its perpetration was not with-
out palliating excuses. Emery had a sister in the horrible Bruneau
butchery of a few years before, who suffered indignities that can-
not be told in print, and in retaliation he had sworn that no
Bannock Indian should ever escape him alive. But after the above
incident, no opportunity was given him to gratify his just pas-
sion for revenge.
"While the events here recorded were transpiring, Captain Stan-
difer with his portion of the company was 'cleaning up the Mal-
heur country/ Several bands of Indians were routed and destroyed
in that section and two little children — a boy and a girl — made
prisoners. The boy was taken to Placerville and given to John
Kelley, the noted violinist, who raised him to manhood. Much to
INDIAN TROUBLES 59
the surprise of everybody, the youngster developed into a contor-
tionist of superior powers and was exhibited by Mr. Kelley in
various parts of the world. The girl was also given a home, but
I never heard what became of her.
"After the fight on what I believe to have been Jordan Creek,
and the murder of the two unfortunate squaws, Thatcher and
Greenwood's party, finding their provisions scant, with no signs
of more Indians in the vicinity, seventeen men led by the writer
of this and provided with ten days' rations, started to the head
of the Owyhee River, the rest returning to Boise Basin. I had
forgotten to mention the fact that we had crossed the Bruneau and
Owyhee rivers before the fight on Jordan Creek. Going up the
river about a day's journey, we came upon the trail of the herd of
horses we had failed to secure at the fight. Following this for a
couple of days, we came upon a freshly abandoned camp. Fires
were still burning, but nothing had been left except a dog. That
some of the party killed, and we again went forward on the trail,
which was now fresh, but night came on and the herd had not been
overtaken. About 11 o'clock the next day the trail gave out and
a search disclosed that the animals had been scattered all over
the plain. This had been done to baffle pursuit. But we pushed
on, stimulated by the hope of a big capture, and soon came into a
plain trail, so plain that 100 horses must have passed to make it.
A little after dark that evening, we observed lights ahead of us
and across the Owyhee River, but could do nothing that night. At
daybreak the next morning we were again in the saddle, only to
learn to our great disappointment and mortification, that our game
had taken advantage of the opportunity afforded them to steal
away under the cover of night.
"We followed a few miles farther and finding that they had
gone into the deep snows on Stein's Mountain, and that our supply
of provisions was about exhausted, we retraced our steps, reaching
the ferry at the mouth of the Owyhee after a two days' fast.
Finding no provisions there, we were accompanied by the ferry-
man, Lewis Rambow, to the mouth of the Payette, where our wants
were cheerfully and liberally supplied by a packer named Sloan.
"Of the names of that collection of 'rough diamonds/ I can now
recall only these: (Jeff) J. J. Standifer, James Greenwood, Geo.
W. Thatcher, James F. Cheatly, Eli Riddle, Wall Lawrence, F.
M Scott, Green Martin, Sam McLeod, J. S. Lewis, Dave Ficirall,
Dave C. Updyke, Wes Jenkings, Nat Crabtree, Frank Crabtree,
Ben Marmaduke, Thomas Cook, Dan Tolbert, W. H. Sutton, 'Doc/
Morey, Dr. David H. Belknap, Dr. J. H. Ratson, 'Doc.' Leather-
man, Jas. Aukey, Bob Emery, J. M. Cummings, Wooley,
60 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Chas. Allender, John Black, A. E. Callaway, John Benfield, John
G. Bell, Carroll, Jas. McCuen, Warwick, Matt.
Bledsoe, Lafe Gates, Sam Hendy, James Matthews, Jesse Peters,
Geo. Riley, Buck Strickland, Andrew Jenkins, Packard,
Gerry Anderson, T. J. Sutton, and 'Mountain Jack,* the latter so
called because he did not know his own name. From his earliest rec-
ollections he was attached to a family of Buffalo Snake Indians.
He knew nothing of his parentage or origin; dressed as an Indian
and spoke the Snake language in 1863 much more fluently than he
did English. He used a bow and arrow or a gun with equal facil-
ity and felicity, and could follow a trail as unerringly as a blood
hound. According to his own account of himself, he was a slave
until he was old enough to prove his valor and prowess in battle,
when because of certain clandestine exploits as a warrior, he was
relieved from the degredation of drudging with the women and
permitted to carry arms, after which his lot was one of compara-
tive ease. In a conversation on the subject, he stated to the writer
of this that he preferred the life of a white man to that he led
with the Indians, but he feared the insinuations and jeers of which
he was constantly the victim would force him to return to the tribe
he had voluntarily abandoned, and there was logic in his fears. For
while out with our party rendering the excellent service he did, it
was no uncommon thing to hear him spoken of, in tones meant for
his ear, as 'that damned Indian/ and in many other and far less
complimentary terms. These insults he was frequently inclined to
resent to the endangering of his own and other lives and would
certainly have done so but for the influence which Lieutenant Green-
wood and myself had acquired over him.
"The history of such a being is worth preserving because of the
forcibleness with which it illustrates the risks and dangers encoun-
tered by immigrants who dared the savage in his desert retreats
when 'the plains' were to nearly all men a realm of mystery and
terror that few cared to enter, and where many who entered dis-
appeared as completely as if swallowed by the sea. That 'Jack' had
been captured by the savages in some scene of blood cannot be
doubted. His fair complexion, blue eyes, flaxen hair and pro-
nounced German features demonstrated the purity of his Cau-
cassian blood, but the incidents of his capture and the fate of his
parents are secrets that have perished with the actors in the great
drama of the plains half a century ago."
CHAPTER XII.
RUSH TO BOISE BASIN MINES, PACKING, SADDLE TRAINS, MERCHANDIS-
ING, MINING, ETC.
Early in April, 1863, the rush for the Boise Basin mines started
in earnest from California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington Ter-
ritory. Not only miners, but merchants, packers, ranchers, sport-
ing men, lawyers and an occasional preacher were in the throng.
Many came by steamer from San Francisco to Portland, and there
took the Oregon Steam Navigation Company's steamers for Uma-
tilla or Wallula, as these places were the head of navigation for
these mines. Wallula was 22 miles further up the river than Uma-
tilla and a few miles further from the mines, but the fare, however,
was the same to either place and the rate for freight the same. Tke
object of this was to boom the towns of Walla Walla and Wallula
and for a time the travel was very nearly equally divided between
Umatilla and Wallula. Some brought saddle horses and a few
pack animals, but the majority were without animals, and were not
prepared to purchase when they arrived at Umatilla or Wallula.
Frequently three, four or five of them would join together and
purchase one pack animal and pack it with their blankets and a
small supply of provisions, lead the animal and walk to the Basin.
Many would buy a lunch, roll it up in their blankets, shoulder them
and "hit the road" in a few minutes after they landed from the
steamer, trusting to replenish their stock of grub at some packer's
camp or at some of the temporary stations established on the road
for the purpose of collecting toll on some trail or horse-bridge and
also for selling something to drink. We cannot say it was whiskey,
although called by that name ; at any rate, a little of it went a long
ways.
Another class of men who came did not seem to be in such a
rush. They preferred to hire transportation for themselves and
their baggage and have some one go with them who knew some-
thing about the country and the road, and who would pack a suf-
ficient supply of provisions along for the trip, and when the time
came to camp, look out for the animals. This kind of traveling
came under the name of "saddle trains." The owner of the train
would furnish each passenger with a horse and a saddle so he could
ride, would also pack a small amount of baggage for each person
and furnish sufficient amount of substantial provisions for the
trip, with the necessary cooking utensils. The passengers did the
62 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
cooking in camp while the train master looked after the animals,
packing, etc. The fare for this trip was fifty dollars and each
passenger was expected to pay in advance. Toll cost about ten dol-
lars for the round trip for each animal, and added to this was the
cost of the grub, the shoeing of the animals, the wages for the
train-master, and frequently the loss of a horse or two. It took
about fourteen days for the round trip and then horses and train-
master had to lay off for a week to rest from the hard trip, so it
will be seen that all they took in was not clear profit. Besides, it
was seldom there was any travel on the down trip, excepting in
the fall, and the travel up by that time would be very light.
The writer engaged in this business with a man by the name of
William Ish. We sent out one small train to the Auburn mines on
Powder River in Oregon from Walla Walla about the 10th day of
April, 1863, and on the 18th day of April, I left Walla Walla with
a saddle train of sixteen passengers and four pack animals for
Placerville in Boise Basin. This was the beginning of the saddle
train business in the Boise Basin mines.
I would like to state here that I have traveled and "roughed" it
a great deal in this western country with many different men, but
these sixteen passengers who were all California miners were the
best all-round traveling companions I ever had. Every man did
hia part in camp ; no grumbling or growling on the road, but on the
contrary, all were always pleasant and agreeable. They were well-
informed, intelligent men. This partner of mine did not care
much about going on the road. He was, however, a good rustler
to get passengers, but was not very particular to get competent
men to take charge of the train, so I would usually meet the trains
he sent out and send the man or men back with my animals and
take charge of the train going to the Basin. In this way I was
kept on the upper part of the road for several months. My part-
ner soon moved headquarters to Umatilla on the Columbia, where
th~ most of the passengers were now landing from the steamboats.
Very soon other saddle trains started to carrying passengers and
the fare was reduced to forty dollars and later to thirty dollars.
By September the travel to the Basin was almost over for the
season, so we engaged in packing. In the Spring of 1864, we com-
menced the stage business, of which we shall speak later on.|
The population of the mining camps in Boise Basin in the Sum-
mer of 1863 was variously estimated from fifteen to twenty thou-
sand, mostly men. It took great quantities of provisions, tools,
etc., to supply the demand. Everything had to be packed on ani-
mals from Umatilla or Walla Walla, except a small amount, prin-
cipally flour, which came from Salt Lake City, Utah. A great many
RUSH TO BOISE BASIN 63
pack mules and horses were necessary to transport these supplies
as it was necessary to get in enough to last through the Winter
and until trains could come in again in the Spring.
Packing was quite a good business freight ranging from sixteen
to twenty-five cents per pound. The placer mines at Idaho City,
Centerville, Placerville, Pioneer and Granite Creek all paid well.
Money was plenty and the miners spent it freely. A number of
men went into the mercantile business and the majority of them
laid in heavy stocks for Winter and Spring use. For these they
paid high freights and many of them lost money, for merchan-
dise was cheaper in the Spring of 1864 than in the Fall of 1863,
owing to the overstock. Saloons were plentiful and did a thriving
business. Hotels and restaurants made money. One or more feed
stables were started in each camp. The owners of these places
had hay cut from small bottoms near by — a kind of swamp grass.
This hay was baled and packed into the towns. They also had
small stocks of grain packed from Oregon. Oats were retailed
at fifty cents per pound in small quantities, or forty cents per
pound by the sack. Hay in small quantities sold at forty cents
per pound and baled hay, weighing two hundred pounds or more,
twenty-five cents per pound. I paid twenty-five cents per pound
by the bale for a very poor quality of hay to feed my pack ani-
mals, both in Placerville and Idaho City in December, 1863. This
may seem an exaggeration, but it is true. Another instance of
high prices: I delivered a cargo of goods in Idaho City late in the
month of October, 1863, and knowing the grass near the road for
fifteen miles out was pretty well eaten off, I had my cargo un-
loaded as soon as possible and stacked near the merchant's store
for whom I was packing, and started my train out for grass, keep-
ing only one man with me, and our saddle mules. We intended
to deliver and check up the freight with the merchant and go to
our camp that night. We led our two saddle mules into a feed
yard and I requested the man in charge to give them a good feed
of hay. We then delivered and checked up the freight without
delay, received our freight money and concluded we would go to
a restaurant and get something to eat. On our way to the res-
taurant, we stopped at this feed yard to see how our mules were
faring. They were tied to the fence close together and I could
not see a spear of hay near either of them. I spoke to the man
in charge saying, "You have tied our mules, but you have forgotten
to feed them hay." He answered that he had fed them but that
they had eaten it all up. I told him to give them some more. He
replied in this way: "I will give them more, but I want you to
understand that I charge forty cents per pound for hay/ I told
64 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
him to go on and feed them and I would pay for it. We went to
the restaurant and were back in half an hour. I called for the
amount I owed him for feeding the two mules. The bill amounted
to thirteen dollars and sixty cents, the man claiming he had fed
the mules just thirty-four pounds of hay. I paid the bill and
we started for camp where mules could eat the grass that nature
provided free of charge.
Considering the variety and different classes of people, also the
number of saloons and the amount of gambling carried on in
these mining camps, the general conduct of the people was good.
True, there was occasionally a tough character, but they were few,
all things considered.
The mines were generally worked by shoveling the dirt and
gravel into a string of sluice boxes or sometimes rockers. The
gold was what might be termed "coarse, fine gold," and was easily
saved by having a number of slats put in across the sluice boxes.
The water would carry the dirt and gravel down the sluice boxes
and the gold would settle to the bottom and lodge against one of
these cross riffles or slats in the sluice boxes. When they wished
to clean up, they would stop shoveling in the boxes, turn the water
off, scrape up whatever was lodged against these riffles in the
sluice boxes, wash or pan it out, then they would have the clean
gold. After drying it, they could weigh it in gold scales and tell
what they were making per day.
These clean-ups were generally satisfactory, usually amounting
from ten to one hundred dollars per day for each day's work.
This gold had combined with it a considerable amount of silver
which reduced its market or coin value down to from fourteen to
sixteen dollars per ounce. We have no accurate means of know-
ing the amount taken from these mines in 1863, but it is esti-
mated at about five million dollars.
CHAPTER XIII.
DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN OWYHEE AND ROCKY BAR.
On May 18, 1863, about twenty-eight men on a prospecting tour,
led by Michael Jordan, camped on what is now called Jordan
Creek in Owyhee County, about six miles below where Booneville
now stands, and began to prospect for placer mines. They pros-
pected the creek for a few miles below their camp and for ten
miles up the creek, finding very good prospects all along the
creek. After a few days, some of these men returned to the
Boise Basin for supplies and when they came back, there was a
rush of miners for these mines and soon all of the creek was lo-
cated. This creek is a small stream, excepting in the Spring when
the snows are melting.
The towns of Booneville and Ruby City were located on this
stream for trading posts. The former place was located by a
man by the name of Boone, hence the name. As for the other
little town, the name was given because some quartz had been dis-
covered there that contained ruby silver.
These placer mines were not very extensive, being confined
mostly to the creek, the bottom land and the bars. The moun-
tains came down close on either side so the strip was quite narrow.
The quality of the gold was medium coarse and was very pretty,
but owing to a large amount of silver combined with the gold, the
value was only about twelve dollars to the ounce. As these placer
mines were easily worked and not very extensive, by the second
year they were almost worked out but in the meantime, many of
the prospectors had discovered and located good quartz claims.
The same year, 1863, some prospecting was done up the South
Fork of the Boise River and its tributaries at and near what is now
known as Rocky Bar, then in Alturas County, now Elmore County.
Some placer gold was found on Boise River and its tributaries,
but neither very rich nor extensive.
Another town was located and named Esmeralda and became
the county seat of Alturas County. Quite a number of good gold
quartz ledges were discovered in this camp, which proved to be
better than the placer mines.
His-5
CHAPTER XIV.
THE MURDER OF LLOYD MAGRUDER AND OTHERS BY LOWRY, HOWARD
AND ROMAIN THEIR CAPTURE AND RETURN BY HILL BEACHY
THEIR TRIAL, CONVICTION AND EXECUTION
AT LEWISTON, IDAHO.
Lloyd Magruder was a prominent packer and trader in the
northern and northeastern mining camps in Idaho Territory, whose
headquarters was at Lewiston, which place is situated on the north
bank of Snake River at the junction of Clearwater River with
Snake River in Idaho. In August, 1863, Mr. Magruder pur-
chased a cargo of miners' supplies and loaded his pack train of
some sixty to seventy mules, to pack into and sell in the mining
camp of Virginia City, then in Idaho, now in Montana, a distance
from Lewiston of about 300 miles.
At that time the late Hill Beachy was keeping the principal hotel
in Lewiston. He and Magruder were old acquaintances and warm
friends. After Mr. Magruder had loaded his train of mules and
started them out on the trail, leaving his men in charge, he turned
and rode to Mr. Beachy's hotel to bid his old-time friend good-bye,
expecting to return in about three months to meet his family and
friends that he was leaving behind. It is said that Mr. Beachy
was talking to his wife about Mr. Magruder when the latter rode
up to bid him good-bye. Mr. Beachy had said to his wife that he
had had a dream the night before about his friend Magruder that
troubled him very much. He dreamed that his friend had been at-
tacked in the mountains and had been murdered and robbed. How-
ever, he exchanged greetings with Mr. Magruder cheerfully, and
before he left, Mr. Beachy loaned Mr. Magruder a fine gun for him
to take on his trip.
The trail which Mr. Magruder had to travel over was through a
wild, unsettled, mountainous country, but was passable for pack
and saddle animals. Mr. Magruder with his men and pack animals
moved along without any accident worthy of note, making the
usual drives for pack animals of from ten to fifteen miles per day,
until within a few days' travel of his destination, when they were
overtaken by a party of men on horseback from Lewiston. There ap-
pears to have been eight in the party, most of whom Magruder
had met in Lewiston, but he knew nothing of the character of any
of these men. They all seemed pleased to overtake Mr. Magruder
and willing to help him with his packing the balance of the trip,
MURDER OF MAGRUDER 67
and all the pay they asked was their grub. Everything went on
smoothly and well. They reached their destination all right. Mr.
Magruder opened up his goods for sale in Virginia City, which was
then a new and rich placer mining camp. Money was plentiful
among the miners, but supplies were scarce, so Mr. Magruder
found sale for his goods at good prices.
Of the men who* had overtaken Magruder, D. C. Lowry, David
Howard and James Remain belonged to the class called "road
agents," or murderous robbers. Wm. Page was a mountaineer trap-
per and sometimes worked at mining; Bob Zachary and three oth-
ers whose names are unknown, were miners. They left Magruder
on their arrival at Virginia City and went to work mining. The
other four hung around Magruder's camp, assisted him some in
taking care of his pack animals and watched the rapid sale of his
goods and the large amounts of gold dust taken in by him for the
sale of his goods, stopping and boarding most of the time at Ma-
gruder's camp.
About the middle of October, Mr. Magruder had sold out the
last of his goods and desired to return to Lewiston with his pack
train as soon as possible, before snow fell and obstructed travel on
the mountain trail that it was necessary for him to travel in order
to reach his home. In the meantime, the men who had helped him
pack through from Lewiston had quit and gone to work in the
mines. Here Magruder now had some twenty-five to thirty thou-
sand dollars of gold coin and gold dust and a large train of pack
mules, all of which he wanted to get to Lewiston, and the only way
was over the long mountainous trail that he had come in on, where
there were no settlements and but little travel. The first thing to be
done was to get help to drive his pack train, care for them and help
to protect his treasure. The three men before mentioned, Lowry,
Howard and Remain, had acted so clever with Magruder that he had
come to the conclusion that they were very good men and they
seemed willing to go back with Magruder to Lewiston and help
him get his train through, so they were engaged, and so was Wil-
liam Page, the trapper, who had come with the other three. In ad-
dition to these four, Mr. Magruder engaged a Mr. Phillips and a
Mr. Allen and also two young men from Missouri, names unknown,
who had been mining and were supposed to have about two thou-
sand dollars each in gold dust, making a crew of eight besides him-
self.
They started out; everything went well until they had gotten
about two-thirds of the way to Lewiston. They camped near the
summit of a mountain, near a spring on one side of the camp, and
a deep canyon on the other side.
68 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
It appears from the testimony, that an agreement had been made
between Howard, Lowry and Remain, that at this camp they would
kill Mr. Magruder, Phillips, Allen and the two young men from
Missouri. They decided not to kill William Page, the mountain
trapper, as he was so well acquainted with all the mountain trails
that he might be of service to them.
As near as can be ascertained, Page was put on guard duty that
night with the animals and was told what was going to to be done
and ordered to keep his mouth shut under penalty of death, and a
further promise of an equal division of the money they expected
to get if he did as directed, which he did. Magruder and Lowry
were on guard away from camp a short distance. Phillips, Allen
and the other two young men were in bed, supposed to be asleep.
Between ten and eleven o'clock, Lowry managed to get up close
behind Magruder with an axe which he had concealed, and struck
Magruder a powerful blow on the head which knocked him sense-
less to the ground. Lowry followed up his murderous assault with
more blows, then went quickly to the camp where he, Howard and
Romain soon killed the other four that were sleeping, in the same
way. Page, who was watching the mules nearby, claims that he
saw all of these murders committed.
The next thing, after securing the money, was to pick out some
of the best mules to ride, and then drive the balance of them into
the deep canyon and kill them, then to tie up the dead men into
blankets and roll them over a steep precipice into the canyon,
then to burn up all the camp equipage, including apparahoes, ropes,
etc. All this time these murderers were wearing moccasins on their
feet (with which they had supplied themselves) to make it appear
to any persons who might come that way that Indians had com-
mitted the foul murders.
Then with the money and a small amount of provisions, they
started, mounted on the best animals in the train, one of them on
Mr. Magruder's fine saddle mule and his elegant saddle. They
expected to ford the Clearwater River above Lewiston and keep
down on the west side of Snake River, but they were disappointed
in that. Cold weather had set in and there was so much ice in the
river they feared to undertake to ford it, so they came into Lew-
iston after night, disguising themselves as best they could. They
left their animals with a stock-ranchman and took the stage for
Walla Walla before day next morning, under fictitious names. On
arriving in Walla Walla, a distance of eighty-five miles from Lew-
iston, they boarded another stage for Wallula, a distance of thirty-
one miles. Here they boarded a steam boat on the Columbia River,
MURDER OF MAGRUDER 69
went to Portland, remained there a few days, and took the first
ocean steamer for San Francisco, California.
Mr. Beachy was so firmly convinced in his own mind that the
men who had come into Lewiston in the night and left in dis-
guise by stage before day, had murdered his friend Magruder
that he went before the proper officer and made complaint, had a
warrant issued for their arrest and himself appointed a deputy
sheriff to make the arrest, got a requisition from the Governor
(who was then residing in Lewiston) for the men, on the Gover-
nors of Washington Territory, Oregon and California, at any
place they might be found, and would have started the next day
after them, but many of his friends thought he was too hasty,
and had better wait a few days more for news of Magruder, as it
was not quite time for him to come in, from the last reports from
him.
After a few days, Mr. Beachy heard of these supposed mur-
derers having left some animals to be put out on a ranch. He had the
animals and saddles brought into Lewiston for examination. As
soon as he saw them he recognized Mr. Magruder's fine saddle
mule and saddle, and a number of others also recognized the ani-
mals as Magruder's. This removed all doubt and Mr. Beachy
prepared to start at once.
Just before he started, some packers came in from the same
place that Magruder had started from, and from them it was
learned that Magruder had left three days before they had, to
travel the same trail. They had not seen or heard of him on the
trail. These packers also stated that Lowry, Howard, Romain and
Page and four other men were with Magruder and that they all
expected to come through with him to Lewiston. This with the
silent evidence furnished by the presence of some of Magruder's
mules and his riding saddle, seemed to remove all doubt and point
straight to the four men who had brought the mules in and took
the stage in the night, and to fully confirm in the minds of Mr.
Beachy and many others that Lowry, Howard, Romain and Page
were the men that had gone by stage to Walla Walla a few nights
before, and that they were the men that had murdered Magruder
and party.
Mr. Beachy engaged Tom Pike to go with him. They took a
private conveyance for Walla Walla, changing horses several times
on the road. From Walla Walla they went to Wallula, thence to
Portland by steamer. Here they learned that four men answering
the description of the men wanted, had been in Portland a few
days, but had left by steamer for San Francisco the day before,
and while in Portland they had been drinking and gambling and
70 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
exhibited a large amount of gold dust, a few thousand dollars of
which they had deposited in faro banks. At that time the steam-
ers did not run but three or four times per month between Port-
land and San Francisco, so Mr. Beachy left Mr. Pike to go down
the Columbia River and search the small towns along the Washing-
ton coast, for fear they might have gotten off the steamer, and if
he failed to find them, to take the next ocean stamer for San
Francisco, and he (Beachy) took the stage overland for San
Francisco.
Mr. Beachy reached Yreka by stage after three days and
nights' hard traveling. This was the northern end of the tele-
graph line at that date, 1863. Here Mr. Beachy telegraphed a
description of the four men to the chief of police at San Francisco,
with instructions, if found, to arrest and hold them until he got
there. Captain Lees, chief of police, soon located the four men,
arrested and confined them in prison to await Beachy's arrival. In
the meantime, Captain Lees had learned that these men had de-
posited a large amount of gold dust in the United States Mint for
coinage. This was a strong circumstance against the men.
After a few days Mr. Beachy arrived, almost worn out with fa-
tigue and loss of sleep, but his courage had not waned in the least.
The first thing he did on his arrival was to hunt up the chief of
police, when he was informed by the police that he had the men
safe. Beachy would not rest a moment until he was conducted to
the place of their confinement, and the men were shown to him.
He recognized them all as the men he was after. They also rec-
ognized Mr. Beachy. They exchanged greetings and Mr. Beachy
told the men that he had charged them with the murder of Mr.
Magruder and others, and that he had come with the necessary
papers to take them back to Lewiston, Idaho, to be tried for
murder. Lowry, Howard and Romain protested that they knew
nothing of the Magrudy murder, and even made some threats
against Beachy, that when they got out they would get even with
him for the trouble he was making for them. Mr. Beachy, with
his accustomed coolness, replied that they would not get out of
this scrape, but that they should have a fair trial. Page made
some signs to Beachy, which indicated to Beachy that he (Page)
would tell all about what they had done if he was given a chance
to speak separate and away from the other three. This oppor-
tunity was afforded him soon after, and he told the whole story of
the murder of Magruder and others as recited before in this chap-
ter.
These three murderers gave Mr. Beachy some little trouble by
applying through an attorney to the court for a writ of habeas
MURDER OF MAGRUDER 71
corpus to discharge them, but it was very promptly denied by the
court. By this time Tom Pike had arrived, so Mr. Beachy en-
gaged Captain Lees, and he (Beachy) Pike and Captain Lees
brought the four men safely to Lewiston. They were met on the
bank of the river near the town by a large crowd of good citizens
who had become convinced beyond any doubt that Mr. Beachy had
the men that had committed the murder, so they met them with a
rope for each man, prepared to make a short job of dealing out jus-
tice to them. But Mr. Beachy said, "No, gentlemen, I have given
my word to the Judge and the Governor of California and to Cap-
tain Lees, and also to these men, that they shall have a fair trial
by a court and a jury, and I want to keep my promise." The voice
of no man, save and except Beachy's, could have caused these peo-
ple to halt in their determination to execute the criminals on the
spot. But they all respected, loved and admired Mr. Beachy for
the many noble things he had done, and especially for what he had
done in bringing these men to the bar of justice. When Mr. Beachy
finished his short but firm talk, order was restored and the people
repaired to their respective avocations, satisfied that what Mr.
Beachy said was right and they would not interfere in any way to
obstruct the ends of justice to be dealt out by the courts. The men
were confined and safely guarded.
Mr. Beachy arrived in Lewiston with his prisoners about the 7th
of December, 1863, and the first term of the District Court held in
the Territory of Idaho met in Lewiston about the 5th of January,
1864, Judge Samuel C. Parks, presiding. A grand jury was called.
Wm. Page, the old trapper and miner, was allowed to testify as a
witness. He told the story of the murders committed as related be-
fore. Mr. Magruder's mules, saddle and the gold dust the prisoners
had, all went to corroborate Page's testimony. It was shown by
other testimony that Magruder and men left the mining camp after
he had sold his goods for a large amount of money and had started
for Lewiston, but had not arrived and had not been heard of, only
what Page had told. With the corroborating testimony, it seemed
there could be no doubt about the truth of Page's testimony. The
reason that no attempt was made to go to the place where the mas-
sacre took place was that before they learned of the location, the
snow had fallen many feet deep and the trail was impassable. The
following summer when the snow had melted, Mr. Beachy, Mr.
Page and others went to the place where the murders had been com-
mitted and found the skeletons of the men, mules and everything
just as Page had described it.
The grand jury indicted the three men, Lowry, Howard and Ro-
main. They were put on trial before a fair and competent judge
72 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
and a jury of good men. They were found guilty of murder in
the first degree. The late Milton Kelly, E. T. Gray and Wm. C.
Rheam acted the part of prosecutors for the Territory, and the late
W. W. Thayer of Oregon, and John W. Anderson, defended the
prisoners. Over one hundred and fifty men were summoned for
jurors before twelve men were agreed upon, and several days' time
was consumed in getting the jury. On the 19th day of January,
1864, the jury was sworn to try the case. The trial was contested
closely by both the prosecution and the defense and lasted four
days. On January 26th, 1864, the prisoners were brought into
court for sentence. We here give Judge Parks' talk to the priso-
ners for the same reason that the Honorable Judge made the talk,
namely, that it may tend to deter others from committing like or
other crimes.
Judge Parks said:
"The duty which I am now called upon to perform is one of the
most painful of my life. I am to pronounce a sentence which will
consign to an early and infamous death three young men, each in
the prime of life and strength. A few years since you left your
homes, all respectable, all with useful and honorable occupations,
all with high hopes and all the objects of the love of relatives and
friends. You had more than ordinary energy and intelligence and
might have made useful and influential men in your day and gen-
eration, been respected and upheld by all good citizens. How dif-
ferent is the picture you present today! You are degraded and
abandoned, outcast, universally regarded as the implacable enemies
of humanity. You have not only the Territory of Idaho, but all
civilized society combined against you. I do not say these things
to reproach you, but from a sense of duty. Punishment is inflicted
even upon the worst of criminals, not in a spirit of vengeance nor
to expatiate or atone for these crimes, but to prevent such offenses
in the future, partly by taking away from them the power to do
further mischief, but principally by deterring others by their ex-
ample. In this regard it is right that your lives and crimes should
be commented upon and your dreadful end held up as a warning
to all evil doers. Your history demonstrates clearly the ruinous
effects of idleness and bad company. You abandoned your occu-
pations to hang around saloons, gambling houses and low haunts of
vice. You became the associates of gamblers and then gamblers
yourselves. As there is but one step from gambling to stealing, you
soon became thieves, then robbers and then murderers, of course,
and you have closed your career by one of the most awful trage-
dies ever recorded, one which when it shall be known in all its hor-
rible details, will cause the ear of humanity to tingle.
MURDER OF MAGRUDER 73
What a warning is this to all men to follow respectable pursuits
and to avoid the haunts of vice and the dens of the gambler. Upon
all these sinks of iniquity should be written in letters of fire, 'This
is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.'
"Another thing in your history illustrates and the lesson should
not be lost upon all men inclined to follow in your ways it is that
there is no security to any man in the commission of such crimes,
no matter how wild or remote the place of commission. You vainly
thought that by the murder of your fellow travelers you secured
silence and safety. You burned the blood of Magruder that it
might not reveal your guilt, but like the blood of Abel, it cried to
God against you and the cry was heard and answered. Providence
has not imparted wisdom to guilt and the very means employed by
you to escape, led to suspicion, pursuit and detection. It is a
strange coincidence that your conduct first excited the suspicions of
one of Magruder's friends; that he followed and brought you back
here that you have been tried and condemned close to the desolate
home of the murdered man and in sight and hearing of his widowed
wife and orphan children. The robber and the murderer may learn
from your fate that there is no safety for them and that the way
of the transgressor is indeed hard. If such men have expected
immunity in crime here, let them know that the reign of law and
order has commenced, even in this remote region; that where bad
men array themselves against society, they encounter a power they
can neither resist nor escape, and that the punishment of the law
will be visited upon them.
"You have had a fair trial and been legally convicted and your
punishment will be just. It is my duty to tell you there is no hope
of pardon or escape ; the law gives you but a few days to live. Let
me advise you to employ that time in making what reparation you
can for the evil you have done and in preparing for trial before
that Great Judge at whose bar you will soon stand, whose laws as
well as those of men you have violated; whose goodness you have
abused and whose power you have defied; and it will be the prayer
of all good men that in your final trial you may find a merciful
Judge and that your crimes, numerous and great as they have been,
may be forgiven."
The Judge then sentenced the three convicted men, G. C. Lowry,
David Renton, alias Howard, and James Roumain, to be hanged on
March 4th, 1864, by the neck until dead. These three men were
duly executed in Lewiston in accordance with the sentence pro-
nounced upon them by Judge Samuel C. Parks.
Mr. Hill Beachy saw to it that these prisoners were well guarded
and well treated and that they had a fair trial and that they were
74 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
properly executed and buried. The writer of this was well ac-
quainted with Hill Beachy and can say from a business acquain-
tance with him of several years that he was a man possessed with
a high grade of intelligence and was the soul of honor, was untir-
ing and undaunted in his efforts towards what he believed to be
right. I never knew him to go wrong. In short, he was one of the
noble works of God — an honest, industrious, good man. Had it not
been for his brave, generous and untiring efforts to overhaul and
bring those murderers to the bar of justice, they would most likely
have all escaped.
In due coure of time the gold dust that had been deposited in
the mint at San Francisco by these bad men, through the efforts of
Mr. Beachy, was paid over to Mr. Magruder's widow and children.
Our first legislature was in session at Lewiston during the trial of
these men and became acquainted with all the facts and the part
that Mr. Beachy had acted in the case, and without any solicitation
on his part, they passed a bill appropriating six thousand two hun-
dred and forty-four dollars to be paid out of the Territorial treas-
ury to Hill Beachy for services and for money expended by him
in the pursuit and capture and return of these men. (See 1st Ses-
sion Laws, pp. 625 and 626. Approved February 2, 1864.)
The Judge ordered that the expense of the keeping and trial of
these men should be paid by the Territory, which amounted to
$3.453.30, which amount was retained out of the Territorial por-
tion of property, poll and license tax due the Territory from Nez
Perce County for the years 1864 and 1865, and paid to the hold-
ers of the indebtedness, making the whole expense of this outrageous
murder cost $9,697.30. When we consider the great expense of
following up these men to San Francisco, more than a thousand
miles, and bringing them back to Lewiston and guarding them until
tried, convicted and executed, and the high prices that prevailed in
those days, the expense seems small.
William Page, the man who turned State's evidence, was allowed
to go free. It is said that he was killed a few years later by some
unknown person.
This closes the imperfect history of one of the most brutal and
uncalled for murders that was ever committed by white men.
Hill Beachy for several years after this engaged in the stage
business in Southern Idaho and Nevada and also in mining at Sil-
ver City, Owyhee County, Idaho. He died in 1874, while yet in
the prime of life. May he rest in peace from his honorable earthly
labors !
In the latter part of May, 1864, Hill Beachy, in company with
six other men, took Page and went to the place where Mr. Magru-
MURDER OF MAGRUDER 75
der and the others were murdered. The following account of the
successful search for the bodies of those ill-fated gentlemen was
published in the Lewiston "Age" of June llth:
"Editor Age: Sir — For the satisfaction of the reading public,
we thought it proper to give a little history of facts in regard to a
journey made in search of Magruder and party, or of what little
remained of those who were once our dear friends. We left Elk
City, 29th of May, made Red River Meadows and spent the even-
ing with our friend, George Zeigel.
"May 30th. — Made what is known as the Mountain Meadows,
where we camped. The snow had nearly disappeared, but we were
obliged to tie our horses, as there was scarcely a vestige of any-
thing green to be seen.
"May 31st. — Made a start at 4 o'clock in the morning; we made
Little Salmon about 11 A. M., where we camped, and prospected
for grass. In the afternoon we moved camp some three miles up
the Little Salmon, where we camped for the night. Page expressed
some uneasiness, for he hardly knew where he was, but he left
camp and was absent some three hours. While gone, he discovered
the little prairie where they camped the first night after the murder
of Magruder and party; there he found the leggins they left,
and he knew where he was.
"June 1st. — We made a start at half past 4 A. M. After some
eight or ten miles travel, wet met a Mr. Adams on his way from
Bitter Root, and, as he had the misfortune to lose his provisions in
crossing the Bitter Root River, he was as much pleased to meet us
as we were him. He returned with us to the fatal spot where Ma-
gruder and party fell victims to the demons in human shape. We
arrived at the spot after a long and tedious ride. About 4 o'clock
p. M. we unsaddled our animals, and proceeded to search for the re-
mains. The first thing discovered was the gunnysack of tin cups,
coffee pots, etc., which all who heard the evidence of Page at the
trial of Renton, Lowry and Remain, will remember as being de-
scribed by him. The next discovery was the blankets which were
wound 'round the bodies of the two brothers. The next discovery
was the tent and blankets which Allen and Phillips were lashed up
in. These we searched with care. We found in the pockets of Allen
a portmonie, in which we found two twenty-five cent pieces, Ameri-
can coin, a gold ring, a thimble and some needles. We also found
Allen's watch. We found Phillips' hat; Holt knew it to be Phil-
lips'. Page knew the pants to be Allen's, in which was found the
portmonie. We also found pieces of skull bones in this particular
spot, and some hair said to be, by those who knew, Allen's, also the
under jaw of Allen or Phillips. We also found the under jaw of
76 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
one of the brothers, or supposed to be, as it was near the blankets
which once encased their bodies. We also found two blue jean
coats, in one of which was found the memorandum book, which
shows that the two brothers had $1,658.78 on their persons when
they started for Oregon with Magruder and party. We found in
camp, near the spot where Page saw Allen shot, a piece of his
skull, supposed to have been blown off with the shot-gun. We
found the quartz specimens which were taken from Magruder 's
cantinas, and thrown away by one of the villains. We found the
rings, buckles, etc., as described by Page, buried in the ashes. We
then repaired to the spot where Magruder received that fatal blow,
or, we may say, blows, for we found several pieces of his skull
which was literally hacked to pieces. Oh, what an awful sight ! He
was murdered nearly a half mile from the others. His coat and
vest were somewhat torn by the wolves, but enough was left so
that they looked quite natural. We then went with Page to the
spot where he had thrown the guns. We there found Mr. Beachy's
gun, the one he had loaned to Magruder, and found it to be loaded,
but the caps had been removed. We also found the gun which Page
said belonged to one of the brothers, also one rifle and the shot-
gun which Page said was once Romain's. We found other relics
and things much as described by Page. It makes the heart sick to
think of this horrible tragedy. On our return, we went to the
spot which had been described by Page, and found the remains of
the slaughtered animals. We hope never to witness such a sight
again.
(Signed)
"A. J. COFFIN,
"DAVID REESE,
"MATTHEW ADAMS,
"HILL BEACHY,
"L. O. HOLT,
"JAMES SMITH,
"JOEL D. MARTIN."
CHAPTER XV.
FIRST SESSION OF THE IDAHO LEGISLATURE.
The names of the members of the first session of the Territorial
Legislature of Idaho are as follows:
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
E. B. Waterbury First District
Stanford Capps First District
Lyman Standf ord First District
Joseph Miller Second District
Ephriam Smith Second District
Wm. C. Rheem Third District
A. J. Edwards Third District
President, Joseph Miller.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Joseph Tufts Beaverhead District
C. P. Bodfish Boise County
M. C. Brown Boise County
R. P. Campbell Boise County
Milton Kelley Boise County
W. F. Keithly Boise County
L. C. Miller East Bannock District
Alonzo Leland Idaho County
John Wood Idaho County
L. Bacon Nez Perce County
James A. Orr Shoshone County
Speaker, James Tufts.
The first session of the Idaho Legislature met at Lewiston, Idaho,
on the 7th day of December, A. D. 1863, and held session for sixty
days, as provided by Section 4 of the Organic Act. (See p. 30,
1st Session Laws of Idaho Territory.) This brought the time for
adjournment to February 4, 1864. During this session, the leg-
islature made a general assortment of laws which, when printed,
made a volume of 610 pages, exclusive of the index and a number
of United States laws published in the same volume. Of these
various laws enacted at this session, we will call the attention of
the reader to a few, not with the intention of casting any reflection
upon this honorable body of law-makers, but merely to show the
reader that they were up-to-date men and were equal to any emer-
gency in the line of legislation.
78 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The first we will notice is the creation of counties, and first in
this line was the creation of Owyhee County. The boundaries were
as follows: "All parts of said Territory lying south of Snake
River and west of the Rocky Mountain chain, be and the same is
hereby organized into a county to be called Owyhee. That the
county seat of the said County of Owyhee shall be, until otherwise
ordered, at such place as the county commissioners of said county
may select.' This act was approved December 31, 1863. Soon
after this, on January 22, 1864, an act was approved dividing this
county by a north and south line and creating the County of Oneida
out of the eastern portion of Owyhee, which division put into
Oneida County all of what is now Oneida, Bear Lake, Bannock,
Bingham and Fremont counties. The county seat of Oneida County
was located at Soda Springs.
Next comes an act creating ten counties east of the Bitter Root
or Rocky Mountains, and fixing the boundary lines; Missoula
County with the county seat at Wardensville, Deer Lodge County,
with the county seat at Idaho City (near the Cottonwood Fork of
Deer Lodge River) ; Beaver Head County, with the county seat at
Bannock City; Madison County, with the county seat at Virginia
City; Jefferson County, with the county seat at Gallatin; Choteau
County, with the county seat at Fort Benton; Dawson County,
with the county seat at Fort Andrews; Big Horn County, county
seat to be located by commissioners; Ogalala County, with the
county seat at Fort Laramie; Yellowstone County, with the county
seat to be located by commissioners.
These counties were all created and their boundary lines defined
in one act, which was approved January 16, 1864. It is rather
amusing to think what exeprts these first legislators were in cre-
ating counties. They created and fixed the boundary lines and lo-
cated ten counties in one act, covering less than four pages, giving
one section of the act to each county.
Just sixty days after the approval of this act, Congress comes in
with one of her sweeping territorial organizations and detaches all
the territory embraced in these ten counties and makes Montana
Territory out of them, with a little more added.
The next we have on the county business is an act defining the
boundary lines of counties west of the Rocky Mountains. Section
1 defines the boundary lines and organizes Nez Perce County but
says nothing about the county seat. Section 2 defines the boun-
dary lines and organizes Shoshone County, but does not locate a
county seat. Section 3 defines the boundary lines and organizes
Idaho County but does not locate the county seat. Section 4 de-
fines the boundary lines and creates Boise County, but does not
FIRST IDAHO LEGISLATURE 79
locate the county seat. Section 5 defines the boundary lines and or-
ganizes Alturas County and locates the county seat at Esmeralda.
Section 6 readjusts the boundary lines of Owyhee County and or-
ganizes Owyhee County with the county seat at Ruby City. This
was all done in one act, and was approved February 4, 1864, the
last day of the first session of the legislative assembly of the Ter-
ritory of Idaho.
The act of Congress organizing the Territory of Idaho and fix-
ing the salaries of the federal officials of the Territory is as fol-
lows: Governor, Chief Justice and two Associate Justices of the
court, at $2500 per annum, each, to be paid quarterly. Territorial
Secretary at $2,000 per annum. The members of the legislature
and the chief clerks, $4 per day and twenty cents per mile each
way for members traveling. The assistant clerk and other attaches
were to receive $3 per day.
These salaries did not seem to comport with the dignity of the
honorable members of the legislature, as living was rather expen-
sive and the currency which Uncle Sam paid was under par at that
time. The assessable property in the Territory was less than
three million dollars, but these federal officers and legislative solons
had to have more money, so they passed an act making an appro-
priation out of the Territorial treasury to pay additional amounts
above that paid by the United States. These additions were as
follows: To the Governor and each of the three Justices of the
court, $2500 each per annum, and to the Territorial Secretary
$1,500 per annum, and the per diem compensation of the members
and attaches of the legislative assembly was increased as follows:
To each member of the legislative assembly, $6 per day, and to
each of the chief clerks, $6 per day; to each of the assistant, en-
grossing and enrolling clerks, $5 per day, and to the chaplains of
each branch of the legislative assembly, the sum of $3 per day; to
each of the sergeant at arms and the doorkeeper, $4 per day; to
each page, $3 per day; the increased salary to the federal officials
to be paid quarterly, the increase per diem to the members and
attaches of the legislature to be paid at the end of each week dur-
ing the session. (See pages 627 and 628, 1st Session Laws, ap-
proved January 13, 1864.)
These bills were paid in warrants drawn by the Territorial Comp-
troller on the Territorial Treasurer and when presented were reg-
istered and drew ten per cent, interest until paid. It took time and
oppressive taxation to redeem them, for this law continued in force
for several years, until at last the Congress of the United States *
put a veto on it.
Notwithstanding these seemingly extravagant appropriations, this
80 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
legislative body seemed piously inclined, for they passed an act, the
title of which is, "An Act for the Better Observance of the Lord's
Day." "Section 1. No person shall keep open any play house or
theater, race ground, cock pit or play at any game of chance or
engage in any noisy amusement on the first day of the week, com-
monly called the Lord's Day. Violating these provisions is pun-
ishable by fine not less than thirty dollars nor more than two hun-
dred dollars." Approved January 23, 1864. (See 1st Session
Laws, p. 602.)
Another purity act was passed, the title of which is, "An Act to
Prohibit Marriages and Cohabitation of Whites with Indians, Chi-
nese and Persons of African Descent." This act is very severe on
whites who marry or cohabit with any of the races mentioned in
the title of the act, the least penalty being one year in the Terri-
torial prison. This act was approved January 6th, 1864. (See 1st
Session Laws, p. 604.) The question arises, has either of these
acts ever been repealed or were they ever enforced?
This legislature passed quite a number of acts, among which is
a very lengthy criminal practice act, a civil practice act, an act
defining crimes and punishment, an act fixing the time for the
election and fixing the number of county and precinct officers for
each county and defining the duties of officers. They also passed
a liberal amount of franchises for toll roads, bridges and ferries
and several incorporation acts for towns. In fact, they seemed
to enact into law almost everything that was brought before them
for their legislative consideration, the majority of which laws have
been repealed or amended.
In the meantime our very active Governor had run for Congress
against J. M. Cannady, Democratic nominee. It has been whis-
pered aloud that Cannady received the more votes, but the Gover-
nor being of the returning board, for some reason received the cer-
tificate of election and went to Washington, but never returned to
Idaho to remain. William H. Wallace having resigned the office
of Governor for the more lucrative and agreeable position of del-
egate to Congress, under the Organic Act of Congress creating a
government for Idaho Territory, it was provided "that in case of
the death, removal, resignation or absence of the Governor from
the Territory, the Secretary shall be and is hereby authorized and
required to execute and perform all the powers and duties of the
Governor during such vacancy or absence or until another Gover-
nor shall be duly appointed and qualified to fill such vacancy." (See
Section 3, Organic Act.) William B. Daniels having been ap-
pointed Secretary on March 10th, 1863, when Governor Wallace
left the Territory, he became the acting Governor of Idaho. The
FIRST IDAHO LEGISLATURE 81
Secretary served in this position all through the first session of the
Legislataure and until the arrival of Caleb Lyon, who was appoint-
ed Governor on February 26th, 1864.
At the first session of the legislature, an act was passed dividing
the Territory into judicial districts, as follows: The First ju-
dicial district, embracing the counties of Nez Perce, Shoshone and
Idaho; the Second, the counties of Boise, Owyhee and Oneida; and
the Third, the county of Missoula and all that portion of the Ter-
ritory lying east of the Rocky Mountains. The Hon. A. C. Smith
was assigned to the First district; Hon. Samuel C. Parks to the
Second district, and Hon. Sidney Edgerton, the Chief Justice, to
the Third district. This seemed to put the Chief Justice on the
extreme frontier. The courts over which these judges presided
had jurisdiction over offenses arising from violation of the United
States laws as well as laws of the Territory. It was also pro-
vided in the same act that the first six days of each session of these
courts held at the respective county seats, namely, Lewiston, Idaho
City and Virginia City (the latter town in Missoula County, now
Montana), should be devoted to the trial of cases arising under
the Constitution and laws of the United States. The Chief Jus-
tice, however, had very little to do in his district, for it was all
put into Montana the following year, March 17th, 1864.
This first legislature passed an act defining all territorial, dis-
trict, county and precinct officers, and making them all elective, in-
cluding the Territorial Treasurer, Auditor, Superintendent of
Schools, District Attorney and members of both branches of the
legislature; also an act fixing the time of elections to be held on
the first Monday in September in each year to elect such officers as
hold office only one year. In the act creating the offices, it was
provided that the Territorial Treasurer, Auditor, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, District Attorneys, members of the legislative
council, county clerks, sheriff, county treasurer, county recorder,
county assessors, county surveyors, county superintendents of
schools and justices of peace shall hold their offices for two years;
members of the lower house of the legislature to be elected for one
year, constables and road supervisors for one year, county com-
missioners, after the first election, one to be elected at each annual
election for a term of three years. The reason for holding these
annual elections seems to have been on account of two provisions
in the Organic Act, one of which provided that there should be
annual sessions of the legislature, and the other that the members
of the lower house should be elected for only one year.
The first legislature passed an act requiring each county to build
His— 6
82 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
a jail, also an act fixing the time for the meeting of the next legis-
lature on the second Monday in November, 1864, also an act to tax
the next annual product of mines.
An attempt was made at this first session to locate the capital
permanently, but without success. Below we give the proceedings
had.
Much has been said about where the Act of Congress, approved
Mach 34, 1863, organizing the Territory of Idaho, located or fixed
the capital of said Territory. For the information of those who
have never read the Act, we here quote all of that portion of the
Act that refers to the capital, as follows:
"AN ACT TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT FOR THE TERRITORY
OP IDAHO.
"Section 12. And be it further enacted that the legislative as-
sembly of the Territory of Idaho shall hold its first session at such
time and place in said Territory as the Governor thereof shall ap-
point and direct, and at said first session, or as soon thereafter as
they may deem expedient, the Governor and legislative assembly
shall proceed to locate and establish the seat of government for said
Territory at such place as they may deem eligible; provided, that
the seat of government fixed by the Governor and legislative as-
sembly shall not be at any time changed except by an act of the
said assembly, duly passed, and which shall be approved, after due
notice, at the first general election thereafter, by a majority of the
legal votes cast on that question."
There does not appear to have been any attempt made in this
act to locate or fix the capital of Idaho Territory at any particular
place, nor does it confer any direct power on the Governor to lo-
cate the seat of government. It merely authorizes him to designate
some time and place for the first legislative assembly to meet. It
may very properly be construed to mean that the Governor and
Secretary of the Territory should meet at the same time and place
that the legislature is called to meet; but this was not a location of
the capital within the meaning of the Act of Congress. It was
merely a place designated by the Governor under the act for the
legislature to meet until the Governor and the legislature agreed by
enactment where the capital should be located. In writing on this
subject once before, I stated that the Act of Congress seemed to
place the temporary location either in the Governor's vest pocket or
else in his fertile brain.
I will now give the action of the legislature and the Governor
on the location of the capital of Idaho Territory.
The Governor called the first legislature to meet at Lewiston, in
Idaho Territory, on December 7th, 1863. They met at the time
FIRST IDAHO LEGISLATURE 88
and place, organized and went to work. They were entitled to
hold sixty days' session, under Section 4 of the Act of Congress,
for the first session only. The sixty days expired on February 4,
1864, at which time they adjourned sine die.
The first move made for the location of the capital by the legis-
lature, we find on page 123 of the Journal of the House of Rep-
resentatives of the first session of the legislature, January 28th,
1864, to wit: "Mr. Campbell introduced House Bill No. 98 for
the permanent location of the seat of government at Boise City.
Passed second reading and on motion was referred to select com-
mittee. The speaker appointed Messrs. Kelly, Leland and Miller.
Printing dispensed with."
"Monday, February 1, 1864. House Journal, pp. 137 and 139-
Mr. Kelly from special committee on House Bill No. 98 made the
following minority report: 'Mr. Speaker, your committee to whom
was referred House Bill No. 98, reports the same back with a
substitute and recommend its adoption and passage/
"Mr. Leland from special committee on House Bill No. 98, made
the following minority report: 'Mr. Speaker, a minority of your
committee to whom was referred House Bill No. 98, beg leave to
report that in the opinion of your minority committee it would not
become the present legislative assembly to pass upon the question
of a permanent location of the seat of government of this Terri-
tory, but it is the opinion of your minority committee that some fu-
ture legislative assembly with greater and better facilities for se-
lecting such location, suited to the wants and best interest of the
people of Idaho, , and therefore your minority committee would
recommend that said bill be indefinitely postponed/
"Mr. Miller from special committee on House Bill No. 98, made
the following minority report: 'Mr. Speaker, your committee to
whom was referred House Bill No. 98, beg leave to report the same
back with the following amendments, recommending their adop-
tion and the passage of the bill as amended: strike out the words
"Boise City in Boise County" and insert the words, "Virginia City
in Madison County" instead/ "
February 2nd, 1864, House Journal, p. 147:
"House Bill No. 98 for the permanent location of the seat of
government at Boise City was taken up. Mr. Brown moved the
adoption of the minority report of the chairman of the committee.
The question recurred on the original motion, pending which Mr.
Wood moved to adjourn. Lost. Mr. Orr moved to adjourn. Lost.
On motion of Mr. Brown, further consideration of the bill was
deferred until after the regular order of business on the table was
gone through with."
84 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Same date, pages 149 and 150:
"House Bill No. 98, was taken up, the motion bearing on the
adoption of the report of the chairman of the committee to whom
it was referred, pending which the house took a recess until five
o'clock in the evening. The hour having arrived, the house was
called to order by the speaker. The yeas and noes were demanded
on motion to adopt the report with the following result: Yeas,
Messrs. Bodfish, Brown, Campbell, Keithly, Kelly, Leland, Miller
and Wood. Noes: Messrs. Bacon, Orr and Mr. Speaker. So the
motion prevailed. Mr. Leland gave notice to move to reconsider
the vote tomorrow.
"Mr. Leland moved to engross for third reading.
"Mr. Kelly moved that the bill be considered engrossed and be
put upon its final passage. Carried. The bill was then read a
third time and passed by the following vote: Yeas, Messrs. Bod-
fish, Brown, Campbell, Keithly, Kelly, Miller and Orr. Noes,
Messrs, Bacon, Leland, Wood and Mr. Speaker.
"Mr. Orr gave notice to reconsider the vote tomorrow. Mr. Kelly
also gave notice to reconsider."
February 3rd, pages 151 and 152.
"Mr. Orr in accordance with previous notice moved to reconsider
the vote by which House Bill No. 98 passed yesterday. The yeas
and noes were demanded, with the following result: Yeas, Messrs.
Wood and Mr. Speaker. Noes, Messrs. Bacon, Bodfish, Brown,
Campbell, Keithly, Kelly, Leland, Miller and Orr. Motion lost.
"Mr. Leland gave notice that he would during the day, as per
previous notice, move to reconsider the vote by which the minority
report of the chairman of the committee on House Bill No. 98 was
adopted yesterday. Motion ruled out of order.
"Mr. Kelly moved that the clerk be instructed to transmit the
bill to the council immediately. Carried."
PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL.
February 3rd, 1864. Council Journal, p. 129:
"Message from the House of Representatives containing House
Bill No. 98 passed that body and asking concurrence therein. House
Bill No. 98, an act for the location of the seat of government of
the Territory of Idaho. Read first and second times and Mr.
Capps moved for the indefinite postponement of the bill. The yeas
and noes being demanded, were as follows: Yeas, Messrs. Capps,
Edwards and Waterbury. Noes, Messrs. Stanford, Rheem, Smith
and Mr. President. Motion lost.
"Mr. Smith moved to suspend the rules in order to read the bill
FIRST IDAHO LEGISLATURE 85
the third time this day. Mr. Edwards moved the motion to sus-
pend the rules be laid upon the table. Lost.
"The yeas and nays being called on the suspension of the rules,
were as follows: Yeas, Messrs. Rheem, Stanford, Smith and Mr.
President. Nays, Messrs. Capps, Edwards, Waterbury. Motion
lost.
"On motion of Mr. Rheem, House Bill No. 98 was referred to
committee on counties, consisting of Messrs. Smith, Stanford and
Waterbury."
February 4th. Page 132, C. J.
"Mr. Smith, chairman of committee on counties, reported favor-
ably on House Bill No. 98 and recommended its passage. Report
rejected. Mr. Smith moved to suspend the rules. Lost. On mo-
tion of Mr. Capps, the bill was indefinitely postponed."
CHAPTER XVI.
TROUBLE WITH INDIANS IN OWYHEE COUNTY IN 1864.
In the Spring and Summer of 1864, the Indians in Owyhee
County were troublesome to those who attempted to settle on ranches
away from the mines. The Indians would steal their stock and
drive them away, take everything they could and sometimes shoot
the settlers and also people traveling on the road. In the summer
of 1864, Michael Jordan, who was one of the discoverers of the
mines in Owyhee County the year before, and who had settled on
a ranch a few miles from the mines in Jordan Valley (so named
for Mr. Jordan), was troubled greatly by the Indians. At last they
stole all of his stock and many other things. This was more than
Mr. Jordan could endure, so he determined to follow the Indians.
Fourteen of his friends volunteered to go with him and they started
on the trail of the Indians and overtook them near the headwaters
of the Owyhee River, south of Ruby City. A fight commenced be-
tween the Indians and white men. The Indians outnumbered the
whites and also had the advantage of ground. Mr. Jordan was
shot by the Indians and fell, mortally wounded. One other man
was shot through the hand. By this time the Indians were attempt-
ing to surround them. As soon as Mr. Jordan learned the situa-
tion, he called out to the men to leave him, as he was mortally
wounded, and to run and save their own lives, which they did.
These fourteen men went to Ruby City and Booneville and re-
ported what had taken place. Two companies were soon raised to
follow the Indians, about sixty men in each company. Daniel
Ritchard, who was with Captain Standifer in his campaign against
the Indians in 1863, was one of the menwho went out with these
companies, and he has given me the following account of this cam-
paign:
"We started for the Indian camp, being piloted by Jordan's men.
It was nearly night when we camped. We were then within a few
miles of the place where Jordan's men had overtaken the Indians.
A few men were sent out as spies to locate the Indian camp. We
went to the place where they had fought the Indians, but found
they had gone. We found Mr. Jordan's body, which had been mu?
tilated in a most horrible manner. We buried the body and started
on the trail the next morning. Late the second day, we overtook
them and fighting commenced. We killed all we could find near,
but saw twelve or fourteen bucks a long way off, going up a can-
INDIAN TROUBLES IN OWYHEE 87
yon. Before we could overtake them, they had found a refuge in
a cave in this canyon. There was a great quantity of thick brush
all around so we could not venture in without great danger. How-
ever, we finally went in and got them all and killed them, but lost
two of our men and another was wounded in the thigh. We buried
our comrades and built fires over their graves so the Indians would
not suspect the place to be the graves of white men. We then re-
turned to Ruby City and disbanded."
CHAPTER XVII.
FORT BOISE BOISE CITY AND VALLEY IN 1863 AND 1864.
On June 28th, 1863, Major Lugenbeil of the United States army,
arrived with a company of United States cavalry and pitched his
camp on the south side of Boise River on what is now called Gov-
ernment Island, about one mile west of where Boise now stands.
The Major had come from Fort Walla Walla over the miners' trail,
through the Boise Basin. The writer of this met him and his
troops above the Warm Springs and talked with him. His business
was to select a suitable place to establish a military post. When I
returned from my trip to Idaho City on the Fourth of July, he had
not moved his camp, but about the 6th of July, he made the selec-
tion and located the present site of Fort Boise. Within a few days
a number of men came down from Idaho City and laid out the town
of Boise. Some of the original locators were Cyrus Jacobs, H. C.
Riggs and Frank Davis. Thomas Davis, who had located a farm
near Boise, also joined in locating the present site of Boise.
Cyrus Jacobs had an assortment of merchandise coming from
Walla Walla intended for Idaho City, but this he stopped in Boise
and put up a cheap building and opened up his stock of goods for
sale. At the time the United States troops arrived here, the only
buildings that could be seen from the road were a few log cabins,
one at what was afterwards called the Nine-Mile House, or the
Maxon ranch; one at what was called the Huff place, five miles be-
low Boise; another at the Robert Wilson ranch on Warm Springs
Avenue, and also a cabin at the Warm Springs. We did not see
any person at any of these cabins as we passed up the valley on
June 27th, 1863. They may have been on a visit, at work, or pos-
sibly preparing for a jack rabbit drive, as the rabbits seemed to be
about as numerous as the sagebrush. The only growth at that time
on the site of Boise was sage brush and bunch grass, both of which
grew luxuriantly. The only occupants that we saw were jack rab-
bits and they seemed quite surprised to have us invade their happy
domain. Some of them would stand on their hind legs and gaze
intently at us as much as to say, "Why are you here and where are
you going?" My passengers picked off a few of the bolder ones
with their revolvers, and away the rabbits would run in every di-
rection.
The site selected by Major Lugenbeil for Boise Barracks was a
very desirable and beautiful location just at the foot of the moun-
FORT BOISE 89
tains, somewhat elevated above the river bottom, giving a nice view,
good drainage and firm soil that never gets muddy, and also a
stream of water near by. The Major had the first selection for
the barracks and his choice was certainly excellent. Thomas Davis*
selection for a farm was also fine, commencing at the Boise River
and extending up and down the river quite a distance opposite the
barracks, thus leaving a strip of land between his ranch and the
barracks only about one-half mile wide. It was on this strip of land
the townsite of Boise was located. As the location extended west,
it passed the boundary lines of the barracks and widened her lines
out to the north. This is a beautiful location and is centrally lo-
cated on the direct road leading from the Boise Basin country, to
all parts of Southern, Southeastern and Southwestern Idaho, and to
Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Utah. In fact, Boise
is the central point from which to start to go to almost any point
in the western country.
The growth of Boise was slow for many years, owing to the fact
that many of the people who came to Boise did not intend to re-
main. The idea seemed to be, as it is in so many new towns, that
they would make some money and return to their old homes. Among
the first who built and started in business was J. D. Agnew and
H. C. Riggs. These men built an adobe house on the northeast
corner of Main and Seventh street, where they opened a saloon
and had a feed and livery stable in the rear of the building.
Boise is situated about one-half mile from Boise River on the
north side. The boundary line between Oregon and Idaho is 48
miles distant. From Boise to Idaho City is 36 miles; to Center-
ville, 44 miles; to Pioneer, 50 miles; to Placerville, 50 miles; to
Quartzburg, 54 miles; to Dewey, 58 miles; to Silver City, 60 miles;
to DeLamar, 65 miles; to the Payette Valley or River, 30 miles.
Both the Boise and Payette Valleys are fine farming and fruit
countries. The former is about fifty miles long by from one to
four miles wide, and the latter is about thirty miles long and from
two to five miles wide, with several small valleys above separated
from the main valley by rolling hills which come down to the river.
Although these lands are now very productive, it was a long time
before the settlers realized that this was an arid district and that
to be productive the lands must be irrigated. Seed had to be
brought from Oregon, also the farming implements, and at a very
high cost, so it is not surprising that the first two years the farm-
ers were somewhat discouraged. But very soon they began making
irrigating ditches and soon had more abundant crops.
In December, 1864, the second session of the legislature assem-
bled at Lewiston and passed an act locating the capital permanently
90 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
at Boise City in Boise County. This act was approved December
7, 1864. (See 2nd Session Laws, p. 427.) In the same month the
legislature passed an act dividing Boise County and creating Ada
County and locating the county seat at Boise City. This act was
approved December 22, 1864. (See 2nd Session Laws, pp. 430 and
431.) This was heaping honors on Boise thick and fast and seemed
to please and encourage the residents. A number of business
houses were soon built, also hotels, residences, shops, saloons, etc.
The farmers also seemed to take new courage and began work in
earnest to improve their farms and make homes for their families.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR DOINGS IN THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES IN
EARLY DAYS.
At the close of the first session of the legislature, February 4,
1864, all of our Territory west of the Bitter Root range of moun-
tains was organized into seven large counties, namely, Shoshone,
Nez Perce, Idaho, Boise, Owyhee, Alturas and Oneida. East of
the mountains had been divided up into ten counties, but as that
portion was taken from us the following March and created into
another Territory, we must drop that from our records, as we have
no longer any claim thereto.
In those days the people, as a rule, paid but little attention to
legislation, but attended strictly to their work, except lawyers and
office-holders. The main rush for gold was the all-absorbing thing.
I do not mean by this that all were trying to get gold by legiti-
mate mining. The larger portion was engaged in mining or pros-
pecting for mines. Quite a percentage of the whole was engaged
in some kind of trade, merchandising, hotel and restaurant keep-
ing, butcher, feed and livery business, blacksmithing, sawmilling
and carpentering. A large number were employed in the trans-
portation of merchandise and passengers. Some few had settled on
ranches and were cultivating and improving them. A few were
engaged in the stock business and many more than was necessary,
were engaged in the saloon and gambling business, with a few
road agents, ready and willing to relieve any person of his ready
money without compensation, whenever a favorable opportunity
presented itself. The primary object of all seemed to be to gather
gold. But I think I may truthfully say that ninety-five per cent
of these people were good, industrious, honorable and enterprising,
and to all appearances desired to make money in a legitimate way.
The rush to the mining camps was too great for the limited
amount of placer mining ground that would yield good returns
from working. The result was that many returned to their old
homes or to other parts, disappointed; while most of those who had
secured claims within the mineral belt where they could get
plenty of water for washing their dirt and gravel through long
strings of sluice boxes, took out from this dirt and gravel large
amounts of gold dust.
Provisions, clothing, mining tools and, in fact, everything that
a person needed to live on and use in his work, was very high, owing
92 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
mainly to the high cost of transportation by pack animals from
the Columbia River in Oregon, a distance of three hundred miles,
freight ranging on ordinary merchandise from sixteen to thirty
cents per pound, varying according to the season of the year and
the condition of the roads and trails over which it had to be packed.
Late in the summer of 1864, wagon roads were completed into
Boise Basin mining camp so that freight could be hauled in by
teams on wagons. This reduced the rate of freight during the
Summer and Fall months, but pack trains had to carry the freight
in Winter and Spring for several years, owing to the snow and mud
on the road and the cost was very much greater than when trans-
ported by teams and wagons and over dry roads.
The mining camps in which more or less mining and prospecting
was being carried on in Idaho in 1864, were Orofino, Pierce City
and Elk City in the southern portion of Shoshone County, and at
Florence and Warrens in Idaho County, and at or near Booneville
and Ruby City and Silver City in Owyhee County; at Rocky Bar
and Atlanta in Alturas County. In the last two counties, the min-
ing was mostly quartz mining. The largest, best and most attrac-
tive mining camp was what is called Boise Basin, situated in the
low and comparatively flat mountains in the northern portion of
Boise County near the towns of Idaho City, Centerville, Pioneer
City and Placerville, covering an area of about ten by fifteen
miles square. Placer mining was very remunerative in this Boise
Basin district for several years, through the Spring, Summer and
Fall, and large amounts of gold were taken from these mines and
shipped out, mostly by Wells, Fargo & Go's, express. Often the
production would amount to one million dollars in value in one
month. The yield of gold from the other mining camps was small
compared with the yield of the Boise Basin mining district.
In the Fall of 1864, many of the men engaged in mining left
Idaho. Some went to California, Oregon, Washington and other
places to visit their families, and returned in the Spring; while
some sold out and took all the money they could get together and
left, never to return. Quite a number of men brought back their
wives with them and several sent back and had their families come
in by stage. Taken altogether, with few exceptions, Idaho's pop-
ulation consisted of a good class of people, industrious, honorable
and possessed of a high grade of intelligence.
The improvement and building up of towns in the different min-
ing and agricultural districts, churches and schools, were not long
neglected, for many of our people had belonged to some good
church organization before they came here, and they soon had
churches established here, and they all believed in education, and
EARLY DAY OCCUPATIONS 93
as soon as there was a reasonable number of children of proper
age in any district, a house and teachers were provided for them.
School teachers, ministers of the Gospel, doctors and lawyers have
usually been plentiful in this new country.
With few exceptions, everything moved along in an orderly way.
One great annoyance was that the country along the different trav-
eled roads was infested with a low class of sneak, thieving and
murderous Indians which gave the few settlers and the freighters
and traveling people a great deal of trouble, of which we have
spoken before in another chapter.
Occasionally a disturbance arose in some one of the mining
camps, which sometimes resulted in the use of fire arms and occa-
sionally a man was killed or wounded, which was usually the re-
sult of the use of too much intoxicating drinks. Sometimes the few
road agents would hold up a stage or some person and relieve
them of what money they had, but these occurrences were not often
and in almost every instance the perpetrators of these crimes were
apprehended and brought before the courts and given a fair trial,
and when found guilty were made to suffer the penalty of our
criminal law, which was as stringent and as strictly enforced as
in any State of the Union.
Most of the first settlers of Idaho were poor in purse but were
rich in muscle and energy and most all possessed of a good moral
character. The rule that was in common practice was for each
person to attend to his own private business and to have an affec-
tionate regard for his neighbor and his neighbor's rights, and to
extend a helping hand to the unfortunate that needed help. I speak
from experience, having an extensive business and social acquain-
tance with many of the early settlers of Idaho, when I say (with
a few exceptions) the early settlers were as noble, patriotic, in-
dustrious, unselfish, intelligent, good, generous, kind and moral
people as were ever assembled together in like number for the rec-
lamation and development of an unsettled country, inhabited only
by untutored, savage Indians, wild animals and varmints. Let
1 'I'TII who writes sneering remarks about the conduct of the people in
the early days of the settling of Idaho, remember that it was these
brave, good, old pioneer men and women that braved all the dan-
gers incident to the reclaiming and planting of civilization here,
which made it possible for others to come quickly, easily, cheaply
and safely, get good homes in a good country without assuming
any great risk of the loss of life, limb or property. It would seem
that they might turn their brilliant talent to some more onward
and progressive movement, rather than to attempt to reach away
back to write sneeringly about the society of old times of which
94 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
they knew but little, if anything. These good, old pioneers are fast
passing away — not many are left, and if nothing good can be said
about them by the brilliant young men of this day and time who
are exempt from the dangers and hardships that the pioneers en-
dured to reclaim this country, they should at least let them rest in
peace from their honest labors.
I trust they will remember that the foundation and support of
our government and our lives depends mainly upon the reclaiming,
cultivating and improving of this earth which Divine Providence
gave to us for homes. Let each and every one perform his part
well, without envy towards his neighbor.
CHAPTER XIX.
TRANSPORTATION AND STAGING TO BOISE BASIN IN 1864.
In the Fall of 1863, a great many of the miners left the Boise
Basin, as they could do but little, owing to the deep snow and the
cold weather which made it impossible to operate their mines until
the Spring thaw.
On the 10th of February, 1864, the ice went out of the Columbia
River and on the 14th, the Oregon Steam Navigation Company sent
one of their steamboats from The Dalles to Umatilla. There were
on board quite a number of passengers who were returning to the
mines in the Basin. As soon as the boat landed, many of these
men rushed for the office of Ish & Hailey, which had been kept the
year before in the Orleans Hotel (Jesse Failing, proprietor).
This saddle-train office of Ish & Hailey was closed like the mines,
to await the coming of Spring, and the horses and mules were out
on Winter range near Umatilla. The weather was warm and pleas-
ant. Many of the men were anxious to go on to the mines, so a
saddle train was driven in and rigged up in short order. The next
day they started out with about sixteen passengers for the Boise
Basin. That day the storms began again, — snow and rain every
day, — not heavy but very disagreeable. The trail over the Blue
Mountains on the Meacham route had been kept open. In fact,
the snowfall had been lighter that year than usual. We had to
feed the animals hay at a few places where the snow was still on
the ground, but in most camping places, the old grass was still
good.
Passengers still continued to come. Ish & Hailey sent out a
saddle train loaded with passengers every time a steamboat came
up the river, which was three times a week. Several others em-
barked in the saddle-train and passenger business. We had a very
wet Spring and while everything went all right without any serious
trouble and all who started got through in due time, I am sure all
who made the trip had a better and higher appreciation of a good,
square meal and a good bed at home than ever before. There were
also hundreds along the road on foot, carrying their blankets and
lunches. These men had a hard trip.
The steamboats brought up large quantities of freight for the
Basin and the packers who had been in Winter quarters for two
and a half months were induced to bring in their pack animals and
a number of them loaded up and started for the mines about the
96 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
first of March. They got good prices for packing merchandise but
the trip was rough and disagreeable and none but strong, energetic
men could stand the work in the stormy weather. We all earned
all we got.
About the 15th of March, Ish & Hailey began to run a stage
coach from Umatilla to the foot of the Blue Mountains on the
west side, three times a week. This point was about fifty miles
from Umatilla on the road to the Boise Basin, and was as far as
the stage could run at that time, on account of the bad condition
of the road. In the meantime, stations had been established on
the remainder of the route from twenty to twenty-five miles apart.
Relays of horses were at each station and arrangements were made
for passengers to get meals at these stations. Two of these routes
were traveled over each day. Dinner was had at the noon station
and a change of horses. While this was not so comfortable as rid-
ing on the cars, it was certainly quite an improvement on the camp-
ing out and riding the same horses over the whole road. About the
1st of May, the road between LaGrande (on the east side of the
mountain) as far as Express Ranch, distance seventy miles, was in
better condition so wagons could be rim over it, and a stage was
put on that part of the road. This gave the passengers an agree-
able change. It was a close game between the different parties who
were repairing the road to see who would be able to finish certain
parts first and collect toll from the wagons, stages and other travel.
It was hard work and required some money to repair roads, and it
took a whole lot of money to purchase stage wagons, harness and
other necessary equipment to fit out a stage line. However, it was
about an even race. The stages were ready and were put on as
soon as the road was in proper condition.
This stage route extended from Umatilla to Placerville in Boise
Basin, a distance of 285 miles, and was ready for passengers about
the 1st of June, 1864. Harness was scarce and often had to be
changed from one team to another for a short time. Stations were
established from ten to fifteen miles apart, with relays of horses
and a stock tender at each station to have the horses ready so as to
have as little delay as possible.
We did not have barns or stables at all of the stations at first.
It was impossible sometimes to do more than build corrals and the
horses were driven into these corrals and caught and harnessed
there. The grass was good at the majority of the stations, so the
stock could live well on the range. Stock had to be kept up and
fed at two stations on the Blue Mountains, one station at Placer-
ville, and two at the Umatilla end of the route. This was rather
expensive, as hay and grain was very high. The stock running on
TRANSPORTATION IN 1864 97
the range did well until Fall. By that time there was but little
grass left, owing to the great number of pack animals and loose cat-
tle that had been driven over the range; but by this time we had
prepared cheap barns at the different stations and had some hay
and grain at each place.
There was also another stage line running into Boise Basin at
this time. Early in the Spring of 1864, George F. Thomas & Co.
prepared to stock the road from Wallula on the Columbia River
via Walla Walla to Placerville in the Boise Basin. The proposed
route of this company was to cross the Blue Mountains about twelve
miles north of where the other line crossed, over a new road built
by the company and commonly called the Thomas and Ruckles road.
This company made arrangements and stocked the road from
Wallula to what is known as Express Ranch on Burnt River, a lit-
tle more than half way to the Basin. They had good, large Amer-
ican horses and good stage wagons. Their live and rolling stock
had been brought from the California and Oregon stage compa-
nies' routes. They built barns at stations and purchased hay and
grain at great expense to feed their stock. They then made an
arrangement with Greathouse & Co. to stock and run the road from
Express Ranch to Placerville. Greathouse & Co. soon had their
end of the road fitted up with about the same kind of stock as Ish
& Hailey had on their road, which was mostly half-breed horses of
medium size that had been raised on the bunch grass and could be
kept in good condition and do hard work without being fed hay and
grain, while grass was good.
There was a great deal of rivalry between these two lines. When-
ever travel was light, rates were often cut down. Time became an
object. The line leaving Umatilla in the morning would carry her
passengers to the Meacham Station on to the Blue Mountains the
first day, a distance of about sixty-five miles. This was a romantic
place near the summit of the mountain and was kept by the late A.
B. Meacham and his brother Harvey. The accommodations were
always first class. The other stage line starting from Wallula
would only carry her passengers to Walla Walla the first day, a
distance of thirty-one miles. So the passengers who took the
Umatilla line always arrived at their destination one day earlier
than those who took the Wallula and Walla Walla route. Mr. Thomas
having had experience in the stage business with the California
Stage Company, seemed to be a favorite with Wells, Fargo & Co.
managers, who had established an express for carrying treasure, fast
freight, letters, newspapers, etc., all over the route and they entered
into a contract with this Wallula company to haul on their stages all
of their treasure, freight and other matter at a stated price per
His— 7
98 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
pound for the year, at a high price. The express company in this
contract obligated the stage company to receive no freight or any-
thing for transportation except passengers and their baggage. This
was to give the express company a monopoly of the carrying of all
treasure, fast freight, letters, newspapers, etc. At first it seemed
as if this might freeze out the Umatilla line, as the Wallula com-
pany had predicted. In fact, all the circumstances seemed to be
in their favor. Even the navigation companies' employees sent all
the passengers they could up the river to Wallula to have them go
on that line, and last but not least, the late Ben Holliday got a
tri-weekly contract for carrying the United States mail from Salt
Lake City, Utah, via Boise City, Walla Walla and Wallula to The
Dalles in Oregon. This service was commenced August 8th, 1864.
The Walla Walla company secured a cheap sub-contract from Hol-
liday to carry this mail from a point on the Payette (now Emmett)
to The Dalles, Oregon. It would seem from all this that the Uma-
tilla line would soon be forced off the road; in fact, they received
warning to that effect. But, after all, men's schemes and plans
are sometimes upset by other men in a very unexpected manner. At
that time the junior member of the firm of Ish & Hailey was not
so old and feeble as he is now, and as he was on the road about
all the time, he frequently heard complaints from merchants in the
Basin about the extravagant rates charged by the express com-
pany for fast freight, treasure, letters, packages, newspapers, etc.
The roads at this time were in fairly good condition, so I con-
cluded I could haul fast freight up for much less than the ex-
press company was charging, and still make some profit. I also or-
dered a number of copies of the two leading papers in Portland
and transported them to the Basin the same as the express com-
pany, only one day earlier than they did, and sold them at one-half
the price they did, and made money even then. I also bought
United States postal envelopes the same as they did, stamped our
stage company's name on them and found I could express, sell,
carry and deliver letters for one-fifth the amount the other com-
pany charged. I also concluded that where men had large amounts
of gold that they wanted shipped below, I could take it at freight
rates if the owner would assume all risk. These things were all
looked after and put in operation without any display, and they all
worked well. In a short time, the Umatilla line had all the busi-
ness it could carry. This lasted until December 1st, 1864. At that
time the passenger and freight business was about over until the
next Spring, so we hauled off our stock as far down as LaGrande
and put them in good Winter quarters where they would be well
cared for at small expense, leaving enough stock on the road be-
TRANSPORTATION IN 1864 99
tween LaGrande and Umatilla to make weekly trips to accommo-
date the local trade and to keep the road open across the moun-
tains. At the same time a small supply of hay and grain was left
at each station on the road for early Spring use, when we should
resume trips.
The last three months the Umatilla stage line was run almost to
its full capacity, carrying either passengers or freight, while the
Wallula line did not carry so much. The merchants seemed to pre-
fer the line that made the quickest time and charged the least
money. Of course, when the Umatilla line stopped for the winter,
the other company had everything its own way. However, the
business was over for the season. There was no travel, but little
express, yet the mail had to be carried. The large American horses
owned by the company were still eating the high-priced hay and
grain, and it did not pay. The first of March found the manager
of the Umatilla line on the road placing the stock and wagons at
their proper stations. Everything was in fairly good condition,
ready for heavy up-travel which they had from the start. The
other line was still on the road, but the rough roads and bad
weather through the Winter had been severe on their stock, wagons
and men, so they were not in very good shape. The little travel
and small pay had not given them much remuneration for the heavy
expense during the Winter.
About the middle of the Summer, many freight teams came on
the road to haul freight from Umatilla to Boise Basin. These
freighters could haul freight much cheaper than the packers could
pack on the mules, so very soon the price of slow freight came
down from ten and twelve cents per pound to six and eight cents,
which injured the packers' business very much. Tolls were still
very high on the roads at bridges and ferries, and it would take
nearly half the earnings of a pack animal to pay his tolls. This
was so discouraging that many who had only small trains quit the
business and went at something else.
We will leave this subject for a time and take it up later on.
CHAPTER XX.
THE SECOND SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE CONVENED AT LEWISTON,
NOVEMBER 14, 1864, ADJOURNED DECEMBER 28, 1864.
At the annual election held on the first Monday in September,
1864, as provided in the first session laws (see p. 560), the fol-
lowing members were elected to the House of Representatives for
the second session which met at Lewiston on November 14, 1864:
W. H. Howard Alturas and Oneida Counties
H. C. Riggs Boise County
W. H. Parkinson Boise County
John Duval Boise County
J. B. Pierce Boise County
J. Mclntosh Boise County
Alexander Blakely Idaho County
E. C. Latta Idaho County
T. M. Reed Nez Perce County
George Ziegle Nez Perce County
E. C. Sterling Owyhee County
Solomon Hasbrouck Owyhee County
W. A. Goulder Shoshone County
It will be remembered that the members of the legislative council
were elected in 1863 for two years, so they would have their right
to serve in the second session. This they all did with the excep-
tion of Lyman Stanford and W. C. Rheem. Mr. Rheem seems
to have been in that part of Idaho that was given to Montana, so
was not eligible for a position in the Idaho legislature. I have
understood that Mr. Standford had resigned and left Idaho. At
any rate, two new members had to be elected to make up the requi-
site number. The names of the members of the council were as
follows :
S. B. Dilley Alturas County
Joseph Miller Boise County
Ephriam Smith Boise County
S. S. Fenn Idaho County
E. B. Waterbury Nez Perce County
John Cummings Owyhee County
Standf ords Capps Shoshone County
John Cummings was elected president of the legislative council
and Alexander Blakely elected speaker of the house of represen-
tatives.
SECOND IDAHO LEGISLATURE 101
This session of the legislature was limited to forty days by Act
of Congress creating the Territory. The members of this legis-
lative body did not enact into law as many pages as did the legis-
lators at the first session in sixty days, but they did enact a pro-
rata proportion according to the length of the session. The first
session in sixty days enacted 610 pages of laws; the second ses-
sion enacted in forty days, 403 pages of laws, so the people of
Idaho had no cause to complain as to the quantity of legislation.
As for quality, some of it, in fact the most of it, was good, whole-
some legislation for that time. But as time always brings changes,
so also many changes have been made in our laws. The legislative
wisdom possessed by these two bodies might be questioned, consid-
ering that the second session met in less than ten months after the
first session adjourned, and a majority of the members of the legis-
lative council of the first session were members of the second ses-
sion. A brief examination of the many sweeping repeals of im-
portant laws and the amendments to many others, makes the aver-
age citizen wonder why laws are enacted, and more especially is
he amazed at so many repeals and amendments of laws even be-
fore they were published so that the people could read them and
express an opinion. However, we will allow the reader to judge
of this quick work by giving a few of the laws, repeals, amend-
ments, etc. • The repealed and amended acts passed by this ses-
sion cover over three hundred pages or about three-fourths of the
printed volume of the 2nd Session Laws of four hundred and three
pages. Each one of these acts repeals an act passed at the first
session on the same subject. They are as follows:
(1) An act to regulate proceedings in civil cases in the courts
of justice in the Territory of Idaho. (See pp. 81 to 212, inclusive,
2nd Session Laws.)
(2) An act to regulate criminal cases in the courts of justice
in the Territory of Idaho. (See pp. 213 to 297, inclusive, 2nd
Session Laws.)
(3) An act concerning crimes and punishments. (See pp. 298
to 333, inclusive, 2nd Session Laws.)
(4) An act to provide a uniform system of Territorial and
county revenue and for assessing and collecting the same. (See
pp. 334 to 364, inclusive, 2nd Session Laws.)
(5) An act relative to elections to be held on the second Mon-
day in August. (See pp. 365 to 376, inclusive, 2nd Session Laws.)
(6) An act to secure liens to mechanics and others. (See pp.
384 to 388, inclusive, 2nd Session Laws.)
All of these subjects had been legislated upon and lengthy laws
10% THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
passed on each at the first session, but they seem to have been
put out of force before they were ever published. However, this
did not deter the Territorial printer. In the course of time, he
succeeded in getting the laws of both sessions published in sepa-
rate volumes. The first has the certificate of the Secretary dated
July 18th, 1864, and must have been printed about November,
1864. On the second, the Secretary's certificate is dated May 1st,
1866, at Boise, Idaho.
We do not propose to comment on the acts of the second session
in repealing and amending so many of the acts passed by the
first session. Let the readers of this, if they like, hunt up these
old laws, examine and judge for themselves.
The members of the second session passed quite a number of
other acts of importance, among which are the following:
An act to establish a common school system for the Territory of
Idaho. (See 2nd Session Laws, pp. 373-383.)
An act to create a territorial prison commissioner and desig-
nate Territorial prisons and keepers thereof. (See 2nd Session
Laws, pp. 401-403.)
This act designated the county jails in Nez Perce and Boise
counties as Territorial prisons and made the sheriff of these coun-
ties prison keepers. The act also made the Territorial Treasurer
the prison commissioner. In fact, the power conferred on the com-
missioner made him about the whole thing, so far as management
and pay went.
Another act passed which seemed to be of some importance bore
the title, "An Act to Provide for the Taxing of Foreign Miners,"
the first section of which reads as follows:
"Section 1. No person not being a citizen of the United States
or who shall not have declared his intention to become such, shall
be allowed to take gold from the mines of this Territory or hold a
mining claim, unless he shall have a license therefor as hereinafter
provided."
Section 4 provides that they shall pay a license of $4 per month
to mine. Section 6 reads as follows:
"Section 6. That all Mongolians whether male or female, and
of whatever occupation, shall be considered foreigners and shall
pay a license tax of four dollars for each and every month they
reside in this Territory."
Section 10 provides, "The provisions of this act shall be con-
strued as applying only to such persons as are inhibited from be-
coming citizens of the United States by the laws thereof." So it
seems they modified this law somewhat before they were through
with it, so the act applied only to Chinamen.
SECOND IDAHO LEGISLATURE 103
This legislature also passed an act to change the county seat of
Alturas County from Esmeralda to Rocky Bar, an act to incorpo-
rate Boise City, and numerous franchises for toll roads, bridges,
ferries and for other purposes; also an act reapportioning the
members of the legislature and fixing the time of convening the
first Monday in December. Representation was allowed as fol-
lows:
COUNCILMEN. REP's.
Nez Perce County
Idaho County
Shoshone County
Alturas County
Oneida County ,
Owyhee County
2
1
2
1
3
Boise County 4 8
Ada County 1 3
Total 11 22
This second session also passed an act permanently locating the
capital of the Territory of Idaho. The first section of this act
reads as follows:
"That the capital of Idaho be, and is hereby permanently lo-
cated at Boise City in the County of Boise in said Territory of
Idaho."
This act was approved December 7, 1864. The act was also
approved creating the County of Ada and making Boise City the
county seat of Ada County, December 22, 1864.
We must give each of these legislators of the first and second
sessions credit for having done a great deal of work during the
limited time they were in session. In fact, their works when print-
ed had the greatest number of pages on record of any law-making'
power in so short a time. This feat, however, may be accounted!
for to some extent because of their drawing double pay, four dol-
lars per day from the United States, and six dollars per day from
the Territory.
Herewith we give the legislative proceedings had on the passage
of the act to permanently locate the capital.
LOCATION OF THE CAPITAL OF IDAHO BY ACT OF THE SECOND SESSION
OF THE LEGISLATURE OF IDAHO TERRITORY.
The second session of our Territorial legislature convened at
Lewiston on November 14th, 1864, and adjourned December 23rd,
1864, having only forty days for each session after the first, in
104 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
which they were allowed sixty. We have already reviewed the at-
tempt made at the first session to locate the capital, which appears,
under the Act of Congress creating a government for Idaho Ter-
ritory, to have remained in the hands or disposition of the Governor
until such time as the legislature with the approval of the Gover-
nor, by legal enactment, fixed a place of location. We here give
the proceedings of both branches of the legislature and the official
action of the Governor on the question, taken from the Journals
of the respective houses of the legislature, citing dates, pages, etc. :
H. J., p. 26. Nov. 21, 1864.
Notice of bills. Mr. Riggs. For an act to locate the capital of
Idaho Territory.
H. J., p. 32. Nov. 23rd. Introduction of bills. Mr. Riggs. For
an act to permanently locate the capital of Idaho Territory. Read
first and second time and referred to a select committee of three,
Messrs. Pierce, Goulder and Riggs.
Nov. 25, H. J., pp. 83 and 34.
Report of special committee on House Bill No. 15. To perma-
nently locate the capital of Idaho.
Majority report recommended an amendment in the nature of a
substitute to submit the question of the permanent location of the
capital to a vote of the people at the general election in 1865.
Signed, J. B. Pierce, chairman. The minority report recommended
that the original bill do pass. Signed, H. C. Riggs, committee.
House Bill No. 15. H. J., p. 37. Nov. 25, afternoon session.
Mr. Duvall moved to take up House Bill No. 15 to locate the
capital. The bill was taken up and a vote taken on the amend-
ment reported by the majority of special committee, which was as
follows :
Ayes — Messrs. Goulder, Latta, Pierce and Ziegle; 4. Noes —
Messrs. Duvall, Hasbrouck, Howard, Mclntosh, Parkinson, Riggs,
Reed and Sterling.; 8.
Mr. Reed gave notice that on tomorrow he would move to recon-
sider the vote by which the amendment was lost.
Nov. 28. H. J., p. 42.
House Bill No. 15, to locate the capital of the Territory of
Idaho, was amended and ordered engrossed.
Nov. 29, H. J., p. 44.
Mr. Hasbrouck from the committee on engrossed bills reported
House Bill No. 15 correctly engrossed.
Nov. 29, H. J., p. 45.
On motion of Mr. Pierce, House Bill No. 15 was made special
order for 2 o'clock.
SECOND IDAHO LEGISLATURE 105
Nov. 29, H. J., p. 46.
House Bill No. 15, to permanently locate the capital, was taken
up, read a third time and passed by the following vote:
Ayes — Messrs. Duvall, Hasbrouck, Howard, Mclntosh, Pierce,
Parkinson, Riggs and Sterling; 8. Noes — Messrs. Goulder, Latta,
Reed and Zeigle; 4.
Mr. Pierce gave notice that on tomorrow he would move a recon-
sideration of the vote by which House Bill No. 15 was passed.
COUNCIL RECORD, SECOND SESSION.
C. J., p. 59, Dec. 1, 1864.
Message from the House of Representatives received announc-
ing the passage by that body on the 29th ult. of House Bill No.
15, an act to permanently locate the capital of Idaho Territory.
Read first and second time and on motion of Mr. Miller, the bill
was referred to the committee of the whole.
Dec. 1. C. J., pp. 61 and 62.
Council resolved itself into committee of the whole, Mr. Dilly
in the chair. After spending some time therein, the committee rose
and reported through their chairman as follows: "Mr. President,
the committee of the whole to whom was referred House Bill No.
15, an act to permanently locate the Territorial capital of Idaho,
have had the same under consideration and report favorably and
recommend its passage." (Signed) S. B. Dilly, chairman.
Minority report of committee of the whole protesting against
the passage of House Bill No. 15. Signed by E. B. Waterbury,
S. S. Fenn and Standford Capps.
Majority report adopted and bill passed to third reading.
Dec. 2. C. J., p. 65.
House Bill No. 15 was taken up. Mr. Smith moved to put the
bill on its final passage. Motion lost. On motion of Mr. Dilly,
the bill was made the special order for Tuesday next.
Dec. 3. C. J., p. 70.
Mr. Dilly moved to reconsider the vote by which House Bill No.
15 was made the order for Tuesday next. The motion prevailed.
Dec. 3. C. J., p. 71.
On motion of Mr. Miller, House Bill No. 15, an act to perma-
nently locate the capital of Idaho Territory, was read a third time
and put on its final passage. The vote of the Council was taken
with the following result:
Yeas— Messrs. Dilly, Miller, Smith and Mr. President; 4. Noes
— Messrs. Capps, Fenn and Waterbury; 3. So the bill passed.
Dec. 5. C. J., p. 75.
106 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
President of the Council signed House Bill No. 15, an act to
permanently locate the capital of Idaho Territory.
The protest against the passage of House Bill No. 15, to locate
the capital, was quite lengthy; was dated at Lewiston, Idaho Ter-
ritory, December 3rd, 1864, and can be found on pages 61 and 62,
House Journal. It was signed as follows: E. B. Waterbury, S.
S. Fenn, Standford Capps, members of Council, and J. G. Ziegle,
T. M. Reed, Wm. A. Goulder, E. C. Latta, and Alex Blakely,
members of the House. The protest was strong in language, but
they were short on votes.
Dec. 3. H. J., p. 61.
"Messages from the Council informing the House they had passed
House Bill No. 15, an act to permanently locate the capital of the
Territory of Idaho; also transmit to your honorable body a pro-
test against said bill, signed by Messrs. Capps, Fenn and Water-
bury." (Signed) Chas. D. Kenyon, Chief Clerk of Council.
Dec. 5. H. J., p. 67.
Committee on enrollment have examined and found correctly
enrolled House Bill No. 15 to locate the capital and this day pre-
sented the same to the Governor for his approval.
(Signed) Hasbrouck, chairman.
Dec. 7. H. J., p. 73.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
Lewiston, Idaho, Dec. 7, 1864.
To the House of Representatives:
I have this day approved House Bill No. 15, an act to perma-
nently locate the capital of the Territory of Idaho.
(Signed) CALEB LYON, of Lyonsdale,
The Governor of Idaho.
This record shows that the bill was passed and approved in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress creating and
organizing the Territory of Idaho. The act was approved Decem-
ber 7th, 1864, and the legislature did not adjourn until December
23rd, 1864. So the claim that the bill was crowded through on the
last days of the session, does not appear to be well founded. There
was a provision in the bill that it was not to take effect until De-
cember 24th, 1864, which would be the next day after adjournment
of the session. There appears to have been some litigation and
delay about the removal of the records, etc., from Lewiston to Boise,
the particulars of which we are not well enough informed concern-
ing to state here. Suffice it to say that after some delay, the Ter-
ritorial records arrived at Boise and the capital has remained at
Boise since that time and is still at Boise City.
CHAPTER XXI.
MINING AND MINING TOWNS IN 1864.
Placer mining started up in good shape in the Spring of 1864 in
Boise Basin. By this time several saw mills had been brought in
and put in operation, so the miners could get plenty of lumber for
building flumes to carry water, and sluice boxes for washing the
dirt, sand and gravel from the gold. The majority of the mines
in the Basin produced well. During the Spring, Summer and Fall
of 1864, there were approximately about sixteen thousand men in
the Boise Basin. About one-half of them were engaged in min-
ing; the other half were engaged in various kinds of business.
There were merchants, lumbermen, hotel and restaurant keepers,
butchers, blacksmiths, saloon-keepers, gamblers, theatrical people,
lawyers, ministers, ranchers, stockmen, transportation companies;
in fact, almost everybody was busy and making money. A few
were dissatisfied, but as soon as they would leave, there were others
to take their places, for people were coming very day.
All of the mining towns, and there were a number of them, pre-
sented a business-like appearance. On Sundays the business
houses, sidewalks and streets were filled with people, laying in
their supplies for the week. When I first saw the crowds of men
gathered on the streets and but few of them moving, I feared a
big row was at hand, and got on an elevated place to watch the
great crowd and listen to the conversation. I was agreeably sur-
prised to find that it was an amiable, good natured crowd. Having
some business across the street, I ventured to try and cross. I got
through safely, but was delayed by meeting many old friends, all
of whom had a word of greeting to give and a hearty hand shake.
Some writers seem to think that these miners and men in the
Basin at that time were a very hard class, but they are very much
mistaken. I met and mingled with thousands of these men in the
Basin for several years and found very few who were not intelli-
gent, well-behaved gentlemen. Occasionally there would be a differ-
ence of opinion among some of the men and end in trouble of a seri-
ous nature, and there were no doubt a few bad men who would rather
hold up a stage or a man to get money than to work for it; but
they were few considering the number of people living in so small
an area.
Lumber being more plentiful and much cheaper this season, a
number of good buildings were put up in the different mining
108 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
towns and several comfortable residences were built. Many of the
business men had their families come to the Basin, and they were
a welcome addition to the life in the camps. School houses,
churches, court houses and theatres were built and everything
moved along in an orderly manner.
In 1864 some attention was paid by a few of the miners to
prospecting for quartz. Several locations were made. The one
that seemed the most important was located at Quartzburg, about
four miles west of Placerville. Considerable development work
was done on several locations. Roads were built to the different
mining camps and stage lines were put on by Henry Greathouse
and Sam Kelley. These stages were on the road from Placerville
to Idaho City, via Centerville, a distance of twelve miles, and made
the trip four times a day. They were well patronized and did a
good business.
About the middle of the Summer, freight wagons began to come
in, loaded with merchandise from Umatilla, for the merchants.
Rates were lower than they had ever been before, and many
things were brought in that could not be well packed on mules,
such as large stoves, household furniture, etc.
The old, veteran stage driver, Ward, or "War die," as he was
usually called, put stock and stage wagons on the road between
Idaho City and Boise City in the Spring of 1864. He ran a tri-
weekly line carrying passengers and fast freight. He had a fair
business, but the road was rough and hard on live and rolling stock,
and as everything was very expensive, the enterprise was not a
financial success the first year, to the enterprising owner, but it
was a great convenience to the two new towns.
The placer mines produced well during the Spring, Summer and
Fall of 1864. We have no accurate means of knowing the exact
amount of the products of these mines for that season, as the gold
was taken out in so many different ways. I think, however, that
the amount produced in 1864 was about seven millions of dollars.
A great amount of this was carried by Wells, Fargo & Go's, ex-
press, but I believe a much larger amount was taken out by pri-
vate individuals and conveyances.
CHAPTER XXII.
The third session of the legislative assembly of the Territory of
Idaho convened at Boise City, December 4, 1865, and adjourned
January 12, 1866. The following named gentlemen were members
of the Council:
H. C. Riggs Ada County
S. B. Dilley Alturas and Oneida Counties
S. P. Scaniker Boise County
H. C. Street Boise County
A. E. Galloway Boise County
George Ainslie * Boise County
S. S. Fenn Idaho County
E. Bohannon Owyhee County
President of the Council, E. Bohannon.
The following gentlemen were members of the House of Repre-
sentatives :
J. D. Agnew Ada County
M. Smythe Ada County
M. R. Jenkins Ada County
E. T. Beatty Alturas County
B. Crossen Alturas County
H. Allen Boise County
Fred Campbell Boise County
M. G. Luney Boise County
I. L. Tiner Boise County
James Carr Boise County
John B. Pierce Boise County
W. H. Parkinson Boise County
C. D. Sayrs Boise County
Alex Blakely Idaho County
J. A. Ripson Idaho County
James Hays Nez Perce County
D. P. Barns Owyhee County
J. W. Carter Owyhee County
E. J. Worky Owyhee County
Speaker of the House, Alex Blakely.
This legislative body seems to have been very industrious. They
enacted into law and had printed, two hundred and seventeen pages,
including many amendments to the laws passed at the first and
110 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
second sessions. Included in the works of this legislature are
many franchises, memorials and resolutions.
The pay of the members of the legislative assembly and their
attaches, as fixed by the Organic Act of Congress creating the
Territory of Idaho, was for the members of each house four dol-
lars per diem, for the chief clerk, four dollars per diem, and for
all other attaches three dollars per diem. The United States gov-
ernment paid in currency at par and business in Idaho was done
on a gold basis. United States currency was worth in gold fifty
cents on the dollar, and the purchasing power of a member's pay
was thus reduced to $2.00 per day. Board and lodging cost from
three dollars per day up, in gold, and other expenses were in pro-
portion. While this legislative body consisted almost wholly of
able and patriotic men, they could not work for the people, lose
their time and pay half of their own expenses from their own
pockets. In order to equalize things and have those for whom
they were working help pay the necessary expenses connected
therewith, they passed an act making an appropriation of money
out of the Territorial treasury to pay each member, in addition
to what he received from the government, six dollars per day;
to each chief clerk, six dollars per day; to each of the assistant
chief clerks, seven dollars per day, and to each of the engrossing
and enrolling clerks, sergeant at arms and doorkeepers, six dol-
lars per day; to each porter, six dollars per day and to each page,
three dollars per day. These sums were made payable each week
during the session. The reason for giving the assistant chief clerks
seven dollars per day seems to have been to make the amount re-
ceived by the assistants the same as that of the chief clerk. It
will be remembered that according to the rate paid by the United
States government, the chief clerks and members received four
dollars per day, and the assistants only three. It is presumed
that the assistants ranked with the members and chief clerks at
that time, and should have the same pay. At any rate, the money
was spent in a most liberal way, and certainly the four dollars
per day allowed by the government would not have paid the neces-
sary expenses of the legislators. Taken as a whole, the third ses-
sion did very well in enacting a great deal of good, wholesome
legislation.
The Federal officers at the time of the convening of the third
session of the legislature were as follows:
Delegate to Congress E. D. Holbrook
Governor Caleb Lyon
Secretary Horace C. Gilson
THIRD SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 111
Chief Justice John R. McBride
Associate Justice Milton Kelly
Associate Justice S. C. Parks
U. S. Marshal James H. Alvord
U. S. Attorney George C. Hough
These officers were all fairly good men, excepting the Governor ^
and Secretary. The Governor was a smiling, pleasant old gentle-
man, so long as he could have his own way about everything. In
fact, he seemed to think the people of Idaho did not know any-
thing and that it was his duty to instruct them, ladies not ex-
cepted. The Secretary, on the other hand, seems to have been of
a very selfish nature. He received the funds from the United
States Treasury Department to pay the per diem and other ex-
penses of the legislature, amounting to some twenty-five thousand
dollars. A few days before the legislature met, he engaged passage
on the stage for himself and another person to go to Walla Walla,
their fare to be paid upon his return within a few days. Secretary
Gilson failed to return and also forgot to return the Federal
money for the legislators' pay and to pay the stage fare. It is
said he skipped to some foreign country. The United States Con-
gress had to make another appropriation to pay the legislators.
The stage fare still remains unpaid.
While the act fixing the increased compensation of the members
and attaches of the legislature, approved January 9, 1866, seemed
to cut off the extra pay of the Governor and Secretary, on Jan-
uary 12th another act was passed restoring their extra pay. This
appears to have been necessary in order to have smooth sailing
between the legislative and the executive departments.
Several special appropriations were passed for the relief of
different persons, among whom were the following, to be paid from
the Territorial treasury: Thos. M. Reed, attorney, $400 for ser-
wces in suit brought by the people of Lewiston on account of the
removal of the capital; S. E. Domes, $100 attorney fees in suit
about capital; E. J. Curtis, $900 attorney fees for sundry legal
services.
This legislature was a little unusually liberal with some of their
attaches. They drew pay from the United States and extra per
diem from the Territory, but in addition to this, concurrent reso-
lutions were passed giving them more, as follows: For chief and
assistant clerks of the House, $400.00 (see Resolution No. 2, 3rd
Session, p. 300) ; to extra clerks for enrolling bills, $150.00 (see
Resolution No. 3, p. 301); to sergeant at arms for extra services,
$150.00 (see Resolution No. 5, p. 301); also extra pay to several
other attaches.
112 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
They passed a bill authorizing the funding of the Territorial
debt at 12% per annum (see 3rd Session Laws, p. 156). They
amended the act for taxing Chinamen, by increasing the amount
from four to five dollars per month. They also passed an act to
incorporate Boise City, and acts granting franchises for toll
roads, bridges, ferries, railroads, etc., etc., about thirty-three in
number. They passed an act authorizing the election of a Terri-
torial printer, fixing his pay for certain work, which was well up
(see p. 184) ; also an act for the publishing of the laws of the
third session in a certain newspaper (see p. 211). This was
another expensive piece of legislation for a few over-burdened
taxpayers to have to pay. And there were some other acts, making
Boise County and some of her officials preferred creditors to be
paid from the funds due from that county to the Territory (see
pp. 275 and 279> 3rd Session Laws). In those days, Boise County
had a much larger population than any other county of the Terri-
tory, collected more revenue and had more representation in the
legislature than any other county. In fact, Boise County had one-
half of the members of the council and had eight out of nineteen
members in the House of Representatives. It would not seem to
be a very difficult matter for the delegation from Boise County to
control legislation to suit their wishes. But we must not write on
this subject, for fear we might say something that might offend
some of those good old fellows, for they were all good, whole-
souled, liberal men. Boise County mines were producing the most
gold, and the county paid the most revenue ; they had the most rep-
resentation, and it was only natural for them to legislate to suit
themselves. ^
It appears from a report made by the Secretary of the Terri-
tory to members of the Third session, January 6, 1866, that the
laws of the Second session had not been published, the reason given
being that they were held in Lewiston on account of litigation
about the capital and was not received by him at Boise City until
November 3rd, 1865. (See Council Journal, p. 123, 3rd Session.)
Just when these laws were published is a little indefinite. On the
title page of both the Second and Third Session Laws is, "Boise
City, Frank Kinyon, Territorial Printer, 1866." The certificate
of the Territorial Secretary, certifying to the correctness of the
laws in the front part of the volume of the Second and Third Ses-
sion Laws, bears the same date, which is, "Boise City, this first
day of May, A. D., 1866." So it appears to have been a long time
after the adjournment of the Second session on December 23rd,
1864, until the people got the laws. The excuses given by the
Secretary do not seem to be very good when considered in connec-
THIRD SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 113
tion with his duty as a Federal officer, over whose official duty the
Territorial courts had no jurisdiction.
We give below extracts from Governor Caleb Lyon's message to
the Third session of the legislature of the Territory of Idaho,
dated December 8th, 1865:
"Gentlemen of the Council and House of Representatives:
"The temple of war is closed. No more shall its iron-mouthed
and brazen-throated cannon peal forth dread 'misereres' over half
a thousand battlefields, where sleep their last sleep — the victor
and the vanquished. No more shall the ear of night be pierced
with the echoes of fierce assault and stubborn defense from en-
compassed and beleagured cities. The conflict is over, and with
it expired the cause.
"They who appealed to the last argument of kings, appealed in
vain. The Constitution of our common country has been vindi-
cated and the Union gallantly sustained. The destroyers have
become restorers, and those who were the last in war have been
the first to hail the glorious advent of peace. Each returning State
is welcomed with National joy; each renewed tie of the ancient fra-
ternity of feeling is another evidence of the wisdom of the Gov-
ernment in its position — that Statehood may be suspended, but can
only with annihilation die. I heartily congratulate you as a source
of profound gratitude to the God of Nations, that the representa-
tives of thirty-seven sovereignties will assemble this December, as
of yore, at the Capitol at Washington, over which the old flag
floats with a new splendor, lighted by the Stately stars of perfect
constellation. In older communities the many precedents, like
lamps, guide the feet of the legislators in the beaten way, but here
in the paramount interest that presents itself, our legislation has
no analogies. Personal security; protection of property; the fos-
tering of moral and material advancement — will give wide scope
for your judicious investigation and patient research. To your
care, your wisdom, and your judgment, have been confided, in part,
the welfare of the people of the Territory, and under such auspi-
cious circumstances you may, as representatives, prove worthy of
their fullest confidence.
* * * * *
"For the better encouragement of ranchmen and farmers, who
are making the valleys golden with grain, and who are growing
in great perfection the most of our edible roots as well as the
fattening of kine ; who, by their labors in man's primeval occupation
give health and prosperity to our growing community, I would
suggest the propriety of incorporating a 'Territorial Agricultural
Hta-8
114 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Society/ for improvement in the breeding of stock, as well as in
the labors of the dairy; being confident that the annual fairs, as in
other portions of the United States, would be promotive of great
good and mutual benefit. Annual addresses and distributions of
premiums, would be occasions where entertainment and instruc-
tion would most harmoniously blend. The comparison of different
modes of culture, the gathering together of natural productions, as
well as female handicraft; with the interesting varieties of stock
from home as well as that reared abroad; with each year changing
the location of the fair from one of the larger places in the Terri-
tory to another; with the natural inter-mingling of citizens and
interchange of ideas — could not but elevate us as individuals, and
still further as a young and promising commonwealth.
* * * * «
"The following localities, in good paying placer diggings, have
been wrought with success the past year, and in a majority of them
gold and silver-bearing quartz ledges are being developed: Elk
City, Oro Fino, Clearwater Station, Salmon River, Miller's Camp,
Warren's Diggins, Meadow Creek, Snake River bars, Gold Fork
on the Payette, Boise Basin — embracing Placerville, Centerville,
Pioneer City, Idaho City, Buena Vista Bar and Moorestown. The
Owyhee District, embracing Boonville, Ruby and Silver cities, War
Eagle and Sterling mountains, Flint, Mammoth, and Steele. Vol-
cano District, with Wood River, while South Boise — embracing
Esmeralda, Rocky Bar, Red Warrior, Bear Creek, Elk Creek,
Yuba, Silver Mountain, and Silver Creek — attract much attention
from each new development.
"New mines on Bear River, and in the Goose Creek Mountains,
also in the vicinity of Lemhi and Soda Springs, have been re-
ported from authorities entitled to confidence.
"All legislation should be carefully molded to invite capital, and
the greater the inducements held out, the more rapidly will our
population be increased and the greater the people's prosperity.
"Here the emigrant will find the highest price paid for his la-
bor, and here the farmer will find the highest price known for his
produce.
"Valley lands of great fertility await the grain-grower, and
boundless fields of the best pasturage for the herder and grazer. A
healthy climate, an exhilarating atmosphere, with a warm welcome
to all those who come to make this their home.
"A bird's-eye view of the accumulating discoveries in our min-
eral resources, reveals that we have no less than three thousand
gold and silver-bearing quartz ledges, graded in their value as in
THIRD SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 115
their richness, and new discoveries and new locations are being
made almost daily.
"The width of these lodes or leads varies from three to thirty
feet, and they prospect from twenty to five hundred dollars to the
ton.
"Located usually where water-power and timber are in abun-
dance, they offer the highest inducements to the enterprising cap-
italists whose investments can rarely fail of being of the most re-
munerative character.
"Among the other useful ores which have been discovered with-
in the last year, tin, cinnabar, copper, lead, and iron in many
forms are of the first value; yet platina, antimony, nickel, bismuth,
iridium, and rhodium, simple or compounded with other minerals,
are found in various localities. But this is not all; beds of the
best coal, both anthracite and bituminous, with rock salt, sulphur
and gypsum (better known as the fertilizing plaster of commerce),
while the most precious of gems, the diamond, has been discovered
in our gulches — all give you a feeling foretaste of the illimitable
extent of Idaho's varied mineral wealth, when the hand of man
shall have unbosomed her hidden treasure.
"The wide extent of our auriferous quartz lodes and leads are
rivaled only by argentiferous mountain ledges striated, laminated
and foliated with silver in chlorides, sulphurets, arsenical, anti-
monial, and virgin. This presents a fabulous array of marvelous
deposits which will require the industry of ages to develop and ex-
haust.
"In accordance with the provisions of the Organic Act, it will
be my desire to concur in all legislation which shall tend to har-
monize the conflicting interests of all sections of the Territory that
you, in your best judgment, may see fit to enact. In your deliber-
ations, may you be guided by Him "who doeth all things well," and
be kept in health and peace of mind in obedience to His divine will.
(Signed) "CALEB LYON OF LYONSDALE,
Boise, December 8th, 1865. Governor of Idaho.
The above extracts taken from the Governor's message to the
legislature should be taken at a very large discount. He evidently
had a flighty spell on and drew largely on his imagination.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MINING IN BOISE BASIN AND OTHER MINING CAMPS IN IDAHO IN 1865.
A large portion of the men engaged in mining in the Boise
Basin and other mining camps, left in the Fall for their homes in
Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. Nothing could be
done in placer mining after the snowy season began. The most of
the travel at that time went by Walla Walla or Umatilla and then
by steamer down the Columbia River and on to San Francisco.
The Columbia River was usually frozen over by December 1st,
so as to stop navigation until the first of March, but in 1865, the
ice all left the river a few days before the first of March, and on
the first day of March, one of the Oregon Steam Navigation Com-
pany's steamers came up the river and landed at Umatilla. To
say that this steamer was loaded with passengers for the Boise
Basin will hardly express it. The passengers were packed and
jammed above and below so closely that the officers and the deck
hands could hardly get around to attend to their duties.
The majority of the passengers were men who had gone from
the Basin the Fall before, with well-filled purses, but they had
put their money in circulation during the Winter and were now
anxious to return to the Basin where they felt quite certain they
could soon replenish their finances. Very few of these gold-seek-
ers paid any attention to the little town of Umatilla with its well-
stocked stores and numerous hotels and restaurants prepared es-
pecially for their accommodation. The majority of them shoul-
dered their blankets (inside of which was a lunch) and started for
the Boise Basin without halt or ceremnoy. The most of them had
a hard time before they reached their destination. There was
snow on many parts of the road and the sun shining brightly on
the snow, made many a poor fellow snow-blind.
The steamer continued to come up the river three times a week
loaded down with passengers and freight for the Boise Basin. The
rush for this mining district was greater than at any time before.
The road from Umatilla to the mining district was literally lined
with travel, the larger portion on foot, while some had horses, some
wagons and teams. Many came by saddle trains and the stages
were crowded with passengers.
Early in April the pack trains started up and soon after, wagon
transportation began, so it was not lonesome on the road, nor were
these hardy, industrious miners disappointed when they reached
MINING IN 1865 117
the mining districts. Those who had claims soon commenced
work; others located and opened up new claims and those without
mining ground of their own, could get employment at good wages
if they wanted to work, some at mining, and others at various other
occupations, such as cutting logs and firewood, building houses, and
many other legitimate occupations. Good prices were paid for all
kinds of work. Business of all kinds was excellent in the Basin
in 1865. Mining was carried on more extensively than ever be-
fore, and the mines produced more than in previous years. Esti-
mating by the amount taken out by Wells, Fargo & Go's, express
and by private hands, there must have been about ten million dol-
lars' worth of gold taken from the placer mines of Boise Basin in
the year ending December 31, 1865. There were several thousand
dollars' worth of gold taken from the placer mines of Owyhee
County, and a great deal of development work done on quartz
mines in the Owyhee mining district. A few quartz mills were
put in operation which produced quite an amount of bullion. This
bullion consisted mostly of silver, but contained enough gold to
make the value of the bullion from $2.50 to $4.00 per ounce. At
Rocky Bar and Atlanta, a number of quartz locations were made,
but little money, however, was taken out. At Warrens and Flor-
ence, mining camps in Idaho County, a few men remained. It is
presumed that they made some money or they would not have stayed
there. The same may be said of the placer camps in the southern
portion of Shoshone County, at Elk and Pierce Cities, and Oro
Fino.
The men in these mining camps were, as a rule, good, intelligent,
industrious, law-abiding citizens. Of course, there were a few
whose absence would have been better for the community than
their presence.
There were men of various trades and professions in Boise Basin
at this time: Carpenters, blacksmiths, merchants, hotel and res-
taurant keepers, doctors, lawyers, clerks, mininsters, theatrical
companies, saloon-keepers and gamblers, who were all attending
to their respective vocations and all seemed to be doing fairly well
in a financial way.
In this connection I would like to give the following incident
told me by that old pioneer, James I. Crutcher, of Bishop Tuttle:
The Bishop was loved and respected by the men of the Basin, no
matter what their creed or nationality, and no matter how crowded
the streets might be, if the men saw the Bishop coming, the way
was cleared and as he passed, hats were lifted and kindly greet-
ings given.
CHAPTER XXIV.
ASSESSABLE PROPERTY TERRITORIAL REVENUE EXPENSES SCHOOLS,
ETC., UP TO DECEMBER 4, 1865.
The Act of Congress creating Idaho was passed on March 3rd,
1863, but none of the Federal officers got to their posts of duty
until several months later, and our legislature did not meet until
late in the year of 1863. So it is presumed that if there was any
assessment of property, it was done under the laws of Washing-
ton Territory. The report of the Auditor, Hon. B. F. Lamkin,
under date of December 4, 1865, gives the assessment of property
in Idaho for 1864* and 1865, and claims also to give the receipts
since the organization of the Territory, but none appear to have
been received in 1863.
The Auditor reports the assessed value of the property within the
Territory for the year 1864 to have been $3,697,304.49, and the
Territorial portion of the tax at the rate of eight mills to have
been $29,578.39, including licenses, poll tax, etc. He also reports
the assessed value of all property within the Territory for the year
1865 as $5,184,322.20 and the Territorial portion at seven mills,
to have been $36,290.22. In this report, Shoshone and Nez Perce
counties are not included, neither of them having sent in any re-
port. The following is the statement of receipts from the organi-
zation of the Territory to date, December 4, 1865:
From the treasurer of Alturas County $ 1,400.70
From the treasurer of Ada County 1,512.66
From the treasurer of Boise County 10,000.00
From the treasurer of Idaho County 3,050.73
From the treasurer of Nez Perce County 336.09
From the treasurer of Owyhee County 3,667.99
From the treasurer of Shoshone County 961.71
From the treasurer of Oneida County No returns
For library fund 70.00
Total receipts $20,999-88
The following is appended to the above statement: "The treas-
urer of Nez Perce County has retained from the Territorial fund,
three thousand four hundred and fifty-three dollars and thirty one-
hundredths ($3,453.30) to defray the expenses incurred in the trial
of the Magruder murderers, which amount has been adjudged to
EARLY FINANCES 119
be a Territorial charge by the court of the First District." It will
be remembered that the Magruder murderers were the men whom
Hill Beachy captured and who were tried and convicted at Lewis-
ton early in 1864.
This report of the Auditor does not state whether all of the
money received by the Territorial Treasurer was for a property
tax or a part from poll tax and license tax. The law at that time
required the collection of a poll tax, a foreign miners' tax, and
licenses from nearly all the business houses. The officers did not
seem to collect very closely, neither were they very prompt in re-
mitting to the Territorial Treasurer. The expenses, however, ran
up very rapidly, as shown by the following report, giving the
amount of warrants issued up to date:
To the members, officers and attaches of the First ses-
sion of the legislature, 1863 and 1864, extra compen-
sation $10,626.00
To the members, officers and clerks of the Second ses-
sion of the legislature, extra compensation 7,450.00
Governor's salary, extra compensation 2,111.11
Supreme Judges' salaries, extra compensation 9*229-05
Secretary's salary, extra compensation 2,754.76
District Attorney's Salary 5,132.85
Auditor's salary 1,500.00
Clerk of the Supreme Court 297.00
Appropriations by the legislature for sundries 10,875.00
Supporting Territorial prisoners 9,650.75
Taking enumeration in 1863 3,600.00
Territorial printing 1,942.00
Contingent and incidental 2,377.52
Total $67,565.54
Total amount of warrants redeemed $17,036.41
Warrants outstanding December 4, 1865 $50,529-13
Estimated amount of indebtedness for which no warrants
had been issued $10,000.00
Total receipts, as above $20,999-88
Deduct warrants paid 17,036.41
Balance $ 3,963.47
Express charges, etc., paid $ 2,894.14
Balance in Treasury Dec. 5, '65 $ 1,069.83
While the Auditor estimates and adds to the amount of outstand-
120 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
ing warrants, $10,000 for which no warrants had been issued, we
find that the Third session of our law-makers found and made
appropriations to pay a much larger amount, to-wit:
Boise County, for keeping Territorial prisoners from
March 7th, 1864, to Jan. 1, 1865 $ 8,943.30
To sheriff for keeping Territorial prisoners from Jan. 1,
1865, to Dec. 31, 1865 9,000.00
To sheriff for the protection of prisoners and property
during the late riot in said county 2,500.00
(This last item of $2,500 was to reimburse the
sheriff for extra expense incurred in preventing en-
raged citizens from raiding the county jail and taking
Fred Patterson, who had killed Sumner Pinkham.)
The above amounts were to be retained out of the
Territorial portion of the taxes due from Boise
County to the Territory, amounting to 20,443.30
Appropriation to pay A. L. Downer, clerk of the Su-
preme Court from June 1, 1864, to Jan. 1, 1866 (see
p. 278, 3rd Session Laws) 1,000.00
Appropriation for prison commissioner 200.00
Appropriated for Curtis for legal services 900.00
Appropriated for Downer for legal services (p. 272) . . . 100.00
Total $22,643.30
The above all appears to have been indebtedness incurred, but
unsettled at the time the Auditor and Treasurer made their reports
on December 4, 1865, excepting for the expense of keeping Terri-
torial prisoners for the month of December, 1865, and a small
amount on some of the salaried officers. This amount could not
have exceeded $1,643.30, which would have left the unsettled ac-
counts against the Territory on December 1, 1865, as found due
by the legislature, about $21,000.00 instead of $10,000.00, as es-
timated by the Auditor. Something over $20,000 of these accounts
were of such a nature that the holders of them were made pre-
ferred creditors and got the cash, while others had to take Terri-
torial warrants which had to be discounted in order to get money
on them. It will, however, be remembered by old-timers that Boise
County had the people who owned the rich mines. They controlled
the legislature and it is presumed they preferred keeping their
portion of Territorial tax money at home. There was at least one
consolation about this matter of the Boise County preferred cred-
itors, they seem to have been paid out of Territorial funds that were
still in the hands of the county treasurer and county tax collector,
EARLY FINANCES 121
and had never been sent to the Territorial Treasurer. The officers
in that county who were trusted with the safe-keeping of the pub-
lic money, seemed to hold a tight grip on it, judging from the Aud-
itor's report of December 4th, 1865. He says (p. 6) : "The ag-
gregate amount due from Boise County to the Territory on the 6th
day of October, 1865, was $29,621." After paying the claims
mentioned above, $20,443.30, they would still owe the Territory
$9,177.70. On page 6, the Auditor appears to include in his
charge against Boise County about $1,800, which he claims was col-
lected for the Territory in 1863. This is the first and only refer-
ence we have found claiming that revenue was collected in 1863.
The Auditor in his report of 1865, on page 2, "State No. 1 of re-
ceipts from the organization of the Territory to date," giving the
total receipts $20,999-88, gives the names of the counties and the
amounts received from each, but does not say for what year they
were paid or whether for property tax or license, so we are some-
what in the dark in regard to this particular fund.
We have before us the report of the Territorial Treasurer (Hon.
Ephriam Smith) under the same date as the Auditor's, December 4,
1865. Mr. Smith seems to have succeeded some one else as Terri-
torial Treasurer on May 19th, 1865. He gives no statement of the
transactions of his predecessor, nor even his name. His report is
very brief, showing receipts during his term to be $5,585.43, and
disbursements, $4,516.10; balance on hand, $1,069-33, and he says:
"I have set this amount aside to pay the following orders upon the
general fund, viz: Nos. 40, 41, 43 and 44, amounting to $1,080."
He does not say what these orders are for or who held them.
The members of this Third session of the legislature, realizing
the bad condition of the finances of the Territory, very wisely
passed an act to bond the Territorial indebtedness for ten years at
12% per annum, interest payable semi-annually. (See pp. 156,
157 and 158, 3rd Session Laws.) This at least gave the taxpayers
some temporary relief. We might say more on this subject, but
prefer to stop.
We have before us the report made to the Governor by Hon. J. A.
Chittenden, Superintendent of Public Instruction, under date of
December 1st, 1865. He gives the number of children of school
age in all the counties except Shoshone and Oneida counties. Those
reported are as follows (school age being between 4 and 21 years) :
Ada County 337
Boise County 602
Idaho County 12
Owyhee County 93
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Nez Perce County 75
Alturas County 120
Total number 1,239
He reports the following schools:
Ada County 2
Alturas County 1
Boise County 4
Nez Perce County 1
Idaho County 1
Owyhee County 3
Number of school houses in the Territory 3
This Superintendent in his report, makes a number of good rec-
ommendations to the legislature for improvements or amendments
to the school laws, some of which were adopted by the legislature.
CHAPTER XXV.
STAGING CARRYING U. 8. MAIL EXPRESS AND FREIGHTING, UP TO
JULY, 1870.
We have spoken in a previous chapter of how and by whom the
stage business was started up in Idaho in 1864. All of these lines
spoken of then, continued to run for several years, with an occa-
sional change in the ownership. Several other lines were put on
other routes, among which were, Greathouse & Co., from Placer-
ville, via Centerville to Idaho City, 12 miles, double daily; Ward &
Co., Idaho City to Boise City, 36 miles, tri-weekly; Barns & Yates,
Boise City to Silver City, 65 miles, tri-weekly. In 1865 Ish sold
out his interest in the Ish & Hailey stage line that ran between
Umatilla and Boise, to Hailey, and the same year Ish bought a half
interest in the Thomas & Co. stage line that ran from Walla Walla
to Express Ranch. In 1865 Greathouse & Co. bought Ward &
Go's, line of stages that ran between Idaho City and Boise City, and
ran a daily line. In 1865 Hill Beachy bought out Barns & Yates'
stage line between Boise City and Silver City. In 1865 Hailey
bought a part of the line and rolling stock, stations and sub-mail
contract from Thomas, Ish & Co., and they sold the balance to other
parties and quit the stage business. In 1866 Hill Beachy, Great-
house, Kelly and Hailey took a sub-mail contract from Jesse D. Carr
of California, to carry a tri-weekly mail from Boise City to Virginia
City, Nevada, Beachy having the road already stocked between
Boise City and Silver City. This route from Boise City to Virginia
City was a very expensive and dangerous route, the most of the road
being through an unsettled country, with marauding Indians roam-
ing over the country. The same year Capt. John Mullan and oth-
ers put on a stage line from Silver City to Red Bluffs, California.
This was also an expensive and dangerous route.
In 1866, B. M. Durell & Co. put on what they called a "fast
freight" and passenger line from Umatilla, Oregon, to Oldsferry
on Snake River, ninety miles west of Boise City. There they con-
nected with a steamboat that had been built and put on Snake River
to run between Oldsferry and the ferry on Snake River, on the
route from Boise City to Silver City. This last named place was
thirty-three miles from Boise City. Durell & Co. stocked this
thirty-three miles of road from Boise City to the Owyhee ferry.
This steamer was built and put on the Snake River with the view
of having all freight, mail, express and passengers transferred to
124 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the steamer at Oldsferry, to be carried by them to the Owyhee
ferry on Snake River, and then to be transferred back to stages
and freight wagons to be hauled thirty-three miles to Boise City
over a very bad road, along which there was no range feed, nor
any grain, hay or water. It cost more to unload and reload and
haul over this thirty-three miles than it did to haul straight through
the ninety miles from Olds ferry to Boise City over a good road
which had range grass, water, hay and grain on it, to say nothing
about the steamer charge. It was no saving of time and was more
expensive by this part-water route that started from one lone ferry
with no settlements near, and went to another lone ferry on the
desert. This steamboat business was a failure. The boat ran a few
weeks and then tied up until high water the next Spring, when it
was run down the Snake River into the Columbia River by Captain
Stump and put in commission on the Columbia River. Greathouse,
Kelly and Hailey bought out Durell & Go's, fast freight and stage
line.
Early in 1867, Hill Beachy bought out Greathouse, Kelly and
Hailey's interest in the stage line from Silver City, Idaho, to Vir-
ginia City, Nevada, and let them have in part payment, his stage
line from Boise City to Silver City. Soon after this a deal was
made by which Henry Greathouse got all the stage business from
Boise City to Idaho City and into Boise Basin, and Sam Kelly got
the route from Boise City to Silver City, and Hailey, the routes
from Boise City to Umatilla, Walla Walla and The Dalles. The
last three routes were all run daily and carried the United States
mail under sub-contracts, at low figures, and each of them carried
Wells, Fargo & Go's, express. They all did a fairly good business.
Early in 1867, Wells, Fargo & Co. bought Ben Halliday's over-
land stage routes from Salt Lake City to Boise City, and from Salt
Lake City to Helena, Montana. This change of ownership made
no difference with the running and connections with the different
lines at Boise City.
Everything went along fairly well on all these stage routes, ex-
cept on a portion of Beachy's route and on a portion of Hailey's
route in the Burnt River country, the Indians were very trouble-
some. Commander Major Marshal, at the Boise Barracks, was
very good to help us out in these troubles. He sent troops,
mounted, on several occasions, to escort our stage over the danger-
ous places, and allowed them to remain as long as was necessary.
In addition to the annoyance by Indians, there were a few of
what were called "road agents" (highwaymen) who would occa-
sionally hold up a stage, take Wells, Fargo & Go's, express box,
and sometimes rob the passengers; but we generally got the rob-
CARRYING U. S. MAIL IN 1870 125
bers, and most of the money they took, and had the robbers pros-
ecuted and sent up. They soon learned that it was not a profitable
business to rob stages.
In 1868, Greathouse sold out his stage business from Boise to
and into Boise Basin, to Eb. and Joseph Pinkham. Kelly sold his
stage line from Boise to Silver City to John Early.
On September 30th, 1868, the old Holliday mail contract ex-
pired, under which Wells, Fargo & Co. was carrying the mail from
Salt Lake to Helena, Montana, and to Boise City, Idaho, and
under which contract Hailey was carrying the mail under a sub-
contract from Boise City to The Dalles, Oregon. The new con-
tract was awarded to C. M. Lockwood of The Dalles, Oregon, at a
very low figure, service to commence October 1st, 1868. This
change created some confusion for awhile. This contract was only
let for one year and nine months, to expire on June 30th, 1870, at
which time all of the mail contracts on tihs coast expired, and new
contracts were let for four years.
Wells, Fargo & Co. sold their stage line from Ogden to Helena,
Montana, to Gilmer, Saulsbury & Co. early in 1869> they having
secured the contract for carrying the mail. Wells, Fargo & Co.
could not make a deal with Lockwood for the sale of their stage
line from Salt Lake to Boise Sity, so they took their live and roll-
ing stock all off the road and Lockwood put stock on that portion
of the road to carry the United States mail between Salt Lake and
Boise City, and made arrangements with Hailey to carry the mail
between Boise and The Dalles. This arrangement lasted until
February 1, 1869^ when Lockwood sold out his stock and mail con-
tract to Hailey, who ran the entire route until soon after the Union
and Pacific railroads were connected. The Postoffice Department
discontinued the Salt Lake end of the route and made Kelton, on
the Central Pacific railroad, the eastern terminus.
Hailey continued to run this line from Kelton via Boise and
Walla WaUa to The DaUes until July, 1870, at which time his
contract for carrying the mail expired. He sold his stock, wagons,
stations, etc., to the Northwestern Stage Co., who had the contract
for carrying the mail over this route for four years. The same
company got the contract for carrying the mail from Boise City
via Silver City to Winnemucca, Nevada, which route had been run
by John Earley and Hill Beachy. This company bought them
out. They also bought out Eb. and Joseph Pinkham on the Boise
City and Boise Basin route. This was an eastern company. The
first proprietors were Owen Teller, Bradley Barlow and J. W.
Parker. Later on the firm changed to C. C. Hundley and Bradley
Barlow. They ran these routes, carrying U. S. mail, Wells, Fargo
126 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
& Co. express, and passengers for eight years, until July 1st, 1878,
when another change was made, of which we will speak later on.
FREIGHTING AND PACKING.
Most all the goods continued to be freighted by mule, horse and
ox teams from Umatilla to Boise City and Boise Basin, until the
summer of 1869, when a change was made on the road from Boise
to Kelton, the distance being about forty miles shorter than from
Boise City to Umatilla, with better grass and less tolls. Most all
the merchants in Boise City and in Boise Basin had their goods
shipped by railroad to Kelton, and freighted from there by teams.
The price of hauling freight by this time was greatly reduced,
ranging from four to six cents per pound. Most of the freight for
Silver City was hauled from Winnemucca at about the same rate
per pound. Pack trains could not compete with this low rate paid
for freight. Some of them left for other parts, some quit and sold
their mules for other purposes, and a few were still kept in com-
mission to pack small cargoes into mountain mining camps where
there were no wagon roads.
CHAPTER XXVI.
PROGRESS MADE BY THE PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY IN
1865-6, CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE, ETC.
The past two years had shown quite a change in agriculture.
Quite a number of locations of the bottom lands had been made
along many of the creeks and rivers in southern and southeastern
Idaho and a number in the northern counties, houses built, fields
fenced, cleared, plowed and sowed to grain, garden truck planted,
and a few small irrigating ditches made. All of the land that was
properly cultivated and irrigated yielded good crops, and much of
it on the low bottoms yielded Jfair crops without irrigation. The
wild hay on the lowlands gave good returns. Taken altogether, the
returns from farming were generally very satisfactory.
Many of the people, by this time, had made up their minds that
Idaho was a pretty good country to live in, and went to work with
a will to make comfortable homes. They, also, began to take more
interest in public schools, and they built school houses at convenient
places for their children to attend. The farmers had a good cash
market at remunerative prices for all the superfluous farm pro-
ducts they raised. Boise Basin mines were a good market for all
vegetables, and the freighters and stage men purchased all the
grain and hay they could spare paying them good prices. So the
outlook for the farmer, in those days, was encouraging.
By this time the roads between the Boise country and steam-
boat navigation on the Columbia River had been put in condition,
so that large freight wagons could be hauled over them. Usually
three wagons were coupled or trailed together, one behind the other,
loaded with 20,000 pounds of goods, and drawn by twelve good
mules, or six or seven yoke of oxen. This mode of transporting
freight lowered the price about one-half from what it had been
when transported on pack mules or pack horses. This all tended
to help the farmers as well as others. It enabled them to purchase
their groceries and other necessary supplies much cheaper, and the
merchant could no longer charge such enormous prices on account
of the very high rate he had to pay for freight.
The outside range was very good. Wild bunch grass grew in
abundance. Quite a number drove cattle and horses into Southern
Idaho; some were driven in the southeastern counties; and some,
in the northern counties. Quite a number of men engaged in the
stock business, which paid them well. For several years it was
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
not necessary to feed range stock through the winter; they could
winter well on the bottom land and low hills, where but little snow
fell and plenty of dry bunch grass stood up above the snow that
fell and was good feed. The home market was good for beef, and
also for horses, which were needed for teaming, ranching, staging
and livery.
MINES.
The placer mines in Boise Basin produced very well the last two
years, but some of those mines which paid well had been pretty
well worked over. Quite a number of men, who had been engaged
in working these mines, became anxious to return to their old homes.
They sold out their partly worked-out placer mining claims to
other miners or to Chinamen, and took all their net earnings and
left for their old homes to enjoy tfie profits of their few years of
hard work and deprivation incident to frontier life.
At Silver City in Owyhee County, several quartz mills had been
built, and a number of rich quartz ledges had been developed pro-
ducing ore from which large returns of gold and silver were taken.
The mineral products of this mining camp were on the increase in
1865 and 1866.
ROCKY BAR AND ATLANTA.
These camps, being situated in a mountainous country with very
rough roads, made it very expensive to get supplies and machinery
in. It seemed to be a difficult matter to enlist capital to invest to
develop and operate the quartz mines at these camps, and not very
much was done there.
IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES.
Several white men, and a few Chinamen were still working in
the placer mines at Orofino, Pierce City, Elk City, Florence, and
Warrens, but with no large results.
HEALTH.
The general health of the people of the Territory had been good,
with but little sickness of any kind. The climate and the water
were good; the air, bracing; and the people, cheerful and all look-
ing forward to a bright future.
CONDITION AND CONDUCT OP THE PEOPLE IN IDAHO IN 1865.
Some writers, who never lived in Idaho, have seen fit to give ex-
aggerated statements in regard to the kind of people who lived in
Idaho in the early days; and, more especially, to criticise the con-
duct of the brave pioneers who paved the way for others to come.
From some of these statements, the reader would infer that
PROGRESS MADE IN 1865-6 129
Idaho was first settled by a band of thieves, robbers, murderers
and general law-breakers. We desire, in behalf of justice to those
brave old pioneers, both men and women, to refute this statement.
The writer was engaged in the transportation of passengers and
freight between the Columbia River and Boise Basin from the
Spring of 1863 to July 1870, spending a portion of my^ime every
month in Boise Basin. My business necessarily brought me in
contact with men and women of all classes and professions, and I
can truthfully say that I never had business dealings with, or met
more honest, upright men and women than in the early sixties in
Idaho. I do not mean by this that there were no bad men in
Idaho. There were a few, as there are in all communities, but they
were the exception.
The courts and officers enforced the law strictly. It may be in-
teresting to the reader to know something of the number of law-
breakers who were sent to the Territorial prison in 1864 and 1865.
Under a law passed at the Second session, 1864, the Territorial
Treasurer was made prison commissioner with power to audit the
accounts of the prison keeper. In his report to the legislative as-
sembly, under date of December, 1865, he reports for the year
1864 three prisoners — one confined for 267 days; one for 160 days;
and one for 113 days. From January 1st, 1865, he reports four
prisoners. From July, 1865, to December 5th, 1865, the date of
the prison commissioner's report, the prisoners confined in the Ter-
ritorial prison averaged ten. There must have been in Idaho at
that time not less than twenty-five thousand people, mostly grown
men and women.
The reader may say that our laws were not enforced, but I desire
to state that they were strictly enforced. The people in Idaho
were, as a rule, honest, upright, intelligent citizens, kind and gen-
erous to a fault. No appeal for aid to any one in distress was
ever unanswered. The pioneers of Idaho were unquestionably a
noble class of men and women, and well deserve credit for redeem-
ing this fair "Gem of the Mountains" from a land of savages
and a barren waste to a land of beauty, peace and plenty.
Hto-9
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE TERRI-
TORY OF IDAHO, CONVENED AT BOISE CITY, DECEMBER 3,
1866, ADJOURNED JANUARY 11, 1867.
Names of members of Council:
H. C. Riggs Ada County
S. P. Scaniker Boise Coutny
H. C. Street Boise County
George Ainslie Boise County
E. A. Steveson Ada County
S. S. Fenn Idaho County
L. P. Brown Nez Perce County
M. A. Carter Oneida County
R- T. Miller Owyhee County
W. H. Hudson Shoshone County
President, George Ainslie.
Names of members of the House of Representatives:
G. W. Paul Ada County
John Cozad Ada County
A. W. Flournoy Ada County
B. J. Nordyke Alturas County
Nelson Davis Alturas County
F. W. Bell Boise County
J. W. Knight Boise County
George Stafford Boise County
J. A. Abbott . .Boise County
W. L. Law Boise County
A. P. Mitchell Boise County
W. H. Parkinson Boise County
A. McDonnel Idaho County
J. C. Harris Idaho County
J. S. Taylor Nez Perce County
W. W. Thayer Nez Perce County
Henry Ohle Oneida County
D. G. Monroe Owyhee County
H. T. Caton Owyhee County
A Englis Owyhee County
W. F. McMillen Shoshone County
Speaker, A. W. Flournoy.
FOURTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 131
This legislature made a number of important amendments to the
revenue law and had the whole revenue law revised and put to-
gether as it had been amended and published with the other laws.
This was of great benefit to the people as the revenue law had been
amended at each session of the legislature ever since the first ses-
sion, and not properly arranged, so it was difficult for the average
layman to understand just what law was in force.
On April 10th, 1866, D. W. Ballard, of Oregon, was appointed
Governor of Idaho. We have his first message to the legislature
of December 3rd, 1866, from which we take the following extracts,
which we think were fairly good at that time:
"To the greater portion of the population of our Territory, the
year now closing has been a year of prosperity. Many who began
the year with perplexing doubts and misgivings as to the future of
the country, have had those doubts and anxieties happily removed,
and the success of the past leads them to hope and trust for the
future.
"For the first two years after the settlement of our Territory,
Idaho was looked upon only as a theatre for speculation, and as a
place for temporary residence, where, by enduring the necessary
toil and privations, rapid fortunes might be acquired. The Terri-
tory was first peopled by those whose object was the acquirement of
a speedy fortune, and this being done, to return either to the Pa-
cific or Atlantic States; but this feeling is rapidly subsiding and
the abundant success attending both mining and agricultural pur-
suits during the past year is fast removing the prejudices that have
formerly existed against Idaho as being a desirable location for
permanent residence.
"The output of gold and silver from our mines has been greater
the past year than for any previous year. All of the quartz ledges
that have been opened up and worked have yielded well.
"Agricultural pursuits, for the first two years almost totally
neglected, have been prosecuted during the past year with the most
gratifying results. Many hundred acres in the Boise and other val-
leys have been brought under cultivation, and it is cheering to learn
that the yield per acre of both cereals and vegetables will compare
favorably with the yield of any other locality on the Pacific coast.
"With regard to legislation to be done at the present session, I
have but few recommendations to make. Indeed it seems to me
that no great amount of legislation is at present required. It is
thought that familiarity with the existing statutes is of greater con-
sequence to the people than increased legislation. While it is im-
portant that needed changes in the laws should from time to time
132 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
be made, and necessary new ones enacted, it is equally important
that the statutes should remain free from complications by amend-
ment, at least long enough for the people to become familiar with
them and their practical workings.
"Since the adjournment of the last legislature, the laws enacted
at that and the preceding session, have been printed, in separate
volumes, each of which has been appropriately and conveniently in-
dexed. The publishing work has been well executed in good type
and on good paper, with substantial binding, but for want of funds
to pay for the work, the books still remain in the hands of the pub-
lisher at San Francisco. The embarrassment under which you must
necessarily labor in not having these laws placed before you, is
fully appreciated, as without them it is impossible that your pres-
ent legislation can be performed understandingly or with as much
satisfaction, either to yourselves or to your constituents, as could be
done, could access be had to these bound volumes. In fact, the stat-
utes of the Territory are in a very unsatisfactory condition.
"The First legislature which assembled at Lewiston in 1863, en-
acted a code, but as the duration of their session was limited, it was
necessarily passed in much haste, and with much less consideration
than its importance demanded. The code then enacted was not
printed until after the sitting of the next legislature, and many of
the amendments have never been published in any form whatever,
and, indeed, each succeeding legislature has labored under the mis-
fortune of endeavoring to amend the legislation of its predecessor
with no authentic knowledge on the subject matter. The result is
that our laws are inharmonious and abound in perplexing discrepan-
cies. It is believed that the best method to secure a perfect code of
laws and remedying the existing evils, is by the appointment of a
commission to codify and revise the whole body of our statutes. The
present uncertainty can thus be remedied by a system which, though
it may take some time and incur some expense, will, when complete,
supersede for years the necessity of further amendments and ad-
ditional legislation.
"The financial affairs are far from being in a satisfactory con-
dition, as may be seen by an examination of the reports of the Ter-
ritorial Treasurer and Comptroller. The remedy suggested is in
the most rigid economy and a thorough and stringent revenue law.
No one should desire to be permitted to live in a country where he
can claim the protection and benefit of its laws, and at the same
time refuse to be laid under contribution to sustain that country and
support its laws. Since all good citizens willingly pay their taxes, it
is but justice to them that all should be made to assist in the bur-
den of taxataion. Could all the taxes due from citizens have been
FOURTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 133
promptly collected and paid into the treasury, even at existing rates,
doubtless our revenue would have been quite sufficient for all ex-
penditures of the Territory.
"Congress has only appropriated twenty thousand dollars to pay
all expenses of each session of our legislature, including printing,
laws, etc. I need scarcely call your attention to the fact that this
appropriation is by far too small for the objects specified. I would
recommend that a memorial be addressed to Congress on this sub-
ject."
It appears that Congress had not at any time appropriated suf-
ficient money to pay all the expenses of the legislature, including the
printing of the laws and journals, and the printing establishment at
San Francisco that printed them held them in order to secure their
pay for printing, which worked a great hardship.
After much searching, we have found copies of the reports of the
Territorial Comptroller, Treasurer and Superintendent of Public
Schools, from which we give some extracts. These reports are made
to the Governor and the legislative assembly, December 1, 1866, and
purport to show the receipts and expenditures for the past year,
present indebtedness, amount of assessable property, etc.
From the comptroller's report, covering transactions of his office
from December 4, 1865, to December 1, 1866, we take the follow-
ing:
Total valuation of all assessable property in the territory for the
year 1866, as reported, $4,158,157.88. The tax levy for Territorial
purposes for the year 1866 was 70c on each one hundred dollars of
assessable property. This should, if all collected, have brought in
a revenue of $29,107.10, less amount for assessing, collecting, paying
over, etc., which was about one-third of the whole amount. The
comptroller's report shows that the whole amount paid into the
Treasury, including delinquent taxes for 1864 and 1865, and on
property tax and licenses and poll tax for 1866, in the aggregate,
amounted to $33,511.86. He reports a balance due from the dif-
ferent counties of $1,400.11, and a balance due of $8,745.75 from
retired county treasurers, most of whom were retired treasurers of
Boise County.
Whole amount of warrants drawn from December 4, 1865, to De-
cember 1, 1866, $43,081.13; of this amount, $15,714.60 was for in-
creased pay of members and attaches of the legislature, including
the extra pay of members and attaches of the legislature, including
the extra pay of the Governor, Secretary and Judges; nine relief
bills, amounting to $5,100.00. We will not say that these relief
bills were not right, but we do think that the $15,714.69 extra pay
given to men that were paid by the United States Government, was
134 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
unnecessary. While it gave to a few more money to spend, it made
it oppressive on the few taxpayers.
The comptroller's statement shows the Territorial indebtedness
to December 1, 1866, including bonded, outstanding warrants, in-
terest and unsettled accounts to date, amounted to $95,046.99, with
cash in the treasury, $7,089-91, leaving the debt, less cash on hand
Dec. 1st, $87,957.08. The comptroller gives the vote cast for dele-
gate to Congress in 1864, 8,689; and in 1866, 6,634. Estimated
number of white population in 1866, 17,000; Chinamen, 1,000; num-
ber of taxpayers, 3,480. Population decreased owing to the fact
that many of the placer mining claims had been worked pretty well
out and many of the miners sold their claims to Chinamen and left
for their old homes, taking with them all their net earnings.
The Treasurer's report seems to correpspond with the comptrol-
ler's. It is unnecessary to make extracts from it. I am tired wrest-
ling with these reports, for they are not very intelligible, to say
the least.
The report of the prison commissioner shows an average of about
seven and a half prisoners were kept in prison during the eleven
months, up to December 1, 1866, at a cost of $12,624.32. This was
rather expensive. The above item included $348 for bringing in
prisoners and commissioner's mileage and fees visiting the prison.
The report of the Superintendent of Schools shows as follows:
MONEY EXPENDED
COUNTY. NO. SCHOOLS. NO. CHILDREN. BY COUNTY.
Ada 7 328 $2,264.50
Boise 4 292 2,221.14
Owyhee 1 97 1,199-55
Nez Perce 2 75 1,000.00
Total 14 792 $6,685.19
Idaho, Shoshone, Alturas and Oneida counties not reported. We
cannot brag on this showing.
At the Fourth session the Territorial • tax was increased from
seventy cents on each one hundred dollars, to one hundred cents,
for Territorial purposes, and some increase was made in county
taxes for school purposes.
At the Fourth session an act was passed dispensing with the
services of the Superintendent of Schools and making the Comp-
troller ex-officio Superintendent of Public Schools. The mem-
bers of the Fourth session of the Territorial legislature did not
seem to get along well with the Territorial Secretary, who was
paymaster for the members. Some of the members were rather
FOURTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 135
high tempered and fractious, while Secretary S. R. Hewlett might
be put down as a would-be aristocratic, cranky, old granny. He
seemed to think things must go or come his way. Most of the
members viewed things differently from what he did, and they
had friction all through the session.
But it is past and many of the participants have passed away,
and we will not undertake to tell of any of the unpleasant things
that transpired during that memorable session. Doubtless each
and all of them thought they were doing their duty, as they saw
it through the dim mist of the future.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO.
Until 1866, but little in the way of permanent settlements and
improvements had been made in Southeastern Idaho. Rich placer
mines had been discovered in the country around and where
Helena now stands in Montana, a distance from Salt Lake City,
Utah, of some 450 miles. In the Spring of 1864, the great Over-
land stage man, Ben Holliday, secured a contract for carrying the
United States mails between Salt Lake City and Helena, Montana.
Mr. Holliday had the road stocked and commenced running
stages July 1st, 1864. This route passed through Southeastern
Idaho, along the Port Neuf River, near the present Indian agency,
and crossed the Snake River at a ferry a few miles above what is
now the town of Idaho Falls, on Snake River, running north near
what is now Market Lake and Beaver Canyon in Idaho before it
reached the Montana line, so that one-half or more of this road
was in Southeastern Idaho.
Reports of the rich gold mines in Montana not only attracted
the attention of mining men in California, Nevada and Utah, who
came and traveled over this route, but also many emigrants who
came from east of the Missouri River across the plains with their
teams. The majority of these emigrants traveled over this road
in order to reach the rich gold fields of Montana.
The southeastern portion of Idaho over which this road and
travel passed had but very few settlers. The few who were there
were either employees of the stage company or engaged in cutting
and putting up hay to sell to the company and other travelers.
There were a few stations on the road for the benefit of the stage
company and local travelers. The ferry across Snake River above
Idaho Falls was the most noted place on the route. The owners
did a large business which must have been very remunerative. No
permanent improvements were made in the way of agriculture for
several years; in fact the people did not think the land along this
road was of any value for agriculture, and there were too many
Indians in the country for any person to undertake to raise stock
for fear of having them stolen by the Indians, from whom they
had little or no protection.
In 1865, J. M. Taylor and Robert Anderson bought the ferry
situated a few miles above what is now the town of Idaho Falls.
They built a fine bridge across the Snake River at Idaho Falls,
SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO 187
and moved there in the winter of 1865 and 1866. The construc-
tion of this bridge by these two energetic men was of great con-
venience to the stage company and to the traveling public gen-
erally.
In the year 1866, a deal was made between the Ben Holliday
Stage Company and Wells, Fargo & Company by which the con-
trol and management of all the Holliday stage routes passed over
to Wells, Fargo & Company. Soon after this the line from Salt Lake
City to Montana was fitted up with improved facilities for the car-
rying of passengers, express and fast freight. They had a good
business over this route during the Spring, Summer and Fall of
1866; and a few others along the route in Idaho made some money
putting up hay and selling meals to travelers, but there was more
money made from the receipts of the bridge across Snake River
than any other business in that part of the country. The bridge
did not consume but produced revenue every day. At the close of
the year 1866 nothing of a permanent nature in the way of ag-
riculture had been started in that part of the country excepting
by a few settlers in Malad Valley, in Oneida County.
CHAPTER XXIX.
MINING IN 1866.
Mining continued to be the principal business in Idaho. Placer
mining began in Boise Basin early in the Spring of 1866, the
mines generally producing well. More attention was given to pros-
pecting and the locating of mineral quartz ledges. Many of these
prospects were very good. One quartz mill was built and put in
operation at a point four miles west of Placerville, called Quartz-
burg. The mill was erected close to the mine, and both mill and
mine proved to be a financial success.V The rush of people in the
Spring to Boise Basin was not so great as in 1864 and 1865, for
the reason that many had saved money from their mining opera-
tions, sold their claims and returned to their homes to remain.
Many of them had taken with them from twenty to seventy-five
pounds of gold dust. More people remained through the last Winter
in Boise Basin than ever before, and quite a number came down to
Boise City to spend the Winter and watch the proceedings of the
legislature. Most of the miners did well during the Spring and
Fall of 1866. Merchants and other trading establishments could
not ask such high prices as the transportation of goods had now
become comparatively cheap. Many new stocks were brought in
which made lively competition, and some of the merchants suffered
heavy losses by fire. The year 1866 was not a prosperous year for
but few merchants in Boise Basin. The placer mines, however,
produced about the same amount of gold as in 1865.
OWYHEE MINES.
The quartz mines in Owyhee County near Ruby and Silver City,
especially on what is known as War Eagle Mountain, produced
well. Several quartz mills had been brought in and all seemed to
do good work and turned out a large amount of what was called
silver bullion, but it contained gold enough to make the value of
the bullion worth from two and a half to four dollars an ounce.
This bullion was usually run into large bars weighing about one
hundred pounds apiece and shipped through Wells, Fargo & Com-
pany's Express via Boise City, Umatilla to Portland and on to San
Francisco. We hauled the most of this bullion from Boise to Uma-
tilla on stages; each bar was put into a strong, leather grip which
fitted snug and buckled up tight. We had to have iron bars put
the full length of the coaches on the under side of the bed to save
MINING IN 1866 139
these bullion bars from breaking through. We have no record of
the amount hauled on the stages but it came quite often in lots
of from eight hundred to sixteen hundred pounds. One time we
hauled twenty-one hundred pounds of this bullion at one load, to-
gether with two express messengers, two treasure boxes well filled
with gold dust, one hundred and twenty-five pounds of mail and
seven passengers from Boise City. This was the best paying load
ever taken over the stage road and was taken through without ac-
cident and on regular time.
ROCKY BAR AND ATLANTA.
There was considerable stir among the people about the quartz
mines in and around Rocky Bar and Atlanta. A number of loca-
tions were made and quite an amount of work done. Two or three
small quartz mills were put up and several arastras, but we can-
not say very much money was taken out. Several ledges showed
ore of high garde but it was very expensive to get supplies, the
roads were bad, tolls high, and the snow did not leave the camps
until late in the Spring and came again early in the Fall.
LEMHI COUNTY.
Some prospecting was done in what is now Lemhi and Custer
counties. Locations for placer mining were made on the Salmon
River and its tributaries, also a few locations of quartz ledges,
but no large amount of money was taken out.
NORTH IDAHO.
A few men still remained at the placer mining camps of Oro
Fino, Pierce City and Elk City, in Shoshone County. These miners
took out some placer gold and located a few quartz ledges. A few
men also remained at Warrens and Florence in Idaho County. They
took out some placer gold, and several quartz ledges were located
around Warrens. Mining in Idaho in 1866 was generally success-
ful. From what we know of the amount of money taken from the
mines, and from information we consider correct, we feel safe in
stating that the amount taken, as a whole, was greater than any
previous year, and we estimate the mines in Idaho produced in the
year 1866 about twelve million dollars.
CHAPTER XXX.
FARMING, STOCK RAISING AND FREIGHTING IN SOUTHERN IDAHO IN
1866.
By this time quite a number of the people had made up their
minds that Southern Idaho was a good place to live. A large num-
ber of locations were made on agricultural land in Boise and Pay-
ette valleys, also on the Weiser and other places. Several small
ditches were taken out for irrigating and quite an amount of grain
and vegetables raised. Hay was put up to supply the demand.
Several orchards were set out and Boise and Payette valleys began
to look homelike. The farmers had a hard time for some years,
building houses, fencing their fields, making stables, corrals, sheds,
etc., and grubbing out sage brush and plowing the land. The most
of the seed for the new land was packed or hauled from Eastern
Oregon, which made it very expensive. It was very expensive get-
ting water and building ditches. The crops were light, and last,
but not least of the annoyances to the farmers, were the grass-
hoppers, which would come and sweep the fields clean after all the
farmers' hard work. But the farmers persevered, and in a few
years had very comfortable homes.
This year freights were greatly reduced. Ox teams, mule teams
and horse teams were plentiful on the road between Boise and
Umatilla, so the hauling of freight was reduced in the Summer and
Fall to five and six cents per pound. The supplies were likewise re-
duced in price. A few cattle and horses were raised and every-
thing seemed to go along nicely in Southern Idaho.
LAW, ORDER AND GOOD CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE IN 1866.
The people of Southern Idaho were progressive, industrious and
possessed good moral habits. Several churches were erected and
services were well attended. Almost every one seemed to be inter-
ested in securing good schools for the children.
The laws, both civil and criminal, were good for the preservation
of life and property, giving justice to all. The executive offices
and courts were filled with honorable, competent men, who enforced
the laws strictly. Our young Territory was fortunate in having
but few drones, vagabonds, tramps or professional grafters, the
population consisting mostly of energetic, enterprising people, who
had come from different States in the Union. At that time it was not
only an expensive trip to come to Idaho but it was, also, a danger-
STOCK RAISING IN 1866 141
ous journey as the Indians were constantly on the warpath. So
few people tried to come who were not energetic and enterprising.
The people of 1866 seemed to settle down and be more contented
than during previous years. In fact, before this few had thought
of remaining permanently in Idaho. Nearly all business had been
connected directly or indirectly with mining, and the majority of
people had thought only of making money and then returning to
their old homes, wherever they might be.
Many who were fortunate did return, but others found it im-
possible to arrange business matters so they could go and stayed on
year after year until at last Idaho became home. They realized,
after a few years, that the climate of Idaho could not be surpassed
and that it was one of the choice spots made by the Supreme Being
— why should they not stay?
CHAPTER XXXI.
PROGRESS AND DOINGS OP THE PEOPLE OF IDAHO TERRITORY IN A
GENERAL WAY IN THE YEARS 1867'! 870 INCLUSIVE.
During these four years in Idaho,, no very great amount of new
developments were made. The population decreased considerable
owing mainly to the working out of many of the rich placer mines
in Boise Basin.
The reader must bear in mind, mining for any kind of mineral
differs from agricultural pursuits not only in the kind of labor
and machinery used, but every ton of placer ground well worked is
gone forever, so far as getting any more gold from it is concerned.
The same with gold or silver quartz; neither placer ground nor
quartz reproduces after having had the precious metals once ex-
tracted; not so with agricultural lands, which, with proper care
and good cultivation, reproduce each year so far as the memory
of man runneth. The number of men engaged in placer mining
in these years gradually decreased in most all of the placer min-
ing camps in Idaho.
A few new discoveries of placer ground were made, which at-
tracted some attention, on what is known as Loon Creek and other
streams in Lemhi County; but none of them proved to be very
rich or extensive, and but few men remained in these new camps.
A few of the mining men turned their attention to prospecting
for gold and silver-bearing quartz ledges, and quite a large num-
ber of locations were made in the different counties, which included
Boise, Owyhee, Alturas and Lemhi counties. Many of them had
considerable development work done on them, but few of them,
except in Owyhee County, had machinery put on them for work-
ing the ore, so the quartz mining industry in Idaho for these four
years did not amount to much except in Owyhee County, where
several quartz mills were in operation and the returns from the
ore worked were very good, in fact some of the ore was very rich.
Farming, upon the whole, increased considerable in the Territory
in these four years. Some new locations were made in each county,
and quite an amount of new improvement made by the farmers in
the way of digging irrigating ditches, making fences, clearing up
and cultivating new land, building new houses, barns, etc.
Owing to the increased amount of agricultural products raised
and the decreased demand on account of loss of population in
mining camps, the price of agricultural products came down so low
PROGRESS MADE IN 1867-70 143
that it was very discouraging to farmers, who still had to pay high
prices for their groceries and other necessary goods, including
farming implements, high rate of taxes, etc. Under this state of
affairs, upon the whole, the farmers could not, as a rule, be con-
sidered prosperous during these four years. A few of them, who
had set out fruit trees early, began to get considerable fruit which
commanded a very good price. More attention was paid to the
education of the children in these years than before. Quite a
number of school houses were built in different parts of the Terri-
tory, and public schools were maintained for several months in each
year. Stock raising, cattle and horses increased to a considerable
extent in these four years, and the market price for beef, horses,
and mules kept up at good figures.
The same old slow and expensive mode of transportation of
freight and passengers by freight teams and stages still remained,
though the rate on both freight and passengers was greatly re-
duced from the prices charged in former years.
The Union and Central Pacific Railroads having been completed
and a connection of their roads in May, 1869? having been made,
it enabled our merchants to ship their goods from either the East
or from San Francisco to Kelton on the Central Pacific Railroad,
which place was only two hundred and forty miles distant from
Boise City, which was about forty miles less than Umatilla on the
Columbia River, from where most all of our goods had been
freighted before this change.
The connecting of the Union and Central Pacific Railroads,
which stretched across the great American plains, set many peo-
ple in Idaho almost wild to visit their old homes in the Eastern
States and many of them went; and, like many who now go annu-
ally from the Eastern States to Europe with well-filled purses and
return a few months later minus the contents, not only decreasing
their wealth but lessening the circulating medium of their country
by spending and leaving large amounts so far away that it sel-
dom, if ever, gets back to where it was taken from; so with many
of our people in 1869 and 1870, myself not an exception. Of
course, we all had a good time, but our circulating medium was so
much reduced that it was painfully felt in our business. We had
spent it too far away from our homes for it to get back to per-
form its service in the channels of trade soon, if ever. But we all
lived over it, and a few of us are still here.
But few improvements were made in the different towns in
Idaho during these four years. Some of the placer mining towns
even went back, notably in the Boise Basin. Mining towns re-
144 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
duce or decay as the mines fail. Towns in the agricultural dis-
tricts held their own, with a few improvement in some of them.
Congress did, at the earnest solicitation of our delegate, Hon.
E. D. Holbrook, make an appropriation to build a United States
assay office and a penitentiary at or near Boise City. These build-
ings were both in course of construction, and were completed in
the year 1871.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO.
This legislature convened at Boise City on December 7th, 1868,
and adjourned January 14, 1869-
The names of the members were as follows:
MEMBERS OF THE COHNCIL.
G. W. Paul Ada County
V. S. Anderson Alturas County
W. M. Vance Boise County
B. G. Allen Boise County
A. J. Boomer Boise County
C. C. Dudley Boise County
S. P. C. Howard Idaho County
J. S. Taylor Nez Perce County
F. E. Ensign Owyhee County
J. M. Taylor Oneida County
B. F. Yantes Shoshone County .
President, J. S. Taylor.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Thos. H. Gallaway Ada County
J. B. Wright Ada County
Thos. B. Hart Ada County
Meredith Kelly Alturas County
Louis Linbeck Alturas County
W. S. Harley Boise County
U. Marx Boise County
Thos. Fay Boise County
S. T. Hussman Boise County
D. M. McGrew Boise County
D. B. Moody Boise County
S. Goodnaugh Boise County
Hayden Bailey Boise County
E. T. Beatty Idaho County
E. Mulkey Idaho County
G. W. Bell Nez Perce County
V. S. Zeigle Nez Perce County
Patrick Campbell Owyhee County
Seth Catlin Owyhee County
Hk-10
146 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
P. S. Quinn Owyhee County
F. M. Shoemaker Oneida County
W. A. Goulder Shoshone County
Speaker, E. T. Beatty.
It will be observed that it has been two years since the meeting
of the Fourth or last session of the Territorial legislature. No
doubt but the people felt grateful to the Congress of the United
States for the change made in the law, from annual to bi-annual
elections and meetings of the legislature, for several reasons.
First: It stopped much expense and annoyance holding annual
elections. Second: It gave the people time to find out and test
the laws already enacted. Third: It at least stopped the extra
pay given to members and attaches for one year out of every two,
which was a saving of about fourteen thousand dollars to the tax-
payers every other year.
The Comptroller's report, dated December 1, 1868, shows:
Jan. 1, 1868, balance in the treasury $ 6,053.50
Dec. 1, 1868, receipts for past three quarters 37,579-38
Making total receipts $ 43,632.88
Dec. 1, 1868, disbursements of Treasurer $ 35,454.94
Balance left in treasury $ 8,177.94
Dec. 1, 1868, total indebtedness to this date, including
outstanding bonds, warrants, and interest $113,102.18
Less cash in the treasury 8,177-94
Dec. 1, 1868, debt, less amount in treasury $104,924.24
Unpaid taxes for 1868 were $25,000; valuation of all assessa-
ble property for the year 1868, as shown by reports, was $4,621,-
980.49; Territorial tax was one per cent.
Official vote for delegate to Congress in 1866 6.564
Official vote for delegate to Congress in 1868 5,634
Decrease in two years 930
Estimated number of white population 25,000
Estimated number of Chinamen 1,500
It would seem that after waiting two years, the people concluded
that they did not want so much legislation as had been given them
annually heretofore, so they elected a new set of men all around to
legislate for them this time, save and except one member of the
House of the Fourth session, who was sent to the Council of the
Fifth session.
FIFTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 147
The members of this Fifth session did not prove to be such ex-
perts at making laws as some of their annual predecessors had
been. They succeeded, however, in enacting laws and resolutions
enough to cover one hundred and sixty-two pages. Some of them
were good, wholesome laws, and others were not so good.
They did not fail to draw the extra pay from the Territorial
treasury, which for members and attaches amounted to thirteen
thousand nineteen dollars and twenty-five cents ($13,019-25) ; and,
for other incidental expenses, one thousand four hundred two dol-
lars and sixteen cents ($1,402.16), making a total of $14,421.41.
This was all extra over and above what the United States Govern-
ment paid them. The amount paid them by the United States Gov-
ernment was supposed to be in full for all services rendered by
them, but they seemed to think their services were worth more
money.
The act making this appropriation for extra pay to members and
attaches of the legislature was passed at the First session of the
Territorial legislature, and approved January 13, 1864 (see pages
527 and 528, First Territorial Session Laws). At the time this
act was passed, it included extra pay for the Governor and the three
Judges at the rate of $2,500 per annum each, and the Territorial
Secretary an extra $1,500 per annum — all to come out of the Ter-
ritorial treasury. At the Third session, so much of the act of Jan-
uary 13, 1864, was repealed as applied to giving extra compensa-
tion to the three Judges, the Governor, and the Secretary — approved
January 9, 1866 (see page 106, Third Session Laws). But on
January 12, 1866, an act was approved restoring the extra pay of
the Governor and the Secretary (see page 145, Third Session Laws).
At the Fourth session, an act was passed cutting the extra pay of
the Governor and the Secretary off.
Now comes the Fifth session and passed an act restoring the ex-
tra pay of $2,500 each to the three Judges and to the Governor,
and giving the Secretary $1,000 extra annually, and made this extra
pay to commence on December 7, 1868, while the act was not ap-
proved until January 14, 1869- This legislation took eleven thou-
sand dollars annually from the Territorial treasury, and adding to
this the extra pay of the members, attaches and incidentals, which
made a total of $14,421.41, we have the sum of $25,421.41 legis-
lated out of the Territorial Treasury for one year to pay officials
and a few incidentals, for which the United States Government was
paying a compensation fixed by the laws of Congress, and all of
this to come from a few taxpayers whose property was assessed at
a valuation of less than five million dollars for the year 1868, as
148 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
shown by the comptroller's report on page 11. The whole amount
was $4,621,980.49.
This Fifth session passed a new revenue act repealing all former
revenue acts. This is quite a lengthy act covering about fifty pages,
in which provisions are made for taxing most all kinds of property
and businesses that are carried on in the country. Upon the whole,
it was an improvement on our former revenue laws. They reduced
the levy for Territorial purposes from ten to eight mills on the
dollar.
Among the several acts passed at this session was an act appro-
priating twenty-five hundred dollars for Charles Ostner, in consid-
eration of his having presented, as a gift to the people of Idaho
Territory, an equestrian statue of George Washington carved out of
Idaho wood, by the said Ostner, at the expense of many months of
hard labor.
They also passed an act appropriating nineteen hundred four
dollars and thirty-seven cents to pay S. R. Howlett for the care and
removal of the Territorial records from Lewiston to Boise City in
1865 and for his services in taking care of them seven months.
They appropriated money to pay for the publishing of the laws
passed at this session; passed several acts for the relief of individ-
uals, which did not relieve the people; passed an act creating the
county of Lemhi, and locating the county seat at Salmon City. This
act also appointed George L. Shoup, Benjamin S. Heath and E. H.
Tuttle a board of county commissioners. It provided that Lemhi
County should pay to Idaho County $700.00 as her share of the
indebtedness of Idaho County. This act was approved January 15,
1869 (see pages 119 and 120, Fifth Session Laws).
While this legislature made a few good laws, it is a question
whether the good legislation they enacted was a fair compensation
for the increased debt they placed on the few struggling taxpayers.
While the members of this Fifth session were most all new mem-
bers, they did not fail to look out for themselves; and, also, for
the financial well-being of other Territorial and county officers,
with but little apparent regard for those who had to pay the bills.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CLASSIFICATION OF LAND IN IDAHO CREATION OF COUNTIES GEN-
ERAL REVIEW OF MEN AND COUNTIES FROM 1863 TO 1870.
To attempt to give a correct classification of the different kinds
of land in Idaho would be a very difficult task, but it may be put
down as approximately correct, as follows:
Area 84,600 square miles, equal to 54,144,000 acres, classified as
follows :
ACRES.
Agricultural, reclaimed and susceptible of reclamation . . 1 8,000,000
Low mountain, hills, and grazing land 15,000,000
Mountain, timber and mineral land 18,000,000
Lakes, lava and rivers 3,144,000
Total 54,144,000
Prior to the passage of the act of Congress creating Idaho Terri-
tory, on March 3rd, 1863, the legislature of Washington Territory
had created four counties situated in a portion of the territory in-
cluded in Idaho, namely, Shoshone, Nez Perce, Idaho and Boise
counties. The three last named had been organized and had their
respective county governments in operation with a full corps of
county officers. In order to make the boundary lines of these coun-
ties more definite, the Idaho legislature at its First session passed
acts creating three more new counties in addition to the four named
above; also defined the boundary lines of the first four. These last
three created were Owyhee, Alturas and Oneida counties. These
seven counties included all of the territory that Idaho had when
she became a State, but some of them were cut up and made into
more counties before statehood.
Shoshone County, situated in the northern portion of the Terri-
tory, was the county in which the placer gold mines were discov-
ered on the tributaries of the Clearwater River, in the southern por-
tion of the county in I860, by Captain Pierce. Placer gold was dis-
covered at three different places, and mining camps were established
at each place; namely, Pierce City, Orofino and Elk City. The
mines in these camps do not appear to have been extensive, only af-
fording employment for a few hundred men and not extra rich.
Among some of the early settlers in these mining camps were
Captain Pierce the discoverer, Hon. Standford Capps, Hon. James
150 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
A. Orr, Hon. W. A. Goulder, Hon. W. H. Hudson, Hon. W. F.
McMillan. These last five named, we assume, were prominent men
in the development of that county, as their names appear on the
legislative rolls in the early sessions of the legislatures from that
county.
Shoshone County being a mountainous county with but little ag-
ricultural land, little was done in the way of agriculture. A large
area of land in this county was well covered with fine pine timber.
Soon after the placer mines began to fail to produce well in the
three small camps mentioned herein, the people nearly all left the
county, leaving only a few hundred to keep up and maintain a
county government. The valuation of assessable property in this
county for several years was less than one hundred thousand dol-
lars, and the number of voters less than two hundred.
The people of this county had a hard struggle until 1882, when
the richest lead and silver-bearing quartz mines in the United States
were discovered in the northern part of the county; and soon after
this, the people began to discover the great wealth that lay in the
fine belts of timber in that county; and now Shoshone County can
truly say that she ships more mineral and timber wealth annually
than any other two or three counties in Idaho. Verily, the old
adage that the "last shall be first" has come true in the case of
Shoshone County. The county seat of this county is now located
at Wallace, a nice town situated in the center of the mining dis-
trict, and is surrounded by large bodies of fine timber nearby with
good railroad facilities.
NEZ PERCE COUNTY.
When this county was reorganized, her boundary lines were de-
fined by an act of the Legislature of Idaho, approved February 4th,
1864, and her boundary lines have been changed some since. But
that large piece of territory that lay north and west of Nez Perce
County, having but few settlers, was, by act of December 22nd,
1864, created as Latah and Kootenai counties but not organized,
and attached to Nez Perce for judicial purposes to await the action
of the people. Since that time, these counties of Latah and Kootenai
have been organized under the act of December 22nd, 1864, of
which we will speak later on.
Lewiston, which is situated at the junction of the Clearwater
River and the Snake River, was made the county seat of Nez Perce
County, and is at the head of navigation for steamboats on the
Snake River. Lewiston, being at the head of navigation, was the
distributing depot for all of Northern Idaho for many years, which
made it a very important place.
CREATION OF COUNTIES, 1863-70 161
The Nez Perce Indian Reservation was located in 1855, and is
situated within the boundary lines of Nez Perce County. The old
Spalding Mission at Lapwai, located in 1836, is situated within the
boundary lines of this county. An Indian agency was established at
this place in I860, and a military post, in 1861, which has since been
abandoned by the United States Government.
Lewiston has been, and still is, a very important place for the
distribution of goods for the interior towns and for the shipment of
agricultural products to the seaboard. Lewiston held the capital for
two years by virtue of the Governor designating that place for the
legislature to meet, the Organic Act of Congress having failed to
locate the capital. In 1862, before Idaho was organized, Lewiston
shipped out by pack trains most all the supplies that came with the
great rush of people, who went to what was called the Salmon River
(Florence) and other smaller mining camps.
The buildings at Lewiston consisted mostly of large tents; and
the streets were paved with a deep layer of loose sand, which would
mingle freely with the frequent lively chinook winds that came up
the river with such force that both men and pack mules would have
to hunt some kind of a wind-break or else take a serious risk of
having their eyesight cut out by the sharp sand. This is no dream.
I was there and have had experience in these gentle wind and sand
gales; but, long ago, the good enterprising people of that place
either subdued or had this sand blown away, and have built a fine
town with good streets.
Nez Perce County may be put down as a fine agricultural, horti-
cultural and stock raising country, with a good healthy climate, and
settled by an intelligent and thrifty people. The valuation of her
assessable property in 1870 was $423,531.25; and the number of
votes cast in 1870 for the delegate to Congress was 316. The
reader must remember that before the year 1870, the best of the
placer mines in Idaho had been worked out, and about two-thirds of
her early population had left.
Among some of the early settlers of Nez Perce County were Wil-
liam Craig, John Silcott, L. Bacon, George Zeigle, Hill Beachy,
Thomas Beall, and many others. Rev. Mr. Spalding was first to
locate and settle at Lapwai Mission in 1836; but, on account of In-
dian hostilities, left in 1847. Below we give Mr. Thomas Beall's
account of the arrival of the first steamer:
"In regard to the first steamer to reach Lewiston, it was the
Colonel Wright and not the Okanogan. The latter boat did not
ascend the Snake River till 1862.
"The Colonel Wright was the first steamer built above The Dalles,
152 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
and on the evening of the third day of May, 1861, entered the mouth
of the Clearwater and proceeded as far as the Nez Perce agency at
the mouth of the Lapwai, where she tied up for the night. The
next day, May 4, Mr. A. J. Cain, the agent, John Silcott, myself
and several others went aboard and started up the river. Our late
townsman, S. S. Slater, was one of the passengers, and had a
quantity of goods aboard for the mines. We found the rapids so
strong above the Big Eddy that we had to put out a cable and it
parted and we drifted down into the eddy.
"Captain Len White was in command of the steamer, and our
veteran steamboat captain, E. W. Baughman, was mate. Captain
White concluded to go back, so we went down to the mouth of Bed-
rock Creek and discharged the freight, which consisted of Slater's
goods. Our late townsman, Lot Wiggin, was with Slater as clerk.
There was no town started until the Wright's second trip. This
is a matter of history and we want it correct. Yours,
"THOMAS BEALL."
IDAHO COUNTY.
This county was created by the Washington Territory legislature
and re-bounded by the First Idaho legislature. It lays south of
Nez Perce and Shoshone counties and extends south to the divide
between the waters of the Weiser River on the south, and the waters
of the Salmon River on the north, and extended east to the line di-
viding Idaho and Montana. A few years later, the county of Lemhi
was created out of the eastern portion of Idaho County.
The Salmon River or Florence mines are situated in the south-
western portion of this county a few miles north of the Salmon
River in a basin in the high mountains. Placer gold was found
in large quantities in a few claims, but the best paying claims were
worked out in the year 1862. Warrens mining camp was discovered
south of Salmon River that Summer in Idaho County, but was
neither extensive or very rich. What is called Big Camas Prairie,
in the north, is situated in Idaho County, and is among one of the
richest bodies of agricultural land in the West. In packing sup-
plies from Lewiston to the Salmon or Florence mines in 1862, we
had to cross this fine large prairie, which was unsettled at that
time. It was covered with a luxuriant growth of bunch grass that
was beautiful to see and most excellent feed for our animals; but,
when we left the prairie and started up the rough, narrow trail in
the mountains, it was a little tough.
Idaho County may properly be classed as a fine agricultural and
stock raising county with a large amount of good timber and a
great many large low-grade gold-bearing quartz ledges.
CREATION OF COUNTIES, 1863-70 153
Among the earliest settlers was the late Hon. L. P. Brown, who
settled in 1862 at the place he called Mt. Idaho at the base of the
mountain where the Mose Milner trail started up the mountain for
the Florence mines. Mr. Brown succeeded in getting the county
seat located at his Mt. Idaho town. He built a large hotel there.
He kept a good house, and always gave the traveler value received
for his money. Mt. Idaho, being away from the center of popula-
tion, after many years the county seat was moved to Grangeville,
near the center of population. The late Hon. S. S. Fenn was an-
other one of the early settlers of Idaho County. These two old
pioneers, Messrs. Brown and Fenn, were good, upright and intel-
ligent men, who always performed their duty promptly as good
citizens, and as worthy officials when holding office. The late Ben
Morris and Alonzo Lealand took active parts in Idaho County in
its early settlement, as did Captain Ralph Bledsoe and Chris Hig-
bee, and all of them performed their parts well.
The valuation of assessable property in Idaho County, in the year
1870, was $159,168.75, and the number of votes cast in 1870, was
373.
BOISE COUNTY.
This county was created by act of the Washington legislature at
their session held in the Winter of 1862 and 1863. At the First
session of the Idaho legislature, an act was passed defining the
boundaries of this county, approved February 4th, 1864. This
county lies south of Idaho County. Its boundary line extended as
far east as the junction of the Bruneau River with the Snake River,
and followed down the Snake River to the southwest line of Idaho
County. Its boundary lines included, at that time, all of what is
now Boise, Ada, Washington and Canyon counties.
Boise County, as it is now constituted, contains all of what is
commonly called the Boise Basin, where very rich placer gold mines
were discovered in the summer of 1862. These mines created a
great excitement all over the Pacific coast. In the Spring of 1863
there was about 20,000 people came to this mining camp, which
covered a considerable area of land, which was about fifteen miles
square. Mining was the principal business in this county for about
seven years. By the year 1870, many of the best mines were pretty
well worked out and the people began to leave the mines. Some
settled in the small valleys in the county and engaged in farming
and stock raising, while many others returned to their old homes
in different states.
Boise County may be put down as having a large amount of min-
eral land, both placer and gold-bearing quartz; a large quantity of
154 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
good timber; a large area of good grazing land, and a considerable
amount of good agricultural land.
In the sixties, Boise County had a much larger population than
any county in the Territory. Several flourishing towns were built
up during the Fall of 1863 and the Spring and Summer of 1864
in the Boise Basin mining district, among which were Idaho City,
Centerville, Pioneer City and Placerville. Each of these towns was
surrounded by rich placer mines, and none of them more than four-
teen miles apart.
Idaho City was the largest and had a population of at least five
thousand with many business houses with large stocks of goods.
From some unknown cause, fire broke out in Idaho City on May 8th,
1865, and consumed most all of the business portion of the town,
burning all goods and supplies on hand by the merchants, except
what some of them had in fire-proof cellars. The loss from this
fire was estimated to be near one million dollars with but little in-
surance. This was a heavy loss to many, and a set-back to the busi-
ness of the country generally. But as fast as lumber and other ma-
terial could be procured, nearly all who had lost their buildings,
rebuilt on a larger and more expensive scale.
Not long after the town had been well built up and the people
had begun to recover pretty well from their losses from the fire in
1865, another fire broke out in July, 1867, and consumed most of
the town, goods, supplies, etc., except what was stored in fire-proof
cellars. This was a much harder blow on the business men than the
fire of 1865. The loss was about the same, but, by this time, many
of the rich mines had been pretty well worked out, and the pros-
pect for good business in the future did not look good enough to
induce many to rebuild. However, there were a few more substan-
tial business houses built of brick, which are still occupied. After
the fire of 1867, many of the merchants and other business men left
Idaho City. A few of them located in Boise City and the remainder
scattered over the country.
There were too many prominent men in Boise County in the early
days for us to undertake to give their names. The county seat was
located at Idaho City. The valuation of assessable property in
Boise County in 1870 was $1,076,595.08 ; and the votes of the county
for the same year were 1,557-
OWYHEE COUNTY.
This county was created by act of the First legislature of Idaho,
approved February 4th, 1864. This county covered all the territory
south of Snake River to the Oregon and Nevada lines, and east to
the Goose Creek range of mountains.
CREATION OF COUNTIES, 1868-70 155
In 1863, a limited amount of gold placer mines were discovered
on Jordan Creek, which paid well with working, but were pretty
well worked out in two years. The gold here contained a large per-
centage of silver which reduced its value to about eleven dollars per
ounce. During the Fall of 1863 and Summer of 1864, some very
rich gold and silver quartz discoveries were made on a mountain
called War Eagle near where the placer mines were located. Several
quartz mills were erected in 1865 and 1866 to work the ore from
these quartz ledges, some of which proved to be very rich in silver
and gold. From these quartz mines, large quantities of bullion were
produced for several years, and a number of them are still pro-
ducing well up to this time, 1907.
Owyhee County is noted for her rich quartz mines; her large
amount of good grazing lands; and for a limited amount of very
excellent agricultural lands.
The county seat is at Silver City near the mining camps. The
value of assessable property in the year 1870 was $588,881.50;
from some unknown cause, this is less than half what it had been
reported in former years. We take our figures from the comp-
troller's report, but we think there must have been a mistake in his
report. The vote cast in that county in 1870 was 575.
ALTURAS COUNTY.
This county was created at the First session of the Territorial
legislature, the act being approved February 4th, 1864. Alturas
County lies east and south of Boise County, taking in the country
north of Snake River from the Bruneau River to Lost River, and
as far north as the Sawtooth range of mountains, following said
range of mountains to the eastern boundary line of Boise County.
While this county was very large in area, only a small portion
of it attracted people to settle there for several reasons: First, a
large portion was mountainous; second, there was a considerable
amount of lava country, and most of the agricultural lands was arid
and required artificial irrigation to produce crops ; and last, but not
least, there were roving bands of Indians in this county for many
years, who were very annoying to the few settlers there.
Some gold quartz ledges were discovered in the mountainous
part of this county near the headwaters of Boise River in the years
1863 and 1864. Two small mining towns were built — Rocky Bar
and Atlanta — where a few hundred men located for mining and
trading purposes. There was a great deal of development work
done on the ledges in these camps, and a few quartz mills and sev-
eral arrastres were erected. Quite a quantity of ore, which was
worked, paid fairly well, but, owing to the deep snows, long Win-
156 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
ters and expensive transportation, these mining camps could not
offer sufficient inducements to capitalists to come in and put up
proper machinery to work them, only on a very limited scale.
In later years, this county came to the front in agriculture, stock
raising, mining, etc., of which we will speak later on. Alturas
County, as first created, may be put down as having a large amount
of mineral, timber and fine grazing land; a large amount of good
agricultural land, when irrigated; and some worthless lava land, so
far as man knows at this time. The county seat was located at
Rocky Bar. The assessable property in 1870 was $159,387.97; and
the votes cast in 1870 were 248.
ONEIDA COUNTY.
This county was created at the First session of the Idaho legis-
lature, the act being approved January 22nd, 1864. Oneida seemed
to cover all of what is commonly called Southeastern Idaho, in fact
it covered some that was given to Wyoming in 1868. This was a
very large county bounded on the west by Alturas and Owyhee
counties, on the south by Utah, on the east by the Rocky range, on
the north by the jog in the Idaho line.
This county has been divided up several times in late years; but
as first created in its wild virgin state, it was not at all inviting to
the emigrant, homesteader, capitalist or prospector. It consisted of
one vast plain of sagebrush land with a few hills and mountains
with timber and numerous small streams and fertile bottom lands,
with the great Snake River coming from the east flowing west across
the county, and with many wild Indians roving at will over the
county. No mines having been discovered in this county in the
early days, so but few people were attracted to this county for some
years. Finally, the settlers along the northern boundary of Utah
began to spread over onto the southern boundary of Oneida County,
but it was several years before many people went to that county.
A large Indian reservation was established for the Bannock
Indians within the boundary lines of this county in 1866. This
tended to retard the settlement and improvement of this county
for several years.
The county seat of Oneida county was located at Soda Springs
by the act creating the county. This place being far away from
the center of settlement, the county seat was later on removed to
Malad City in the southern portion of the county.
Oneida County, as first established, may be put down as con-
taining a large area of good wild agricultural land, susceptible of
easy reclamation; a fine lot of good grazing land for stock; a
limited amount of mountainous timber land with some little min-
CREATION OF COUNTIES, 1863-70 157
eral land carrying gold in placer and quartz in small quantities.
The famous soda springs, near the old emigrant road, used to at-
tract the attention of all passing emigrants. They were situated
in this county, as it was first constituted.
The valuation of assessable property in this county, for the
year 1870, was $192,234; and the number of votes cast, 207. It
will be seen by this that people were slow in settling in this county ;
but later on, it seemed to be very attractive to homeseekers and
at this date — 1907 — with her several subdivisions, supports quite
a large population which seems to be prosperous.
We have given a brief description of the seven counties as first
organized by the Idaho Territorial legislature, in January, 1864,
which seven counties embraced the whole of Idaho, as now con-
stituted, prior to 1870. Two more counties were created by the
division of two of these original counties, of which we will now
speak.
ADA COUNTY.
This county was created by an act of the Second session of the
Territorial legislature, which was approved December 22nd, 1864.
The territory included in Ada County was all taken from Boise
County and covered all of what is now Ada, Washington and Can-
yon counties. The two counties last named were created from por-
tions of Ada at a later date than we are now writing of. The
county seat of Ada County was located at Boise City by the act
creating the county.
At the same session of the legislature, an act was passed and
approved December 7th, 1864, to permanently locate the capital
of Idaho Territory at Boise, on and after December 24th, 1864.
There was some dissatisfaction about the removal of the capital,
which was then at Lewiston by order of the Governor, which re-
sulted in some litigation, so that the archives of the capital did not
arrive at Boise City until October, 1865, after which time all was
quiet.
It was supposed that, as soon as the capital was located at Boise
City, the town would boom ahead rapidly; but, not so; most of the
people who came preferred to take a chance in the mines in Boise
Basin or at Silver City, and but few settled on ranches until they
had tried their luck in the mining camps. Most all who did settle
on farming land in this country in those days were unable to put
their land in proper condition to produce good crops for several
years.
Everything the farmers needed was very expensive. Even their
seed grain had to be brought from Oregon. None of them could
158 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
afford to hire help, but often had to leave their homes and go to
some mining camp and work for wages to get money to buy pro-
visions and clothing for themselves and families; so improvements
in the country and in the town were slow for several years, but
some progress was made each year.
Range for stock was good in this county, and all who had stock
did well; but most of them sold out their stock of cattle and sheep
to butchers in the mining camps, got the cash and left.
THE LOCATION OF THE CAPITAL CITY OF IDAHO.
A United States military post had been established near where
Boise City was located about July 6th, 1863, a day or two before
the Capital City was laid out.
Boise City was located at what might be called the junction of
cross-roads of two great thoroughfares — wagon and stage roads —
one leading from the Oregon and Washington Territory country
through Boise City to Salt Lake and from there east; the other
road leading from the rich Boise Basin mining district via Boise
City and on to the rich mining district at Silver City in Owyhee
County, thence south into Nevada,
This certainly was a very favorable location, coupled with a
large area of excellent agricultural land in the Boise, Payette,
Weiser and Snake River valleys easy of reclamation, to say noth-
ing of the hundreds of thousands of acres of sagebrush table lands
that have since proved to be fine agricultural land when culti-
vated and irrigated. It would seem that with all these advantages
the county and city should have improved rapidly, but not so; the
people were poor, county and Territorial governments were rather
expensive, taxes high, and the progress was slow for a number of
years.
Ada County, as first created, had a large amount of good agri-
cultural, horticultural and grazing lands easy of reclamation, and
a small amount of mineral and timber lands. The assessable prop-
erty in 1870 was $918,141.00; and the vote for delegate in 1870
was 852.
Among the first settlers of Boise City and Ada County were
Thomas and Frank Davis, Cyrus Jacobs, Crawford Slocum & Co.,
Durell & Moore, Dr. Ephriam Smith, H. C. Riggs, Jas. D. Agnew,
Peter Sonna, Robert Willson, H. J. G. Maxon, Seth Bixby, A. G.
Redway, and James S. Reynolds.
LEMHI COUNTY.
This county was created out of the southeastern portion of Idaho
County by act of the Territorial legislature passed at its Fifth
CREATION OF COUNTIES, 1863-70 159
session, approved January 9th, 1869- The county seat was located
by the act at Salmon City, where it still remains.
It is said that in the year 1854 a small colony of Mormons set-
tled in the Lemhi Valley about twenty miles from where Salmon
City is located. They built a small stockade or fort for protection
against the Indians. It is said that they constructed a ditch for
irrigating, and carried on farming to some extent for two seasons,
but they were annoyed so much by the Indians, who became so
hostile that it was not safe for them to remain longer, and they all
left in 1857 and returned to Utah from whence they had come.
So this part of the country was abandoned by the whites until
the year 1866, when white men again invaded it, prospecting for
placer gold mines, which they found on the Salmon River and its
tributaries, also several good gold-bearing quartz ledges. Since
that time, the country has been occupied by white people with but
little interference from Indians.
Lemhi County has a large area of mineral, grazing and moun-
tainous timber lands, with a considerable amount of good agri-
cultural lands in small bodies.
Lemhi County is noted for having furnished the last Territorial
Governor, the first State Governor, the first United States Senator
elected — all three in the person of the late Hon. George L. Shoup.
Lemhi county's assessable property in 1870 was $81,836. Her
vote for delegate in 1870 was 436. The principal business at that
time was mining.
This concludes a brief summary of the nine counties in exist-
ence in the Territory of Idaho up to and including the year 1870,
which nine counties included all the territory of Idaho. Since that
time, many changes in boundary lines have been made, and the
number of counties has been more than doubled by dividing up
several of the large counties, all of which we will speak of later on.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
SIXTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OP THE TERRITORY CONVENED
AT BOISE CITY DECEMBER 8, 1870; ADJOURNED JANUARY
13, 1871.
The names of the members of the Council were as follows:
I. N. Coston Ada County
John McNally Alturas County
R G. Allen Boise County
Wm. Lynch Boise County
W. M. Vance Boise County
H. A. Mattox Boise County
S. P. C. Howard Idaho County
B. J. Nordyke Lemhi County
C. C. Call Nez Perce County
J. H. Stump Oneida County
D. G. Monroe Owyhee County
Gilmore Hays Owyhee County
B. F. Yantis Shoshone County
President of Council, D. G. Monroe.
The House of Representatives was composed of the following:
W. A. Yates Ada County
W. T. Porter Ada County
T. D. Cahalan Ada County
P. Everett Ada County
R. W. Marshall Alturas County
E. B. Hall Alturas County
J. H. Wickersham Boise County
D, B. Mooney Boise County
J. J. Tompkins Boise County
A. E. Callaway Boise County
John West Boise County
J. H. Hawley Boise County
Julian Smith Boise County
J. G. Hughes Boise County
Perry Clark Idaho County
P. Cleary Idaho County
Jefferson Williams Lemhi County
J. P. Silverwood Nez Perce County
H. H. Wheeler Nez Perce County
J. W. Morgan Oneida County
SIXTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 161
J. B. Pierce Owyhee County
W. P. Usher Owyhee County
P. Campbell Owyhee County
J. R. Crawford Owyhee County
W. H. VanSlyke Owyhee County
W. B. Yantis Shoshone County
Speaker, W. A. Yates.
At the beginning of this session, there appeared to be two reports
of The territorial Comptroller and Territorial Treasurer, the first
purporting to cover the time from December 1, 1868, to and includ-
ing December 31st, 1869 (thirteen months), and the second cover-
ing the time from December 31st, 1869, to November 30th, 1870
(eleven months). While these reports make a very discouraging
showing to the over-burdened taxpayers, they are more satisfactory
than any made before, from the fact that they cover all the time
that intervened since the reports made to the last legislative assem-
bly. The custom heretofore followed by these Territorial officials
seemed to have been to have their reports cover the first three quar-
ters of the year, leaving out the fourth quarter and not including it
in the next report during the first four years when sessions of
the legislature were held each year for four years. The Fifth ses-
sion was held two years after the Fourth session, but the reports
of these Territorial officials do not appear to cover the time of but
one of the last years. It may be, however, that reports of the
first year were made to the Governor and never sent to the legisla-
ture. We think it doubtful whether the members of the legislature
ever thought to inquire into this matter.
From the first report we have in connection with this, the Sixth
session, from the Comptroller, covering time from December 1,
1868, to December 31, 1869, we take the following extracts:
Balance in Treasury December 1, 1868 $ 8,977.94
Dec. 31, 1869, paid in to treasury, for 13 months, from
all sources 79,809.65
(The receipts as shown in this report, include most of the taxes
for the two years, 1868-9.)
Paid out:
For interest on territorial bonds $17,475.75
Prison fund warrants redeemed 20,121.99
General fund warrants redeemed 25,955.93
School fund warrants redeemed 160.65
Library fund warrants redeemed 284.27
Express charges on money received 715.40
Printing, adv. and newspapers 1 16.29
Hta— 11
168 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Postage 323.54
Stationery 140.69
Rent of office, Comptroller and Treasurer 1,350.00
Fuel and sawing 260.98
Office furniture and lights 139.66
Treasurer's Com 3,748.28
Dec. 31, Bal. in treasury 17,194.16
Total $87,987.59
The amount of assessable property for the year 1869, as shown
by reports, was $5,544,501.36. Territorial tax, eight mills on the
dollar. During the time this report covers, the Comptroller issued
warrants as follows:
Against general fund $40,508.67
Against prison fund 19,033.32
Against prison fund 160.65
Total $59,702.64
Of this amount, there was issued to the three Judges,
for extra compensation $ 7,500.00
To the Governor, for extra compensation 2,500.00
To the Secretary, for extra compensation 1,000.00
Extra compensation to members and attaches of the
Fifth session of the legislature 13,019-25
Total $24,019-25
This amount was given as extra pay to officers who were receiv-
ing pay from the United States Government. Besides this, there
were a number of other warrants issued in accordance with legis-
lative enactment, which, considering the condition of the people to
pay, we think ought never to have been ordered.
The Treasurer reports the Territorial debt on December 31st,
1869, as follows:
Bonded debt $ 73,954.93
Interest on same 739.55
General fund warrants outstanding 20,723.43
Interest on same 1,710.87
Prison fund, warrants outstanding 26,290.14
Interest on same 3,943.50
Total $127,362.42
Amount in treasury 17,194.16
Balance indebtedness $110,168.26
SIXTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 163
The finances seemed to have been conducted upon the principle
that the more revenue we take in, the more liberal we should be
with the officers, no matter if the Territory did get a little more in
debt each year.
We will now take up the next reports of these Territorial officers,
which cover from December 31st, 1869, to November 30th, 1870
(eleven months). The assessment roll shows valuation of all prop-
erty assessed for the year 1870 to be $3,665,705.55. The Territo-
rial portion of tax, eight mills on the dollar. This is a falling off
of $1,878,795.81 in the valuation from the year 1869, or about one-
third. The greatest decrease seems to have been in Owyhee county,
which is less than one-third of what it was the year before. The
decrease from the year before in the different counties, was as fol-
lows:
Owyhee $1,238,008.25 Alturas $ 29,697.03
Boise 372,701 .80 Nez Perce 25,480.52
Ada 100,150.01 Shoshone 12,336.85
Lemhi 96,880.39
Idaho 39,759.25 $1,915,014.10
Oneida increased assessment $ 36,218 . 29
Decrease in assessment in 1870, below that of 1869-$1,878,795.81
All of the counties fell off in valuation of property except Oneida,
which increased on account of the matter of the line dividing Utah
and Idaho having been established, which showed that a number of
people who had claimed to be in Utah were in Idaho, and were as-
sessed in Idaho for the first time in 1870. The large decrease in
the assessed valuation of property in Owyhee County is a problem
which it is difficult to solve at this late date. However, at that time
there seemed to have been a general falling off or depreciation in
value of property throughout the Territory. It also appears that
at the time the Comptroller made his report, December 1, 1870, that
the subsequent assessment rolls for the counties of Lemhi, Owyhee
and Shoshone, for that year had not been received at his office.
They may have increased the assessment of these counties and of
the Territory when they came in.
The Comptroller's report shows that he issued for the eleven
months ending November 30, 1870, warrants on account of current
expenses, amounting to $30,876.41. This did not include the sal-
ary of the Comptroller, nor of the Treasurer, nor rents, fuel, lights
and other incidental expenses, which seem to have been paid in cash
out of the treasury on vouchers. These officers seemed to have
looked out for themselves and got their pay in cash.
164 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The Treasurer's report for the eleven months ending November
30th, 1870, is as follows:
Dec. 31, 1869, balance on hand $ 17,184.15
Nov. 30, 1870, received from all sources 31,723.92
Total $ 48,908.07
Disbursements during same period 32,331.11
Balance on hand Nov. 30, 1870 $ 16,576.96
He reports Territorial indebtedness Nov. 30, 1870, to
be: Bonded debt with interest due . . .$ 79,073.49
Warrant debt with interest due 67,802.68
Total debt $146,776.17
Cash in treasury 16,576.96
Nov. 30, 1870, debt less cash on hand $130,199-21
The comptroller reports the official vote for delegate to Congress
at the June election in 1870 to be only 4,724. This seems to be a
poor showing all around — decrease in population, decrease of taxa-
ble property and an increase of public debt, with high taxes. Cer-
tainly this was not very encouraging to the few taxpayers, nor in-
viting to others to come.
In those days the usual output from the mines had fallen off
greatly, and most of the money was sent away soon after it was
taken from the mines by our merchants to pay for goods and other
necessary supplies. Our per capita circulating medium ran down
very low. The extravagance practiced by our legislature in allow-
ing extra pay to themselves and to the federal officers and large
fees to county officers, was so discouraging to taxpayers that many
people left the country, and but few came to take their places.
On July 15, 1870, Congress passed an act which nullified all Ter-
ritorial laws that provided that extra compensation should be paid
to any federal officer, or to members of the legislature in Territo-
ries. This action by Congress was a God-send to the oppressed tax-
payers of Idaho. It lessened the expense of Territorial govern-
ment one-half.
As to what laws were passed at the Sixth session of the Territo-
rial legislature, we are unable to give any of them from the fact
that we cannot find a single copy of the Sixth Session Laws. I do
not think the people will be much the loser if none of them are ever
found.
At this time it seemed difficult to get a Governor for Idaho. Gov-
ernor Ballard's term of four years expired on April 30th, 1870.
SIXTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 165
Samuel Bard was appointed on March 30th, 1870, to take Ballard's
place. He never came. Oilman Marston was appointed on June
7th, 1870. He never put in an appearance. On January 12th,
1871, A. H. Connor was appointed and he failed to show up. On
April 19th, 1871, Thos. M. Bowen was appointed. He came and
stayed in Boise a week or ten days. He left and resigned. During
all this time E. J. Curtis, Territorial Secretary, was acting Gover-
nor. He delivered a message to the Sixth session of the legisla-
ture, which met December 5th, 1870, which message was a very
creditable document. But the President seemed determined we
should have a Governor from some eastern State, so on October 24,
1871, Thomas W. Bennett of Indiana was appointed Governor of
Idaho. He came soon after his appointment, and remained for
some time.
CHAPTER XXXV.
NAMES OF FEDERAL AND TERRITORIAL OFFICERS FROM MARCH 10,
1863 TO JANUARY, 1870.
Idaho's first Governor, William H. Wallace, was appointed on
March 10th, 1863. He was in Washington, D. C., at the time of
his appoinment. The usual route traveled by officials from the
East to the West in those days was by water, by the way of Pan-
ama, San Francisco and Portland, which took considerable time.
He did not arrive in Idaho until in July, 1863. As soon as he could
have the census taken, lay the Territory off in legislative districts,
appoint judges of elections, call an election (which he did for Oc-
tober 31, 1863), get the returns in and canvas them and issue cer-
tificates to members of the legislature and one to himself as dele-
gate for Idaho to Congress, he resigned as Governor and returned
to Washington, D. C., leaving the duties of Governor of Idaho to be
performed by the Territorial Secretary, William B. Daniels, who
was appointed Secretary on the same day that Wallace was ap-
pointed Governor. It may be presumed that Mr. Wallace went back
to Washington, D. C., soon as convenient got his certificate on file,
drew mileage and salary for the balance of that term of Congress,
but what became of him I do not know.
William B. Daniels performed the duties of both Governor and
Secretary. He delivered a very creditable message to the First
session of the Idaho legislature on December 9* 1863, and con-
tinued to discharge the duties of both offices until he retired.
Caleb Lyon was appointed Governor February 26, 1864, but did
not arrive in Idaho until about August 1st, 1864. He was a jolly
old fellow and remained most two years. He delivered a fairly
good message to the legislature each year. In the meantime Con-
gress had made the Governor of Idaho ex-officio Superintendent of
Indian affairs of Idaho. This Governor was well posted on public
affairs in the eastern States, but knew but little of the Northwest.
But he thought well of himself and seemed to act as if he thought
the people should allow him to think for them and direct them in
all matters of importance. The result was that he did not always
have fair sailing. However, after nearly two years of service,
there seemed to be some complaints about the disbursement or
non-disbursement of money that came into his hands as ex-offiio
Superintendent of Indian affairs, and he was called to report at
TERRITORIAL OFFICERS, 1863-70 167
Washington, D. C., for an adjustment of his accounts. That was
the end of him, so far as Idaho was concerned.
William B. Daniels was succeeded as Territorial Secretary about
the first of August, 1864, by C. DeWitt Smith, who held the office
until succeeded by Horace G. Gilson in September, 1865. On
April 10th, 1866, David W. Ballard of Oregon was appointed Gov-
ernor of Idaho Territory. Governor Ballard was not much of a
statesman. He was by profession and practice a physician. He
was a very pleasant and agreeable gentleman, quite a politician,
and upon the whole a very good man. He served his four-year term
out and until about July 1st, 1870, at which time he returned to
his home in Yam Hill County, Oregon. We were then left without
a Governor for more than one year.
Horace C. Gilson, whose duties, among others, were to disburse
the money appropriated by Congress to pay the members and at-
taches of the legislature, received a check for this purpose amount-
ing to about twenty-five thousand dollars. He procured stage fare
for himself and another person from Boise to Walla Walla to be
paid upon return, ostensibly going down to get this government
check cashed. He went, but after reaching Portland, he seemed
to change his mind and took passage to some foreign country and
has not yet returned; neither has the government money nor the
stage fares ever showed up.
On July 26th, 1866, S. R. Howlett (who was a resident of Boise)
was appointed Territorial Secretary for Idaho. Mr. Howlett got
along fairly well, except some lively friction he had with the legis-
lature at the Fourth session. We were not present and do not know
who was to blame, so will leave the details of it out. Mr. Howlett
held his position as Secretary until May, 1869* when he was suc-
ceeded by Edward J. Curtis, also a resident of Boise, a lawyer and
a very competent and pleasant gentleman. Mr. Curtis held this
position for nearly nine years, a large portion of which time he was
acting Governor. Everything went along quietly and smoothly
during his administration.
Justices of the District and Supreme Court were appointed as
follows :
Sidney Edgerton, Chief Justice, March 10th, 1863. Alex C. Smith,
Associate Justice, March 10th, 1863. Samuel C. Parks, Associ-
ate Justice, March 10th, 1863.
These Judges seemed to get along fairly well, but from some
cause, none of them kept their places very long. On July 25th,
1864, Silas Woodson was appointed Chief Justice to succeed Ed-
gerton, and on February 28th, 1865, John R. McBride was appoint-
ed Chief Justice to succeed Woodson. On April 17th, 1865, Milton
168 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Kelly was appointed Associate Justice to succeed Alex C. Smith,
and on May 29th, 1866, John Cummins was appointed Associate
Justice to succeed Samuel C. Parks. On July 1, 1866, Richard T.
Miller was appointed Associate Justice to succeed John Cummins.
On July 18th, 1868, Thomas J. Bowers was appointed Chief Jus-
tice to succeed John R. McBride. Miller and Bowers were known
as delegates. Holbrook's appointment was by the President, An-
drew Johnson. On April 9* 1869, David Noggle was appointed
Chief Justice to succeed Thomas Bowers. On April 15, 1869, John
R. Lewis was appointed Associate Justice to succeed Richard T.
Miller. This carries the Judges up to 1870.
CLERKS OF SUPREME COURT.
A. L. Downer served from June 9th, 1864, to March 31, 1866;
William J. Young from March 31st, 1866, to March 1st, 1868;
Sol Hasbrouck from March 1st, 1868, to July 5th, 1869; Don L.
Noggle from July 5th, 1869, to May llth, 1871.
UNITED STATES MARSHALS.
Dolphus S. Payne was U. S. Marshal from March 13, 1863, to
April 17, 1865; James H. Alvord, from April 17, 1865, to May,
1869; H. W. Moulton, from May, 1869, to March 25, 1870.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS.
George C. Houghf was U. S. Attorney from February 29, 1864,
to April 19, 1869; Joseph W. Huston, from April 19th, 1869, to
May 10, 1878.
These clerks, marshals and attorneys all seemed to acquit them-
selves in a creditable manner, except H. W. Moulton, U. S. Mar-
shal. For some cause, he seemed unpopular and was called back
east soon, never to return.
Delegates to Congress were William H. Wallace from January
1, 1864, to March 4, 1865; F. D. Holbrook, from March 4, 1865,
to March 4, 1869; J. K. Shafer, from March 4, 1869, to March 4,
1871.
Territorial officers appointed by the Governor, by and with the
advice of the legislative council:
AUDITORS AND COMPTROLLERS.
John M. Bacon, from July 23, 1863, to September 23, 1863 ; B. F.
Lamkin, from September 23, 1863, to January 27, 1867; Horace
B. Lane, from January 27, 1867, to May 14, 1867; William R.
Bishop, from May 14, 1867, to January 1, 1868; Daniel Cram,
from January 1, 1868, to January 15, 1875.
The office of Auditor was changed to that of Comptroller in 1876,
and carried with it ex-officio Superintendent of Public Instruction.
TERRITORIAL OFFICERS, 1868-70 169
Horace B. Lane, the first Comptroller, was accidentally killed a
few months after his appointment. He was a very competent officer.
TERRITORIAL TREASURERS.
Derrick S. Kenyon, September 7, 1863, to May 18, 1865;
Ephriam Smith, May 19, 1865, to January 7, 1867; E. C. Sterling,
January 7, 1867, to January 16, 1871.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
J. R. Chittenden, December 23, 1864, to July 25, 1866; W. R.
Bishop, July 25, 1866, to January, 1867.
This office was then consolidated with the Comptroller's.
Beginning in 1863, up to 1870, there was but little friction be-
tween the masses of the people and the federal officers. Most of
the people were attending to their legitimate work, but there were
often complaints between and among the officers, dissatisfaction
among attorneys about the actions of the judges. It seems there
must always be a few to growl and find fault with others. I have
sometimes thought that a few complainers were necessary to hold
officers and the community inside the limits of justice and good
morals. All things considered, the people and the officers did
fairly well in those by-gone days.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
MINING PUBLIC BUILDINGS MILLS, ETC., IN 1869 AND 1870.
In 1869; most of the rich placer mines on the creeks, gulches
and bars had been worked out in Boise Basin. Many who had been
engaged in mining and furnishing supplies for the miners, closed
up their business and left the country. A great number of the
miners had worked their claims in a very crude manner, and had
not saved the fine gold. Some of these miners sold their claims to
Chinamen. They worked the ground over and got fairly good
pay, in fact some of them did very well. The Chinamen are care-
ful in their mining operations, and usually save about all the gold
there is in the dirt.
By this time, it had been discovered that many places on the
hillsides, near the creeks and gulches, prospected very well, but it
would be expensive to get water on these places high enough to
work the ground successfully. But the miners were not daunted;
they had come for gold and intended to have it. They joined to-
gether in companies and began to construct ditches so they could
run water on the hillsides. It was a large undertaking, and cost
the miners lots of money and many days of hard work, but they
made a success of it. They had the line of ditches surveyed along
the mountain sides, and fluming across many ravines and gulches.
This water was sold by the miner's inch, measured in a small flume
with a headgate under a six-inch pressure, at an agreed rate per
inch per day. This arrangement seemed to work very satisfactorily.
Those who had dry claims and had to purchase water to wash their
mining ground, could tell within a few days if it was worth work-
ing.
The majority of the claims paid reasonably well while the ground
lasted. Some of them were what is known as shallow diggings, and
soon worked out, while others were deep and went to bedrock, and
so lasted for several years. What is meant by shallow diggings is
where it is only a short distance from the surface to the bedrock.
The gold seldom settles below the surface of the bedrock unless the
bedrock should be soft and seamy, in which case the bedrock is dug
up as far down as it is soft and seamy and generally pays well.
While most of these hillside claims paid well, they were not so
rich as the ground in the creeks had been, and were limited in ex-
tent, so the annual output of gold was much less for the years of
1869 and 1870, as compared with previous years.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS, 1869-70 171
The mill at Quartzburg continued to run and paid well. Work
continued on quite a number of the quartz mines in Silver City^and
several quaj&af mills were crushing ore. A large amount of silver
and gold bullion was turned out from these mills. There did not
seem to be much mining going on in Atlanta or Rocky Bar, ex-
cepting development work. A small amount of ore was worked
with good results. Some placer mining was done at Orofino, Elk
Qity and Pierce City. Some development work was also done on
the quartz ledges. At Florence, Warrens, and the Salmon River
camps, mining was continued on a limited scale.
Through the efforts of our delegate to Congress, E. D. Holbrook,
in 1868, an appropriation was made of forty thousand dollars for
a United States prison near Boise. Hon. Thomas Donaldson was
appointed superintendent of construction of this building. The
contract was let to that old pioneer, Charles May. This building
was erected on the site of where our present building now stands,
about two and one-half miles east of Boise.
Mr. Holbrook also suucceeded in getting an appropriation of
seventy-five thousand dollars to erect an assay office in Boise City.
Hon. John R. McBride was appointed superintendent of construc-
tion of this building. The assay office, as constructed by Mr. Mc-
Bride, still stands and reflects great credit upon him for having the
work done well.
The people of Idaho were generally an industrious, law-abiding,
intelligent people, working together for the mutual benefit of each
other. There were no tramps or beggars in those days, and
if any one was in need, assistance was quickly and gladly given.
The farmers continued to improve their farms on the Boise,
Payette and Weiser rivers. Fine crops of oats, wheat and barley
were raised. Many of the farmers had a bountiful supply of veg-
etables and some apples, pears, plums and small fruits were raised.
A few years before this, several mills had been erected in Boise
Valley. One in Boise was built by Cyrus Jacobs. Mr. Jacobs
manufactured large quantities of flour, and also put up quantities
of bacon, which he sold to the miners and people of Boise. Another
mill was built in what is now South Boise by H. P. Isaacs. He,
also, did a good business with his flour mill. Peter Moore put up a
mill about six miles below Boise; and Packard and Stevenson, a
flour mill about twenty-four miles from Boise on the north side of
Boise River near Middleton. All of these mills were run by water
power. There was not grain enough in the country to keep these
mills going all the time, but they did a good business and were em-
ployed for several months in each year.
By this time, many farmers had settled in the southeastern part
172 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
of Idaho and some in Lemhi County. A little farming was done
in Ae Bruneau Valley. In the northern part of Idaho, especially
in Lewiston, many fruits and vegetables were raised. Many men
were engaged very extensively in raising stock and the business was
profitable for the range was excellent.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
SEVENTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO
CONVENED AT BOISE CITY DECEMBER 2, 1872
ADJOURNED JANUARY 10, 1873.
Names of the members of the Council were:
I. N. Coston Ada County
J. B. Wright Ada County
John McNally Alturas County
Benj. Willson Boise County
J. V. R. Witt Boise County
H. A. Mattox Boise County
S. P. C. Howard Idaho County
B. J. Nordyke Lemhi County
R. Emmett Miller Nez Perce County
Gilmore Hays Owyhee County
L. P. Higbee Owyhee County
J. H. Stump Oneida County
Standf ord Capps Shoshone County
President of Council, I. N. Coston.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
A. E. Galloway Ada County
S. M. Jeffries Ada County
Jas. A. Bennett Ada County
Chas. Himrod Ada County
G. M. Parsons Alturas County
A. F. Huffaker Alturas County
Fred Campbell Boise County
M . J. Biddy Boise County
I. W. Garrett Boise County
Matt Davis Boise County
A. Dean Boise County
Jas. J. Apperson Boise County
G. W. Crafts Boise County
A. B. Anderson Boise County
N. B. Willey Idaho County
Harvey B. Hall Idaho County
J. H. Trauger Lemhi County
Thos Elder Lemhi County
G. W. Tomer Nez Perce County
S. S. Fenn Nez Perce County
174 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
L H. Hatch Oneida County
A. L. Simmondi Owyhee County
Peter Adams Owyhee County
J. M. Short Owyhee County
J. B. Sissins Shoshone County
P. McMahon Shoshone County
Speaker of House, S. S. Fenn.
The Seventh session of the legislature of Idaho seems to have
been more careful and considerate of all matters brought before
them than any other legislative body that ever met in Idaho. They
did not enact as many laws as did the past sessions, but most, if not
all^ of the laws they made were good and in the interest of economy.
Sixty-six pages of laws, and a few pages of memorials and resolu-
tions embrace the work of the forty days' session of the Seventh
legislature.
Congress having annulled the act passed at the First session of
the Idaho legislature giving a large increase of pay to the Federal
Judges, the Governor, Secretary, and members and attaches of the
legislature, the people seemed to send a more economical and con-
servative set of men to the legislature than ever before. Some ac-
counted for the good work they did upon the grounds that Congress
had cut off their extra pay, so they had but little money to spend
outside after paying board bills. They did not visit places of ex-
pensive amusement, but attended strictly to the command of their
constituents. Their legislation was most all on lines of reducing
expenses in Territorial and county governments, which lightened the
burden of taxation, and seemed to have a good effect on county and
Territorial officers. They did not receive so much money for sala-
ries and fees, and, like the legislators, had to cut out the places of
expensive amusements and attend to the duties of their respective
offices. For the first time the people, the legislature and the officials
seemed to realize that extravagance in Territorial government must
stop.
In October, 1871, more than one year before this Seventh session
of the legislature met, Thos. W. Bennett had been appointed Gover-
nor of Idaho. He delivered his message to the legislature soon after
they organized, which we think was an able state document. His
recommendations on retrenchment and for a change in our criminal
laws were good then, and we think they are equally good now for our
people, if put in operation ; at least, we venture to insert them here
with the hope that our next legislature will give them careful and
due consideration.
Recommendations of Governor T. W. Bennett to the Seventh
session of the legislature of Idaho:
SEVENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 175
RETRENCHMENT.
"The subject of retrenchment and reform is an old one, so far as
discussion is concerned, and always forms the chief stock in trade
of the aspiring legislator when before his constituents, and is an
inevitable paragraph in every Governor's message. But as a prac-
tical question, it has not been so altogether worn out, with constant
use in legislative enactments, as to render all further attempts use-
less.
"Taxation, at best, is one of the heavy burdens of any people, and
when it is laid recklessly, and unreasonably, it becomes almost un-
bearable, and kindles a spirit of insubordination and distrust. 'Pub-
lic confidence becomes weak, enterprise dies out, and business stag-
nates/ And especially is this the case in a Territory like ours,
where settlements are sparse and the people poor. That represen-
tative of the people will do himself most honor who labors most as-
siduously to lighten, as far as possible, the demands on the pockets
of the taxpayer. He cannot be a wise patriotic legislator who acts
in the interest of moneyed corporations, private individuals, or of-
fice-holders, at the neglect and expense of the people he pretends to
represent. Corporations and offices were made for the people, not
the people for them. And such privileges and aid only should be
granted them as will subserve, enrich and prosper the people. There
is always more danger of governing a people too much than too
little. A multitude of salaried officers are an expensive luxury, that
enrich the few at the impoverishment of the many. The people of
this Territory are poor, and 'times' with them are 'hard.' And ex-
perience has convinced me that they are a people easily governed,
well disposed to obey the laws, and are very much in need of the
simplest and cheapest government that can be devised, consistent
with sound sense and justice. And every representative of the peo-
ple who fails to use his utmost endeavors to accommodate himself to
this condition of affairs will prove himself recreant to the trust im-
posed in him by a confiding people. I therefore submit to your
candid consideration whether, in many cases, offices may not be con-
solidated, and in other cases entirely abolished, while in nearly all
of them the fees and salaries may not be largely reduced. These
fees and salaries were generally fixed at times of general prosperity,
when money was plenty and prices high, and when, too, there was
a great deal more labor to be performed by the officer. Now I sub-
mit whether these fees and salaries should not be made to conform
to the changed condition of the people who have them to pay. The
recipients of these favors of the people will doubtless object and
complain, but if the people demand it, you should not shrink from
176 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the responsibility. If the object of the legislator is to foster a sys-
tem of political rewards, then let it alone; but if, as I believe, the
object should be to foster the interest of the people, then I urge a
change. I would recommend the raising of a joint committee of the
two houses, on Fees and Salaries, whose special duty for the ses-
sion should be to make a careful and deliberate investigation of the
fees and salaries of all the officers — Territorial, district, county and
precinct — over which you have jurisdiction, and see which of them
can be abolished, which of them consolidated, and which of them
reduced in emoluments. And when this examination is made, let the
committee report a bill, which, with its plain provisions and adequate
penalties, will accomplish the will of the people. I would not be un-
derstood as intending to reflect on any officer — Territorial, district,
county or precinct — for, so far as I know, they are all honest men,
and perform their duties well; nor do I say that all are overpaid,
nor that some are not paid too little, but they are all the servants of
the people you represent, and if they are honest, and recognize their
accountability to their masters, they will not object to the closest
scrutiny.
CRIMINAL CODE.
"I would suggest two amendments to the Criminal Code, both of
which I feel assured would greatly promote the ends of justice.
So amend the law that in all cases of jury trials in criminal cases,
the jury shall, in their verdict, affix the penalty as well as find the
guilt or innocence of the party. Such is the law in most of the
States, and is certainly founded on justice and common sense. The
object of trials by jury is that every accused person may have the
right to be tried by his peers, twelve of his fellow citizens, and to
prevent him from becoming the victim of the malice or prejudice of
any one man, however learned he may be. Then what a mockery of
a man's rights to so divide his case that twelve men try the question
of his guilt, and then one man at his discretion affix his punishment.
It is just as important to the prisoner that the question of the meas-
ure of his punishment be tried by his peers, as that of whether he be
punished at all — both are issues to be determined by the evidence.
One man may have peculiar and honest prejudices against certain
classes of offences, or particular races or nationalities, too, yet twelve
men are not apt to be afflicted with the same prejudice at the same
time. The other amendment to which I refer is, that the Court, or
jury, in affixing the penalty for a conviction of murder in the first
degree, be allowed the discretion to adjudge either the death pen-
alty or imprisonment for life. For in case of murder in the first de-
gree, while in law there are no further subdivisions of the degree,
SEVENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 177
yet in fact we know that there are wide distinctions, which the com-
mon sense of every man suggests.
"Who will say that the man who commits murder while stinging
under some supposed or real insult or injury, although he may have
so deliberately, premeditatedly, and with malice aforethought, is
equally guilty, and deserving the same punishment that should be
awarded to him who takes a man's life for his money, or to accom-
plish an outrage upon his family? Both are guilty of murder in
the first degree, yet the Court or jury should be allowed to weigh
the circumstances and measure the punishment according to the
enormity of the offence. Under the present system jurors are often
so impressed with the severity of the punishment which must follow
their verdict of guilty, that they return a verdict of not guilty,
merely to avert the terrible penalty of death, or else they perform
the judicial farce of finding the prisoner guilty of murder in the
second degree, or even of manslaughter, in order to dodge the re-
sponsibility of the death penalty.
"It has been represented to me by one of the Justices of the Su-
preme Court, that in one of the counties of his district a homicide
has been committed, and that it will be almost impossible in that
county to procure a grand jury to indict or a trial jury to try the
offender. I would, therefore, recommend that you so amend the
Criminal Code that criminals may be indicted and tried in any
county in the judicial district where the offence has been committed,
when in the opinion of the District Attorney it will be impossible
to secure an indictment or an impartial trial in the county where the
offence was committed."
At the time Governor Bennett made these recommendations, our
Territory was in debt about $135,000; and most of the counties
were badly in debt. His recommendations on retrenchment certainly
had a good effect on the action of the legislature, for they did pass
laws on the lines of retrenchment in both Territorial and county ex-
penses, which were of great benefit to the whole people of the Ter-
ritory. You may ask, How did it benefit the office-holder, whose
salary or fees were reduced ? The answer is : They saw at once that
they would not have very much money to squander while running
around neglecting the duties of their offices, so most of them set-
tled down to work in their offices, quit their extravagant habits, made
better officers, and saved as much or more from their small salaries
than they saved from their larger ones, and it tended to make better
officers and citizens of them.
Special legislation was enacted at every session and often an act
would be passed that applied to only one county. A special act was
passed fixing the salaries of the officers of Ada County. It will be
Hte-12
178 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
remembered that Ada County at that time embraced all of what is
now Ada, also Canyon and Washington counties. The salaries of the
county officers were fixed as follows:
Sheriff, $1500 per annum. For each prisoner confined in the
county jail, for board, clothing and medical attendance, $1.25 per
day. For jailor, when one or more prisoners were confined in the
jail, $3 per day.
The auditor's salary, $1,000 per annum, for services rendered by
him as auditor and clerk of the board of county commissioners. Each
county commissioner, $200 per annum. County treasurer, $700 per
annum.
The assessor, who was ex-officio tax collector, was to receive for
assessing and collecting on all poll tax, ten per cent, and on prop-
erty tax seven per cent (see Seventh Session Territorial laws, 1873).
None of these officers were allowed deputies at the county expense.
If they had deputies, they had to pay them from their own pocket
books. It would seem that it would have been hard to get compe-
tent men for these positions at the low salaries, but the offices were
usually filled by honest, faithful and competent men.
The Territorial Comptroller's report for the two years, ending
November 30, 1872, is very incomplete. He reports a certain amount
of money received by the Treasurer, but fails to give the source
from which it came. He gives value of assessable property for
1871 as $3,919,148.82 and for 1872, $3,624,747.72; number of poll
tax receipts sold in two years 10,637; and the number of licenses
sold 2,409- His report does not show what counties had paid, or
what amount each or any of them paid. His report, so far as giv-
ing an intelligent detailed statement of the Territory's financial
condition, is a failure. He seemed to have had a cranky spell on,
and devoted a large portion of his report to telling the Governor
and the legislature what they should do, or what should be done.
About all we can get out of the Comptroller's report of interest
is that, for the two years ending November 30, 1870, to November
30, 1872, he drew warrants on the Territory for $38,781.18, as fol-
lows:
Against the general fund:
For District Attorney's salary $ 3,466.66
For miscellaneous items 1,250.00
For Supreme Court expenses 2,004.79
Foi Sixth legislature's expenses 1,912.50
For fitting library, rent and papers 1,310.60
For printing blanks for Comptroller 3,817.00
For Treasurer's salary 1,750.00
SEVENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 179
For Comptroller's salary 3,500.00
For contingent expenses 306.32
Making a total drawn of $19,317.87
On the prison fund:
For the same period of time for keeping, bringing and
transferring prisoners from Idaho City to Boise, war-
rants were drawn on the prison fund for $19,463.31
Making an issue in Territorial warrants in two years of .$38,781.18
This would seem like getting expenses down to a minimum. But
the Comptroller, for some cause, has failed to mention the item of
interest paid by the Treasurer on the Territorial bonded debt for
the past two years, which amounted to $13,851.93
Interest on the outstanding Territorial warrants for the
past two years amounted to 9,193.69
Treasurer paid for expressage on money sent, about. . . . 1,200.00
Add to the above three items 38,781.18
Making total cost of government to Territory for two
years, from November 30, 1870, to November 30,
1872 $63,026.80
This is exclusive of what the National Government paid toward
the support of the Territorial government. This is about the best
financial showing made for any two years since the organization of
the Territory. While the debt of the Territory at this time, in-
cluding bonds, warrants and interest, amounted to about $135,000,
most all extras and unnecessaries were cut off, and the people had a
chance to pay out. The extra compensation paid to the Judges, the
Governor, Secretary, members and attaches of the legislature were
all cut off, and they all did better work than ever before in the line
of economy.
While Idaho's population had decreased several thousand, and her
taxable property had decreased materially for the last few years,
her debt increased gradually, caused mainly by the extra compen-
sation paid by the Territory to officials who were paid by the United
States. During the past seven years, they had drawn from the Ter-
ritorial treasury more than one hundred thousand dollars, besides
not less than thirty thousand dollars interest had been paid on war-
rants issued to pay these extra salaries and per diems.
The Seventh session applied the pruning knife wherever it was
necessary to both county and Territorial officials, and to incidental
expenses, so that at the end of the next two years, 1874, a better
financial showing was made.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
AGRICULTURE, STOCK RAISING, MINING, TRANSPORTATION, AND CON-
DUCT OP THE PEOPLE GENERALLY IN 1871 AND 1872.
AGRICULTURE.
There had been a slow but steady improvement in this industry
during the last two years. In all the counties in the Territory, more
land was reclaimed and put into cultivation. Irrigation ditches were
constructed, orchards set out, many new dwelling houses and barns
built. The yield of grain, hay and vegetables was generally good.
The farmers found a fair market in the mining camps for their veg-
etables, fruits, butter, cheese, eggs, etc. The stage lines, freight-
ers, livery stables and mines furnished a market for all the supplies
the farmer had, including hay and grain, to spare. Every one at
that time seemed to have plenty of the necessaries of life, and
seemed to be living comfortably and contentedly, making some im-
provement each year.
STOCK RAISING.
This industry was prosperous in those years. Quite a number
were engaged in raising cattle and horses, and a few were in the
sheep business. The public range was good, and range stock re-
quired but little, if any, feed through the winter. Those who had
good stock and looked after them properly, did well. The mining
camps and other towns furnished a good market for the beef and
mutton, and the stage lines, freighters and liverymen furnished a
good market for the horses. So those engaged in raising stock did
well and had no reason for complaint.
MINING.
This industry was not so good in 1871 and 1872 as before.
Many of the rich placer mines in Boise Basin and other placer
mining camps had been worked out. Quite a number of men left
the placer mining camps. Some went to and settled in the ag-
ricultural districts in Idaho; some returned to their old homes
in other States and Territories, while still others prospected for
quartz ledges. The placer miners who remained in Boise Basin
turned their attention mainly to constructing ditches to carry water
on to the high land in order to enable them to work the ground on
these hillsides by hydraulic pressure. The ground worked on these
hillsides usually yielded good returns, but the supply of water was
no: sufficient to carry on extensive work. Most all the water used
PROGRESS MADE IN 1871-2 181
by these placer miners came from the melting snow in the moun-
tains, which usually began to decrease very rapidly about the first
of August, so that this work could be carried on but three or four
months of each year. Still, with all these set-backs, most of the
miners did reasonably well. The quartz mines at Silver City in
Owyhee County turned out a fair amount of gold and silver bul-
lion for the amount of quartz worked. Several new discoveries of
quartz ledges were made in different mining camps. But little de-
velopment work was done, and but little progress was made in the
way of getting in machinery to work the quartz.
We cannot report any very large returns from any of the mines
worked in these years, nor can we report any very rich new discov-
eries, but most all of those who worked at mining, we think got fair
remuneration for their investment and labor.
TRANSPORTATION.
Under this head there is nothing new to report. The same old
mode of transportation continud in the southern portion of Idaho.
The stages of the Northwestern Stage Company ran regular daily
trips, both ways, over all the old routes mentioned before, carrying
U. S. mail, passengers, Wells, Fargo & Co. express and fast freight.
W. C. Tatro ran a weekly stage line from Boise to Rocky Bar,
carrying U. S. mail, passengers and express. Most all merchan-
dise was still brought to Southern Idaho by freight teams from Kel-
ton or Winnemucca on the Central Pacific railroad. Competition
in the freighting business reduced the price to a low figure, rang-
ing from three to six cents per pound. The price was usually reg-
ulated by the season of the year and condition of the roads.
In the southeastern part of the Territory, a railroad called the
Utah Northern was built from Ogden in Utah, running through the
southeastern part of Idaho and on to Butte, Montana. This
road helped the people in that part of Idaho very much in the way
of cheaper and quicker transportation of U. S. mails, passengers,
freight, etc. It also tended to increase the population in the south-
eastern part of Idaho.
In the northern counties everything seemed to be moving along
about as usual. Most all the merchandise for that country was
brought to Lewiston from Portland, Oregon, by steamer, and from
there distributed to the interior towns by freight wagons and pack
trains.
The people all over the Territory seemed to be making a good
living and most of them accumulating more property or making
new improvements. The health of the people was good and they
all seemed to be fairly well contented and behaved themselves well.
182 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The U. S. assay office at Boise City was completed in 1872 and
stocked up with a corps of federal officers, and put in operation for
business. The U. S. penitentiary near Boise City was also com-
pleted in 1872, and put in charge of a United States Marshal with
the necessary guards and equipments. The Territorial prisoners
were transferred from Idaho City to the United States peniten-
tiary in April, 1872, to be kept by the United States at the rate
of one dollar per head per day, which included cost of guards,
board, clothing, medical attendance and everything. This was a
saving of about three hundred per cent over what the Territory
was paying to have them kept at Idaho City; besides, the priso-
ners were under much better sanitary conditions.
To illustrate to the people now that the people in Idaho in early
days were not quite so bad as they have been represented to be by
some writers, when the Territorial prisoners were moved from
Idaho City to the U. S. penitentiary at Boise City in April, 1872,
there were only nine prisoners, and the criminal law had been as
strictly enforced in those days as it is now. Although Idaho's
population was small in those days, I make the assertion with con-
fidence, that the percentage of violations of the criminal law was
not greater, according to the population, than it is now in 1Q08,
and for petty offenses, the percentage now is very much greater
than in the early days, in proportion to the population.
We are unable to find a report of the Superintendent of Public
Schools, but suffice to say that we know there was a gradual im-
provement in our public schools every year — more money was col-
lected for school purposes, more school houses were built and more
schools maintained.
To sum up the general condition of the people in Idaho in the
years 1871 and 1872, they were law-abiding, industrious, reasona-
bly prosperous, honest, contented and happy.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
INTERESTING CONTRIBUTION FROM HON. JOHN 8. BUTLER, OF PALO
ALTO, CALIFORNIA SOME OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE
EARLY SIXTIES IN IDAHO,
Mr. J. S. Butler came to the Boise Basin mining district in
Boise County, Idaho, early in the Spring of 1863. Later in the
Summer, his brother, Thomas J. Butler, came.
The two brothers, T. J. and J. S. Butler, started the first news-
paper that was ever published in the southern portion of Idaho
called "The Boise News," issued at what was then called Bannock
City, now Idaho City. They issued a weekly of good fair size,
well filled with a truthful account of all local and as much east-
ern news as it was possible for them to get in those days, when
there was neither United States mails, railroads, nor telegraph
lines within several hundred miles of Idaho. They had to depend
upon a very expensive express for all the outside news they got
for several months.
We have copies of most of their issues in the State Historical
room. We often look at them, and always wonder how they man-
aged to furnish so much reliable news as they did, when their fa-
cilities for getting news were so isolated. They were both honor-
able, intelligent and industrious gentlemen. The old papers we
have issued by them, we prize above anything we have in the His-
torical room. We also prize the contribution hereto made by Mr.
J. S. Butler of his early experience in Idaho as valuable reading
matter, because we know that his statements are all true. Below
we give his contribution in full with great pleasure:
"Palo Alto, Cal., September 7, 1907.
"Mr. John Hailey, State Historical Society, Boise, Idaho.
"Dear Mr. Hailey: Your kind note enclosing one, also, from
Prof. Aldrich, on the subject of the early history of Idaho, is at
hand.
"I cheerfully comply with your request to contribute something,
but, owing to the lack of data, I may be found at fault as to
dates, etc.
"I left Red Bluff, California, in the Fall of 1862, my immediate
destination being Auburn, Oregon, to look after a band of cattle
left in Powder River Valley earlier in the year. I went first to
Canon City, on John Day's River, and about the middle of January
crossed the Blue Mountains to Auburn. This proved the most diffi-
184 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
cult undertaking of my life, before or since. To cross these moun-
tains in January, where the headwaters of John Day's River on
one side interlaps with those of Powder and Burnt Rivers on the
other, is an undertaking which, once accomplished, will prove suf-
ficient for a lifetime. After battling with the snow, which was
from three to twenty feet deep, for about eleven days, during most
of which time we were lost, without even so much as taking off
our boots, our party, numbering about a dozen, arrived at Auburn.
This town at that time consisted of probably fifteen hundred in-
habitants, all housed in log cabins, whose occupants were buoyed
up with flattering mining prospects, but the mines were not there,
so the town disappeared as rapidly as it came. It is now repre-
sented by Baker City.
"In March, 1863, I organized a pack train, which had been win-
tered in Grande Ronde Valley, and started for Walla Walla. At
this time the great rush had set in for Boise Basin, by way of the
old emigrant road, crossing the Blue Mountains at Lee's Encamp-
ment. Going out by the same road, traveling light and continually
meeting people with heavy-laden pack animals, we were expected
to give the road. The trail was a very narrow one and in deep
snow. Night came on and found us sitting out in the snow with
the result of not having made more than five miles. We resolved
to travel all night while those going in the opposite direction were
in camp. This we did and arrived on the western slope of the
mountains, where the road descends in one continuous steep grade
for at least five miles, just as the morning's sun was lighting the
bunch-grass plains of Umatilla Valley, disclosing to view one of
the grandest sights that could be presented to anyone, and espe-
cially to the long snowbound mortals we then were. We had
emerged from four feet of snow and entered a valley containing
the most nutritious bunch-grass more than a foot high, in less than
two hours. It is unnecessary to say that we went into camp at
this place, as no power at command could have moved our half
starved horses and mules from their newly found feed, to say noth-
ing of our own desire to take a rest.
"At Walla Walla I met Maj. Reese, of the Walla Walla 'Watch-
man.' He had just bought out a competitor in the newspaper busi-
ness and had two outfits on hand. This gave me an idea. Realiz-
ing that a great gathering of people was then taking place in
Boise Basin, nearly three hundred miles from any newspaper, with
the probability of an approaching political campaign, which after-
wards materialized in its most heated form, I conceived the idea
of starting a newspaper in the Basin. With this in view I sold
out my packing business, sent for my family and my brother, T.
JOHN S. BUTLER'S LETTER 185
J., who became the editor of our new enterprise. We arrived at
Idaho City with our outfit some time in August and issued the first
number of the 'Boise News' in the latter part of September or
first of October, 1863, which was the first newspaper ever pub-
lished in Southern Idaho. Before we arrived with our material
we frequently discussed the situation and one of the most serious
questions presented for consideration was as to where we would
find our help in the way of printers, etc., but, before we had lo-
cated a site, printers applied for a situation, almost in scores, and
we had no trouble in securing a crew of some of the most compe-
tent men I have ever known, with a number of whom friendships
were formed to last through life.
"In order to get to and hold the field (a number of efforts were
then being made in that direction), and as we had had no time to
fully equip ourselves, a visit to San Francisco seemed necessary,
but as the delay attending such a trip would have virtually sur-
rendered the field to a possible competitor, we resolved to impro-
vise a great many things, such as the wooden composing stick,
alluded to in Prof. Aldrich's note. I remember quite well, although
it is now forty-five years ago, that I made two composing sticks
from a piece of an oak tobacco box. One of these sticks was taken
away by a compositor named McGuire, who declared it was much
to be preferred, on account of its lightness and greater capacity,
to the ordinary composing stick. Another very important item
which we were short of was imposing stone. For this purpose we
brought into use a large slab, split from a pine log, about 3 by 6
feet. We dressed off one side, mounted it on a frame and covered
it with sheet iron. Among other improvised things we attempted
to use sheet zinc for leads (used for separating the lines of type)
but found them a failure owing to their corrosion on being washed
with lye, causing them to adhere to the type in such manner as to
prevent their being distributed.
"We printed all four pages of our paper at one impression on
a Washington hand press, the entire form being 24 by 36 inches
in size. This we locked up in one solid chase. The chase we also
had to have made, which was done in very good shape, out of
horseshoe iron. The only particular thing I remember concern-
ing this job is that it cost $95.00. I also remember that it was a
very difficult matter to keep the surface of our wooden-sheet-iron
stone true and level, and that, when we locked up a form and
stood it on its edge, it looked more like the mold-board of a plow
than a newspaper. However, we were vain enough to think, and
still think, that we made quite a success of the enterprise, espe-
186 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
cially in a financial way. Our office was located on East Hill and
proved to be but a few feet outside of the great fire of 1865.
"In the winter of 1864 I remember the snow at one time was
about five feet deep and it was very difficult to obtain matter to
fill our columns, small as they were, when our editor resorted to
the scheme of copying from some book several pages of mythology.
"There probably never assembled anywhere, so many reckless
adventurers, so far from the influence and restraints of society,
and with such ample means to gratify their wild desires for gam-
bling and dissipation, as were attracted to Boise Basin during the
years 1863 and 1864. Three theaters, 'Jenny Lind,' 'Forrest' and
'Kelly's Varieties' were maintained with nightly performances dur-
ing most of that time, and some of the best actors of the day were
called to their boards, Julia Dean Hayne, George Waldron and
Mrs. Dayton being among them.
"The character of the mines, being exclusively placer, made it
possible for all to make money who wished to work, and hundreds
of thousands of dollars were spent in revelry and sport. It was
not unusual to hear in the morning of some fatal encounter at the
gaming table, the result of the exciting life of the previous night.
But as this was usually confined to one class of the people, the more
conservative and respectable class generally summed the matter up
with the remark 'Let them settle it among themselves/
"The people were not all bad, however. On the contrary, I
think the extremes had met here. In civilized society many had
been held in check by its regulations, while here, where there were
no such restraints, the real character stood out, and one had no
difficulty in determining it. Many of the best people I ever knew
were found under these circumstances.
"We conducted our paper for about fifteen months, during which
time we passed through two of the most exciting political cam-
paigns possible to such a community. It was during the most ex-
citing times of the Rebellion and the parties here were formed on
the questions involved in that great issue, and, as a great many of
Price's army, when it was disbanded, found their way to Idaho,
that party prevailed.
"The Democratic party having succeeded to local offices, it was
necessary for them to have an organ of their own, so, on a liberal
offer by Street & Bowman, we disposed of the whole outfit to them,
who changed the name to that of the 'Idaho World/ which I
believe is still running. We left our files with the office which no
doubt they still have.
"We ran our office night and day during the most exciting times,
with shifts of printers, in order to get out the work which was
JOHN S. BUTLER'S LETTER 187
offered. This included a campaign paper for each of the great par-
ties and all their job work. In addition to this, we printed daily
programs for each of the three theaters. Prices were regulated
by what the traffic would bear and as ours was the only printing
concern within about three hundred miles the traffic could stand a
heavy strain. There were about 10,000 people in and about Idaho
City at that time.
"Of the thousands of people I met at the various camps during
the seven years I was in that country, I can now recall less than a
score living. Joaquin Miller was Justice of the Peace at Canon
City, when I was there, in 1862. His wife, Minnie Myrtle Miller,
was then the poetic genius of the family and afterwards contrib-
uted to the columns of the Boise News several short poems of con-
siderable merit. Joaquin, himself, had not yet become famous. He
is living at Oakland, California.
"At Idaho City I can only call to mind your worthy President,
J. A. Pinney, Captain Bledsoe, Rube Robbins and I. L. Tyner.
Mrs. C. M. Hays was then a young girl and a member of our fam-
ily.
"At Placerville, James H. Hawley, then a boy, was the agent
and carrier of the Boise News. He is now your most distinguished
attorney.
"Our Silver City friends are now represented by W. J. Hill,
formerly of the Orvyhee Avalanche and now the Salinas (Cal.) In-
dex, who is easily the dean of country newspaper men of the Pa-
cific slope, Chas. M. Hays, the Eastman Bros, and Chris Moore.
"Of those connected in any way with the pioneer newspaper, the
Boise News, Mrs. Butler and myself are the only survivors, so far
as I know, and we offer our greetings, with the old-time cordiality,
to the State Historical Society of Idaho.
"Sincerely yours,
"J. S. BUTLER."
CHAPTER XL.
THE EIGHTH SESSION OP THE LEGISLATURE OP THE TERRITORY OF
IDAHO.
This session convened at Boise City on the 7th day of December,
1874, and adjourned on January 15, 1875. The names of the
members were as follows:
COUNCIL.
H. E. Prickett Ada County
A. H. Robie Ada County
John McNally Alturas County
John M. Cannady Boise County
James H. Hawley Boise County
R. E. Foote Boise County
S. P. C. Howard Idaho County
E. T. Beatty Lemhi County
L. P. Brown Nez Perce County
Alex. Stalker Oneida County
Henry Martin Owyhee County
W. A. Goulder Shoshone County
President, E. T. Beatty.
HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES.
Orlando Robbins Ada County
J. H. McCarty Ada County
J. H. Paddock Ada County
J. B. Pierce Ada County
R. A. Sidebotham Alturas County
V. S. Anderson Alturas County
M. G. Luna Boise County
E. A. Stevenson Boise County
Fred Campbell Boise County
C. W. Steward Boise County
Josiah Cave Boise County
J. W. White Boise County
G. B. Baldwin Boise County
C. R. White Boise County
Philip Cleary Idaho County
W. H. Rett Idaho County
Geo. L. Shoup Lemhi County
F. C. Tuthill Lemhi County
Wm. Groat Nez Perce County
EIGHTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 189
I. S. Waldrip Nez Perce County
Wm. Clemens Oneida County
L. Pool Owyhee County
F. M. Hunt Owyhee County
Isaac Gulp Owyhee County
E. M. Moore Owyhee County
C. F. Nelson Shoshone County
Speaker, E. A. Stevenson.
At this session there were twelve members of the Council and
twenty-six members of the House of Representatives, making thir-
ty-eight in all. As nearly as I can learn of their present where-
abouts, twenty-five of them have passed away, and perhaps a few
more that I have not heard of recently. The following extract is
taken from the Territorial Comptroller's report, dated December 1,
1874, covering the two years from December 1, 1872, to December
1, 1874:
Value of assessable property in 1873 $4,363,589-72
Value of assessable property in 1874 4,513,022.49
Number of taxable inhabitants in 1873 3,889
Number of taxable inhabitants in 1874 3,419
Number poll tax receipts sold in 1873 4,924
Number poll tax receipts sold in 1874 4,018
Warrants issued by Comptroller for the two years ending No-
vember 30, 1874, as follows:
For legislative expenses, Seventh session $ 3,347.00
District Attorneys' salaries 7,875.00
Comptroller and Treasurer's salaries 4,375.00
Printing blanks for Comptroller 1,738.00
Rent of office for Clerk Supreme Court 560.00
Miscellaneous items 2,682.51
For keeping prisoners, 2 years 4,320.54
Total $24,898.05
This total covered the current expenses of the Territory for two
years, from December 1, 1872, to December 1, 1874. This does not
include several thousand dollars interest paid on a bonded debt, and
interest owing on unpaid warrants. The Comptroller estimates the
whole expense of Territorial government, including the interest on
the bonded and warrant debts for the years 1875 and 1876, at
$45,632.00. This estimate is sufficient if the brake could be held
down hard on the next legislature.
The Comptroller's report showed that the Treasurer had on hand
money as follows:
190 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
December 1, 1872 $ 8,364.49
Paid into Treasury for 2 yrs. ending Nov. 30, 1874 $74,701.98
Total $83,066.47
The Treasurer paid out:
Redeeming general fund warrants $27,958.98
Redeeming prison fund warrants 23,266.76
Sinking fund interest on bonds 16,955.30
School fund warrants 7,552.13
Library and sundries . 576.86
Total disbursement $76,310.03
Dec. 1, 1874, to balance on hand 6,756.44
The Comptroller and Treasurer both report that several of the
counties had not paid up their Territorial portion of revenue in full,
but when paid, it would be included in their next reports.
While the Seventh session did some good work in the way of re-
ducing Territorial expenses, they failed to look after the cost of
assessing, collecting and remitting the Territory's portion of reve-
nue collected in the different counties, leaving that matter in the
hands of the different boards of county commissioners (as hereto-
fore) to allow the county officer whatever they saw fit to allow, and
for the balance to be paid out of the Territorial portion of the county
collections and only the balance sent to the Territorial Treasurer.
By this method there were two injustices done. First, it made pre-
ferred creditors of certain county officers by paying them cash,
while all other creditors had to take Territorial warrants which
were about twenty to twenty-five per cent discount for cash. Sec-
ond, the amount allowed by the different boards of commissioners
to the county officers for collecting and apportioning the Territorial
portion of revenue, was exorbitant in most all of the counties,
as shown by the Comptroller's report, which is as follows:
Page 4: "It will be seen that some of the counties make ex-
orbitant charges for collecting the Territorial portion of the rev-
enue, and that no two charge alike, viz:
Alturas County charges 38 per cent
Ada County charges 16 per cent
Boise County charges 23 per cent
Lemhi County charges 45 per cent
Idaho County charges 43 per cent
Nez Perce County charges 33 per cent
Owyhee County charges 21 per cent
Oneida County charges 28 per cent
Shoshone County charges 36 per cent
An average of 31 per cent
EIGHTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 191
It would seem that the commissioners of several of the counties
were determined to keep as much of the Territorial revenue in their
respective counties as possible.
The Comptroller's and Treasurer's reports show that on Decem-
ber 1, 1874, the indebtedness of the Territory was as follows:
Territorial bonds outstanding (coin) $ 65,058.51
Interest on bonds outstanding to date 4,566.95
General fund warrants outstanding (currency) 20,921.01
District Judges' warrants outstanding (currency) . . . 750.00
Interest on above to date (currency) 2,571.19
Prison fund warrants outstanding (currency) 28,017.66
Interest on same to date (currency) 8,400.88
Total indebtedness $130,286.20
Less cash in Treasury 6,756.44
Total indebtedness less cash, Dec. 1, 1874 $123,529-76
This shows a small reduction of the public debt for the past two
years, for the first time. The taxpayers were still oppressed, hav-
ing to pay the interest on the public debt caused by the extrava-
gance of former legislators enacting laws giving extra compensa-
tion to themselves and federal officers. They had already paid
nearly one hundred per cent interest on this Territorial debt, and
the principal was still unpaid, which should have been a warning
to future legislators against unnecessary extravagance.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Below we give some extracts taken from the report of the Super-
intendent of Public Instruction, under date of December, 1874:
"Whole number of school children in the Territory, between the
ages of 5 and 21 years, as reported, was in 1871, 1596; in 1872,
1,909; in 1873, 3,473; in 1874, 4,010."
"Statement No. 11, showing a condensed statement of the con-
dition of school expenditures, etc., for 1873:
SCHOOL STATISTICS.
Total number of children between the ages of 5 and 21 years,
as per report 3,473
Number attending school 2,170
Number of school districts 61
Number of school houses 52
Number of libraries 3
Number of volumes in school libraries 198
192 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
RECEIPTS FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES.
Balance on hand at beginning of school year, 1873..$ 6,666.65
Received from Territory 3,623.91
Received from county taxes 13,797.03
Received from districts 4,318.04
Received from miscellaneous sources 8,816.48
Total $37,222.11
EXPENDITURES.
For teachers' salaries $21,840.04
For building, repairs and furniture 5,859-51
For school libraries and apparatus 319-00
For rent, fuel and contingent expenses 1,654.91
To balance on hand 7,548.65
$37,222.11
STATEMENT 3, FOR 1874.
Number of children between 5 and 21 years 4,010
No. of children attending schools 2,030
Number of school districts 77
Number of school houses 53
Number of school libraries 3
Number of volumes in libraries 198
RECEIPTS FOR SCHOOL YEAR, 1874.
To balance from last year $ 7,548.65
Received from Territory . : 3,855.03
Received from county taxes 13,869.05
Received from district taxes 514.33
Received from miscellaneous sources 5,277.62
Total receipts for 1874 $31,064.68
EXPENDITURES FOR 1874.
Amount paid teachers $19,074.12
Amount for building, repairs, furniture, etc 1,649-29
Amount for school libraries and apparatus 10.10
Amount for fuel, rent and contingent expenses 1,053.49
$21,787.00
To balance 9,277-68
$31,064.68
EIGHTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 193
In addition to the number of public schools, there were several
private schools taught in the Territory without expense to the
county or to the Territory.
LEGISLATION AT THE EIGHTH SESSION.
This legislature enacted but few new laws. The Secretary of
the Territory had prepared what he called a Revision and Compila-
tion of all the public laws as then in force in the Territory, from
and including each session, from the First to the Seventh. This
compilation was presented to the legislature for sale. The legisla-
ture bought this manuscript and ordered Territorial warrants is-
sued to pay for it, in the sum of three thousand five hundred dol-
lars. For some cause, unknown to the writer, the act that author-
ized this purchase was not published, but the warrants were issued
in December, 1874. (See Comptroller's report for 1875-76, page
8.) It appears that before the close of this session in January,
1875, the members had come to the conclusion that this revision and
compilation of the laws was not complete, so they passed another
act which was approved January 15, 1875. (See p. 871, Rev. Laws
Eighth Session.) This act created a new revising board of com-
missioners, consisting of three men, conferring upon them full
authority to examine, correct errors and compile as in force, all the
laws of the Territory of a public nature, beginning with the First
and including the Eighth session (which was the then present ses-
sion) and prepare them for publication. This commission was to
serve without pay and was to complete their work on or before the
first day of March, 1875. Provision was made for printing the
Revised Laws, in case Congress failed to pay. An appropriation
of $1400 was made, to be paid from the Territorial treasury. A
warrant was issued for this amount in July, 1876. (See Comptrol-
ler's report for 1875-76, p. 11.) What these commissioners did I
do not know, but they evidently did a considerable amount of good
work, free of charge. What disposition was made of the money
appropriated by Congress to pay for the printing of the laws and
journals of the Eighth session we do not know, but we do know the
journals were not printed, and only a portion of the laws passed
at that session were printed in the Revision of Laws.
The Eighth session adjourned on January 15, 1875. The cer-
tificate of the Secretary, certifying to the correctness of the laws
published, is dated February 1, 1876, but my recollection is that
the laws were not ready for distribution until several months later.
In addition to the acts mentioned, this Eighth session passed a
new revenue act, which was quite lengthy, covering forty-five pages,
and a lengthy habaes corpus act that covered seven pages. They
Hta— 13
194 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
also passed a few acts dissolving the bonds of matrimony between
husbands and wives, then adjourned and went home. No doubt
they as well as their constituents were glad that the forty days
allotted to them in which to make laws had expired, and certainly
we are glad to quit writing on this subject. There was something
about the purchase and printing of these Revised Laws that never
was shown to the light of day.
CHAPTER XLI.
PROGRESS MADE BY THE PEOPLE IN IDAHO FROM 1878 TO 1877.
For the four years between 1873 and 1877, we can say but lit-
tle, as there were no great improvements made and nothing of a
startling nature took place.
IMMIGRATION AND AGRICULTURE.
During these four years, Idaho's adult population did not in-
crease any. A few people came in, but fully as many left. Neither
did taxable property increase any. The Comptroller's report
shows the amount of property assessed in the Territory for the
four years as follows: In 1873, $4,363,582; in 1874, $4,513,022;
in 1875, $4,652,919; in 1876, $4,381,277. During these four
years, the number of poll taxes collected fell off from 4,924 in
1873, to 3,151 in 1876.
Some little improvement was made in agriculture, a few new
locations were made and some fruit trees set out, and some new
land put in cultivation.
MINING.
This industry had not been nearly so prosperous the past four
years as in previous years, owing mainly to the fact that many
of the once best paying placer mining claims had been worked out.
There were a number of gold and silver quartz ledges in the Ter-
ritory that prospected well, but it was difficult to get sufficient cap-
ital to open them up and put up the necessary machinery to work
them successfully. The output from the mines for the four years
of which we are speaking, fell off considerably from what it had
been in former years.
STOCK RAISING.
This industry had been fairly good, so far as increase in num-
bers is concerned, but the supply was greater than the home mar-
ket could consume, so the price of all stock went down to a much
lower figure than in former years. There was no near transporta-
tion to carry stock to distant markets, and the distance was too
great to drive overland. The stock business was not as profitable
as in former years.
TRANSPORTATION OF MERCHANDISE.
Merchandise transportation was still carried on, in most parts
of the Territory, by means of large wagons and teams of either
196 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
horses, mules or oxen, mostly from Kelton, on the Central Pacific
railroad. These freight outfits generally consisted of three wa-
gons, coupled together, and drawn by ten horses or ten mules or
by five to seven yoke of oxen. Quite a large number of teams
were engaged in this business, and the rate per pound for trans-
portation was greatly reduced, owing to the great number en-
gaged in the business. So but few made any money in the freight-
ing business during these four years. Some little packing on mules
was still carried on into the mountain mining camps where there
were no wagon roads, but this was very limited.
TRANSPORTATION OF U. 8. MAILS AND PASSENGERS.
This business was carried on over all the principal routes in
Southern Idaho by the Northwestern Stage Company. They gave
good service, had good mail pay, which, in connection with their
express and passenger business, made a good and profitable busi-
ness for them. But on the whole, these four years from 1872 to
1877 may be put down among the dullest years in the history of
Idaho. Little or no progress was made.
CHAPTER XLII.
NINTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OP IDAHO CONVENED AT BOISE
CITY, DECEMBER 4, 1876 ADJOURNED JANUARY 12, 1877.
The names of the members were as follows:
COUNCIL.
I. N. Coston Ada County
W. T. Baker Ada County
R. A. Sidebotham Alturas County
William Budge Bear Lake County
E. A. Stevenson Boise County
J. V. R. Witt Boise County
S. P. C. Howard Idaho County
E. T. Beatty Lemhi County
W. G. Langford Nez Perce County
L. P. Higbee Oneida County
R. Tregaskis Owyhee County
F. C. Porter Owyhee County
D. W. C. Dunwell Shoshone County
President, E. T. Beatty.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
F. K. Froman Ada County
Thomas Gray Ada County
H. K. Hartley Ada County
J. F. Griffin Ada County
B. L. Warriner Ada County
T. J. Curtis Alturas County
C. K. Davis Alturas County
James H. Hart Bear Lake County
Stephen Dempsey Boise County
M. G. Luna Boise County
John H. Myer Boise County
George W. Richards Boise County
I. S. Weiler Boise County
Phil. Cleary Idaho County
Jesse McCaleb Lemhi County
L. C. Morse Lemhi County
S. P. Edwards Nez Perce County
F. Points Nez Perce County
J. N. High Oneida County
198 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
W. T. Norcross Oneida County
P. A. Tutt Owyhee County
R. L. Wood Owyhee County
Ed. H. Moore Owyhee County
G. W. Gilmore Owyhee County
John Ward Owyhee County
Ed Hammond - Shoshone County
Speaker, T. J. Curtis.
The Comptroller's report covering the time from December 1,
1874, to December 1, 1876, shows that he drew warrants during
that time as follows:
Against the general fund $20,590.90
Against prison fund 10,796.57
Total amount drawn $31,387.47
Add to this contingent expenses of Treasurer 537-62
Judges' warrants in favor of attorneys 454.76
Total $32,379.85
This covers the whole amount of the current expenses of the Ter-
ritory for two years other than that which the United States paid.
But the worst is yet to come. That old bonded and floating war-
rant, interest-bearing debt which was created under the extra pay
acts of the legislature several years previously, was drawing an-
nual interest of $12,500 or about $25,000 every two years, which
was oppressive when we take into consideration the small amount
of taxable property in the Territory.
The Comptroller's report shows the amount of assessable prop-
erty for the year 1875 in the Territory to have been $4,652,919.13,
and for the year 1876, $4,381,277.46.* The interest on the bonded
debt had to be paid twice a year in gold coin or its equivalent.
Other outstanding warrants were paid according to their issue and
register, out of the respective funds on which they were drawn,
when there was money in the fund with which to pay. All drew
interest from the date of their registration at the rate of ten per
cent per annum until paid. Warrants drawn on the general fund
were at this time (1876) about three years behind, and warrants
against the prison fund about five years behind.
The Territorial Treasurer's report shows:
December 1, 1874, balance on hand $ 9,676.77
December 1, 1876, whole amount received from
all sources for two years 61,674.28
Total amount received $71,351.05
NINTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 199
Disbursements for the two years:
General fund warrants redeemed $19,570.81
Prison fund warrants redeemed 16,085.90
Interest on bonds 15,724.22
School fund warrants redeemed 3,840.74
Library fund warrants redeemed 274.63
$55,496.30
Balance in treasury 15,854.75
Total $71,351.05
From this balance reported on hand, there should be deducted
$2,920.33, which is a shortage which occurred several years prior
to the time of which we are writing. It had not been replaced, so
the real balance on hand December 1, 1876, was only $12,934.42.
Territorial debt as shown by Treasurer's report, December 1,
1876:
Bonded coin debt with interest $ 71,386.45
General fund warrants with interest 36,338.89
Prison fund warrants with interest 36,122.68
Total debt $143,848.02
Less amount in treasury 12,934.42
Debt less cash in treasury $130,913.60
This shows an increase of Territorial debt over what it was two
years prior to this time of $7,383.84, which looked discouraging.
Most of this increase in debt was caused by the Eighth session
purchasing what purported to be a revision of our laws at a cost
of $3,500, and $1,400 paid for printing, making $4,900 issued in
warrants on account of revision of laws, which was far from being
complete in respect to what it purported to be. It increased the
Territorial debt to a considerable extent, giving some little benefit.
The report of the Superintendent of Public Schools shows that
fairly good progress was being made in the public schools. A de-
tailed statement would be quite lengthy and not very interesting
at this late date.
LEGISLATION.
This Ninth session passed several important acts, among which
was one amendment to the revenue law for assessing and collect-
ing county and Territorial revenue. This act imposed,, a quarterly
license tax on all common carriers of gold dust, bullion, gold or
WO THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
silver coin. They passed another act authorizing county commis-
sioners to levy annually a tax for school purposes on all property
in each county (not exempt) of not less than five mills nor more
than eight mills on the dollar, also for all fines and forfeitures to
be paid into the public school fund.
Several acts were passed reducing salaries and fees of county
officers, all of which tended to reduce the burden of taxation in the
different counties. In the back part of the volume containing the
laws passed at the Ninth session in 1876 and 1877, can be found
nineteen acts which were passed at the Eighth session in 1874 and
1875. Some of these acts are important. Why they were" not pub-
lished with the Eighth Session Laws, I do not know.
This legislature passed an act repealing the old system by
which county officers were allowed to retain out of the Territorial
portion of money collected, whatever the commissioners of the
county would allow them. This old system was not uniform. Some
of the officials retained out of the Territorial portion of the tax and
license money as high as 45 per cent, and none less than 16 per
cent. The uniform rate fixed by this law was as follows : Assessor
and tax collector, 6 per cent; treasurer, 3 per cent; auditor, 3 per
cent, making the total amount to be retained by county officers 12
per cent, which reduced the cost of assessing and collecting about
one-half.
Another bill enacted by this legislature provided that 85 per cent
of all the county money of Ada county should be placed in a fund
to be called a redemption fund, to be used for the purpose of pay-
ing all outstanding warrants according to their register. The other
65 per cent was to go into a fund called the current expense fund,
to be used, or as much of it as was necessary, to pay the current
expenses of the county. This law had the effect of putting the
county business for the first time on a cash basis. Everything the
county had to purchase was furnished for less than one-half of
what they formerly had to pay. Anyone selling warrants for fifty
cents on the dollar heretofore, could now go to the treasury and
and get the cash. Outstanding warrants amounting to about $80,-
000, which were drawing interest at the rate of ten per cent per
annum, but they had been bought up for from forty-five to fifty
cents on the dollar. The interest and premium when redeemed, paid
the investor well, and they were all redeemed in less than three
years after the passage of the act referred to above.
CHAPTER XLIII.
INDIAN WAR THE WAR WITH CHIEF JOSEPH AND HIS BAND OF NEZ
PERCE INDIANS IN THE YEAR 1877-
These Indian wars are always unpleasant remembrances, for
they have always been destructive of life and property. The In-
dian is a curious being. If he thinks he has been wrongfully
treated by the Government, or by any officer, agent, or other per-
son, he does not often seek to get revenge on the person or per-
sons who inflicted the injury, but usually makes a murderous as-
sault on the first white people he comes in contact with, regardless
of guilt or innocence, or of age or sex. It is often that the inno-
cent have had to pay the penalty of a cruel death at the hands of
the Indians for some real or imagined wrong done by our Gov-
ernment, or by some other person. Such, we think, was the case
in the war of 1877. In one respect most Indian chiefs are like
most white men, when they once acquire power by getting into a
high official position they seldom if ever want to surrender that
power. Large tribes of Indians often split up or divide into two
or more bands. Each of these bands selects its leader, who is
commonly called the chief of the band. When these divisions come
in tribes of Indians, they are usually caused by some ambitious
young warrior «tfno wants to be chief, and he usually moves away
from where the main tribe and old chief live, and selects some
place as a home or headquarters for himself and all of his fol-
lowers.
This seems to have been the case with Chief Joseph. He and
his followers were Nez Perce Indians, but had separated them-
selves from the main tribe many years ago and set up for them-
selves. They would, however, sometimes visit with the main tribe,
and many of them were present at the time a treaty of peace was
made between the Nez Perce tribe and the United States Govern-
ment in 1855, through the agency of Hon. I. I. Stevens, at that
time Governor of Washington Territory and ex-officio Superintendent
of Indian affairs for that Territory. At that time the father of
the present Chief Joseph was chief of the band of Indians about
whom we are writing.
The treaty did not include within its boundary lines any portion
of the land that he claimed as his home. The reservation set apart
for the Nez Perce Indians under the provisions of this treaty of
1855 was all on the northeast side of Snake River, then in Wash-
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
ington Territory, now in Idaho, and Joseph and his band claimed
as their home quite a large tract of country in the northeastern por-
tion of Oregon, on the opposite side of Snake River, embracing
what are known as the Grande Ronde and Wallowa Valleys. This
treaty made in 1855 was changed or amended in 1863 so that the
Nez Perce Indian reservation was reduced somewhat in size, but
still left abundantly large for all, and in consideration of the ces-
sion of the Indian title to all land outside of the reservation, our
Government provided them with schools, and a large amount of
annuities for a number of years, consisting of clothing, blankets,
provisions, farming implements, etc. It appears, however, that
Chief Joseph and his band still refused to sign or accept any of
the provisions of the treaty, or to accept any of the annuities aris-
ing therefrom, but still stuck up for their old home and accepted
nothing from our Government. In 1862 white people began to set-
tle in Grande Ronde Valley. Two small towns started, La Grande
on the west side, and Uniontown on the southeast side of the valley.
Joseph and his followers gradually retreated farther east and made
their headquarters near Snake River, and in the Wallowa Valley.
Things went on without serious trouble until, in the early seven-
ties, white people began to settle in Wallowa Valley, believing they
had a right to settle there and make homes. No objections were
made by our Government to this settlement, but it was not long be-
fore friction arose between the whites and the Indians, each claim-
ing the land as their own. Finally some United States troops were
sent there for a time to keep peace between the white settlers and
the Indians, and to try to persuade the Indians to go peaceably to
the Nez Perce Indian reservation, but all efforts seemed to fail.
They claimed that country was and had been their home before
white men ever came there, and that they had never sold their right
to the land to our Government, and that they would stay in their
own home.
It appears that Chief Joseph received orders from some Govern-
ment official early in May, 1877, for him to move with his band of
Indians from Wallowa Valley, Oregon, to the Nez Perce Indian
reservation in Idaho by June 14th. Now comes the critical point.
These Indians must leave what they at least called their home,
which they had occupied in their Indian style for many years, or
else they would be taken away by force and put on the Nez Perce
reservation where they did not want to go. They doubtless felt
that they had not been treated right, and were filled with a spirit
of revenge, and, as we have said before, when Indians think they
have been wronged they do not seek the parties who committed the
wrong, but take revenge on the first whites they meet. The In-
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 203
dians left their country about the 10th or llth of June, 1877,
crossed Snake River to the Idaho side, thence on to the Salmon
River and crossed over on the 13th of June to where the country
was thinly settled by good, peaceful white citizens, who were at-
tending to their peaceful avocations, and swooped down on them
and commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of these people who
had never harmed them in any way. They deliberately murdered in
a cruel manner seventeen persons, fifteen men and one woman and
her child, and wounded a number of others who made their escape by
running to the brush and hiding through the day, and traveling by
night without food for several days until they reached Mt. Idaho
about forty miles distant. The Indians ransacked the settlers'
houses, then burned the houses and barns and drove off their horses
and cattle. They then moved farther on into the unprotected set-
tlement and killed and wounded a few more settlers before they
could get away, burning their houses and barns and driving off
their stock.
This outbreak caused great excitement in Idaho and Nez Perce
counties. The citizens organized volunteer companies as quickly
as possible for the protection of the citizens residing in the fron-
tier settlements. They were gathered into and near the town of
Mt. Idaho as soon as possible. In this work of gathering in the
settlers, the volunteers had several engagements with the hostile
Indians. A few more of the settlers and volunteers were killed,
and quite a number were wounded. This was a serious and trying
time for the unprotected settlers in Idaho County. There appears
to have been three other small bands of these non-treaty Indians
besides Joseph's band: Chief Lookingglass' band, living on Clear
Creek, a tributary of Clearwater River; Chief White Bird's band,
living on Salmon River; and the old Dreamer Chief, Tchulhulsote's
small band, living on Snake River. None of these Indians had ever
made their home on the Nez Perce reservation. All of these three
bands joined Joseph's band. It appears that General Howard was
at Fort Lapwai at the time of this outbreak (which fort is on the
Nez Perce reservation), but that Joseph and others of his tribe
had promised the General that they would move peaceably on to
the reservation by June 14th, and the General relied on their keep-
ing their promise. General Howard says that the first inkling of
something wrong came to Fort Lapwai on June 14th through L. P.
Brown. At 7 a. m. on June 15, 1877, L. P. Brown wrote and sent
by special messenger, Mr. West, a letter stating "that the Indians
had gone on the warpath and killed or wounded several whites
who had started to go from Cottonwood to Mt. Idaho. A report
says some whites have been killed on Salmon River. A number of
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO *
families have come to Mt. Idaho for protection, but they had but
few arms there to protect them with." He urged that troops and
arms be sent at once. "You cannot imagine the people in a worse
condition than what they are here."
At 8 a. m., June 15, 1877, Mr. L. P. Brown writes to command-
ing officer at Fort Lapwai as follows: "Send letters by friendly
Indian, Lookingglass's brother, the parties that started from Cot-
tonwood have been brought in. The wounded are Mr. Day, mortally ;
Mrs. Norton, both legs broken; Moore, shot through the hip; Mr.
Norton, killed and left in the road six miles from Mt. Idaho.
Teamsters attacked on road, wagons abandoned and plun-
dered and horses taken by Indians. Indians have possession
of Camas Prairie. Lose no time in getting force of men here. Stop
stage and other travel on road unless they have strong force.
Hurry up, we need help."
General Howard sent a brief communication to Mr. Brown
concerning the dispatch of two companies of cavalry, and enjoined
on him to cheer the people. Colonel Perry was dispatched forth-
with to the scene of trouble with ninety men, all that could be
spared from the fort. Captain Wilkinson and Lieutenant Bomus
were sent post haste to Walla Walla with messages for more troops
from Walla Walla and Portland, and also with request for twenty-
five scouts from General McDowell at San Francisco.
We must now turn to the Salmon River country and see what
has been happening there. On June 13th several Indians came
down from the Prairie to Mr. Manuel's ranch (situated on a small
stream that empties into the Salmon River, and about twenty miles
south of Grangeville) . They seemed friendly, and used Manuel's
grindstone to sharpen their knives and other tools, these acts arous-
ing no suspicion. Late in the afternoon three young buck Indians
went to the house of Mr. Cone up the river above Manuel's. Two
of these Indians belonged to the Salmon River or White Bird band,
and the other one to Joseph's tribe. They wanted bread and am-
munition. They were given bread, but young Cone was short of
ammunition and could not supply them. They seemed friendly and
said they were on a huting expedition and went on up the river.
Richard Devine, an old gentleman, lived on the Salmon River some
six miles above the John Day creek, which is a few miles above
White Bird creek. This old man had never had any trouble with
the Indians. He was the possessor of a very fine rifle, and a few
days later he was found dead near his door and his rifle was gone.
It is supposed that these three Indians camped close to his house
on the night of the 13th of June, and when he came out next
morning he was shot and killed by them and his rifle taken. On
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 205
the morning of June 14th these same three Indians, who had been
seen to pass Mr. Elfer's ranch at the mouth of John Day Creek,
came back that way and shot and killed Mr. Elfer, Mr. Bland and
Mr. Bickrage while they were on their way from their house to
the hay field to work. They were shot down in cold blood without
the least notice or warning. The Indians then took some fine horses
belonging to Mr. Elfers to ride, went to the house where Mrs. El-
fers was, took Mr. Elfers' rifle, and went on below. They did not
disturb Mrs. Elfers, nor did she know that they had killed her hus-
band and the other men until they were gone, as the killing took
place out of sight of the house. Soon after, some neighbors came
in and reported to her what had happened.
On the way down the river the Indians shot and wounded Mr.
Samuel Benedict, near the mouth of White Bird Creek, but he
succeeded in getting away and reaching his house.
It appears that these three Indians, flushed with the blood of
innocent white people, then went to the main camp of the Indians
at what is called Rocky Canyon, situated nearly midway between
White Bird Creek and Grangeville, and reported what they had
done, and were re-inforced by fifteen or twenty more Indians, and
they all returned to White Bird Creek. Mr. Manuel, whose resi-
dence was on this creek, had heard of the attack made on Mr.
Benedict that morning (June 14th) and had started on horseback,
with his family, to go to some place of greater safety. They had
gone only a short distance when the Indians attacked them. Mr.
Manuel and his daughter seven years old were riding the same
horse. He was shot and badly wounded. They both fell from
the horse and he rolled down the hill and hid from the Indians
among some rocks. One man, Mr. Baker, was killed. Mrs. Man-
uel and her baby were thrown from their horse and injured. They
and the daughter were taken back to the house by the Indians.
The daughter had been shot and wounded with an arrow, and had
one arm broken in the fall from the horse. It is said that the In-
dians promised Mrs. Manuel that if she would give them Mr. Man-
uel's gun and all the ammunition he had, they would not molest
her. This she did, but soon after more Indians came in, and one
who was said to be Chief Joseph, plunged a knife into Mrs. Man-
uel's breast and killed her instantly. This was done in the presence
of her little seven year old daughter. They also killed her ten
months old babe. Two other men, Mr. Popham, an old man, and
Mr. Price, were at the Manuel ranch when this trouble occurred,
but they concealed themselves so the Indians did not find them.
The next day Mr. Price took the little seven year old girl and
started for Mt. Idaho. She had no clothing except her night clothes,
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the Indians having ransacked the house and taken everything. They
returned later and burned the Manuel home with the dead bodies
of Mrs. Manuel and the baby. Mr. Manuel wandered alone in the
brush and rocks, getting nothing to eat except a few berries, for
thirteen days, with his almost fatal wounds, one through the hips
with a rifle ball, the other in the neck from an arrow. He pulled
the arrow out, and dressed his wounds the best he could. On the
thirteenth day he was found by a soldier and taken to Mt. Idaho,
where he recovered. Mr. Price and Manuel's daughter arrived at
Mt. Idaho safely after a hard trip and much suffering. The
daughter also finally recovered. Mr. Popham, after several days'
struggling through the brush and mountains, reached Mt. Idaho
safely.
After leaving Mr. Manuel's ranch the Indians went to the mouth
of White Bird Creek, where Mr. Benedict lived and had a store.
It will be remembered that they had shot and wounded him when
out earlier in the day, but that he had made his escape and got
home. Here they found him and August Bacon and killed them
both. Mrs. Benedict escaped and made her way to Mt. Idaho. The
Indians then started for H. C. Brown's store, one mile down the
Salmon River. Brown saw them coming, took his wife, and with
Andrew Bensching made his escape in a small boat across Salmon
River. They remained in the timbered mountains for several
days, but were finally rescued by a party under H. C. Johnson.
The Indians spent the night of the 14th at Brown's ranch, where
they helped themselves to everything they wanted in the house and
store, including liquors. They then went to the Osborn ranch,
which is a few miles toward Grangeville. There were several fam-
ilies at that place. The Indians killed Mr. Osborn, Mr. Mason and
Francois Chodazo, after which the women, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Os-
born, Mrs. Walch, and several children fell into the hands of the
Indians, and it is said that the Indians treated these women shame-
fully. Finally they allowed them to go, and they were met by a
Mr. Shoemaker who had escaped, and assisted by him to Mt.
Idaho. After plundering the houses and stores of everything they
wanted, the Indians burned nearly all the houses and some of the
barns on the ranches.
Late in the afternoon of the 14th, Arthur Chapman, who re-
sided a few miles northwest of Mt. Idaho, received word of the
outbreak of the Indians on Salmon River from an Indian boy, and
at once went to Mt. Idaho and reported the news. L. P. Brown
desired to send another dispatch to Lapwai and Lew Day volun-
teered to take it. After passing Cottonwood he was attacked by
two Indians and wounded so severely that he turned back and
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 207
stopped at the Cottonwood house, kept by B. B. Norton. There he
found Mr. and Mrs. Norton and son Hill, John Chamberlain, wife
and two children, Miss Linn Bowers and Joseph Moore. They all
immediately prepared to start to Mt. Idaho, a distance of about
twenty miles. They got started about ten p. m., Norton and Moore
on horseback, and the rest in a wagon. After traveling about ten
miles, the Indians came upon them and first shot down the horses
ridden by Norton and Moore, who jumped into the wagon, and
then began a race for life. Soon the team was shot down, the In-
dians were on them. Miss Bowers and the little boy, Hill Norton,
made their escape in the dark. Mr. Chamberlan and wife and two
children attempted to escape in the same way, but were discovered
by the Indians. Mr. Chamberlain and his little boy were killed,
the other child was snatched from the mother's arms and a piece
of its tongue was cut off and it was wounded in the neck with a
knife and left alone on the prairie. The poor, crazed mother was
then treated outrageously by the Indians. Mr. Norton and wife re-
mained at the wagon, also Mr. Day and Mr. Moore. Norton was
shot and died in a few minutes. Mrs. Norton was shot through
both legs, but crawled between the dead horses and remained there
until morning. Moore was shot through the hips. Day had two
bullets in the shoulder and one in the leg. At daylight the Indians
withdrew.
Miss Bowers and little Hill Norton had become separated in
their flight in the dark, but both kept traveling, steering their course
as nearly as they could in the dark for Mt. Idaho. Little Hill was
found next morning about daylight about four miles northwest
of Mt. Idaho, by Hon. F. A. Fenn, who was out scouting, and he
took the boy on his horse to Crook's ranch, where a general alarm
was given. Miss Bowers was found about nine o'clock in the morn-
ing by J. A. Swarts two miles from Mt. Idaho, and was taken
to that place.
At the Cook's ranch, where Grangeville now stands, F. A. Fenn,
C. L. Rice and James Atkinson set out for the scene of the last
night's attack. Soon after they arrived there they were set upon
by Indians, but fortunately very soon a larger party came to their
relief and the Indians withdrew. They gathered all of the victims
of the massacre and put them in the wagon, hitched their saddle
horses to the wagon and hauled them to Mt. Idaho. Mr. Chamber-
lain and his two little children were found about a quarter of a
mile from the wagon. He lay with the little ones in his arms, and
he and one child were dead. Mrs. Chamberlain was picked up half
a mile away. Mrs. Norton, Mr. Day and Mr. Moore were all alive
but badly wounded. Mr. Norton was dead. Mr. Day died the
808 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
following afternoon, Mr. Moore lived about six weeks and died
from the effects of the wounds he had received; Mrs. Norton, Mrs.
Chamberlain and child eventually recovered.
Dr. J. B. Morris, physician of the Prairie people, was at Lewis-
ton, but hearing of the outbreak he rode through alone, seventy-
five miles, to Mt. Idaho, making fast time and facing great dan-
ger. He deserves the highest commendation for his energy, brav-
ery and devotion to the people of the Prairie. He remained at
Mt. Idaho and attended all the wounded during the war, for which
service the United States Government should remunerate him.
On the night of the Norton massacre two freighters, Peter H.
Ready and Lew Willmot, with two four-horse wagons loaded with
general merchandise, were camped on the road between Cotton-
wood and Mt. Idaho. They were warned of the danger by the
Norton party as they passed, but they remained in their camp until
daylight, then pulled out for Mt. Idaho. They had gone but a
short distance when they saw the Indians coming. Each one cut
a horse loose from the wagon and mounting, outran the Indians
and escaped. They went to their homes and got their guns and
joined the party going after the Norton and Chamberlain families.
The Indians looted the freight wagons of all they wanted and
packed away the goods on the teamsters' horses which were left at
the wagons.
Thus within a few days after this outbreak the Indians had
murdered about twenty good citizens, wounded several others, out-
raged and fearfully abused several noble, good mothers. They had
plundered and burned ten dwellings, three stores, a number of
miners' cabins, seven barns and shops, captured two freight outfits
loaded with merchandise, stolen and driven away several hundred
head of cattle and horses belonging to the white settlers, and up
to this time not an Indian had been hurt or injured in any way by
the white settlers. In fact, the Indians murdered, outraged and
robbed them without cause or warning. The whites had given them
no cause for complaint and had no reason to expect an attack from
them, and were all attending to their respective vocations and
wholly unprepared to meet the murderous assault. Think of our
Government keeping troops at so many places at heavy expense for
the protection of the frontier settlers, and at this critical time,
when Joseph and others had been ordered to move on the Nez
Perce reservation against their wish, not a soldier placed on any
portion of the route over which they were expected to move, to
protect the white settlers residing on and adjacent to the route, nor
none nearer than ninety miles of the danger line. There were, in
fact, but few that close, and no railroad or telegraph lines. It does
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 209
seem that too much reliance was placed in these treacherous In-
dians, and not sufficient precaution taken to see that they moved on-
to the reservation in an orderly way, without molesting the peace-
ful settlers or their property. We leave the reader to determine
where the blame, if any, should rest.
But, as we have stated before, General Howard started Colonel
Perry from Fort Lapwai on the night of the 15th for the scene
of the trouble, with about ninety men, and sent to Walla Walla and
other posts for more troops. From Lapwai to the scene of the
first trouble is about ninety miles. Colonel Perry reached Grange-
ville late in the afternoon of the 16th. (This place is fifteen or
twenty miles short of where the outbreak commenced.) Here he
rested a short time and consulted with some volunteer settlers, then,
in company with eleven volunteers commanded by the late Major
George M. Shearer, started for the locality where the first mur-
ders were committed. They arrived near White Bird Creek about
daylight on the morning of June 17th. Here they discovered a
few Indians in a rough canyon with rough, rocky and brushy sides.
We cannot give the full particulars of the battle that followed soon
after their arrival, but suffice it to say that the Indians seem to
have played some kind of a ruse to get Colonel Perry down in
the canvon, while the volunteers went on the opposite side of the
canyon. The troops had not gone far before the Indians opened
fire on them from all sides where they were concealed behind the
brush and rocks. Several of the soldiers fell at the first firing, and
the others seeing their comrades falling from the firing, and not
being able to see the Indians, became frightened and ran away.
The Indians kept firing at them with the result that 8 6 of the 90
soldiers were killed or left on the battlefield, and no Indians were
hurt that were ever heard of. The Indians also poured a hot fire
into the eleven volunteers but they escaped by a trail, with two of
their number wounded. They made their way to Mt. Idaho, got
more volunteers and returned and helped Colonel Perry fight his
way back to Grangeville. The Indians kept up a firing at them
at long range until they were within four miles of Grangeville.
This was a complete victory for them as they had killed about forty
per cent of Perry's men, captured forty or fifty guns and a good
supply of ammunition, and had lost nothing. So far they had had
everything their own way, and must have been very much elated
over their success in the destruction of life and property.
Colonel Perry reorganized his troops at Grangeville and put
them in as good condition as he could for further action. During
this time General Howard was at Lapwai waiting for more troops
he had sent for to come from the several military posts. As soon
His-14
210 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
as the Norton party was brought in, the people of Mt. Idaho or-
ganized a company of volunteers, and every man or boy able to
bear arms or work was enlisted. Arthur Chapman was selected
captain for the volunteers, and a retired English naval officer named
H. E. Croasdale was put in charge of the fort they built for the
protection of the women, children and wounded. The people of
Grangeville also built a fortification for protection, and a company
of volunteers was organized by Captain Bloomer. At Slate Creek,
near the Salmon where the trail leaves the river for Florence, where
there were quite a number of women and children and not many
men, the people built a stockade, this being the danger line. Men
and arms were scarce. The people there prevailed on a friendly
Indian woman to go to Florence, a mining camp twenty-five miles
distant in the mountains, for help. This Indian woman, whose
name was Too-Lah, was a friendly Nez Perce. She was faithful to
the trust and returned very shortly with twenty-five men, well
armed, to help guard and protect the people at Slate Creek. The
people at Warrens on the south side of the Salmon also built forts
for protection. Elk City at the northeast, a mining camp, had
quite a number of men but few arms; in fact, there were but few
arms among the settlers in any part of the country. About the 17th
the people all over Nez Perce County became alarmed, including
the people in Lewiston, the head of navigation and the base of all
supplies. It was feared that the success that Joseph and Look-
ingglass had met with might induce all the Indians in the country
to join them and raid the town of Lewiston. As they had but few
arms with which to protect themselves, they sent to Portland, Ore-
gon, for arms and ammunition, and Captain Ed McConville organ-
ized a company of sixty men on short notice for the protection of
life and property at Lewiston and in that vicinity.
By the 21st of June eight small companies of the United States
army, numbering only about 200 men, had gathered into Lapwai,
and a small company of volunteers under Captain Paige, who had
joined under Captain Whipple in command of the cavalry, were on
hard to fight Indians. Captain Paige was from Walla Walla and
had about twenty-five volunteers in his company. General Howard
war; all ready, and starting with his command from Fort Lapwai
at noon on June 22nd, on the afternoon of the 23rd he arrived at
Cottonwood, Mr. Norton's place, which had been abandoned on the
night of the 14th. It appears that he rested here the next day and
obtained such information as he could. On the 25th he sent the
infantry south to Johnson's ranch and he with the cavalry went to
Grangeville, where was Colonel Perry's command. After visiting
Mt. Idaho for information, the General returned to Grangeville and
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 211
proceeded with his command to Johnson's ranch where the infan-
try had been sent. At 6:30 next morning, June 26th, the command
marched to the scene of Perry's defeat at White Bird canyon,
doubtless for the double purpose of looking for Indians, and to
buiy the Perry soldiers who had fallen there a week before. While
the soldiers buried their dead comrades, Captain Paige and his
volunteers, guided by Capt. Arthur Chapman, scoured the country
and found that the Indians had crossed the Salmon River to the west
bank, where the country is mountainous and heavily timbered. Here
on June 26th appears to have been the location of the contending
forces. General Howard with his force, consisting of about 200
regrlars and perhaps 100 volunteers, all well armed and supplied,
was on the east side of Salmon River near the mouth of White Bird
Cr ek, while Joseph and White Bird were on the west side of Sal-
mon River, with about 150 warriors, and encumbered with all of
their women and children and household traps, and about 1,500
head of loose horses and cattle. From the junction of White Bird
Creek and Salmon River it is about twenty-five miles to where Sal-
mon River empties into Snake River. The general course of both
these streams over this distance is north, running almost parallel to
each other, until within a few miles of the junction, where the Sal-
mon turns to the west and makes its junction with Snake River.
The average distance between these two streams from White Bird
to the junction is about ten or twelve miles. The Indians have an
old trail down between these two streams to a point on the Salmon
River about fifteen miles below White Bird, and the crossing there,
commonly called the Craig or old Billie Crossing, was considered
about the best place in the country to cross Salmon River. Near
the east bank of the river here are craggy rocks behind which a
few men could conceal themselves and pick off Indians while cross-
ing, without danger. There is a good trail from this crossing on
to Craig Mountain, to the main road leading from Lewiston to
Camas Prairie.
After it had been discovered for certain that the Indians were
on the west side of Salmon River, the volunteers held a consultation
as to what course was best to pursue, all being well acquainted with
the geography of the country, and familiar with the customs of the
Indians. They unanimously agreed upon a plan of operation, and
appointed Hon. Frank A. Fenn, Joseph Peasley and John Mc-
Pherson to wait on General Howard and lay their plan of operation
before him, expecting, of course, it would be approved by him and
put into execution. The committee proceeded to perform the duty
assigned it, and laid before the General their plan, which was for
him to send twenty or thirty men, some soldiers and some volun-
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
teers, to the Craig or Billie Crossing, where they were to conceal
themselves. The General and the rest of the command were to
cross the Salmon River near the White Bird, go behind the Indians
and attack them, when they would naturally follow down the trail
to the crossing named. Pursued by the General to the crossing and
prevented from crossing by the men concealed on the east bank, the
Indians would be bagged and would either have to surrender or be
killed. There can be no doubt that if this plan had been adopted
and put into execution, the war would have been ended in a few
days, but, says Mr. Fenn, "He politely listened to us and then
bowed us out, with the remark that he was capable of managing his
own campaign."
This committee explained to the General how, if he crossed the
river, the Indians would most surely go below to the Craig cross-
ing and cross back, and when back they could raid the people in
both Idaho and Nez Perce counties. Having some knowledge of
the country we are writing about, we cannot conceive why this plan
of operations was rejected by the General. We know that Mr.
Fenn's statement is correct and the plan was the best that could
have been devised. But it was rejected, and the General crossed
over the Salmon River with all of his command, except Captain
Whipple with his small company, who had been left at the Norton
House on the Cottonwood, where the road from Lewiston comes
down from Craig's Mountain to Camas Prairie.
Events soon proved that the plan suggested by Mr. Fenn and
others was the right one, for as soon as the Indians found that Gen-
eral Howard and his main force was on the same side of the Salmon
River that they were, they moved down to the Craig Billie Cross-
ing, crossed over, took the trail for the wagon road on Craig's
Mountain, and thence down near the Norton House where Whipple
was stationed, and killed thirteen of his soldiers. It appears that
General Howard remained on the west side of the Salmon River
until the Indians went down and crossed back and went up to the
Norton House and killed thirteen of Whipple's men, then a message
was sent to General Howard by Peter H. Ready, telling him where
the Indians were and what they had done. The General seems to
have followed the Indians to the Craig Billie Crossing but they were
over and gone before he got there and he could not or did not
cross after them, but went back up to the White Bird, where they
had boats, crossed back and went through the Prairie by way of
Grangeville, the same route he traveled when going out, reaching
Grangeville on July 9th.
When Captain Whipple was left in Camas Prairie at the time
General Howard started to the front on the Salmon, he had been
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 818
instructed by the General to try to gather in Lookingglass and his
band who were camped upon a creek called Clear Creek, a tribu-
tary of Clearwater River, northeast of Mt. Idaho, as they were sup-
posed to be still friendly to the whites, and have them come to
Mt. Idaho and remain under the care and protection of the volun-
teers, to prevent them from joining Joseph. Soon after General
Howard left for the front, Captain Whipple with a detachment of
his men and a few volunteers went cautiously to the camp of Look-
ingglass, very early in the morning. A peace talk was in progress,
most of the men remaining back some distance from the camp, when
to the surprise of all a bugle sounded which flustrated the Indians,
and a little later some person among those remaining at a distance,
fired a shot into the Indian camp. The shot was said to have been
fired by a man named Washington Holmes, who had a half-breed
wife. Be that as it may, the firing of the shot alarmed the Indians
so that they scattered and the council was broken up. The Indians
under Lookingglass soon after joined Joseph's band and went on
the warpath. Captain Whipple returned to Cottonwood. After
arriving there he sent two scouts, Foster and Blewitt, in the direc-
tion of the Craig Billie Crossing to see if there was any sign of
Indians. After going several miles they saw Indians driving horses.
They turned back, but were pursued by Indians firing at them.
Blewitt's horse fell, presumably from a shot. He took to the brush
and Foster pushed on safely to camp. Captain Whipple immediate-
ly sent Lieutenant Rains with ten soldiers and the scout Foster to
try to find Blewitt and to learn all he could about the Indians. He
had not gone more than a mile or two before they were attacked
by the Indians. Captain Whipple started as soon as he heard the
shooting, with some men. On arriving at the scene he found the
Indians in large numbers and that they had already killed part of
Lieutenant Rains' men, and had the balance so completely in their
grasp, and outnumbered his men so much, that he concluded it was
useless for him to try to rescue the remainder of Lieutenat Rains'
men. He therefore kept out of close range, and Lieutenant Rains,
his men and the scouts were all shot down by the Indians. Captain
Whipple and his detachment went back to camp. These operations
appear to have taken place on July 3rd.
That night a courier arrived informing Whipple that Colonel
Perry was on the road from Lapwai to Cottonwood with a pack
train loaded with supplies, and wanted more protection. Early in
the morning of July 4th Whipple went out with some men, met
Perry nine miles out, and came into Cottonwood safely with the
pack train. About noon that day, according to Whipple, the In-
dians began to gather and soon had the camp of Cottonwood sur-
814 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
rounded, and for hours they made frantic efforts to dislodge the
soldiers. Every man of the command was kept on the line during
the afternoon — rifle pits having been dug at a little distance from
the Cottonwood House. About sundown the Indians withdrew for
the night.
Colonel Perry was now in command at Cottonwood. On the
morning of July 5th Lieutenant D. B. Randall of the volunteers,
with sixteen of his men, left Mt. Idaho for the Cottonwood House
to assist the United States troops in repelling the Indians. When
within less than two miles of their destination, in plain view of the
troops at the Cottonwood House, Lieutenant Randall was attacked
by about 150 Indians, whose line of attack was formed so as to cut
the volunteers off from going to the Cottonwood House. The Lieu-
tenant and his men charged through the Indian lines, securing the
best place they could for a stand, dismounted and commenced to
defend themselves against the superior force of Indians as best
brave men could, believing that Colonel Perry would soon come with
his troops to their assistance. He did not come. One of the
Lieutenant's men, F. D. Vansise, escaped and rode in for help, but
Colonel Perry seemed to think it of no use to go. We presume he
thought the volunteers would all be killed before he could get there,
and he and his men might suffer a like fate. The brave volunteers
stood their ground and contested the battle with the Indians with-
out yielding a foot, though they were outnumbered ten to one. It is
said that at last one Simpson, a sergeant, one of those at the Cot-
tonwood House, sprang to the front and cried out, "If your officers
will not lead you to the rescue, I will." He was quickly joined by
twenty-five others and they made their way to their horses. Perry,
seeing that a part of his men were determined to go, ordered Cap-
tain Whipple to take charge of them. When the troops arrived at
the scene they found the brave volunteers still holding their gronnd,
although their leader, Lieutenant Randall, had fallen mortally
wounded, and B. F. Evans was killed and three others were
wounded. With the assistance of the troops the Indians were soon
put to flight. All honor to those brave volunteers, who held their
positions for more than an hour against such great odds. We also
honor and admire the act of that noble Seargeant Simpson in going
and inducing others to go to the front when help was so badly
needed. May the Lord and the people make his path smooth in this
and the world to come.
After the Indians had retreated, the men all went to the Cotton-
wood House. The names of these volunteers were as follows:
Lieutenant D. B. Randall, B. F. Evans, both killed; D. H. Hanson,
mortally wounded; A. B. Lealand and Charles Johnson, wounded;
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 215
L. P. Willmot, J. L. Cearley, James Buchanan, William B. Burner,
Charles W. Case, E. J. Bunker, Frank D. Vansise, C. M. Day,
George Riggins, A. D. Bartley, H. C. Johnson, F. A. Fenn.
ARMS SENT TO LEWISTON BY U. S. GOVERNMENT.
Soon after the outbreak of Chief Joseph and his hostile Indians
the people of Lewiston and vicinity became alarmed for fear the
Indians might make a raid on them. They had but few arms for
protection and it was decided to wire our delegate in Congress,
Hon. S. S. Fenn, and see if he could not secure arms from the U. S.
government. Receiving the dispatch early in the day, Delegate
Fenn at once introduced a joint resolution in the House authorizing
and directing the Secretary of War to order by wire U. S. arms
shipped by steamer from Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia river,
to Lewiston, Idaho, for the use of the citizens, to protect their lives
and property against the hostile Indians.
Before the sun set that day this resolution was passed by both
houses of Congress, approved by the President and a copy furnished
the Secretary of War, and the Secretary had sent a telegram to the
proper officer at Vancouver to forward the necessary arms by the
first steamer.
This we think was about the quickest work ever done in Congress
by any delegate or member from the Pacific coast. It shows our
Idaho delegate was not only alive and active to the interests of the
people, but also commanded the respect of both branches of our
National Legislature.
Up to the time of the attack of the Indians upon these volunteers
they had not met with a single loss of any kind. It is believed
that in this engagement their loss in killed was nine, and that sev-
eral were wounded. At least, nine graves were found at their first
camp after they left the battle ground. This was the first reverse
they had met since they started on the warpath. It appears that
on this day, July 5th, General Howard had got back to White
Bird Creek. Captain McConville of the Lewiston volunteers and
Captain Hunter of the Dayton volunteers, who were with General
Howard, on arriving at White Bird and learning of the Indians
being in large numbers around the Cottonwood House, and of the
killing of Captain Whipple's men, Howard, made a forced
march and arrived at the Cottonwood House on the afternoon of
July 5th. They had nearly one hundred men, but the Indians had
gone to the mountains. It is said that General Howard managed
to get his command into Grangeville from White Bird on July Qth,
a distance nearly as far as McConville and Hunter's troops
marched in one day.
These volunteer companies set out the next morning to find
216 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
where the Indians were located, and discovered them about the
7th near the junction of the south and middle forks of the Clear-
water River, in a rough country. There appeared to be large force
of the Indians. They had some skirmishing with them the next
day, when the Indians tried to cut off a small number of volunteers
under Major Shearer, but they succeeded in getting into camp.
They decided it was not best for their small party to attack such
a large number, but to send a messenger for General Howard to
come with his force, and for all hands to make the attack. They
sent a messenger and went to work themselves making breastworks
for defense against the Indians. That night the Indians made a
raid and got 43 of their horses. Their messenger did not return,
and being short of provisions and horses, they decided to go back
to Cottonwood. On arriving there they found that their messenger
was sick and unable to return, and that General Howard was wait-
ing for reinforcements which he expected soon. On July llth
General Howard moved with his whole command, including Captain
Trimble from Slate Creek. It was found that Joseph, White Bird
and Lookingglass with their hostile bands were all encamped in a
deep, rough canyon, a little below where White Bird Creek enters
into Clearwater, about thirteen miles from Grangeville, and they
were fairly well fortified with breastworks and rifle pits. About
noon on this day, July llth, Lieutenant Fletcher discovered the
location of the Indians, and by 10 o'clock A. M., General Howard
had his men operating one howitzer and two Gatling guns, throw-
ing destructive missiles into the Indian camp. This appears to
have been a hard and closely contested battle. No doubt Joseph
and his followers expected to win a great victory there in their
mountain fastness over the U. S. troops, and would then have
things his own way. They fought desperately all that afternoon
and went at it again early the next morning and kept it up until
late in the afternoon. Finding they were getting the worst of it
all the time, they finally very reluctantly began to move away for
more secure quarters. During the fighting of this day and a half
the resourceful, wily and bloodthirsty Chief Joseph watched every
move made by General Howard or his men, and tried many times to
cut off some of the General's men, horses, or pack trains, but with-
out success. The Indians found for the first time, and much to
their surprise, that General Howard was at home when in a pitched
battle. While in many respects the Indians had the advantage of
the canyon, rocks and brush they had selected and fortified for this
great battle, they did not seem to think that General Howard could
ride or walk as he chose coolly along the hillside, with his field
glass, and watch their every move and direct his men and big guns
INDIAN WAR OF 1877
against them as he thought would be most effective. General How-
ard, like most God-fearing men, is not noted for fast marches, but
when he takes a stand he is very hard to drive away. What he
thinks is right he stands by. It is said that in this battle Chief
Joseph showed great bravery and rare generalship, but at the end
of one and a half days' hard fighting he was forced to run away
from his chosen battle ground with all his following. He could no
longer stand the slow but sure destruction of his savage warriors
by the cool management of the old veteran, General Howard, who
seemed to be at home in the engagement. When General Howard's
troops took possession of the Indian battle ground, which they had
been forced to abandon in a hurry, many of their lodges were still
standing, filled with their effects, such as blankets, buffalo robes,
flour, jerked beef, and plunder of all descriptions, while fires were
burning and food cooking thereon.
There were about 400 men under General Howard in this engage-
ment, and were suposed to be more than 300 Indian warriors, be-
sides many young Indian women, who always render the warriors
valuable assistance in time of battle. The casualties of this battle,
as nearly as known, were as follows: The Indians had twenty-three
killed, about forty wounded, some of whom died, and about forty
prisoners taken. Also a number of horses killed. The loss to
the General's command was thirteen killed and twenty-two wounded.
This may seem like a small loss for such a long fight, but when it is
understood that the Indians were down in a deep, rough, rocky
canyon, and were mostly concealed or sheltered behind rocks, or
breastworks, it will be readily seen by any person who has ever had
any experience in fighting Indians how difficult it was for our
troops to pick them off, or how dangerous it would have been to
have undertaken to make a charge on their stronghold. Speaking
in the light of experience, we think that General Howard and the
men under him in this battle all did well, and deserve great credit
for their skill and bravery.
The Indians made their way over the rough country, swimming
the Clearwater River, and hit the trail for the buffalo country east
of the Rocky Mountains. Their movements clearly showed that
they realized they were badly defeated and did not want any more
engagements with General Howard. The General could not follow
up his victory that evening for several reasons. It was then late in
the afternoon. The route which the Indians had taken was not a
practicable route over which pack trains and heavy arms might be
taken. It was rugged and rough and there was no way to cross the
Clearwater River on their trail except by swimming. Besides this,
by the time they could have packed their baggage and supplies it
218 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
would have been night, and they might have been ambushed travel-
ing in the dark, or if they had left their camp and supplies in the
hands of a few while the main force went in pursuit, the Indians
might have doubled back and captured the whole camp outfit, for
these wily Indians knew every foot of the country and could skip
over and through rough places almost equal to a mountain goat,
and no white man could compete with them in this business.
The Indians were pursued by General Howard across the moun-
tains into Montana, where other U. S. troops fell in and pursued
them also. They committed some depredations on their route. They
were finally captured by General Miles at Bear Paw Mountain,
Miles having made a quick move and captured their horses before
they knew of his presence. This was on October 4, 1877. General
Howard came up with a small detachment of troops the same day.
General Miles had taken Joseph completely by surprise; the In-
dians hid as best they could, but seeing they could neither win in a
fight against General Miles, nor get away from him, the next day,
October 5th, they surrendered to General Miles, after being chased
for more than 1,000 miles by General Howard. By order of Gen-
eral Sheridan they were taken to Indian Territory, where they were
kept for several years, and where many of them died. The rem-
nant left, with Joseph, was finally brought back to Idaho, and
Joseph with a small band was put on the Colville Reservation, in
the State of Washington, where a few years ago Joseph died.
We realize that this is already a long and tedious chapter for the
reader, although we have omitted all of the incidents in General
Howard's long march when following Joseph from the Clearwater
in Idaho to Bear Paw Mountain in Montana. There was another
act that took place in the southern part of Idaho that was so nearly
connected with this Indian war of 1877 that it seems to us we should
make some mention of it. It will be remembered that after Joseph's
and White Bird's bands had committed the murders on the east side
of the Salmon River they crossed back over to the west side, and it
was thought by some that they intended to come down south into
Washington County at a place called Council Valley, well up on the
Weiser River, where the Indians had been in the habit of meeting
once a year, holding councils, trading, etc. A message was sent
from the north on June 18th to the people at the town of Weiser
and also to Governor Brayman at Boise to be on the lookout for the
Indians. About the same time word was brought to Boise that quite
a number of the Bannock male Indians that belonged on the Fort
Hall Reservation, situated more than two hundred miles east of
Boise, were camped only about thirty miles east of Boise, all well
armed and well mounted. These reports reached the Governor on
INDIAN WAR OF 1877 219
June 19th. He immediately issued his proclamation calling for
volunteers. This was late in the afternoon. The writer was at that
time out ten miles from Boise. He was sent for and got to Boise
about 9 P. M. The men were all out and ready to do whatever
was thought best. A mass meeting was held and a company of
volunteers was organized that night to go to the Weiser country.
Reub Robbins was elected captain. We had some little trouble with
the Governor, he being by law Commander-in-Chief and custodian
of the arms (which had been furnished the Territory by the United
States). He had the arms stored at Fort Boise, and positively re-
fused to let us have any unless we should walk to Fort Boise and
enlist under Major Collins of the U. S. army. This we positively
refused to do. But when His Excellency was notified that if he did
not give us an order for arms, and that quickly, that neither he nor
the fifteen men at Fort Boise would prevent us from taking the
arms that the U. S. Government had furnished for the people to use
for protection on such occasions as the present, he realized what
the demand meant, and gave the order for the arms. Drays were at
once employed to haul the arms and ammunition down, and the
writer and two other men proceeded to open the boxes containing
the guns and ammunition, and to distribute them to Captain Rob-
bins' company, which consisted of nearly one hundred men. Cap-
tain Robbins, with a little more than half of his company, were
outfitted with necessary supplies by the business men of Boise, and
packed up and started that evening for Council Valley. Second
Lieutenant John S. Gray went with a detachment of men to patrol
up and down Snake River, to ascertain if any Indians should at-
tempt to come from the south. Another small party, consisting of
Milton Kelly, I. N. Coston, Obe Corder and a few others, were
sent east to interview the Bannock Indian warriors (referred to be-
fore), who were camped about thirty miles from Boise. This party
was instructed to have the Indians, or at least their chief and
prominent men, come into Boise and have a talk with the Governor
and the people. We must say that when the arms were brought
down from the fort, the Governor got in and worked like a Turk
helping to distribute them to the volunteers. He seemed to under-
stand the business and rendered all the assistance he could in help-
ing to get the volunteers ready. In the meantime we were enlisted
to go with Captain Robbins, but the Governor as commander-in-
chief notified us that he had detailed and commissioned me to remain
at Boise for a while to distribute arms, collect and distribute sup-
plies, and to go where any emergency might arise. We put in all
that night getting arms and ammunition into the stage office to be
sent out early the next morning to Boise Basin, Silver City, Jordan
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Valley, Payette, Weiser and on Overland road. The people were
very much alarmed all over the country, fearing a general outbreak
of the Indians in the different parts of Idaho and adjoining states
and territories. Indeed, the reports that came from every place
where Indians were located were of an alarming nature. The next
day, June 21st, Milton Kelly and party arrived about noon with
thirty or forty of the Bannock Indians, all big, fine-looking fellows.
They attracted the attention of all as they marched along Main
street in double file on horseback, with Messrs. Kelly and Corder
in front and the other volunteers in the rear, all in perfect order.
They alighted near the Governor's office, the chief and a few of the
head men were presented to the Governor and a few prominent
citizens in the Governor's office, mutual greetings were extended by
all, and a long peace talk was had, which resulted in a mutual
verbal understanding that the people of Boise were to furnish
pasture for their horses that night, and provisions for them for
supper and breakfast next morning and then give them a few hun-
dred pounds of flour, a few hundred pounds of meat, a reasonable
amount of sugar, coffee and tea, some tobacco, etc., the next morn-
ing, and they would then pack up and go and take all their men
back to their reservation at Ross Fork, then in Oneida County, now
Bannock County. As this was one of the many duties His Excel-
lency had imposed on me, we had to get a lively move on. Fortun-
ately we had a pasture with suitable camp ground and soon had
them and their horses located, while our assistants procured the
necessary rations for their supper and breakfast. Then the rustle
came for supplies for them to pack away next morning. At that
time we were engaged in the butcher business with our old friend
G. W. Guess, so we pulled out the required amount of bacon and
beef from our market to fill that part of the agreement, and every
merchant responded without a murmur with a liberal amount of
flour, sugar, coffee, etc., until we had enough to fill the agreement,
notwithstanding they had all contributed liberally only a day or two
before to supply the volunteers who had gone out. They were a
generous and noble people, and believed strongly in protection, and
were willing to help pay for it. Early the next morning, with the
assistance of a few of our good boys, we gathered up all these con-
tributions and checked up to see if they filled the agreement. Ev-
erything was satisfactory, we helped them to puck up, and then
tried to impress on them, first that we had kept and fulfilled our
part of the agreement, and second, that tl».ey must not fail to fulfill
their part of the agreement. The^r seemed to realize the importance
of fulfilling their part, so we bad-e them a good-bye, wishing them a
speedy and safe journey to the r home on the Fort Hall Reserva-
INDIAN WAR OF 1877
tion. They went and kept their part of thj agreement for tha», year,
1877, but in 1878 they gave us trouble, of which we will speak
later on.
A few days after Captain Bobbins left for the Weiser country
Colonel Green of the U. S. Army came into Boise by stage for the
purpose of taking command of some three or four companies of U.
S. cavalry troops which were expected and did come to Boise in a
few days from Harney, McDermott and other places. It took some
time for them to get ready to start north to the seat of war. They
had a good deal of fixing to do, supplies and transportation to pro-
cure. Colonel Green sent Major Collins with a small company of
infantry to Council Valley soon after his arrival, but he and his
company of cavalry did not get started from Boise until about the
18th of July. Several days before this General Howard had sent a
messenger from Salmon River to the Weiser, informing the people
and volunteers there that the Indians had re-crossed the Salmon
River and gone north. There being no necessity for the volunteers
to remain longer on the Weiser and Snake Rivers, both detachments
were returned to Boise. During these exciting times the citizens at
Placerville in Boise Basin had organized a company of volunteers
who held themselves in readiness to go anywhere they were needed
for several weeks. The people in Silver City, Jordan Valley, Boise,
Payette and Weiser valleys, and in Salmon City were organized,
armed and ready for action. All these necessary precautions with-
out a doubt prevented the Bannock and Piute Indians from joining
Chief Joseph, White Bird and Lookingglass. There is but little
doubt in our mind that when these Indians, after making their raid
on the northeast side of the Salmon River, crossed back, they ex-
pected to meet the Bannock and Piute Indians and return to the
Wallowa country and there fight for what they believed to be their
own home. Failing to get this reinforcement, they turned and went
north, and when beaten on the Clearwater by General Howard their
only course was to surrender or to strike out across the mountains
for the buffalo country. They chose the latter rather than surren-
der, believing, doubtless, that Howard would not follow them far,
but in that belief they were sadly mistaken.
Captain Robbins went north and joined General Howard's com-
mand as chief of scouts at Clearwater, and went with the General's
command on the long, laborious and dangerous journey of 1,000
miles, from the Clearwater River in Idaho to the Bear Paw
Mountain, where Chief Joseph and his band of hostile Indians
were captured. General Howard says that Captain Robbins ren-
dered very valuable services on that long, tiresome and danger-
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
ous trip. We knew Captain Robbins well, and for untiring en-
ergy, good judgment and bravery upon such occasions he has
no superior.
We have omited all of the many important incidents of General
Howard's long pursuit of these Indians; we have not yet stated
whom we thought to blame for the bringing on of this war; we
are satisfied that many innocent, good citizens were murdered and
a large amount of property taken and destroyed, belonging to
innocent citizens; the United States Army lost many soldiers, and
the Government incurred an extra or additional expense of a few
hundred thousand dollars, and some person or persons must be to
blame for it. We will not say who, but we do say that the citi-
zens of Idaho who suffered death and heavy loss of property were
innocent. We leave to the reader to fix the responsibility.
In summing up the cost of this war of 1877 with Chief Joseph
and his allied forces, amounting to not to exceed three hundred
warriors, encumbered with their women and children, stock and
camp equipage, we find that a campaign was conducted from June
15th to October 5th, 1877, with from twenty to thirty companies
of United States troops, a number of citizens and Indian scouts,
and several companies of volunteers a part of the time. There was
a loss of good citizens murdered, not in battle, numbering about
thirty, and wounded, not in battle, twenty. Of the volunteers there
were about thirteen killed in battle and twenty wounded. Per-
haps twenty citizens lost houses, barns and stores plundered and
burnt, amounting to fifty or more, and several hundred head of
stock, horses and cattle, were taken by the Indians. As nearly as
we can learn the loss to the United States Army was, officers and
men killed in battle, one hundred; wounded, one hundred and ten.
The extra expense the Government necessarily had to incur in
prosecuting this war we have no means of knowing, but we think
it must have run up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In closing this the least we can say is that there does not ap-
pear to have been any preparation made before hand to enforce
the order of the Indian Department of our Government to remove
the Indians at the time fixed upon for their rmoval. Hence the
innocent had to suffer for the neglect of those whose duty it was
to superintend their safe and peaceful removal onto the reservation
if it was right they should be removed. If wrong, they should
not have been ordered to remove.
CHAPTER XLIV.
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR IN 1878
Another of those murderous and devastating Indian Wars had
now come to Idaho, and, worst of all, like most of the Indian
Wars we have had, the innocent often had to suffer through the
neglect of others. This was certainly the case during the Ban-
nock Indian War of 1878.
On July 27, 1867, the Congress of the United States passed
an act authorizing the President to appoint seven commissioners
to go west and try and, if possible, negotiate treaties with all
the hostile and nontreaty Indians, and to make agreements with
them to settle upon such reservations as they might agree upon
and for the Indians to keep at peace with the whites. One hun-
dred and fifty thousand dollars was appropriated in this act to
defray the expenses of these commissioners, and it was pro-
vided in the act that the Secretary of War should furnish them
necessary protection. The act also appropriated three hundred
thousand dollars to enable the Secretary of the Interior to locate
and settle all such Indians as were willing to make their homes
on those reservations. The act or law referred to can be found
on page 17, Vo. IX, of the Fortieth Session of Congress. The
names of the commissioners appointed were N. G. Taylor, Lieut.
General Sherman, United States Army, William S. Harney, John
B. Sanborn, S. F. Tappen, C. C. Augur, Brevet Major General
United States Army, Alfred H. Terry. These commissioners were
engaged in the work assigned to them in making treaties and set-
ting apart reservations for Indians in the Western States and Ter-
ritories a part of the year 1867 and most of the year 1868.
Included among many other treaties made by these commis-
sioners with the various tribes of Indians was a treaty made with
the Bannock Indians, and, at the same time and embodied in the
same agreement, a treaty was made with the Shoshone Indians.
The Shoshone Indians' reservation was located in Wyoming, and
the reservation for the Bannock Indians was located in Idaho
Territory. This treaty can be found on pages 673-678, Vol. XV,
Fortieth Session Laws and Treaties of Congress. My reason for
referring to this treaty is : first, that it has been said by some that
this reservation was set aside at a much earlier date for the Sho-
shone and Bannock Indians. This is not correct, for the reserva-
tion of the Shoshones was located in Wyoming. Second, this treaty
224 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
says the Bannocks were to have "reasonable portions of the Port
Neuf and Kansas Prairie Country." There can be no doubt that
the word "Kansas" should have been written "Camas." Either
the interpreter, clerk or the type-setter made the mistake. These
Indians always understood they were entitled to a part of Camas
Prairie for that was their place for digging camas. The Gov-
ernment officials knew all about this and made no effort to adjust
the matter, but opened Camas Prairie for settlement by the
whites. Extract from the treaty:
"A treaty of peace was made and entered into with relinquish-
ment of certain lands and two reservations were set apart. This
treaty was entered into by N. G. Taylor, Lieut. Gen. W. T. Sher-
man, William S. Harney, John S. Sanborn, S. F. Tappen, Major
Gen. C. C. Augur, and Brig. Gen. Alfred H. Terry, acting com-
missioners for the United States, and Wash-A-Kee, Wau-Ny-Pitz,
Toop-Se-Po-Wot, Nor-Kok, Taboonshe-Ya, Bazeel, Pan-To-She-
Ga, Ninny-Bilse, Indians acting for the Shoshone Indians (east-
ern band) and Taggel, Tay-Toba, We-Rat-Ze-Won-A-Gen, Coo-
Sha-Gan, Pan-Sook-A-Motse, A-Mite-Etse, Indians acting for the
Bannocks. Made, concluded and signed by the parties above and
dated Fort Bridger, Territory of Utah, July 3rd, 1868. Ratified
by the United States Senate Feb. 16th, 1869, proclaimed by Pres-
ident Andrew Johnson, Feb. 24th, 1869."
Article 2 reads as follows: "It is agreed that whenever the
Bannocks desire a reservation to be set apart for their use or,
whenever the President of the United States shall deem it advisa-
ble for them to be put upon a reservation, he shall cause one to
be selected for them in their present country, which shall em-
brace reasonable portions of the Port-Neuf and Kansas Prairie
countries, that, when this reservation is declared, the United
States will secure to the Bannocks the same rights and privileges
therein and make the same and like expenditures therein for their
benefit, except the agency house and residence of agent, in pro-
portion to their numbers, as herein provided for the Shoshone
reservation.
"The United States further agrees that the following district
of country, to-wit: commencing at the mouth of Owl Creek and
running due south to the crest of the divide between the Sweet-
water and Papoagee River, thence along the crest of said divide
to the summit of Wind River Mountains to the longitude of the
North Fork of Wind River, thence due north to the mouth of said
North Fork and up its channel to a point twenty miles above its
mouth, thence in a straight line to the head waters of Owl Creek
and along the middle of the channel of Owl Creek to place of
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR
beginning, shall be and the same is set apart for the absolute and
undisturbed occupation of the Shoshone Indians herein named and
for such other friendly tribes and individual Indians, as from time
to time may be willing, with the consent of the United States to
admit amongst them. The United States now solemnly agrees
that no persons except those herein designated and authorized so
to do, and except such officers and agents and employees of the
Government as may be authorized to enter upon Indian Reserva-
tions in discharge of duties enjoined by law shall ever be per-
mitted to pass over, settle upon, or reside in the territory described
in this article for the use of said Indians. Henceforth they will
and do hereby relinquish all title, claims or rights in and to any
portion of the territory of the United States, except such as is
embraced within the limits aforesaid."
Article V provides that the President may have this reservation
surveyed.
Article IV reads as follows: "The Indians herein named agree,
when the Agency House and other buildings shall be constructed
on their reservation named, they will make said reservation their
permanent home and will make no permanent settlement elsewhere,
but they shall have the right to hunt on the unoccupied lands of
the United States, so long as game may be found thereon and so
long as peace exists among the whites and Indians on the borders
of the hunting districts/*
Article II reads as follows: "No treaty for the cession of any
portion of the reservation herein described, which may be held in
common, shall be of any force or validity as against the said In-
dians unless executed and signed by at least a majority of all the
adult male Indians occupying or interested in the same. No ces-
sion by the tribe shall be understood or construed in such man-
ner as to deprive without his consent any individual member of
the tribe of his right to any tract of land selected by him as
provided in Article VI of this treaty."
Soon after this treaty was made, the Bannock Indians went to
the Port-Neuf and Camas Prairie countries. In fact, they hacf
been making these places their principal home for many years.
The treaty was ratified Feb. 16, 1869- The Governor of Idaho
was ordered by the authorities at Washington to have the pro-
posed Indian Reservation surveyed. Just how specific his orders
were as to locality we do not know, but the presumption is that
the reservation was to be surveyed in accordance with the agree-
ment in the treaty, which "was to embrace reasonable portions of
the Port Neuf and Kansas Prairie country." It appears, or at
least it was the common talk at the time, that the Governor of
Hia-15
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Idaho went out with the surveyor to the Port Neuf country,
looked around a little and then with a wave of his hand said, "Boys,
survey out a good sized reservation around here for these In-
dians." He then left and returned to Boise. Nothing was said or
done about the Kansas or Camas Prairie that was to be included.
The surveyor was paid by the mile for the work, and, having no
restrictions placed on him as to the size, the survey was run so as
to make as many miles as possible. In this way, the reservation
was made to include twice as much country as was necessary, and
much more than the Indians expected or wanted. But Indians are
like the majority of white men, if you intentionally give them
more than is coming to them on one account, they can see no rea-
son why they should not receive the full amount on any other ac-
count. So these Bannock Indians were willing to accept what
was surveyed for them as their portion of the Port Neuf country,
but they still contended for a resaonable portion of the Camas
Prairie country. They were allowed by the Indian Agent to go
to Camas Prairie whenever they pleased to dig camas, hunt and
fish.
In the Spring of 1873, the writer of this was in Washington,
D. C., and, knowing these Indians claimed the right under the
treaty for a part of Camas Prairie and knowing, also, that Joseph
and other bands of the Nez Perce Indians refused to go upon
the Nez Perce reservation, I went before the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs and the Secretary of the Interior. I called their
attention to the language of the treaties, and urged that compe-
tent commissioners be appointed to visit all of these dissatisfied
Indians and make such agreements with them as would be satis-
factory and guarantee peace in the future. The Secretary of the
Interior seemed to realize the importance of my recommendation
and promised me he would appoint a commission at an early day
to visit these Indians and have all unsettled matters adjusted.
Soon after this, I was notified the Secretary had appointed as
commissioners to visit the Nez Perces, the following gentlemen:
General Shanks of Indiana, Governor T. W. Bennett of Idaho,
and J. B. Monteith, the Agent of the Nez Perce Indians; for the
Bannock Indians, the two gentlemen first named ,and the Indian
Agent at Fort Hall. These commissioners visited the Nez Perce
agency at Lapwai. Their visit did not result in any good; on
the contrary, seemed to create a feeling of dissatisfaction between
the whites and the Indians. The commissioners met with the
Fort Hall Indian Agent and Bannock Indians at Soldier Creek on
Camas Prairie. Nothing was done or agreed upon. There were
no white settlers on Camas Prairie at that time. The Indians
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR
roamed at will all over the Prairie. My opinion is that the two In-
dian Agents succeeded in making Messrs. Shanks and Bennett
believe they understood their work and would continue to man-
age the Indian business in a proper manner. So the real object
of the commission was defeated.
In 1878, some hogs were driven to Camas Prairie and herded
on that portion of the Prairie which produces the camas roots,
and a band of cattle and some horses were driven there by Wil-
liam Silvey, George Nesbet and Lou Kensler. These three men
camped on the south side of the Prairie about ten miles south-
west from what is known as the crossing of Corral Creek. They
had only been there a few days when two Bannock Indians came
to their camp. These Indians appeared friendly and went out on
the range with the men on the 27th of May. After looking at
the horses and cattle, they returned to the camp and remained
there ufitil evening. They were treated well by the white men,
and when they left the camp, appeared perfectly friendly. These
two Indians could speak English. One was called Charley and
the other, Jim.
On the morning of May 28th, soon after the white men had
finished their breakfast, these same Indians rode up to the camp
and dismounted. The white men gave them breakfast, and they
still seemed to be friendly. While they were eating, William Sil-
vey walked up on to some high ground to see where the cattle and
horses were. As soon as the two Indians had finished their break-
fast, Mr. Kensler walked out a short distance to where he had
two horses picketed and started to saddle one of them. In the
meantime, Mr. Nesbet was stooping over picking up the camp
dishes from the ground. While in this stooping position, Indian
Charley, without the least provocation or warning, shot Mr. Nes-
bet through the jaws with a pistol. Nesbet made an effort to get
into the tent, which was only a few feet distant, in order to get
his gun. He succeeded in getting the gun and a box of car-
tridges. In the meantime, Kensler left his horse and started for
the tent but, before he could reach it, Indian Jim shot him; for-
tunately, the bullet just grazed one side of his head knocking
him down, but he soon recovered and got up and went on to the
tent. Nesbet was in the tent unable to get up but holding a gun
and cartridges. He gave these to Kensler. Silvey, hearing the
shooting, had started back to camp, and the Indians were shooting
at him from some distance. Kensler commenced shooting at the
Indans and they both ran, one of them badly wounded. Silvey was
not hurt. He and Kensler saddled two horses as soon as they
228 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
could. Kensler got on one and Silvey put Nesbet up behind Ken-
sler, while he took the other horse. They then started as fast
as they could toward Boise. The nearest place where any white
person lived was Dixie stage station, about twenty-two miles dis-
tant. After traveling a few miles, they looked back and saw a
large number of Indians headed for the camp they had left. They
pushed on as fast as they could. The Indians did not follow them.
They were evidently content for the time to plunder the camp and
take the horses (nineteen head) and as many cattle as they wanted.
About three miles further on they came to the abandoned camp
of Jesse Baker, who had left one horse staked out. They took
this horse, put one of their saddles on him and Kensler rode him,
and they put Nesbet on the poorest one of the two other horses.
This was an old pony with a sore back, and he had to ride this
old pony without a saddle. They then proceeded on their way.
When within about one mile of Little Camas Prairie, where the
stage and freight teams coming from the west would turn from
the road they were traveling to the left and go to Rocky Bar, they
met two men on foot, John McCameron and John Young. They
told these men of the trouble they had had with the Indians. Mc-
Cameron and Young knew there were two freight teams on the
road a few miles back; also, that it was about time for W. C.
Tatro to come along with his stage, so McCameron got Silvey to
let him take his horse and he hurried back to notify the team-
sters and the stage driver of the Indian trouble before they left
the main road for Rocky Bar. He reached the forks of the road
just in time to notify the two freighters and Mr. Tatro. In a
short time, the other men came up, Silvey leading the horse Nes-
bet was riding. Nesbet was taken from his horse, the blood washed
from his head, face and mouth as well as possible, and he was
then put into one of Mr. Guard's freight wagons, made as com-
fortable as circumstances would permit, and the two freighters
turned around and drove back to the Dixie stage station, a distance
of about five miles. Mr. Tatro made arrangements with Mr. Mc-
Cameron to go through to Boise as soon as possible and notify
Colonel Bernard, who was in command at Boise Barracks, of the
Indian outbreak. Mr. Tatro with one lady passenger, Miss Clara
Coffin, now Mrs. Charles Fury, then proceeded on his way to
Rocky Bar and got through without trouble. Mr. McCameron on
his way to Boise overtook Jesse Baker and they came through to-
gether, arriving late at night, and notified Colonel Bernard and
the people of Boise of the Indian outbreak.
On arrival of the freighters with Nesbet, Kensler and Silvey
at Dixie station, Lafe Griffin, who was there, started at once on
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 229
horseback to notify the people through the Bennett Creek, Cold
Springs country, and Glenns Ferry, of the Indian outbreak.
After remaining at Dixie station two days, William Guard un-
loaded one of his wagons and took Mr. Nesbet over to the Moun-
tain House. This station was kept at that time by Mr. Porter
and his wife. They cared for them as well as possible until the
next day. Commodore Jackson came up from his ranch five miles
below with a light spring wagon and took Nesbet down to his
house, where he remained for two days, until James Agnew sent
Samuel Chancy out to Jackson's ranch with a team and spring
wagon after Mr. Nesbet. A mattress was put into the wagon for
him, and he was brought to Boise.
It was about one week after Nesbet was shot before he arrived
in Boise and was properly cared for by a physician. Dr. Tread-
well, upon examination, found that his mouth was filled with live
vermin from fly blows. The doctor cleaned it out and stitched his
tongue together. After many weeks of suffering, he recovered.
It appears that the band of Indians who came to the Silvey,
Kensler and Nesbet camp, only stayed there about one day, kill-
ing cattle and drying beef; also, gathering up all the horses they
could find and preparing for a general war. It seems there were
two white men with the Indians, one whose name was Demsey;
the other, Mabes. Demsey was about fifty years of age and had
been living with these Indians for a number of years. He had
an Indian woman, one of the Bannock tribe, for a wife. I saw
this man, Demsey, several times before the outbreak and talked
with him. He did not appear to be at all dangerous or blood-
thirsty. He possessed ordinary intelligence, but seemed to be af-
flicted with general indolence. In fact, he seemed to have been
born tired and never got rested. It appears these Indians made
Demsey write a letter to Governor Braymen at Boise telling him
not to send troops to fight them; if he did, they would kill the
people and destroy the property all over the country. They sent
this letter by the other white man, Mabes, to be delivered to the
Governor. Whether Mabes delivered this letter, we do not know,
nor do we know what became of Mabes. But before the Indians
left the camp on Camas Prairie, they killed Demsey and left his
remains near the camp.
After the attack on the white men on Camas Prairie, it was
stated by a friendly Indian, named Captain Jim, that some of the
Indians had been drinking and they came very near having a row
among themselves. Some were opposed to going to war, while
others were determined for war. One of the head men, Buffalo
Horn, who was in favor of war, finally succeeded in getting about
230 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
two hundred warriors and a few of the young Indian women to
follow him. They started on the warpath against the whites to
murder, steal and destroy property. The remainder of the In-
dians, who were on the Prairie at that time, returned to the Fort
Hall or Bannock reservation. Buffalo Horn and his followers left
the Prairie, and the next we heard of them they were at King
Hill station on the Overland stage road about forty miles south
of Camas Prairie. The stock tender at this station saw them
coming and made his escape by running up King Hill Creek and
keeping in the brush. They robbed the station of all provisions,
blankets, etc., cut the harness to pieces and took all the stage
horses, nine in number.
The next place they raided was Glenns Ferry on Snake River,
five miles below King Hill station. The men attending the ferry
had been warned of the danger by Lafe Griffin, and had gone.
The Indians plundered their house, then took possession of the
ferry boat. They ferried themselves and horses across, then
burned the derrick that held the ferry cable which freed it from
the boat. The boat drifted down the river about thirty miles,
and was seen by John Carpenter. He and Mr. Calhoun caught it
and tied it up. Later, Mr. Glenn came down and floated it back.
Near the ferry on the east side of the river were several wagons
loaded with merchandise for Boise merchants. The teamsters,
who had been warned of the Indian troubles, had turned their
horses out to grass, and they had gone. The Indians raided these
wagons. Two of the wagons with trails belonged to George Ellis
of Boise. They were loaded with stoves and other hardware for
Mr. Frank R. Coffin of Boise. There was quite a lot of hay and
straw in these wagons packed in with the hardware. They set fire
to these wagons and burned them, and most of the hardware was
destroyed. There were several other freight wagons, one of them
loaded with cases of liquor, belonging to the late Davis Levi of
Boise. The Indians opened these cases and helped themselves.
They remained there that night and had a big spree, destroying
most of the merchandise and cutting up all of the freighters' har-
ness.
They left the next morning taking all they wanted from the
wagons, also some of the freighters' mules and horses. A few
miles down the river they met Mr. John Bascom and two other
men traveling in a two-horse wagon. They killed these three men,
and shot the team while still hitched to the wagon. From there
they went on down the Snake River across to Bruneau. A few
days later, Mr. Ellis and several other men went out to Glenns
Ferry to look after the teams, wagons and freight. Mr. Ellis
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR SSI
found all of his mules, but two of his wagons were burned and
most of the freight had been destroyed. Some of the other team-
sters' mules and horses were gone. Mr. Ellis and others went
down the river to where Mr. Bascom and the other men had been
killed, found and buried them. One was in the wagon, one, near
the wagon, and the third, several yards from the wagon. At the
time these Indians went on to the Bruneau, there were a few set-
tlers living there, but most of them succeeded in getting away,
excepting a Mr. Sweeney, whom they killed; and, further up, they
killed a Mr. Hays.
We must now go back and mention some other matters which
deserve attention here. On the day of the outbreak, W. C. Tatro,
of whom we have spoken as being the proprietor and driver of
the stage to Rocky Bar, drove into Rocky Bar that evening and
gave the news of the Indian outbreak. Hon. George M. Parsons
immediately raised a company of volunteers and started out the
next day for Camas Prairie. They went to the Silvey camp,
where Nesbet and Kensler were shot, from there to Glenns Ferry
and searched the country well but could find no hostile Indians, so
they turned back making a thorough search over the country on
their return. As soon as Col. Bernard received the news, he
got his troops ready and was ready to start for Camas Prairie
the next day. He took with him Col. Rube Robbins who had been
chief of scouts under General Howard, in 1877, in his long march
after Joseph's band of Nez Perces. Mr. Robbins has the reputa-
tion of being one of the very best Indian scouts and fighters on
this coast. He is cool, brave, untiring and possesses most excel-
lent judgment in that line of business. Col. Bernard marched his
men to Camas Prairie to the scene of the outbreak. He found no
Indians, so he took their trail and followed it to Glenns Ferry on
Snake River. The ferry boat was gone and there was no means
of crossing the Snake River. He there learned that the Indians
had gone down the river on the opposite side, so he marched down
to what is called the Big Bend, near where the Bruneau empties
into the Snake. Here they swam their horses and crossed the
river with their supplies in a skiff. They went up the Brnneau
Valley, and found and buried the body of Jack Sweeney, who had
been killed by the Indians. The Indians had left this locality so
the soldiers continued on up the valley to where there is a settle-
ment of white people. Here they built a picket fort for protec-
tion.
During this time the people of Silver City, in Owyhee County,
had heard there were hostile Indians in the mountainous country
south of Silver. A small company of volunteers, armed and
232 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
mounted, was soon raised. This company was commanded by the
late Captain Harper. They started for the scene of the hostile
camp, which was only a few miles south from a small mining
camp, called South Mountain or Battle Creek. On this creek, they
found the Indians ready and apparently anxious to fight. In-
dians usually select a position for fighting where they have the
advantage of the ground. In this case, the Indians not only had
the advantage of the fighting ground, but they had three or four
times as many men as the volunteers. It was bad policy to engage
in a fight against such odds, but the Indians urged them to fight
and it was fight or run. All this little company of twenty-six were
brave men, and preferred to try a battle with the Indians rather than
turn back and take the chance of being followed by them. The bat-
tle was fierce for awhile. Most of the horses the volunteers were
riding were unaccustomed to the sound of fire arms. This, com-
bined with the hideous yells of the Indians, frightened them so
many of them threw their riders, and others were so hard to man-
age that their riders had a poor show to do much fighting. Sev-
eral of the volunteers dismounted and sent many well directed
shots at the Indians. This seemed to surprise them. The bullets
went so fast that the Indians did not dare attempt a charge on the
brave little company. Captain Harper lost two of his good,
brave men — Mr. O. H. Purdy, a man who was loved by all who
knew him, and Chris Studer, another brave man. Two or three
were slightly wounded. The Indians seemed to recognize Mr.
Purdy's bravery, for instead of scalping him, as usual, he was
left unharmed; and, as a further token of their respect, his spurs
were taken off and fastened to the limb of a tree. This seemed
to be what might be called a "draw battle/' It was never known
how many the Indians lost. They seemed willing for the volun-
teers to draw off and did not follow them. The next day, they
broke camp and moved on west.
Word reached Col. Bernard on the Qth of June, while he was
near the head of the Bruneau Valley, of the volunteers having a
fight with the Indians. He started for Silver City at once with
his troops, a distance of about seventy miles. They traveled all
night and arrived in Silver City on the 10th at 6:30 a. m. Word
had been brought in that the Indians had gone and were supposed
to have moved toward Jordan Valley. Col. Bernard allowed his
horses and men to rest only a few minutes, then started for Sheep
Ranch in Jordan Valley about fifty miles from Silver City. Arriv-
ing at Sheep Ranch, he learned that the mail stage, which was
due there the day before, had not yet arrived. Col. Rube Rob-
bins, chief of scouts, with a few men was sent out on the road
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 233
to learn the reason for the delay of the stage and locate the hos-
tile Indians. He started out on the Winnemucca stage road from
Sheep Ranch to the crossing of the Owyhee River, a distance of
six miles. They crossed this river and travelled about two miles
further. They found what was left of the stage wagon. It had
been burned. A short distance away they discovered the dead
body of the stage driver in the sagebrush. They learned after-
wards that the day before, while driving along this road, the
driver, Mr. McCutcheon, and one passenger saw a band of Indians
approaching them. The driver stopped the team, and he and the
passenger each took one of the lead horses and, mounting as
quickly as they could, they started back on the road. For some
cause it seems that, after going a short distance, the horse that
Mr. McCutcheon was riding fell (presumably stepped on< one of
the lines that was dragging). The Indians soon came up and mur-
dered him. They chased the passenger and shot at him a number
of times but his horse proved faster than the Indian ponies, so
after a few miles they gave it up and returned to plunder the
stage coach. Nothing was left of the stage only the iron. They
took the three stage horses and moved west in the direction of
Stein's Mountain. Col. Robbins had Mr. McCutcheon's body
packed on horseback to Sheep Ranch station, where it was buried.
The next day Col. Bernard, with his command, started in the
direction of Stein's Mountain. Col. Robbins and scouts went on
ahead in search of the Indians. They arrived at Camp Harney
the next day about noon, June 21st. Major Downey was stationed
here with a few soldiers. Mr. A. H. Robie, French and several
other settlers were at Camp Harney, having been driven away
from their ranches by the Indians, leaving their stock and every-
thing they had. In their flight one Chinaman, a cook, was killed,
and one white man wounded. Mr. Robie and the other settlers
had just rounded up and driven several hundred head of fine
horses and mules into a large lot or corral and were preparing
to start to drive them out to some more secure place, when they
saw a large number of Indian warriors coming on horseback at
a furious rate and sounding the Indian war-whoop. They mount-
ed their saddle horses and ran for their lives, the Indians close
after them shooting every moment. They were chased by these
hostiles for about fifteen miles, when the Indian horses began to
fail and they turned and went to the corrals where the
horses and mules were. The Indians took most of these
horses and mules, and killed or crippled the others. There were
a number of large herds of fat cattle ranging over the country
through which the Indians passed. Col. Robbins says that when
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
he came along with his scouts there were many dead cattle on
both sides of the Indian trail. They seemed to delight in shoot-
ing down the largest fat steers. Sometimes the tongue was cut
out and a piece taken from the loin, but many of them had not
been touched after the shooting.
A Mr. Smith and his son, John, who resided in Happy Valley,
had taken his family to Harney and then returned to his ranch
to look after his stock. He and his son were both killed by the
Indians, his stock taken and the house plundered. In the mean-
time General O. O. Howard with several companies had passed
through Silver City, from there to Fort Lyon and across the coun-
try west to Malheur Indian reservation.
By June 20th these hostile Bannock Indians had induced In-
dians from other tribes to join them so they had in all about two
thousand. Of these, about one thousand were male warriors and
the remainder consisted of young Indian women and boys, who
were very useful in moving camp, driving stock, cooking, etc.
These recruits came from the Duck Valley Indians, Lemhis, Win-
nemuccas, Malheurs, Snakes and others. In travelling they would
send out scouting parties on either side of the road to kill, rob and
destroy. One friendly Indian stated that, in talking with one of
the hostiles, they had killed up to June 20th thirteen white men,
and had lost only three Indians. They had destroyed a large
amount of property belonging to the whites, had all the good
horses and beef they wanted, and had lost nothing in the way of
property.
A day or two after Col. Bobbins brought the body of George
McCutcheon to Sheep Ranch for burial, Andy Baker, then Divi-
sion Agent on the stage road, undertook to put the stages to
running on the road again. Johnny Biggs, driver, E. B. Tage
and William Moody, express messengers, left Sheep Ranch with
Mr. Baker to drive to Camp McDermott. They had to drive sev-
enty-five miles with one pair of horses, the stage stock having
been turned out when the stock tenders left. They succeeded in
getting most of the stock back, and in a few days, had the stages
running on time. Several freighters loaded with merchandise for
Silver City had to stop at McDermott some weeks before they
would venture to go over the road.
Col. Robbins only stopped at Camp Harney long enough for his
men to get some lunch and a few fresh horses which Major Dow-
ney let him have. Several of the settlers, who had been run into
this place, joined Col. Robbins' company of scouts, and they
scoured the country that afternoon and found the direction the
Indians were travelling. Feeling satisfied that the Indians were
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR %S5
not far away, it was necessary for Robbins to report to Col. Ber-
nard. He did not have much trouble in finding the Colonel, for
he had been marching at the rate of fifty miles a day on the
Indian trail. They camped for the night as men and horses were
worn out. Col. Robbins was off with his scouts before daylight
the next morning, June 22d, on the Indian trail, and soon after
Col. Bernard and his command moving in the same direction. Af-
ter following the Indian trail for about thirty-five miles, Robbins
found it to be quite fresh, so he left his men and went on alone
to a high mountainside where he could have a view of the country
for several miles. He succeeded in locating the Indian camp a
few miles distant in a canyon on Silver Creek. He returned to his
scouts, and going back a short distance, met Col. Bernard with
his command of four companies. It was too late to attempt an
attack that day, so they camped for the night. Col. Robbins with
a few of his scouts started about one o'clock a. m. to try and get
the exact location of the Indian camp and the surrounding coun-
try before they made an attack. He did this by going on their
trail as far as it was safe, then, leaving his men, he climbed up
a steep hillside onto a level plain. He traveled quietly over this
until opposite the Indian camp. From this point he could see all
the Indian camps and the surrounding country by the clear star-
light. It looked like a hard proposition. There were at least two
thousand Indians and about one thousand of them able bodied war-
riors, and less than three hundred soldiers to fight them.
The sight of that big camp of hostiles would have made almost
any man, excepting Robbins, feel it was right for him to go back
and report to Col. Bernard that the Indians had such a strong
force it would not do to attack them without re-inforcements. But
not so with Robbins — he went back to his scouts and they soon
met Col. Bernard with his command. Bernard asked if he had
located the Indian camp and how many there were. Col. Robbln*
told him of the location and that there were about two thousand
Indians. Col. Bernard and his officers did not seem to think this
possible, but wanted to know what Col. Robbins thought of mak-
ing an attack. Robbins said to him, "Why, certainly, Colonel, I
am here to find the Indians, and you and your men are here to
whip them," adding, "but as this is likely to be quite a job, I
will take my thirty-five scouts and climb the hill and go up and
charge the Indian camp. I will expect you to come up the canyon
promptly with your men to meet me soon after you hear us shoot-
ing, for there will be plenty of work for all of us and it is liable
to last all day." Here were two as brave men as ever shouldered
guns talking very coolly, but every word in earnest. Robbins, a
236 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
citizen of Boise, held a commission from the Governor as Colonel
of the Militia; and Bernard, a Colonel of the United States Army.
The plan of attack was agreed upon. Col. Bernard had some
troops with him who it was said at one time did not stand their
ground in a fight. He addressed them in substance as follows:
"Men, we are about to engage the enemy in battle; I expect every
man to stand his ground and fight. We must and can win the
fight, if you all do your duty. I hope no one will fail to do his
whole duty, but if there is a man that runs from the battle field, if
I live through it, I will have him shot. 'Tis better for you to face
the enemy and fight even if you should be shot by them in the
line of duty than to be shot for cowardice." This short speech
seemed to have the desired effect. A little after daylight Col. Rob-
bins made the attack with a charge through the Indian camp. He
took them by surprise. They evidently thought they were far
ahead of the troops and in a safe place. Very few of them were
up; they rallied quickly, however, and seized their arms. They
were so surprised and confused that the most of them fired straight
up in the air. Colonel Bernard was on hand with his men at the
time and place agreed upon, and his men fought well. The In-
dians soon recovered from their surprise and concealed themselves
behind rocks and kept up a firing all day.
During the charge some very interesting combats took place in
very close quarters. Chief Egan was an Indian of large stature
and noted for his bravery and expert horsemanship. He had se-
cured his favorite horse, and knowing Col. Bobbins, made a dash
for him. He had a repeating rifle, and when within a few steps
of Col. Robbins, would fire at him, then throw himself on the op-
posite side of his horse and rise quickly and fire again. He shot
through the Colonel's clothes a few times, and one of his bul-
lets grazed Robbins' finger, but the Colonel was not idle — he was
trying to get at Chief Egan and finally sent a bullet through one
of Egan's wrists, which broke it. This brought Egan to the
ground. The Colonel then gave him another shot through the
right side of the breast, and another scout shot him near the groin.
Two Indians then came up and carried Egan away, but he did
not die at that time. Another hand-to-hand fight took place be-
tween Sergeant Richmond of Captain McGregory's company and
an Indian chief called Bear Skin. This was an interesting tussle
for a short time, but the Sergeant finally killed his Indian and
was not hurt.
The Indians had fixed up some fortifications among the rocks,
and got to them as fast as they could. The soldiers took posi-
tions where they were not so much exposed to the fire of the In-
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 237
dians, and shots were frequently exchanged all that day. After
the heat of the battle was over, Col. Robbins met Col. Bernard
and some of his officers and very quietly inquired if they had
counted the Indians to ascertain whether there were two thousand
as he had reported that morning. They all stated that they had
been kept too busy to even try to count them, but thought Rob-
dians had underestimated the number as there were more In-
dians than any of them had ever seen together at one time. One
of the officers remarked that there were more Indians than he
had ever seen white people at a race track in the Eastern States.
The troops and scouts camped that night on the fighting ground.
They were tired out and so were their horses, as they had been on
forced marches for several days. They did not attempt to guard
the Indians that night, only put out soldiers to protect their camp
and horses. They were not molested during the night, and the In-
dians concluded that place was not good enough for them so qui-
etly packed up and left. As near as could be ascertained, the In-
dians lost about one hundred, nearly all warriors, and a number
wounded. The loss to the troops was one scout, Mr. Myers, and
four soldiers killed and a few slightly wounded.
Mr. Robie and a few settlers who had gone to Camp Harney
for protection were with the troops during this battle. It was at
this place Mr. Robie, who was completely exhausted, was taken
sick and he with some of his employes came back to his ranch
near Boise. He received the best of medical care and attention,
but the fearful shock and hard ride had done their work, and he
lingered a few days and died. In the death of Mr. Robie, Idaho
lost a most enterprising citizen and a noble, good man.
On the morning of the 28rd of June, before the fight began,
Colonel Bernard had started a messenger with a dispatch to Gen-
eral Howard who was at Malheur notifying him that they had
found the Indians, and also stating that he might need help. Gen-
eral Howard started for the battle ground immediately upon re-
ceipt of this dispatch. He arrived at the Colonel's camp early in
the morning on June 24th. Being the ranking officer, General
Howard took command.
Colonel Robbins and his scouts were out early on the morning
of the 24th looking for the Indians. They soon found the Indian
trail, heading in a northwesterly direction through a country set-
tled by a few stock raisers and miners. These people had all left
their homes and gone to Canyon City for protection. Robbins im-
mediately sent a messenger to notify the officers of the direction
the Indians had taken. The troops immediately broke camp and
started to follow the Indian trail. Their march was necessarily
838 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
slow on account of the rough roads and their heavy loads of sup-
plies. General Howard was never accused of moving troops fast
at any time, when in pursuit of Indians, and this was no excep-
tion.
Colonel Bobbins and his men were out early and late scouring
the country for the Indians. They found several men who had
been killed by the Indians and their bodies usually mutilated.
The Indians seemed to be scattered over a wide area of coun-
try; they were plundering houses, sometimes burning them, shoot-
ing down large numbers of cattle, stealing all the horses and kill-
ing every person they found. Their main trail headed in a
northwesterly direction toward the John Day River in Grant
County, Oregon. They crossed this stream several miles west of
Canyon City, and then changed their course to a northeasterly
direction toward the Umatilla Indian reservation.
Colonel Robbins and his men crossed the John Day River fol-
lowing the Indian trail. Within a few miles they came to a sheep
corral into which a number of sheep had been driven, a large fire
built and many of the lambs' hind feet had been tied together and
the poor animals thrown in the fire to burn to death, and most
of the old sheep had been killed and left to rot. A few miles
further on, they came to a herd of Merino bucks that the Indians
had caught and cut their fore legs off at the knee and then left
the poor things to suffer.
Going on a short distance, they saw what they thought must be
a man on foot running and several Indians in close pursuit. They
started immediately, but before they were near enough to tell
whether it was a white man or an Indian, the person fell, the
Indians halted, but, seeing the scouts, mounted their horses and
hurried off to the timber. The scouts hurried up as quickly as
possible, and found the Indians had scalped and mutilated the
body of a white man. He was not quite dead, but was unable to
speak and expired in a few moments. They buried him and con-
tiued in their pursuit of the Indians. This was not the only poor
unfortunate Colonel Robbins and his men buried. Whenever they
found a man killed by the Indians, they gave the body temporary
burial and marked the grave so it could be found and cared for
by friends after the Indian trouble was over.
A few miles further on they came to Camas Prairie in Oregon.
Here they found a fine, well-improved milk and cheese ranch, but
everything ruined about the place. The buildings were left stand-
ing, but several thousand pounds of cheese had been taken out
and rolled in the dirt. More than a hundred head of hogs had
been killed and left on the ground.
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 289
Bobbins at last located the Indians up a rocky canyon leading
np to the Blue Mountains. He then returned and notified General
Howard who was several miles west of Pilot Rock. Colonel Rob-
bins succeeded in getting General Howard's consent to attack the
Indians the next morning. The plan was for the scouts, who then
numbered about forty, to make the attack and for Colonel Ber-
nard with his four companies of cavalry to follow up closely on
one side of the canyon, while General Howard was to come up
later with General Wheaton's several companies of infantry.
On the morning of July 8th, Colonel Robbins surprised the In-
dians by charging into their camp. The Indians ran in every
direction, but soon concealed themselves in the rocks and clefts
that were near. A few were killed before they succeeded in find-
ing shelter. Colonel Bernard was promptly on the ground with
his troops and he, Colonel Robbins and their men kept pouring
shot into the Indians' place of concealment so rapidly that the
Indians were forced to make a slow retreat from one cleft of
rocks to another, firing back at the troops at every opportunity.
For some reason, their shots were not very effective. They suc-
ceeded, however, in dismounting quite a number of the scouts, and
a few of the soldiers by shooting their horses, but did not kill any
men at that time.
Later in the day, General Howard with the infantry came up
and congratulated Colonel Robbins on the successful attack he had
made. While General Howard and Colonel Robbins were stand-
ing talking only a few paces apart, one of the General's aides
came up and stood between them. Soon after he took this posi-
tion, several shots were fired by the Indians, one of which struck
the General's aide in the bowels inflicting such a severe wound
that he died that night. Colonel Robbins and scouts, and Colonel
Bernard with his cavalry again charged the Indians and drove
them to the timber in the Blue Mountains. They killed quite a
number of Indians and captured quite an amount of their supplies
and camp equipage, and about two hundred head of Indian ponies.
The loss to the troops was one man killed and four wounded, and
about twenty horses killed or disabled. This fight lasted for sev-
eral hours.
The day before a small company of volunteers had gone out
from Pendleton to Willow Crek, about thirty miles, and fought a
band of nearly two hundred Indians. Five of the men were killed
and several wounded.
It appears that these hostile Indians had expected the Umatilla
and Yakima Indians to join them when they reached the reserva-
tion in Oregon. In this they were disappointed, although persis-
240 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
tent efforts were made by the hostiles to persuade them to join
them. They not only refused to join the hostiles but rendered
efficient aid to the Government by helping General Howard fight
the hostiles.
By July 10th, the Indians seemed to be scattering; some of
them were down on the Columbia River; a few had crossed over
to the west side; most of them, however, were in the Blue Moun-
tains but very much scattered. Reports were to the effect that the
Indians would try to make their way up north by following down
the Grande Ronde River to where it empties into the Snake River
and take up the same route that Chief Joseph had taken the year
before. General Howard accordingly distributed his troops at
different points where they would be able to strike the hostiles
and, at the same time give protection to the small towns and also
the stages that carried the U. S. mail. The troops seem to have
been located about as follows: Captains Miles, Bendire and
Throckmorton on or near the Umatilla reservation; General Whea-
ton, Colonel Bernard, and Colonel Forsythe with troops and the
scouts on the Blue Mountains after the Indians; Captain Egbert
at or near Grande Ronde Valley; Colonel Sanford and his com-
mand on Wolf Creek, Powder River Valley.
General Howard with a few troops went to Lewiston by steam-
er. After increasing his company there, he went up the Snake
to the junction of the Grande Ronde with the Snake River. At
this point he landed his troops and went through the country up
the Grande Ronde River through the land that had been occupied
and claimed by Chief Joseph and his band. This route brought
them back into Grande Ronde Valley. They did not find any
Indians, but, if the Indians had taken this route, as many sup-
posed they would, General Howard would doubtless have stopped
them and have given them an interesting engagement.
On July 12th, a roving band of Indians came down to the Cay-
use stage station, situated at the foot of the Blue Mountains on
the west side, and took all the stage stock, consisting of fourteen
good horses; burned the stage barn with hay and grain, also the
blacksmith shop, one stage wagon and one dead-ax wagon, all be-
longing to the stage company. Fortunately for the stock-tender,
he saw the Indians coming while they were still some distance
away, and he ran down a gulch to the Umatilla River, hiding from
them as well as possible, and then followed down the river through
the brush and timber to Pendleton, reaching that place in safety.
There was a dwelling house, store, stable and other outbuildings at
this station belonging to a man who lived there with his family.
These people were all away at the time the Indians made their
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 241
raid, but had left some of their household effects. Everything
was burned. Some of the U. S. troops had been camped at this
station until the day before this Indian surprise.
On this same day, July 12th, in the afternoon, George Coggan,
a prominent business man of Portland and La Grande, and Ed
Bunker and Mr. Foster started to go from Meacham station on
the Blue Mountains down to Pendleton on horseback. They had
gone about eight miles when the Indians fired at them and Mr.
Coggan was killed. Mr. Bunker received two severe wounds
which I have understood proved fatal. Mr. Foster escaped and
rode safely through to Pendleton. The next morning, July 13th,
Major Conoyer with thirteen men started up the road to try and
find Mr. Bunker, who was so badly wounded that he had been
compelled to stop on the road and hide in the brush. Major
Conoyer and his men had only gone a short distance when the
Indians fired on them, and they had to fall back. Captain Miles
soon came up with about one hundred and twenty-five soldiers. He
at once engaged the Indians in battle at rather long range. Soon
after the battle commenced, more Indians came in at a rapid gait
from the mountains to join in the fight. The hostile force kept
increasing until they had between three and four hundred war-
riors. Captain Miles sent for Captain Throckmorton who came
up quickly with some artillery, and as soon as that was put in
actions, the Indians began retreating and scattering. This fight
lasted from early morning until 6 p. m. About twenty Indians
were killed, and the others fled to the mountains.
A few days before this, several of the citizens of Umatilla Coun-
ty were murdered at their ranches, their houses plundered and
their stock killed or driven off. Among those killed was Mr.
Charles Jewell, one of the old and much respected settlers. Mr.
Jewell had sheep out about thirty-five miles from Pendleton. Hear-
ing of the Indian trouble, he procured five or six guns and started
to take them to his herders. Arriving at the house of a man near
where his sheep were kept, and seeing the man of the house near
by, he alighted from his horse to see and talk with this man. No
sooner had he gotten down and started for the house than a vol-
ley of shots was fired by Indians from the brush close by. The
shots hit Mr. Jewell and he was left for dead. The other white
man was killed. The Indians took Mr. Jewell's horse and all of
his guns, and left, doubtless fearing other white men were near
by. After the Indians were gone, Mr. Jewell crawled to the
house, went in and got a pair of blankets and a shingle, or piece
of board. On this board he wrote: "Charles Jewell — shot by
Indians — is in the brush near by — call me if you see this." He
His-16
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
crawled to the road, left the board there, and crawled to the brush
dragging the blankets with him, and there this poor man lay
without water, food, or any assistance, for three days and nights
before some parties came along and discovered the board with
the writing, when a call was made for him and his feeble answer
was heard from the brush. He was taken to Pendleton, where he
was properly cared for, but it was too late; he died in a few
days.
July 15th, Chief Homily of the Umatillas went up the moun-
tains from the reservation, with about ninety of his Indians, to
recover some horses that the hostiles had stolen from them. They
went to Chief Egan's camp, and got him and about thirty of his
warriors out for a conference. After they were quietly seated,
Chief Homily and his men, at a given signal, jumped onto Chief
Egan and his blood thirsty warriors and killed them all. They
took Chief Egan's scalp and returned to the reservation, where
General Wheaton, with several of his companies, was camped,
bearing Egan's scalp on the end of a long pole with the long hair
from the scalp dangling in the air. General Howard and several
of his officers, up to this time, had entertained some doubts as to
whether the Umatilla Indians were going to remain true to the
whites and our Government, or whether they were going in with
the hostile Indians to help fight against us. Previous to this, the
actions of some of them looked so suspicious that General Howard
notified them that, if they made an attempt to join the hostiles,
he would not only turn his forces against them but would destroy
all the property they had on the reservation. Their action in
killing Chief Egan and his warriors seemed to be mainly to sat-
isfy the officers and the people that they intended to remain true
to them and to our Government. After General Wheaton had
listened to the report of the killing of Egan and his warriors by
these Umatilla Indians, he ordered Colonel Robbins to take his
scouts and a lieutenant and a few soldiers and go to the place
where the Indians claimed they had left the bodies of Egan and
others, dead. This was about two miles southwest of the Meacham
station on the Blue Mountains in a flat, open country with but
little timber. Colonel Bobbins soon had his men ready and
started. Doctor Fitzgerald of the United States Army went with
them. On arriving at the place, they had no difficulty in finding
the dead Indians just as the Umatilla Indians had reported, thirty
in number and Chief Egan among them. The balance of the hos-
tiles had apparently left hurriedly. Upon an examination of the
body of Chief Egan, it was found that he had been shot just where
Colonel Robbins stated that he had shot him when in close quar-
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 243
ters at the battle at Silver Creek, some three weeks before. Colo-
nel Bobbins had shot him through the wrist, breaking the bones,
and also through the right breast, and one of Robbins' scouts had
shot him through the right groin. He was taken from the battle
ground by some of his young warriors, his wrist was bound up
with willow splints, a pillow laid over the wound in the breast,
and the arm was laid on the pillow. The arm and pillow were
strapped around his body. In this way he had ridden or been
carried for about two hundred miles, over a rough country. But
from his looks and the condition of his wounds, Dr. Fitzgerald
said that he could not possibly have lived but a few days longer,
if the Umatilla Indians had not molested him. He lay dead with
his arm bound up, as stated above. Colonel Robbins and Dr.
Fitzgerald took Chief Egan's head and wounded arm from his
body, put them in a sack and took them back to General Wheaton's
camp. This satisfied the army officers and others that the Uma-
tilla Indians intended to remain true. It also satisfied all con-
cerned that Colonel Robbins was entitled to the credit of killing
the noted War Chief Egan, or at least of having given him fatal
wounds. General Wheaton moved his men and camp up on the
mountain near the Meacham station, while Colonel Robbins went
to look after Chief Egan and the other dead Indians. Col. For-
sythe came to General Wheaton's camp near Meacham and re-
ported that the Indians were badly demoralized and scattering in
small bands, and leaving much of their supplies and their poorer
horses in the mountains. The death of Chief Egan seemed to
have flustrated them. Their three main fighting chiefs, Buffalo
Horn, Bear Skin and Egan, had been killed.
July 17th, Colonel Sanford struck an Indian camp on Wolf
Creek near Powder River Valley, killed seventeen warriors, cap-
tured twenty-five squaws and children, and sixty horses. The In-
dians scattered in small bands and headed toward the reservations.
July 18th, General Wheaton stationed a few soldiers at Cayuse,
Meacham and Pelican stage stations on the stage road over the
Blue Mountains. He also furnished an escort of soldiers to go
with the United States mail stages from La Grande, over the
mountain, to the Indian Agency, both ways.
A company of volunteers was organized at Walla Walla, com-
manded by Captain Charles Painter, who took the field at an
early date in the war, and performed good service in protecting
life and property. There was also a company organized at Lew-
iston, Idaho, commanded by the late Captain Ed McConville,
which rendered good service in keeping the hostile Indians out of
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
that section of the country, keeping the Indians quiet on the Nez
Perce Reservation, and allaying the fears of the settlers.
The O. R. & N. Company furnished a steamboat, the Spartan,
to carry troops up and down the Columbia River between Umatilla
and the John Day River. This steamer and the troops on it per-
formed good service in locating the movements of the Indians on
either side of the Columbia, and also in capturing and bringing
in a few Indians and some horses.
There was also a company of volunteers from Nevada, com;
manded by Captain , which was organized early in
the war, that rendered very valuable services in protecting life
and property, covering a large territory from Paradise Valley in
Nevada to South Mountain in Idaho, including the stage route
from Silver City to Winnemucca. This company is said to have
killed several of the hostiles.
Early in July, a band of Indians passed through Bitter Root
Valley in Montana, killing a few settlers and stealing stock.
Lieutenant Wallace, with thirteen soldiers and two citizens, fol-
lowed these Indians on to the headwaters of the Clearwater River,
overtook them and gave battle for two hours, killing six and
wounding two, capturing seventeen bucks and two squaws, and
twenty-three head of stock. These Indians were supposed to be a
part of Chief White Bird's band of hostile Nez Perces, who es-
caped from Chief Joseph's hostiles at the time that Chief Joseph's
band was captured at Bear Paw Mountain in Montana by General
Miles, in 1877.
After the killing of Chief Egan, the Indians seemed to be
greatly demoralized, and seemed to divide up in smaller bands and
move towards their respective reservations. Col. Sanford's suc-
cessful attack on one party of them on Wolf Creek, near Powder
River Valley, on July 17th, seemed to give them a further scare.
This, coupled with the fact that they had not only failed to get
the Indians on the Umatilla reservation to join them in their war
against the whites, but that these Umatilla Indians had turned
against them and were assisting the U. S. troops in fighting them,
seemed to have a demoralizing effect on the hostile Indians.
The Indians seemed to think that they could go on the war-
path, murder and destroy the property of white settlers at their
pleasure. So long as they were successful, they continued their
depredations ; but as soon as they began to lose or were getting the
worst of the war they divided up and started for their respective
reservations, killing and laying waste to all along their path, and
as soon as they reached their reservation, they would be protect-
ed by the Government Agents as good Indians, it making no dif-
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR
ference how many white people they had killed or how much
property they had destroyed in their war raids. That had been
the usual custom. This was the case with these hostile bands of
Indians. About the 18th day of July they concluded that they
had been getting the worst of the war so they split up and each
tribe engaged in the war pulled out for their respective Indian res-
ervations, doing all the damage they could to any small unpro-
tected parties or property on their route.
At this time, most of the U. S. troops were scattered in different
localities in the Blue Mountains, Grande Ronde and Powder River
Valleys protecting the settlements, mail stages, travel, etc., and
trying to locate the hostile Indians. But in this mountainous
country, by dividing up and taking different routes at night, they
managed to make their escape from the troops and travelled on
circuitous routes for their reservation homes. The troops soon
discovered that the Indians had left that part of the country and
they followed in pursuit, but the Indians were too far ahead and
the troops never overtook them again.
The Renegade Sheep Eater Indians made their way back to
their old haunts by going through the unsettled high lands east
of Powder River Valley, and crossed Snake River in the moun-
tains below the settlements and passed on through the mountains
safe to their old home near the Lemhi. The Malheurs had but
little trouble to reach their reservation on the Malheur in East-
ern Oregon. The Duck Valley Indians had an unsettled moun-
tainous country to travel through to reach their happy reserva-
tion home.
But it was different with the Bannock Indians whose home was
at the Rossfork Indian Agency near Pocatello in the eastern part
of Idaho. These Bannock Indians were the ones who commenced
the war, and there were more of them engaged in the war than
there were of any other tribe of Indians. As soon as they got far
enough away from the troops to be out of danger, they left the
mountainous country and came down onto the Snake River valley
a few miles below what is known as the Owyhee ferry on Snake
River. Here they travelled openly and boldly up the valley, cap-
turing all the loose range horses on their route. When they were
travelling in this way on the south side of the river with a few
of their braves ahead as a front guard, on July 31st, when oppo-
site the Owyhee ferry about two miles south of the ferry on the
main road leading to Silver City, they saw the stage coming and
they concealed themselves among the sagebrush and waited for
the stage to come. The driver, Mr. Hemmingway, was alone. He
246 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
saw some of these Indians and their horses, some two hundred
yards from the place where they were lying in wait for him. As
soon as he discovered them, he checked his team and turned them
around, and drove back to the ferry as fast as possible. But the
moment he started to turn his team, the Indians commenced to
fire at him. They mounted their horses and chased him to within
a few hundred yards of the ferry. The keeper of the ferry and
a few others living on the north side of the river heard the shoot-
ing, and seeing the stage coming back and the Indians after it, they
gathered their arms and crossed over with the ferry boat, reaching
the south bank landing just as the stage got there. The men went
up the bank and fired a few shots at the Indians and they galloped
away. The driver drove the stage on to the boat, but the poor
fellow had received a mortal wound through his breast. He was
lifted from the stage and taken across the river to the house and
given the best care possible. A messenger was sent post haste to
Boise for a doctor, who was sent out at once, but it was of no
avail, the wound proved fatal and Mr. Hemmingway passed away
that evening.
The post carrier brought word that a large body of these In-
dians was seen traveling up Snake River on the south side about
the time he left the ferry. The first thing the writer of this did,
after starting Dr. McKay and another man out with a good team
and buggy, was to give orders for a small company of minute vol-
unteers to get ready to march as soon as possible. I then went
to Fort Boise and got Major Collins, who was in command there,
to send all the troops he could possibly spare to the Owyhee ferry
on Snake River. He only had about thirteen men, and he sent
eight of them. I returned at once to Boise where my volunteers,
thirty in number, were almost ready to march. We left in a few
minutes, traveling east on the Overland stage and freight road, for
the Cold Spring country sixty-five miles from Boise where there
were several settlers with their families besides the stage employes,
stage stock and other property. I felt sure that from the course
the Indians were traveling that they would cross Snake River at
what is called Big Bend, thirty miles south of the Cold Springs
settlement, and raid that settlement if we did not get there ahead
of them, because this was one of their old traveled routes.
Our outfit was not very elaborate. We were all mounted on
good horses with good guns and pistols. Each man had one pair
of blankets tied on behind his saddle, one tin cup, a small amount
of thin side bacon, forty pounds of crackers, a small amount of
coffee, tea and sugar all put into a pair of alforjas and well
lashed on one good stout mule. The sun was just setting as we
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 247
left Boise. We reached Cold Spring the next day at ten o'clock a.
m. After traveling all night, very tired and hungry, raw bacon,
crackers, and tea made in tin cups, tasted about as good as a
breakfast at a Delmonico restaurant. We got there before the
Indians did. After getting our lunch, we went to gather in the
few families who resided in that locality. Having gotten them
all in at the Cold Spring station that afternoon, we sent them that
night to Mountain Home station, with a strong guard mounted on
horseback, where they arrived safely about daylight the next morn-
ing. From Mountain Home, our men returned to Cold Springs,
and the families were escorted by some of the settlers on to Boise.
That day, August 2nd, we scoured the country for several miles
around ; sent six men down in the vicinity of the Big Bend of
Snake River where we expected these Indians would cross from
south to the north side and come up through the Cold Springs
country. Our scouting party did not get back to camp until after
dark. They reported that they saw quite a large party of Indians,
about twenty miles distant, moving slowly in the direction of our
camp. They seemed to have a front guard of about a dozen men.
Our scouts exchanged a few shots at long distance with this front
guard without any apparent damage to either side. One bullet
from the Indians cut through the brim of Jesse Hailey's hat, but
did no other damage. They saw the large body of Indians close
behind the front guard. Our scouts then returned to camp.
We prepared ourselves for an attack that night and kept out a
strong guard. Early the next morning twenty-six of our thirty
men were in the saddle scouring the country in the direction we
expected the Indians to come. We left four men at the station
with the stage stock tender and a few other men who resided in
that locality. After scouring the country in small parties east,
south and west for several miles over the rough sagebrush plain,
we all met at a creek about five miles west of Cold Springs station —
no sign of Indians reported by anyone. Men and horses were
very tired. I directed First Lieutenant John S. Gray to stop on
this creek, water the horses and let them graze and the men rest,
while I went west about two miles to a gulch that led from the moun-
tain down on the sagebrush plains, as possibly the Indians might
have passed up this gulch in the night to get to the mountains.
Lieutenant Gray ordered the men to dismount. I struck out on a
gallop. I had not gone far until I heard horses' feet clattering
behind me. I looked back and saw James N. Lawrence, one of my
volunteers, crowding close on to me. I said: "Hello, Jim, what did
you come for? Why did you not stay with the other men and rest
until I got back?" He said, in that quiet but determined way he
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
had of speaking, "I did not like to see you go alone." These
words were few — simple and plain — but they made a lasting im-
pression on my mind. They meant: "We are in a country where
there are hostile Indians, and you are liable to run onto them and
have trouble. I am going to be and stay with you through what-
ever comes."
We soon reached the gulch, and there was the plain trail made
the night before by the Indians and the stock they had, fifty
yards wide — the grass all tramped down. Their course was toward
the mountains in an easterly direction. We went back to where
our men were, had them mount and we started in a northerly di-
rection up the creek and struck the Indian trail at the foot of the
mountain, where they had crossed the creek and had evidently
stopped the night before long enough to kill a cow and cook a part
of it, leaving a part of the carcass there. They left the trail and
went up the eastern slope of a high, steep mountain that was cov-
ered with a thick growth of brush, making it very slow and difficult
to ride over. It was late in the afternoon when we reached the
summit of this mountain. Here we soon found a good, plain trail
the Indians had taken, leading down the mountain in a northeast-
erly direction. This trail was very steep, but was only about
a mile and a half down through timber until we reached a nice
open small valley half to three-quarters of a mile wide. There the
trail and sign of fresh travel were plain. We strung out here in
single file and made good time, crossing this little valley to the foot
of a large, bold mountain. Here we found the Indians had left the
trail that led down the valley and had gone up this mountain. We
followed, about one mile to the summit. From there, looking down
east half a mile in a canyon where there was a good supply of tim-
ber, we could see large quantities of smoke. We were then satisfied
that the smoke came from Indian camps. We divided our men
quickly into three divisions, nine to go up on the north side of the
camp, nine on the south side, and the other seven and myself to
charge into the Indians' camp. We moved on as rapidly as the
rough country would admit of our crowding our tired horses over.
Every man was ready and performed his part well. But when we
charged the camp, all we found was eight big fires burning; bread,
meat, coffee and tea cooking, lots of Indian fixings, such as blankets,
old clothes, buffalo robes, etc., scattered around. They had seen
us before we got there, and had made a hasty retreat.
We only stopped in the camp a minute to find the course the
Indians had taken, which was down the rough canyon, no trail ex-
cept what they made as they went, the timber and small under-
growth being thick. We called to our men on the sides to fall in
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 249
behind on the Indian trail, and away we went down that rough
canyon. Every little ways we would pass over some of their camp
equipage that they had dropped, or that had been dragged from
their pack horses by the small crooked trees on the route. We
passed several horses in this canyon they had left in their haste to
get away from us. We followed their trail down this canyon about
six miles, until darkness came on so we could not see to follow it
further. Our men and horses were very tired and hungry. We
rested a few minutes, and concluded we would try and go back to
the camp from which we had routed these Indians, gather in the
horses they had left and destroy their camp supplies.
We started back on this rough trail in the dark, most of us
leading our saddle horses, for they were tired out. Soon the moon
began to give us a little light so we managed to make our way back
to the camp left by the Indians, reaching there about twelve o'clock
that night. On and near the trail we gathered in about twenty
horses, left by the Indians in their flight. We unsaddled and put
our horses out to graze near by with a guard. Each of us had a
few crackers and a small piece of raw bacon in our cantenas, which
we devoured with a relish. There was a spring of fine, cool water
there, and we all drank freely of it. There was an abundance of
the Indian grub there already cooked — beef, bread, coffee, tea, etc.,
but we were afraid to eat any of it. We rested here until daylight.
I then looked the camp over. There were several things in the line
of robes, buckskins, etc., that some of the men might need. I called
them up and told them to select what each one wanted, and w<;
would burn the balance. This was soon done, and we re-kindled
the eight fires the Indians had had the evening before, and we
piled on and burnt the balance of their camp outfit, wliich kept the
fires a-booming more than an hour.
We then saddled our horses and started down the canyon on the
same rough trail, hoping we might run onto some Indians coming
back to get their supplies and lost horses. We had the horses, which
we had captured, driven along in the rear. We followed their trail
a short distance further than the night before. We discovered that
the course they were traveling was a straight course toward the
Ross Fork Indian reservation. We were not in a condition to follow
them any further in the mountains — we, as well as our horses, were
pretty well tired out, and we did not have a single bit of anything
to eat — but we were all in good condition for an engagement with
the Indians if we could have gotten a chance at them.
After some little consultation, it was thought best for us to try
and get back on to the Overland stage road, where we could get
something to eat and see what had become of the few men we had
250 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
left at Cold Springs station. None of us ever having been in this
part of the country before, we did not know how far we were from
the road, nor could we tell just which way it was best to go to get
out of the rough mountains. None wanted to go back on the long,
circuitous route over which we had come, so we struck in a southerly
direction and we soon got on to the headwaters of Cold Spring
creek and followed it down, having a fairly good old Indian trail to
travel on. This was the trail the Indians intended to have traveled
had they not been flustrated by our scouts.
On our way down the creek we saw a few Indians a long way off
driving a few horses. We started for them. As soon as they saw
us they left their loose horses and ran to the rough mountains and
were soon lost from our sight. We got the loose horses they were
driving, which they had stolen from a rancher lower down the
valley. This was a small party of their best warriors, who had left
the main band a few days before for the purpose of murdering and
stealing.
We reached Cold Springs station, where we had left our four
men with others, about dark after a hard day's march, and were
informed by some men there that our four men had moved down
the creek about three miles, to Dan and William McGinniss' place,
and had left word for us to come down there ; that Dan and William
McGinniss had killed a nice, fat beef and we could get plenty to
eat and plenty of hay for our horses, all free of charge. Supplies
were short at Cold Springs station, so we struck out for the McGin-
nis' ranch and were not long getting there. We were not disap-
pointed when we got there. McGinnis had three or four men and
our four, who were left, all went to cooking. Mr. McGinnis
assigned two lots to us for our horses, with a good-sized haystack
near by, with hay forks for us to help ourselves, which we did. By
the time we got our horses fed and back to the house, the long table
was smoking with hot beefsteaks, hot bread, coffee, etc. I don't
remember that any of us washed our hands or faces. Every man
made for a beefsteak, a piece of bread and a tin cup of coffee.
There was not room at the table for more than half of us. But
there was plenty cooked for all, so the old adage, "fingers were
made before tables and dishes," was exemplified there, and all went
to eating at once and had plenty.
After supper I learned that Mr. McGinnis had lost the day be-
fore a nice little bunch of mares with a fine stallion. I was sitting
down outside of the house thinking over how good and kind the
McGinniss brothers had been to us and how sorry I was to hear of
his losing a nice bunch of thirteen fine horses, when it occurred to
me that the bunch of horses we had captured that day were all nice
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 251
looking and about that number, though I had not paid particular
attention to them. I had had them put in with the horses we had
captured from the Indians before, and they were driven behind the
command by two of our men. While I was thinking over this mat-
ter, Dan McGinnis came walking by. I called to him and made in-
quiry about his lost horses, and said, "Go with me to the corral and
see the horses we captured from the Indians. It may be we have
gotten yours." As soon as we got inside — the moon was shining
bright, — "Why," said McGinnis, "there are my lost bunch of horses
standing over there in that corner to themselves." He was greatly
pleased, and so was I, for I felt then that we had done something
for him in return for his generous treatment to all of us. All the
men were greatly pleased to find that we had been able to return
these horses to their owners, who had treated us so well. We rested
some that night, and had a good breakfast the next morning, Aug-
ust 5th.
The McGinnis brothers insisted on our making our headquarters
at their ranch, where they would furnish us with plenty to eat tor
ourselves and our horses. That day we divided up in four squads of
six and scoured the country thoroughly in every direction, but could
Jind no Indians nor any fresh signs. We rounded in at the McGinnis
ranch late that evening, where we found a good supper waiting for
us, and rested that night.
Being satisfied that there were no more Indians in that part of
the country and knowing that most of the men who went out with me
had business at their homes in Boise which required their atten-
tion, after breakfast on the morning of August 6th, and after
tendering them my sincere thanks for the noble and good work
they had done in preventing the Indians from murdering the un-
protected people and destroying their property, I made provision
for meals and horse feed for them on the road and directed them
to return to Boise to their respective homes.
It was necessary for me to stay a few days more to arrange
the running of the Overland stage line, which had been somewhat
disarranged during this trouble. Here I was again surprised by
two of my old friends, who have since passed away. All of my
men prepared to start except the late J. B. Oldham, who was then
sheriff, and the late Judge John S. Gray. I asked them why they
were not getting their horses ready to go with the other men. Each
one of them said to me "We intend to stay with you until you
are ready to go home. We will not go and leave you to ride
around from one stage station to another alone. We are going to
stay with you, and help you until you get this stage business fixed
up, if it takes all summer.*' Such noble, good and true men!
252 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Language fails me when I attempt to express my gratitude. They,
like Mr. Lawrence, feared there might be danger and they were
ready, willing and determined to share that danger with me.
Brave, noble, good men! I hope they are at rest in a happy land
where there are no Indian wars.
All left that morning, August 7th, for Boise excepting us three,
Gray, Oldham and myself. We put in three days riding back and
forth on the stage road, leading and placing some of the stock at
their proper stations, where they had been removed during the
trouble.
After getting everything in good running order and finding no
more signs of Indians, on the morning of August 9th we started
for Boise. About noon that day we met about two hundred of
Uncle Sam's troops, all well mounted, under command of Colonel
Bernard. They were moving along nicely in a brisk walk and
they did look fine, both officers and men, arms and horses. None
of them looked as if they had seen any hard service lately. We
had a pleasant chat with the Colonel. He made inquiries about
the Indians. We informed him that the Indians had passed through
that country one week before, presumably on their way to the
Indian reservation; that we had given them a scare, captured most
of their supplies and some of their horses, and that the last we
heard of them they were on a forced march toward the Indian
reservation, where they could get plenty of Uncle Sam's grub,
have a good rest and be good Indians for awhile, which place they
had doubtless reached before that time. The Colonel was acting
under orders from his superior officer, General Howard, who was
still further behind. Colonel Bernard put in a number of days
scouring the country with his troops, but did not find any Indians.
He was a good Indian fighter and quick mover of troops, when
allowed to have his own way; and had he not been hampered with
the slow and dilatory orders of his superior officer, we think this
Indian war would have been closed long before it was.
I must not fail to mention the fact that our old friend, the late
Captain H. J. G. Maxon, who resided several miles down the
valley west of Boise City, had organized a company of about sixty
men from among the settlers in the valley some time before, who
were to hold themselves in readiness to go at any time when called
on to protect life and property on the frontier. The Captain did
not hear of the anticipated trouble with the Indians in the Cold
Springs country until the next day after we had left Boise. But
as soon as he heard of the danger, he gathered his men, who were
on their farms, as quickly as possible and they started out late at
night, some thirty hours after we had. They made good time.
BANNOCK INDIAN WAR 263
They went into the mountainous country east of Mountain Home
stage station and scoured the country well and had a hard and
laborious trip. They did not find any Indians, but they did good
service. Captain Maxon was an old Indian fighter and had a lot
of good, brave men with him. If they had ever gotten into an
engagement with the Indians, there is no doubt but what they
would have acquitted themselves well.
Another we must not fail to speak of — the late Captain George
M. Parsons and his brave volunteers, from the Rocky Bar min-
ing district, which is situated nearly one hundred miles north of
the Cold Springs country. At the first outbreak of this Indian
War in May, Captain Parsons organized a company of some forty
volunteers at Rocky Bar from among the mining men. They went
to the scene of the first outbreak on Camas Prairie and scoured
the country thoroughly for many miles in all directions, but
found the Indians had crossed Snake River and gone west and the
U. S. troops were after them, so they went back to their homes.
But as soon as Captain Parsons heard of the Indians coming back
through the Cold Springs country, he got his men together quickly
and started and searched the country thoroughly in the moun-
tains north and east of Cold Springs, but found no Indians. It
was not their fault. They got through as quickly as it was possi-
ble for men to get there after they received the news, but we had
run the Indians off before they got there. Captain Parsons and
all his men, as well as Captain Maxon and all of his men, deserve
great credit for their quick and prompt action in this matter.
They showed their patriotism and, if they had only had an oppor-
tunity to have engaged the Indians in mortal combat, they would
no doubt have shown their bravery and good fighting qualities.
Well, Messrs. John S. Gray, J. B. Oldham and myself reached
Boise on the afternoon of August 10th, 1878, pretty tired but well.
Our men with the captured horses had reached Boise three days
before, all safe. Here we met General Howard for the first time.
He was in camp at the east end of town. He seemed very pleas-
ant. The first words he spoke to me, after our greeting, were,
"Hailey, I want you to tell me how you managed to move troops
as fast as you have been moving your men over the country/'
My answer was, "General, my men were all well mounted. We were
not encumbered with slow, heavy-loaded pack trains and wagons
to wait for. Besides we were not under pay; we went out ex-
pressly for the purpose of saving the lives and property of the
people from destruction by the Indians. We accomplished our
main object, and that without the shedding of blood on either
side. The Indians have gone to their reservation, and I think the
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
war is over/' The General seemed satisfied with my answer, — in
fact rather pleased with the last part of it. We had a pleasant
talk for half an hour. I must say that I believe that General
Howard was a good man and brave on a battle field, but he did
not seem to understand how to move his troops fast enough in
this mountainous country to catch the Indians.
This proved to be the end of the war. Just how many lives
were lost, and how much property was destroyed and taken by
the Indians, I have no means of knowing with any degree of ac-
curacy, but there were many good citizens killed, and many thou-
sands of dollars worth of property taken and destroyed. It has
been now nearly thirty years since this war closed, and we have
had no serious trouble with any of the tribes engaged in that war
since, and we hope that we never will again.
Before closing this, I desire to call attention to the valuable
service that was performed on many occasions by two of our old
settlers, James D. Dunn and John R. Carpenter, in the capacity
of express messengers for the United States officers. These two
brave pioneers carried messages from one command to another
many times during the war through the country where the hos-
tile Indians were. Alone, each would go with untiring energy,
bravery and good judgment. They always got through on good
time, and saved their hair. These good old boys are still living.
Mr. Dunn lives at Bellevue, Idaho, and Mr. Carpenter resides at
Eagle, nine miles west of Boise. Long may they live to enjoy the
peace that they helped to bring around in this war!
There are many of the good old pioneers who took part in this
war, some of them are still living, but most of them have passed
to their rest. We would like to mention them all, but we cannot
at this late date remember them all.
About the horses we captured, we put them in pasture and ad-
vertised them. The owners came and got all but a few Indian
ponies. These we had sold later on and divided the proceeds of
the sale among the men who went out with us. This was the
closing scene of our Bannock war expedition. The old boys had
a jolly blow-out with the money.
CHAPTER XLV.
FARMING, MINING, STOCK RAISING AND TRANSPORTATION IN 1877
AND 1878.
On account of the Indian wars during 1877 and 1878, but lit-
tle progress was made in the development of the country. Not-
withstanding this great disturbance, there were some improve-
ments made, especially in the farming districts which were not
raided by the Indians. Many farms were enlarged and an in-
creased amount of hay, grain and vegetables were raised.
Unfortunately the mining industry had quite a set-back. It
was not safe for small parties to prospect in the mountains dur-
ing the Indian trouble, nor to locate at any place remote from set-
tlements unless in large parties, and then with a guard constantly
on the lookout for Indians.
Stock raisers also suffered in both the northern and southern
parts of Idaho. Many animals were stolen by the Indians and the
stock raisers were prevented from herding their stock on the best
ranges, through fear of being raided by the Indians.
Transportation, both by means of stage and freight teams was
seriously inturrupted by the Indians. Quite a number of the
stage horses were stolen, two stage drivers killed and a few sta-
tions and stage wagons burned. This trouble with the Indians
necessitated having guards at many of the stage stations and es-
corts for the stages over some of the dangerous routes. Freighters
lost many of their animals and several wagons with their loads of
merchandise were burned. In order to protect themselves, the
freighters were compelled to travel in large trains together, well
armed.
It was, generally speaking, two hard years in Idaho in every
way, but the people were loyal and undaunted and determined to
succeed in spite of obstacles.
CHAPTER XLVI.
THE TENTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE CONVENED AT BOISE CITY
JANUARY 13, 1879; ADJOURNED FEBRUARY 21, 1879-
The names of the members were as follows:
COUNCIL.
J. B. Pierce Ada County
M. R. Jenkins Ada County
Geo. M. Parsons Alturas County
James H. Hart Bear Lake County
Joseph Travis Boise County
Geo. Pettingill Boise County
N. B. Willey Idaho County
Geo. L. Shoup Lemhi County
Geo. A. Manning Nez Perce County
J. N. High Oneida County
B. J. Nordyke Owyhee County
P. A. Regan Owyhee County
W. B. Yantis Shoshone County
President, N. B. Willey.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wm. Allison Ada County
A. E. Calloway Ada County
H. J. G. Maxon Ada County
Thos. Gray Ada County
C. B. Humphrey Ada County
W. H. Butler Alturas County
A. L. Meyer Alturas County
J. C. Rich Bear Lake County
J. W. White Boise County
Robt. Spencer Boise County
M. G. Harden Boise County
G. B. Baldwin Boise County
R. H. Robb Boise County
Wm. C. Pearson Idaho County
D. B. Varney Lemhi County
J. W. Birdseye Lemhi County
Wm. King Nez Perce County
J. J. Bonner Nez Perce County
Alex. Stalker Oneida County
TENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 257
D. R. Jones Oneida County
G. W. Newsom Owyhee County
P. Weatherman Owyhee County
Wm. Cooper Owyhee County
Geo. Chapin Owyhee County
Wm. Nichols Owyhee County
R. T. Yantis Shoshone County
Speaker, J. W. Birdseye.
The members elected were quite equally divided between the two
political parties and a great part of their legislative term was lost
before they could effect a permanent organization. The Council,
however, having a majority of Republicans, were able to effect an
organization on the afternoon of the third day, but the House of
Representatives did not organize permanently until the afternoon
of the twenty-fourth day. This delay caused a great deal of talk
and some friction, but after organization, all was serene.
One rather amusing incident occurred during this delay. The
Governor's message was printed in full in the Idaho Statesman
the second or third day after these unorganized houses met, and
was read by the people of the Territory about twenty-one days
before it was officially delivered. The Governor, however, was not
to blame for this mistake. He very naturally supposed an or-
ganization would be effected by the second or third day and his
message delivered before the copy he gave the Idaho Statesman
could be printed.
This legislature having spent twenty-four days of the forty
allowed them for legislation in effecting a permanent organiza-
tion of the house, they had only sixteen days in which to legislate.
On the twenty-fifth day, both houses began work in earnest.
They gave us about sixty-two pages of laws and several pages
of memorials. Among the acts passed was one creating the coun-
ty of Washington out of territory taken from Ada and Idaho
counties; also an act creating and organizing Cassia County out
of territory taken from Owyhee and Oneida Counties.
This legislature was economical and did not make any unneces-
sary appropriations.
The legislators appeared to be quite liberal in granting divorces
to those who were dissatisfied with the marriage relation. Some
power seems to have brought to bear on one of these cases about
the thirty-sixth day, so it passed, and on the fortieth day, five
divorce cases were put through in short order.
The reader is, of course, aware that all accounts against the
Territory had to be presented to the Comptroller and when ap-
His-17
258 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
proved by him, warrants were issued by him on the Territorial
Treasurer for the amount against the proper fund. These war-
rants were usually presented to the Treasurer soon after they
were issued and registered by him, and drew interest from their
date of registry until paid. The Territory got away behind in the
payment of these warrants during the early days when our legis-
lators allowed themselves and the federal officers such large, ex-
tra compensations, and they funded a lot of these Territorial war-
rants into semi-annual interest bearing bonds.
The Territorial Comptroller's and Treasurer's reports for 1877
and 1878 show that receipts for these two years were:
$78,925.81
Oct. 31, 1876, to balance on hand 15,854.75
Dec. 20, 1878, total receipts $94,780.56
Disbursements :
General fund warrants redeemed $44,479-90
Prison fund warrants redeemed 22,869.71
Sinking fund (interest on bonds) 20,042.70
Library fund warrants paid. 118.18
Total disbursements $87,510.49
Dec. 20, 1878, to cash on hand 7,270.07
$94,780.07
Territorial indebtedness, taken from Treasurer's report, Dec. 20,
1878.
Bonded debt:
Ten-year bonds, act 1875 $22,533.54
Fifteen-year bonds, act 1877 46,715.06
Coupons, interest to December 1 896.32
$70,144.92
General fund:
Registered warrants, unredeemed $19,742.00
Accrued interest 2,322.00
$22,064.00
Prison fund:
Registered warrants, unredeemed $30,466.89
Accrued interest 6,534.00
$ 37,000.89
Total indebtedness $129,209-81
Less cash on hand 7,270.07
Dec. 1878, total indebtedness $121,939.74
TENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 259
This shows that the public debt had been decreased about
$9,000.00 in the last two years, and it is to be hoped that it will
continue to decrease. This was the beginning of the reduction of
the Territorial debt.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A report taken from the county superintendents to the Territo-
rial Superintendent for the year 1877, shows the following:
Number of children in the Territory between the ages of 5 and
18 years, 4028; number of school districts, 96.
Balance of cash on hand at beginning of year $ 4,297.60
Received from county taxes 17,228.68
Received from miscellaneous sources 1,844.89
Total $23,366.17
Expended for teachers' salaries $18,764.46
Report for 1878:
Number of children from 5 to 18 years, 4942; number of school
districts, 160.
Cash on hand at beginning of school year $6,599.65
From county taxes 22,779.65
Miscellaneous sources 3,967.79
Total $33,347.13
Expended for teachers' salaries $23,082.65
It may readily be seen that the number of schools and the annual
amount of money received for maintaining schools were increasing.
CHAPTER XLVII.
WAR WITH THE RENEGADE MIXED BANNOCKS AND SHO8HONE8, CALLED
SHEEP-EATER INDIANS 1879.
Roaming around the Salmon River Mountains and about the head
of the Weiser River and on Big Creek and Loon Creek, there was a
small band of Indians at this time. These Indians were a mixture
between the Bannock and Shoshone Indians,, and were so mean and
trifling that neither tribe would allow them to remain in their camp.
They lived mostly by killing mountain sheep, catching fish, robbing
prospectors' camps and stealing stock. They were called the Rene-
gade Sheep-Eater Indians, and numbered about one hundred,
About the 22nd of May, 1879, a party of these Indians made a
raid on Mr. Hugh Johnson's ranch, situated on the south fork of
the Salmon river, fourteen miles from the town of Warrens. They
killed Johnson and P. Dawson, burnt the house and the haystack,
and drove away a number of good horses from the ranch.
The news of this massacre was sent to Lapwai, Vancouver and
Fort Boise. A few troops were stationed at each of these military
posts. Lieutenant Catlin started out from Fort Lapwai with about
forty soldiers. On May 31st, Colonel Bernard, with sixty soldiers
and Colonel Robbins for scout, started out from Boise. About the
same time Lieutenant Farrow started from Walla Walla with a few
soldiers and twenty Umatilla Indian scouts. The Salmon river
country, through which they were to search for these Indians, was
very rough with steep mountains, and rugged with rocks and tim-
ber. About July 28th Lieutenant Catlin found the Indians at or
near what is known as Big Creek, and had an engagement with
them. The Indians had the advantage of the ground for fighting,
as they were concealed from sight or danger, so the Lieutenant very
wisely withdrew his men. In this engagement he is said to have
lost one man and some supplies.
Colonel Bernard marched his men to a point on Loon Creek,
about one hundred miles north of Idaho City, where several China-
men had been engaged in mining. From the appearance of things
at this place, the Indians had undoubtedly murdered all the China-
men, and destroyed their houses and sluice boxes.
There was also another small company out, under the command
of Captain A. J. Force. Three scouts were also with Captain
Force's company, George Sherrer, Barney McVoce and Mr. Haines.
SHEEP-EATER INDIAN WAR 261
These scouts under the command of Colonel Robbing, and the troops
under the command of Colonel Bernard scoured the rough country
searching for the Indians. They could make only a few miles each
day, owing to the roughness of the country, and they lost several of
their pack mules. The Indians, however, were well acquainted with
the country, and could easily dodge from one place to another and
keep out of the way of the troops. Colonel Bobbins and the other
scouts several times got so close to them that they had to abandon
their fish traps, which they had placed in the water, and they were
so closely pursued that they discarded some of their supplies and
camp outfit.
About August 20th, Captain Farrow with his Umatilla scouts
ran these Indians into a cleft of rocks on a steep mountainside and
captured their horses and mules, about thirty-one head, and also
their supplies. It was impossible to dislodge the Indians from the
rocks, as they were completely hidden.
Colonel Bernard's command was now about out of supplies, and
as Lieutenant Patten was expected to arrive at Loon Creek with
supplies, Colonel Bernard turned his command toward Loon Creek
to meet the supply train.
On August 15th a small party of these hostile Indians had sur-
prised a Mr. Raines at his ranch on the south fork of the Salmon
river. They killed him, plundered and burned his house, and stole
his horses.
Colonel Bernard's command was now greatly in need of supplies.
Colonel Robbins with a few men was sent on ahead to see what had
become of Lieutenant Patten and the supply train. They searched
several days, living mostly on bread and fish, but could not find the
train. Finally Colonel Bernard decided he would have to send to
Boise. Colonel Robbins was selected for the hard trip. He was
sick at the time, but in spite of suffering he made the trip to Boise
in three and a half days, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles.
A few days after Robbins left for Boise, Lieutenant Patten and
the supply train were found by some of Colonel Bernard's com-
mand and piloted to the camp. The Lieutenant had lost the trail
in the rough mountains, hence the delay in reaching the command.
In the meantime Lieutenant Farrow had talked with the hostile
Indians at long range, and they said that if all the troops would
withdraw except Lieutenant Farrow with his few soldiers and In-
dian scouts, they would surrender to him. They insisted, however,
that they must go further west to a place near Snake River known
as the Seven Devils' country. The Lieutenant knew the Indians
were almost out of supplies and were tired of being chased so
closely, so he agreed with Colonel Bernard that they should go to
262
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the place on Snake river. They came out of their hiding places,
and were closely followed by the Lieutenant and his command.
They went on to the Seven Devils' country, where they surrendered.
There were only about sixty in the band, and they were taken by
Lieutenant Farrow to Vancouver. This ended the war with the
Renegade Sheep-Eaters.
Colonel Bernard and his command arrived in Boise September
5th. Colonel Robbins had arrived a few days before. This was a
long and hard campaign. The country was so rough that it made
it very hard for both men and animals. It has been rather difficult
to get definite details of this Indian trouble, but this account gives
the main features of the campaign.
This was the last of the Indian wars in Idaho.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
FARMING, TRANSPORTATION, STOCK RAISING AND MINING IN IDAHO
IN 1879 AND 1880.
About this time the farming industry began to increase very
rapidly. William B. Morris had a canal constructed at a very great
expense to carry water and irrigate the table sagebrush land south
of Boise. He solved the question as to whether the high sagebrush
land was worth the expense of reclaiming by irrigation, and proved
that this land was as good as any in Idaho. To him the people of
Idaho owe a debt of gratitude. After this first canal, called the
Morris, later the Ridenbaugh, was built, the bench land was rapidly
taken up as farming land. Orchards and grain fields soon covered
the once barren sagebrush plains.
Stock raising also increased during these years. Many horses
were raised in southern Idaho, and there was an excellent market
for them in some of the eastern states. The cattle business was also
profitable and many were engaged in this business, and some en-
gaged in raising sheep.
The transportation was still carried on by the stage lines and
freight trains.
The mining business had improved somewhat. Some prospecting
had been done in the Wood River country, and very good discoveries
made of galena ore carrying lead and silver in paying quantities.
Work was still continued in the quartz mines near Silver City.
Placer mining was carried on quite extensively in Boise County for
a few months each Spring, while the water lasted. There was also
some quartz mining in Boise County, and quartz mining at Rocky
Bar and Atlanta. Some placer and quartz mining was carried on
at Elk and Pierce Cities, Orofino, Florence and Warrens. At
Custer and Bayhorse, and on Salmon river in Lemhi County a good
deal of quartz mining was done, and some placer mining on the
Salmon river and its tributaries in Lemhi County.
CHAPTER XLIX.
THE ELEVENTH SESSION OF THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO CONVENED AT
BOISE DECEMBER 13, 1880 AND ADJOURNED FEBRUARY 10, 1881
The names of the members were as follows:
COUNCIL.
R. Z. Johnson Ada County
John Hailey Ada and Washington Counties
William Budge Bear Lake County
James Murray Boise County
S. B. Dilley Boise and Alturas Counties
Charles Cobb Cassia and Owyhee Counties
L. P. Willmot Idaho County
W. F. Anderson Lemhi County
J. W. Poe Nez Perce County
I. B. Cowen Nez Perce, Ssoshone and Latah County
H. Peck Oneida County
L. C. Morrison Oneida County
President — John Hailey.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The names of the members of the House were as follows :
A. E. Callaway Ada County
J. S. Gray Ada County
P. J. Pefley Ada County
J. Brumback Ada County
I. W. Garrett Alturas County
James H. Hart Bear Lake County
J. C. Rich Bear Lake County
Stephen Demsey Boise County
Fred Campbell Boise County
R. L. Wood Cassia County
E. B. True Idaho County
J. W. Girton Idaho County
I. L. Underdont Lemhi County
J. J. Gilson Lemhi County
I. N. Hibbs Nez Perce County
S. S. Langdon Nez Perce County
J. M. Hedrick Nez Perce County
W. B. Webster Oneida County
Joseph Dudley Oneida County
ELEVENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 265
Alex Stalker Oneida County
D. R. Jones Oneida County
J. W. Cummings Owyhee County
Wm. Nichols Shoshone County
T. M. Jeffries Washington County
Speaker — E. B. True.
This session of the Legislature continued for sixty days, an act
of Congress having extended the time from forty to sixty days.
The Council organized on the first day, and the House on the second
day. They worked faithfully and passed some good laws. Among
these was a complete revision of our Code of Civil Procedure. The
work of compiling this Code was due almost wholly to the Hon. R.
Z. Johnson and Judge John S. Gray. Mr. Johnson was a member
of the Council, and Mr. Gray a member of the House. They had
done the greater portion of compiling these laws before the Legis-
lature met, and the members had such confidence in their ability
and integrity that their work of compilation was accepted and
enacted into law by the Legislature with but very few amendments.
It was discovered at this session that our Territorial tax levy of
seventyfive cents on the hundred dollars of taxable property was
bringing in more money than was necessary to meet current ex-
penses and to pay interest on the bonded debt, the principal of
which would not become due for several years. So the Legislature
passed an act amending our revenue laws by reducing the ad
valorem Territorial tax on property from seventy-five cents to forty
cents on each hundred dollars of assessable property.
A bill was also passed of great importance to Boise City creating
the Boise City Independent School District. The bill provided for
a board of trustees, also named the trustees and made provisions for
them to have what is now called the Old Central School House built
and to establish a graded school. Several accounts of the origin of
this graded school have been given in the Boise papers during the
last few years, none of which are correct. At this time, Hon. R. Z.
Johnson was a member of the Council from Ada County, and the
writer of this was also a member of the same legislative body. We
both resided in the small capital city of Boise, and both had chil-
dren attending school in Boise.
Soon after the session commenced, we met together to talk over
needed legislation for the Territory. Very naturally the question of
schools came up, and we came to the conclusion that it would be well
to have a graded school in the Capital City. We discussed the matter
of consolidating the different schools, the cost and manner of issuing
bonds to pay for the building, and many other matters connected
with the school. In order to find out if the people, the taxpayers,
266 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
would approve of this plan we thought it well to have a meeting of
the people before preparing a bill and presenting it to the Legis-
lature. For this purpose we got out posters and had them put up
all over the town, inviting the taxpayers to come to the Council hall
in the evening and talk over legislation in reference to school
matters.
The night of the meeting the hall was crowded with people and
the writer addressed them on the subject, giving them the proposed
plan and stating in conclusion that we did not want an opinion from
them that night, as the question was new to them, but would like for
them to consider it for three days and come back the third evening
to the hall and be prepared to give a definite answer.
On the third evening the house was crowded, many more than on
the first night. I went over the proposed plan once more very
carefully, and the question was discussed thoroughly. It was then
put to a vote as to whether we should have this desired change made
and enacted into law. The vote was unanimous in favor of the
change and the proposed law. The bill was drawn by Mr. Johnson
that night, and passed the Council on the 26th of January, 1881.
The names of the trustees were as follows : Christopher W. Moore,
Hosea B. Eastman, John Lemp, Peter J. Pefly, Charles Himrod
and Richard Z. Johnson. This bill was approved by the Governor
February 4, 1881.
The next act of importance to the people of Ada County passed
by this Legislature provided for the erection of a county court
house and jail at Boise City. An act was also passed to amend the
city charter of Lewiston, and an act for an independent graded
school at Lewiston, in Nez Perce County. The following acts were
also passed:
Appointing the Governor of Idaho and one citizen as Commis-
sioner to contract for the maintenance and care of the insane people
in Idaho, and an act imposing a license on insurance companies for
school purposes.
An act to regulate the distributing of water for irrigation pur-
poses.
An act to regulate the sale and prevent the smoking of opium.
Many other important laws were enacted.
At this time a report, made by a committee of the Council to
investigate the treasurer's accounts, shows that on February 21,
1881, after all outstanding warrants were paid, there remained in
the Territorial treasury eighteen thousand nine hundred and fifteen
($18,915) dollars. This did not include the bonded debt, which
amounted to sixty-nine thousand two hundred and forty-eight
($69,248) dollars. This would not become due for several years.
ELEVENTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE 267
SCHOOLS.
In the year 1879 there were 4,885 school children in Idaho, and
114 school districts. In 1880, the number of school districts had
increased to 149, and the school children to 6,698. In 1879, the
amount raised for school purposes was $34,255, and in 1880 the
amount raised from the same sources and for the same purposes
was $48,016.89. This shows that the number of children had in-
creased about 37 per cent in one year, and the means to pay for
their education had increased correspondingly.
CHAPTER L.
THE WOOD RIVER MINING DISTRICT IN 1880 AND 1881.
During the years 1880 and 1881 the mining industry very ma-
terially increased. This was caused principally by the discovery of
a new mining country in the Wood River district, Alturas County.
There was a rush of people into that locality and a large amount
of development work done on the mining locations. The ore was
principally galena, carrying lead and silver in paying quantities.
This ore had to be smelted and, as there was no smelter on Wood
river at this time, it was taken by freight teams to the railroad at
Kelton, a distance of one hundred and seventy miles, and shipped
from there to Salt Lake or Denver to be smelted. This was very
expensive, but most of it shipped in this way netted the owners a
fair return.
Several small towns were quickly built in this mining locality,
the most prominent of which were Bellevue, Hailey and Ketchum.
A little later a small smelter was erected near Hailey.
Some farming land was located along the river and on Silver
creek. The people were prosperous, and the new mining camp very
thriving for a few years.
There were but few changes in any of the other mining or agri-
cultural districts during the years 1880 and 1881. Everything
seemed to run aljng slowly, easily ax.?l smoothly. Stock raising and
ion wtv about the sarre as last leported.
CHAPTER LI.
TWELFTH SESSION OP THE LEGISLATURE OP THE TERRITORY OP IDAHO
CONVENED AT BOISE DEC. 11, 1882 ADJOURNED FEB. 8, 1883.
The names of the members of the Twelfth session are as follows :
COUNCIL.
J. V. R. Witt Ada County
Thos C. Galloway Ada and Washington Counties
C. E. Robinson Bear Lake County
James Travis Boise County
E. A. Wall Alturas and Boise Counties
E. P. Johnson Custer and Lemhi Counties
P. A. Regan Owyhee and Cassia Counties
James Odle Idaho County
W. L. Webster Oneida County
Henry Peck Oneida County
Wm. S. Taylor Nez Perce and Latah Counties
I. B. Cowen Nez Perce, Shoshone and Kootenai Counties
President— E. A. Wall.
HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES.
D. W. Fouch Ada County
J. P. Wilson Ada County
I. N. Coston Ada County
H. K. Hartley Ada Counnty
E. M. Willson Alturas County
A. R. Wright Bear Lake County
H. S. Wooley Bear Lake County
R. H. Robb Boise County
Fred Campbell Boise County
W. C. Martindale Cassia County
J. C. Shoup Custer County
W. C. Pearson Idaho County
Robert Larimer Idaho County
O. A. Dodge Kootenai and Shoshone Counties
James A. Hay wood Lemhi County
A. Buchanan Nez Perce County
K. Larson Nez Perce County
G. W. Tomer Nez Perce and Latah Counties
C. J. Bassett Oneida County
D. L. Evans Oneida County
270 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
M. L. Grunnell Oneida County
J. B. Thatcher Oneida County
J. M. Harbour Owyhee County
F. M. Hickey Washington Countj
Speaker, D. W. Fouch.
This Legislature gave us about one hundred and seventy-three
pages of new laws, including many amendments to former laws.
The members of the different legislatures seemed to have differed
very greatly as to the laws they considered should be in force in
the Territory. Certain laws would be enacted by one body of Legis-
lators, and at the next session they would be repealed or amended,
and various new laws enacted. So it was somewhat difficult for the
average layman to keep posted as to what the law really was — in
fact, laws would be repealed before many residents had time to
read them.
Among some of the important acts passed by the Twelfth Legis-
lature was:
An act requiring county auditors to transmit annual reports to
the comptroller of the financial condition of their counties under
oath.
Also an act for registering the names of electors and preventing
frauds at elections.
An act to establish a public school system, and for the main-
tenance and supervision of the same.
An act amending the revenue laws, reducing the Territorial tax
levy from forty cents to twenty-five cents on the one hundred
dollars.
An act appropriating three thousand dollars, or so much thereof
as might be necessary, for the support of poor emigrants in and
around Boise City, to be expended by a committee.
The Territorial treasurer's report dated November 11, 1882,
shows, after all outstanding warrants had been paid, all interest on
the bonded debt and all other claims, a balance in the Territorial
Treasury of forty-one thousand eight hundred and sixteen dollars
and ninety-seven cents ($41,816.97).
The bonded debt at this time was as follows:
Interest bearing bonds 10 per cent per annum.
Act 1875, due 1885 $22,533.54
Act 1877, due 1891 46,715.06
Total $69,248.60
Whole bonded debt 69,248.60
Deduct from this cash in the treasury 41,816.94
This left the Territorial indebtedness $27,431.66
CHAPTER LII.
FARMING, TRANSPORTATION, STOCKRAISING AND MINING IN 1883
AND 1884.
Farming and farmers flourished during the years of 1883 and
1884. There were better markets for the farm products and trans-
portation facilities were greatly improved, so there was more of an
incentive for the farmer to cultivate his land.
A railroad was now miming through the eastern part of Idaho in
a northerly direction, via Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Market Lake and
Beaver Canyon in Idaho, to Butte, in Montana. The Great North-
ern was running through the northern portion of Idaho in an east
and west direction and the Oregon Short Line had lines through the
southern portion of Idaho. In 1884 there was still a gap of seventy
miles where stages were run. This distance was between Baker
City in Oregon and Weiser in Idaho. The stage men were losers by
the railroads being built in Oregon and Idaho, but the population
of the territory began to rapidly increase with the improved travel-
ing facilities, and there were opportunities for many new lines of
industry.
Stock-raising increased, as stockmen were now able to ship their
surplus stock, wool, hides, etc., east on quick time and at more
reasonable rates.
The mining industries also received new life. Having quicker
and cheaper transportation for ore and being able to have the
proper machinery shipped in, many more mines were developed and
some of them paid well.
The population began to increase with permanent settlers — far-
mers, storck raisers, merchants, miners, lawyers, doctors, and minis-
ters. The people seemed to take on a new supply of energy and
began in earnest to improve and develop the resources of the coun-
try with the view of making permanent homes.
CHAPTER LIII.
THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE TERRITORY OI*
IDAHO.
Convened December 8, 1884; adourned February 5, 1885. The
names of the members of the Council were as follows.
COUNCIL.
George Pettingill Ada County
T. C. Galloway Ada and Washington Counties
James S. Hart Bear Lake County
Ben Willson Boise County
E. C. Brearley Alturas and Boise
R. L. Wood Cassia and Owyhee Counties
Charles A. Wood Custer and Lemhi Counties
S. C. Poage Idaho County
S. G. Isaman Nez Perce County
S. W. Moody Nez Perce, Shoshone and Kootenai Counties
George N. Crawford Oneida County
H. W. Smith Oneida County
President — Charles A. Wood.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Charles J. Simpson Ada County
D. W. Fouch Ada County
M. H. Goodwin Ada County
D. S. Lamme Ada County
J: K. Watson Alturas County
W. N. B. Shepherd Bear Lake County
Amos R. Wright Bear Lake County
G. B. Balding Boise County
M. G. Luna Boise County
W. C. Martindale Cassia County
J. C. Fox Custer County
W. S. M. Williams Idaho County
Philip Cleary Idaho County
J. P. Clough Lemhi County
W. F. Kern Nez Perce County
R. P. Quarles Nez Perce County
L. P. Willmott Nez Perce County
D. A. Jones Oneida County
THIRTEENTH SESSION LEGISLATURE 273
C. M. Hull Oneida County
A. R. Stalker Oneida County
W. B. Green Oneida County
David Adams Owyhee County
William King Shoshone County
George F. Adams Washington County
Speaker, D. W. Fouch.
An act passed at this session of the Legislature for the erection
of the Capitol building at Boise City and for an issue of
eighty thousand dollars in bonds to pay for the same. This act also
provided for an issue of twenty thousand dollars in bonds to build
an insane asylum at Blackfoot.
Other acts were passed, among which were the following:
An act authorizing the appointment by the Governor of three
commissioners to revise and compile the laws of the Territory and
to submit them to the next Legislature.
An act creating the office of Attorney General for Idaho, making
the appointment by the Governor and fixing the salary at $2,000.00
per annum.
An act re-apportioning the members for future legislatures in
Idaho.
An act creating Bingham County.
An act providing for holding elections and prescribing the quali-
fications for electors and for other purposes. The anti-Mormon
test oath was embodied in this act.
An act fixing the amount of bonds for County officers to give.
This Legislature also passed a number of acts for the issuance
of bonds by different counties to build school houses and for other
purposes.
It will be remembered the Territorial taxes were reduced at the
Eleventh session from seventy-five ments on the hundred dollars to
forty cents, and a further reduction was made by the Twelfth ses-
sion from forty cents on the hundred dollars to twenty-five cents.
In spite of this reduction in the taxes, the financial condition of the
Territory was better than it ever had been. The Territorial Treas-
urer's report for November 14th, 1884, showed the bonded debt not
yet due to be $69,248.60; cash in general fund, $54,395.59; library
fund,$l, 670.56; school fund, $426.39- This was the amount at that
date, and a large amount of taxes were still unpaid for that year.
On page 6 of Hon. James L. Onderdonk's Territorial Comp-
troller's report, under date of November 15th, 1884, we find the
following: "Our Territory is practically out of debt, our only
indebtedness being the two classes of bonds with accruing interests,
as follows:
His— 18
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Act of 1875, due Dec. 1st, 1885 $22,533.54
Act of 1877, due Dec. 1st, 1891 46,715.05
Total $69,248.59
There was in the treasury at this time the sum of $56,490.54. By
statement in the report, "There was due from the Counties on Ter-
ritorial taxes, $35,980.54. The greater part of this amount was
to be paid during the quarter. This, together with the amounts re-
ceived from poll taxes and licenses, after deducting expenses of
collecting and the necessary disbursements, would leave about
$80,000 in the treasury at the beginning of the next quarter.
"To meet the first class of indebtedness due December 1, 1885,
with interest, would require about $25,000, and at the rate of ex -
penditure, there should be a fund largely in excess of what would
actually be required."
This was certainly a good showing under a low tax levy of 25
cents on the one hundred dollars. As an indication of the prosperity
of the Territory, the Comptroller issued the following table:
Year. No. of Taxpayers. Assessment Roll.
1878— 3,892 $ 4,520,800.50
1879— 5,518 5,926,149.60
1880 — 5,600 6,408,089.14
1881— 6,961 8,066,365.75
1882— 8,162 9,339,071.05
1883— 10,533 13,938,412.31
1884 — 12,272 15,479,598.38
This shows an increase in seven years of something over three
hundred per cent, in the number of taxpayers and a corresponding
increase in the amount of assessable property, all of which was very
gratifying.
CHAPTER LIV.
FARMING, TRANSPORTATION, STOCK-RAISING, MINING, 1885 TO 1887-
It had been fully demonstrated by this time that Idaho was an
excellent farming and fruit country. Grain of various kinds had
been grown successfully with a good average yield to the acre.
Vegetables of various kinds were grown in abundance. Berries and
fruits of many kinds were grown and were of a very fine quality.
The Oregon Short Line had been completed through the southern
part of Idaho and with the increased facilities for transportation,
stock raising had increased.
A number of new mines had been opened up in Shoshone County
and the population had increased greatly. The Wood River mining
country had also developed very much. There was still some work
going on at Atlanta and Rocky Bar. The De Lamar mine, near
Silver City, in Owyhee County, was a large producer of gold and
silver and gave every indication of continuing for many years.
The schools had increased throughout the Territory and the
people generally were successful in all their business enterprises.
A branch railroad had been built and put in operation from Sho-
shone, on the Oregon Short Line railway, to Hailey, in the Wood
River mining district, a distance of fifty-seven miles. Daily trips
were made over this branch, connecting with the main Oregon Short
Line at Shoshone. This was a very great saving and convenience to
the people of the Wood River country. It gave them much quicker
and cheaper transportation than they had ever had before.
CHAPTER LV.
FOURTEENTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE TERRITORY OF
IDAHO.
Convened December 18, 1886, adjourned February 10, 1887.
The names of the members of the Council were as follows:
COUNCIL.
Charles Himrod Ada County
R. H. Robb Ada and Boise Counties
James H. Beatty Alturas County
E. C. Helfrich Alturas County
H. W. Smith Bingham County
P. L. Hughes Bingham and Oneida Counties
E. H. Jordan Bear Lake, Oneida and Cassia Counties
Robert Larimer Idaho County
A. J. McNab . . . . Lemhi and Custer Counties
Charles Watson Nez Perce County
James I. Crutcher Owyhee and Washington Counties
A. E. Mayhew Shoshone and Kootenai Counties
President, A. E. Mayhew.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
D. L. Badley Ada County
George Goodrich Ada County
H. M. Goodwin Ada County
E. G. Burnett. Alturas County
J. J. Guheen Alturas County
G. W. Hunter Alturas County
T. B. Shaw Alturas County
R. W. Gee Bear Lake County
T. A. Hartwell Bingham County
C. B. Wheeler Bingham County
Josiah Cave Boise County
Charles Cobb Cassia County
J. C. Fox Custer and Bingham Counties
John S. Rohrer Custer County
Frank A. Fenn Idaho County
J. P. Clough Lemhi County
James DeHaven Nez Perce County
A. S. Chancy Nez Perce County
W. A. Elyea Nez Perce County
FOURTEENTH SESSION LEGISLATURE 277
Wm. B. Thews Oneida County
John S. Lewis Owyhee County
R. S. Harvey Shoshone County
John M. Burk Shoshone and Kootenai Counties
M. L. Hoyt Washington County
Speaker, Wm. B. Thews.
The Thirteenth session of the Legislature had passed an act enti-
tled, "An Act to Provide for the Revision and Compilation of the
Statutes Laws of the Territory of Idaho." This act authorized the
Governor to appoint a commission of three persons to perform this
work and fix the compensation and made an appropriation of four
thousand dollars for this purpose. The Governor, Wm. Bunn, ap-
pointed as commissioners, Hon. R. Z. Johnson, Hon. H. E. Prickett,
and John S. Gray. All of these men were well qualified in every
respect to perform this important work. Soon after they entered
upon their duties, Mr. Prickett died very suddenly. Hon. James H.
Beatty was appointed to fill the vacancy.
These commissioners worked long and faithfully and when their
revision was presented to the Fourteenth Legislature, the Legisla-
ture not only adopted their revision of the laws, but also passed a
joint resolution authorizing these commissioners to include all the
laws passed at the Fourteenth session in the general revision, and
place them in their proper places for publication. The laws were
arranged under the following heads: Part 1st, Political Code; Part
2nd, Civil Code; Part 3rd, Remedial Code; Part 4th, Penal Code.
These revised statutes were published and went into effect on the
1st day of June, 1887. This work reflected great credit upon the
commissioners and was of great convenience to the attorneys of
Idaho and of great assistance to the average layman. The Legis-
lators appropriated four thousand dollars to pay for the publication
of these revised laws of Idaho.
The financial condition of the Territory is shown by the following
report, made to the Legislature by a committee appointed for that
purpose:
Outstanding warrants $ 4,877.52
Outstanding bonds, act of 1877 46,715.16
Outstanding capital building bonds 80,000.00
Outstanding asylum bonds 20,000.00
Total $151,592.68
Cash on hand —
In Capitol sinking fund $ 7,478.59
In Library fund 1,307.56
278 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
In School fund 1,165.64
In General fund 2,699.61
Total $ 12,651.40
This seems to be a rather poor financial showing ; still, the people
had something to show for the money that had been spent.
The bonded debt of $22,533.54 that became due on the 1st of
December, 1885, had been paid, and the bonds taken up. The Cap-
itol building had been completed and the insane asylum built. Both
buildings were furnished and in use. Expenses had, however,
necessarily increased and this Legislature passed an act increasing
the tax levy for Territorial purposes from 25 cents to 35 cents on
the hundred dollars of assessable property.
CHAPTER LVI.
FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE TERRITORY OF IDAHO.
Convened at Boise December 10, 1888; adojurned February 7,
1889- Recommendations of Governor Shoup to First State Legis-
lature ; assessable property, etc.
The names of the members of the Legislature were as follows:
COUNCIL.
J. D. Negley Ada County
Fred Campbell Ada and Boise Counties
Charles McPherson Alturas County
W. Y. Perkins Alturas County
S. F. Taylor Bingham County
J. P. Clough Custer and Lemhi Counties
T. F. Nelson Idaho County
J. W. Bingham Nez Perce and Latah Counties
J. N. Ireland Oneida and Bingham Counties
Thomas Sparks Oneida, Cassia and Bear Lake Counties
E. S. Jewell Owyhee and Washington Counties
A. E. Mayhew Shoshone and Kootenai Counties
President, J. P. Clough.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
D. L. Badley Ada County
J. M. Martin Ada County
M. A. Kurtz Ada County
J. H. VanSchaick Alturas County
H. H. Clay Alturas County
Ira S. Waring Alturas County
H. Z. Burkhart Alturas County
James Lyons Bear Lake County
W. H. B. Crow Bingham County
Geo. P. Wheeler Bingham County
Geo. W. Groton Bingham and Custer Counties
J. A. Bruner Boise County
E. A. Jordan Cassia County
Geo. W. Emery Custer County
C. M. Day Idaho County
O. W. Mintzer Lemhi County
A. S. Chancy Nez Perce County
J. J. Mitcham Ne Perce County
880 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
James DeHaven Nez Perce County
R. H. Davis Oneida County
Geo. W. Sampson Owyhee County
J. C. Sargent Shoshone County
J. Rand Sanburn Shoshone and Kootenai County
Marion Kilborn Washington County
Speaker, H. Z. Burkhart.
This was the last session of Territorial Legislature in the Terri-
tory of Idaho. The next session was under State government.
Idaho was admitted into the Union of States on July 3rd, 1890.
The last Territorial Legislature did not enact as many laws as
some of our former Legislatures. They gave us only seventy-seven
pages, including laws, memorials and resolutions, but they managed
to increase both our current expenses and our bonded debt ; also our
Territorial taxes. Among the important bills passed at this session
was "An Act to Establish the University of Idaho at Moscow."
This act provided for a board of nine regents to be chosen from the
Territory at large, which board the Governor should appoint by and
with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council, and $15,000
was appropriated out of the Territorial treasury to enable the re-
gents to procure suitable grounds and plans for the buildings, and
for the expense of the regents, and an additional ad valorem tax of
one-half mill was levied by this act on each dollar of assessable
property in the Territory to create a building fund to pay for the
construction of the University buildings; this tax to be collected
and used for this purpose for four years.
Another act was one creating and organizing the Counties of
Elmore and Logan, and defining the boundaries of Bingham and
Alturas Counties. This act caused an abundance of litigation and
expenses amounting to many thousands of dollars, and a great deal
of ill-feeling among some of the people of Alturas County, and
after several years resulted in more litigation and the wiping out of
old Alturas County and Logan County and creating in lieu thereof
the Counties of Blaine and Lincoln, with a re-adjustment of the
boundary lines. The heavy debt that was hanging over old Alturas,
together with the expensive litigation, made taxes very oppressive in
these Counties for several years, but at last things quieted down
and all seem to be getting along fairly well.
There was also an act to appropriate $15,000 for improvements
at the Idaho Insane Asylum; also an act authorizing the appoint-
ment of four commissioners to look after the improvement of the
Capitol grounds, and appropriating $14,630 to enable the commis-
sioners to have the grounds fenced, and the yard properly improved
FIFTEENTH SESSION LEGISLATURE 281
with paved walks, graded, seeded, and trees and shrubbery set out.
Also an act to provide for a wagon road between Mt. Idaho in Idaho
County and Little Salmon Meadows in Washington County. This
act authorized an issue of six per cent, bonds for $50,000 to raise
funds to construct this road. In addition to these appropriations,
this Legislature passed several relief bills amounting to a few
thousand dollars.
It appears from the report of the Territorial Comptroller, Hon.
J. H. Wickersham, for the years 1887 and 1888, that the current
expenses of the Territory paid out of the Territorial treasury, in-
cluding interest on the bonded debt, was about $75,000 for each of
those two years, and that the amount of assessable property was,
for 1887, $20,095,495, and for 1888, $21,624,747. On this prop-
erty was levied by law an ad valorem tax for territorial purposes of
thirty-five cents on each one hundred dollars, and in addition, five
cents on each one hundred dollars to raise a fund to build a State
University at Moscow, in Latah County, making the total levy for
Territorial purposes forty cents on each one hundred dollars of
assessable property within the territory. This, with the license and
poll tax, brought in sufficient revenue for all necessary purposes.
In order to show that the people in Idaho have necessarily had to
practice economy in governmental affairs in past years, I herewith
give the amount of the assessment rolls for each year for the whole
Territory, beginning with the year 1864 and including 1888. There
were little or no taxes collected in the year 1863, because it was too
late in the year before the officers were appointed and the machinery
of the Territory and County governments could be put into working
order, but there was considerable expense incurred in the year 1863
which had to be paid by the Territory in after years. During this
long period of twenty-six years, our tax levy ranged between 25 and
100 cents on each hundred dollars of taxable property, and the
Territory was able to meet her obligations.
COPY OF TERRIRORIAL ASSESSMENT ROLLS.
Assessment for 1864 $ 3,687,304.49
Assessment for 1865 5,184,322.20
Assessment for 1866 5,016,290.00
Assessment for 1 867 4,000,000.00
Assessment for 1868 4,621,984.49
Assessment for 1869 5,544,501.36
Assessment for 1870 3,665,705.55
Assessment for 1871 3,919,148.82
Assessment for 1872 3,624,747.72
Assessment for 1873 4,362,589-72
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Assessment for 1874 4,543,022.49
Assessment for 1875 4,652,919-13
Assessment for 1876 4,381,277.46
Assessment for 1877 4,319,958.75
Assessment for 1878 4,520,800.50
Assessment for 1879 5,926,149.60
Assessment for 1880 6,408,089-14
Assessment for 1881 8,066,365.75
Assessment for 1882 9,339,071.65
Assessment for 1883 13,938,412.31
Assessment for 1884 15,497,598.34
Assessment for 1885 16,230,530.84
Assessment for 1886 17,725,122.31
Assessment for 1887 20,090,495.77
Assessment for 1888 21,624,747.74
It will be seen by a look at these assessment rolls that it was six-
teen years before our annual assessment roll reached $6,000,000.
During all these years the Territory of Idaho was as large in area
as the State now is, and a few people were settled in each and every
County. It is true, the United States government paid annually
about thirty thousand dollars more of our Territorial expenses than
she now pays, but add that amount to the $75,000 that it was cost-
ing the people of the Territory the last few years of Territorial
government, and it would make only $105,000 per annum then, as
against several hundred thousand dollars per annum now. When
the Territorial government was merged into a State government,
business and things of a public nature were in a fairly good condi-
tion, with good public schools in each and every County, a good, new
Capitol building with grounds well improved, an insane asylum, etc.,
and a Territorial debt of less than $200,000.
We have been unable to get any report of either the Territorial
Comptroller, the Treasurer or the Superintendent of Public In-
struction showing the financial condition of the Territory and the
condition of public schools in Idaho for the year 1889 and up to the
close of the Territorial days, December 8, 1890. We have, how-
ever, through the courtesy of the Honorable ex-Secretary of State,
W. R. Gibson, procured the loan of a copy of the late Governor
George L. Shoup's message to the First State Legislature under
date of December 10, 1890, in which he gives a condensed statement
of the financial condition of the territory at the time it entered upon
statehood; also a statement of the number of public schools, etc.
Being fully satisfied that the statements given in the Governor's
message are true and correct and his recommendations for appro-
priations were made after a careful examination of the amounts
FIFTEENTH SESSION LEGISLATURE 283
that were necessary for current expenses, in order to show the finan-
cial condition of our Territory at the time it entered into statehood,
as well as to show that our late lamented first Governor and Senator
was a clear-headed, honest and competent officer and believed in
economy in governmental affairs, I here copy from his message all
he said under the head of finance, beginning on page 3 and ending
on page 6 of his message:
"Next to the legitimate object of every important enterprise is
the financial basis upon which it rests. This is not only the case in
the affairs of nations, states and counties, but also in all business
affairs, whether company, corporate or individual enterprise. I will
therefore present to you the indebtedness of this State as it appears
on the Comptroller's books, balanced on the 15th day of November,
1890, with estimates of expenses for the fiscal years 1891-2, obliga-
tions that will mature, needed appropriations, and resources from
which revenue can be derived.
INDEBTEDNESS.
Outstanding bonds, Act of 1877 $ 46,715.06
Capitol building bonds, Act of 1885 80,000.00
Insane Asylum bonds, Act of 1885 20,000.00
Wagon road bonds, Act of 1889 11,000.00
Outstanding warrants 105,571.52
Total $263,286.58
Less cash in general and capitol building fund 27,116.58
Leaving balance indebtedness $236,170.00
"In January the several County Treasurers make their settle-
ments with the State Treasurer. The outstanding warrants will
then be reduced to about $35,000, leaving the outstanding indebted-
ness as follows:
Bonded indebtedness, less amount in Capitol building
fund $134,556.00
Outstanding warrants 35,000.00
Total indebtedness $169,556.00
"By an act of the Fifteenth session of the Territorial Legisla-
ture, $50,000 was appropriated for the construction of a wagon road
from Mount Idaho to Little Salmon Meadows. Bonds drawing six
per cent, interest covering the above appropriation have been sold
at a small premium, but only $11,000 delivered to the purchasers.
The remaining $39,000 are to be delivered as funds are required on
completion of contracts, which will be late in 1891.
884 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
"The bonds issued under the act of 1877, amounting to $46,-
715.06, mature and become payable December 1, 1891- Provision
must be made for their redemption.
"The Capitol building bonds for $80,000 fall due in 1905, and
are drawing interest at the rate of seven per cent, per annum, and
may be redeemed at the pleasure of the State at any time after ten
years from the date of their issue. There is a sinking fund for the
payment of the interest and redemption of these bonds maintained
by one-tenth of all State and County licenses and from the rents
derived from the Capitol building. There is in this fund $23,158.61.
This money is lying idle. I therefore recommend that you author-
ize its investment in State warrants where it will draw interest,
thereby adding another source of revenue to this fund. If so em-
ployed and with the continuance of the percentage obtained from
licenses this fund will liquidate the bonds before they mature. The
Insane Asylum bonds, $20,000, bear interest at the rate of six per
cent, per annum; $5,000 of these bonds fall due December 1, 1892,
and $5,000 per annum thereafter until all are paid.
"The expenses during the first year of statehood will be greater
than in succeeding years. After a careful investigation, I present
the following estimates :
Executive Department $ 19,500.00
Judicial Department 46,500.00
Legislative Department 31,000.00
Insane Asylum 20,000.00
State Prison 20,000.00
Conveying prisoners to Penitentiary 3,000.00
State Prison Library 75.00
Capitol Building expenses 3,260.00
Militia 5,000.00
Interest on indebtedness 10,200.00
Library, etc 4,000.00
Commissioner of Labor, Immigration and Statistics .... 5,000.00
Code Commission, printing of proceedings of Constitu-
tional Convention, etc 10,000.00
Total $177,535.00
"I estimate the assessed value of property in the State in 1891 at
1,000,000 and recommend a levy of sixty-five cents on the hundred
dollars for general fund purposes. This would give an income
of $182,000.00
Estimated income from poll tax 8,000.00
From insurance licenses and fees from Secretary of
FIFTEENTH SESSION LEGISLATURE
State and State Treasurer's offices 4,000.00
Total $194,000.00
"The tax levy would then be classified as follows:
For general fund purposes, 65 cents; for State University at
Moscow, 5 cents ; for wagon road purposes, 2 cents. Total, 72 cents
on each $100 of assessable property.
"I recommend that the outstanding bonds of the act of 1877,
amounting to $46,715.06, and falling due December 1, 1891, be
refunded and that issuance of bonds be authorized for all ap-
propriations for public buildings.
"As a considerable part of the expense of the Columbian Expo-
sition will not be required until 1892, I recommend that warrants
be drawn on the ganeral fund covering your appropriation for that
purpose. The expense of State government for the second year of
statehood should not exceed $130,000.00.
"The reports of the State Auditor and State Treasurer will be
laid before you. The Auditor's report covering the financial trans-
actions of the Territory for the past two years is very complete
and comprehensive and his suggestions worthy of careful and
thoughful consideration."
It will be seen by the Governor's message that the total amount
of Territorial indebtedness at the time we took on statehood, less
cash in the treasury, was $236,170.00, and that when the Terri-
torial portion of the taxes for 1890 was paid in a month later, that
the indebtedness would be reduced to $169,560.00. This certainly
shows that the financial condition of the Territory at the time it
was transferred to and came under State government was in a good
healthy state. Had the expenses of State government not execeed-
ed what our then Governor estimated, to- wit: "For the first year,
$177,535.00, and second year, $130,000.00," with our rapid increase
of taxable property, we would long since have been out of debt,
had taxes lowered and had money in the treasury to meet all de-
mands on a cash basis. But this has not been done. While our
population and our taxable property has increased since 1890 about
three hundred per cent, the current expenses of our State govern-
ment have increased at a more rapid rate, and the tax levy for
State purposes was raised the first year of statehood from forty
cents on each one hundred dollars of assessable property to almost
double that amount, and has continued so ever since. It seems that
this high rate of taxation on all of the three hundred per cent in-
crease of property since statehood, is necessary to pay the current
expenses of State government, and to pay the interest on several
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
hundred thousand dollars of bonded debt incurred since statehood,
the principal of which the people will have to pay sooner or later
by taxation.
I respectfully suggest that it is about time to call a halt on the
issuing of any more bonds and to try to pay up, rather than to
increase the debt. We have a fine State with great resources, we
want people with wealth, brains, energy and muscle to come and
settle here and help us develop the God-given resources of our new
State. We will drive or keep them away by running extravagant
State and county governments, which always oppress the people
with high taxation. We think it about time for our lawmakers and
State officers to pause and look around and see if they have not
loaded on to the taxpayers about as much as they can bear up under,
and try in the future to lessen their burdens rather than increase
them.
Again we copy from Governor Shoup's message of December
10, 1890, to the first session of our State legislature, what he had
to say about the public schools in Idaho at the time we entered
statehood. This subject is discussed on pages 14 and 15 of the
Governor's message referred to, as follows:
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
"The public schools of the State are in a prosperous condition.
The report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction has
not yet been received, but is promised at an early day. I have,
however, obtained the following summary which by comparison
with the school year ending August 31, 1888, shows, gratifying
gains.
1888. 1890.
Number of school districts 337 410
Number of school houses 269 315
Children of school age 20,433 25,741
Amount received for school purposes in 1888, $158,512.69; in
1890, $202,235.47.
Balance on hand September 1, 1890, $34,592.93.
"While our school system is not perfect in all respects, yet it
has in the past proved to be satisfactory, and our schools are in
a prosperous condition. I cannot, therefore, recommend its re-
vision at your first session when your time will be heavily taxed
with other important and urgent legislation."
I have made the above quotations from our late lamented Gover-
nor Shoup's message to our first State legislature, first, because they
come from a man who was perfectly reliable and stated nothing
but facts. Second, to show the condition of our public schools at
FIFTEENTH SESSION LEGISLATURE 287
the time we took on statehood; and last, but not least, to show how
much more expensive our legislatures and State officers have made
the current expenses of our State government than our first Gov-
ernor anticipated they would be for many years. Had our law-
makers followed the suggestions made by this grand and patriotic
Governor who believed that no more State offices should be cre-
ated than were actually necessary, and that every officer should
earn his salary, the burdens of taxation would have been very
much lighter on our people, and our public debt would now be
very much less than it is.
Before closing this chapter, I desire to call attention to the
magnificent gifts the Congress of the United States conferred on
Idaho in the act admitting her into the Union of States, in the
way of public lands for different purposes. They are as follows:
For scientific schools 100,000 acres
State Normal schools 100,000 acres
Support and maintenance of Insane Asylum 100,000 acres
Charitable, educational and reformatory institutes. . .100,000 acres
State University 50,000 acres
Support and maintenance of Penitentiary 50,000 acres
Agricultural College 90,000 acres
Capitol Building 32,000 acres
University purposes, act of 1881 46,080 acres
In addition to the above, Congress has given to the State of
Idaho for public school purposes two sections of land in each town-
ship of thirty-six sections, amounting in this last gift to one-eigh-
teenth of all the land in the State. Reduced to acres, it amounts to
about 3,000,000 acres. True, the greater portion is in the moun-
tains, but it will all be valuable in time to create an irreducible
fund to educate future generations.
In addition to the above, Congress gave to Idaho the United
States Penitentiary with its equipment and one hundred and sixty
acres of land connected therewith.
CHAPTER LVII.
NAMES OF GOVERNORS, SECRETARIES,, FEDERAL JUDGES, U. 8. ATTOR-
NEYS, U. S. MARSHALS AND TERRITORIAL OFFICERS
DURING TERRITORIAL DAYS.
The reader will remember that during our Territorial days the
President of the United States had power with the advice and con-
sent of the United States Senate to appoint the following officers
for the Territory: Governor, Secretary, Judges, U. S. Attorney,
and the U. S. Marshal. Idaho certainly had her full share of these
appointments, both in number and variety. Several of those ap-
pointed governors never came to Idaho, some would come and stay
a short time and go away on leave of absence, remaining away
most of the time, not forgetting to draw their pay but leaving the
duties of the office to be performed by the Secretary of the Ter-
ritory. Fortunately the Secretary was usually more agreeable to
the people than the Governors. The names of the Governors ap-
pointed for Idaho with the date of appointment are as follows:
William H. Wallace appointed March 10, 1863
Caleb Lyons appointed February 26, 1864
David W. Ballard appointed April 10, 1866
Samuel Bard (never came) appointed March 30, 1870
Gilman Marston (never came) appointed June 7, 1 870
Alex. H. Connor (never came) appointed January 12, 1871
Thos. M. Bowen (stayed one week) appointed April 19, 1871
Thos. W. Bennett appointed October 24, 1871
D. P. Thompson. appointed March 16, 1875
Mason Brayman appointed July 24, 1876
John P. Hoyt (never came) appointed August 7, 1878
John B. Neil appointed July 12, 1880
John R. Irwin appointed March 2, 1883
Wm. M. Bunn appointed March 26, 1884
E. A. Stevenson (first resident) appointed September 29, 1885
Geo. L. Shoup (second resident) appointed April 1, 1889
TERRITORIAL SECRETARIES.
Wm. Daniels appointed March 10, 1863
C. DeWitt Smith appointed July 4, 1864
H. C. Gilson (skipped with funds) . . .appointed September 4, 1865
S. R. Hewlett appointed July 26, 1866
E. J. Curtis. appointed May 4, 1869
TERRITORIAL OFFICERS 289
E. J. Curtis appointed February 5, 1874
R. A. Sidebotham appointed April 29, 1878
Theodore F. Singiser appointed December 22, 1880
Edward L. Curtis appointed March 3, 1883
D. P. B. Pride appointed July 2, 1884
E. J. Curtis appointed February 12, 1885
E. J. Curtis appointed February 12, 1889
Idaho was divided, during her Territorial existence, into three
judicial districts. The President appointed a Judge for each of
these districts, and these three District Judges constituted the Su-
preme Court of the Territory. One of these judges was always
designated as the Chief Justice, and he was the presiding officer
of the Court when they met once a year as a Supreme Court.
The other two were the associate justices. The following are the
names of the Chief Justices appointed by the President:
Sidney Edgerton appointed March 10, 1863
Silas Woodson appointed July 26, 1864
John R. McBride appointed February 28, 1865
Thos. J. Bowers appointed July 18, 1868
David Noggle appointed April 9, 1869
M. E. Hollister appointed January 14, 1875
Wm. G. Thompson appointed January 13, 1879
J. T. Morgan appointed June 10, 1879
J. B. Hays appointed August 14, 1885
H. W. Weir appointed September 29, 1888
James H. Beatty appointed May — , 1889
ASSOCIATE JUSTICES.
A. C. Smith appointed March 10, 1863
S. C. Parks appointed March 10, 1863
Milton Kelley appointed April 17, 1865
John Cummins appointed May 29, 1866
R. T. Miller appointed July 1, 1868
J. R. Lewis appointed April 15, 1869
Wm. C. Whitson appointed July 12, 1870
M. E. Hollister appointed March 20, 1871
John Clark appointed January 14, 1875
H. E. Prickett appointed January 19, 1876
Norman Buck appointed January 27, 1880
Case Broderick appointed May 1, 1884
John Lee Logan appointed May 18, 1888
C. H. Barry appointed August 13, 1888
Willis Sweet appointed 1889
His— 19
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
CLERKS OF THE SUPREME COURT.
A. L. Downer appointed June 9, 1864
Wm. J. Young appointed March 31, 1866
Sol. Hasbrouck appointed March 1, 1868
Don. Noggle appointed July 5, 1869
Thos. Donaldson appointed May 11, 1871
Wm. D. Hughes appointed January 4, 1872
E. C. Sterling appointed February 4, 1872
A. L. Richardson appointed March 26, 1872
S. H. Hays . appointed 1 889
Sol. Hasbrouck appointed March 10, 1890
UNITED STATES MARSHALS.
D. S. Payne appointed March 13, 1863
J. H. Alvord appointed April 17, 1865
H. W. Molton appointed 1869
Joseph Pinkham appointed March 25, 1870
E. S. Chase appointed May 10, 1878
F. T. Dubois appointed September 4, 1882
Ezra Baird appointed September — , 1886
U. S. ATTORNEYS.
G. C. Hough appointed February 29, 1864
A. Huggan appointed 1868
J. W. Huston appointed April, 1869
Norman Buck appointed May, 1878
James R. Butler appointed May, 1880
W. R. White appointed May, 1881
James H. Hawley appointed May, 1885
DELEGATES TO CONGRESS.
W. H. Wallace. unexpired term, January 4, 1864, to March 4, 1865
E. D. Holbrook, two years March 4, 1865, to March 4, 1867
E. D. Holbrook, two years March 4, 1867, to March 4, 1869
J. K. Shafer, two years March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1871
S. A. Merritt, two years March 4, 1871, to March 4, 1873
John Hailey, two years March 4, 1873, to March 4, 1875
S. S. Fenn, two years March 4, 1875, to March 4, 1877
S. S. Fenn, two years March 4, 1877, to March 4, 1879
George Ainslie, two years March 4, 1879, to March 4, 1881
George Ainslie, two years March 4, 1881, to March 4, 1883
T. F. Singiser, two years March 4, 1883, to March 4, 1885
John Hailey, two years March 4, 1885, to March 4, 1887
F. T. Dubois, two years March 4, 1887, to March 4, 1889
F. T. Dubois, two years March 4, 1889, until statehood
TERRITORIAL OFFICERS 291
The names of the Territorial officers appointed by the Governor
by and with the advice and consent of the legislative council are
as follows:
AUDITOR.
John M. Bacon appointed July 23, 1863
B. F. Lamkin appointed September 23, 1863
B. F. Lamkin appointed February 6, 1864
B. F. Lamkin appointed December 23, 1864
H B. Lane appointed January 27, 1867
(Name of office changed to Comptroller and Superintendent
of Schools.)
Wm. R. Bishop appointed May 14, 1867
Daniel Cram appointed January 1, 1868
Daniel Cram appointed January 16, 1869
Daniel Cram appointed January 16, 1871
Daniel Cram appointed January 7, 1873
Joseph Perrault appointed January 15, 1875
Joseph Perrault appointed January 15, 1877
James L. Onderdonk appointed February 14, 1881
James L. Onderdonk appointed February 14, 1883
S. W. Moody appointed February 7, 1885
J. H. Wickersham appointed February 11, 1887
J. H. Wickersham appointed February 8, 1889
NAMES OF TERRITORIAL TREASURERS.
D. S. Kenyon appointed September 7, 1863
D. S. Kenyon appointed February 8, 1864
Ephriam Smith appointed May, 1864
E. C. Sterling appointed January 7, 1867
E. C. Sterling appointed January 16, 1869
J. S. Gray appointed January 16, 1871
John Huntoon appointed February 16, 1872
John Huntoon appointed January 7, 1 873
John Huntoon appointed January 15, 1875
John Huntoon appointed January 15, 1877
John Huntoon appointed January 15, 1879
John Huntoon appointed January 15, 1883
Joseph Perrault appointed February 12, 1885
Charles Himrod appointed February 12, 1887
Charles Himrod appointed February 8, 1889
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
J. R. Chittenden appointed December 23, 1864
W. R. Bishop appointed July 25, 1866
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
(From 1867 to 1887 this position was consolidated with that
of Comptroller.)
S. W. Moody appointed February 11, 1887
C. C. Stevenson appointed February 11, 1899
ATTORNEY-GENERALS.
D. P. B. Pride appointed February 7, 1885
R. Z. Johnson appointed February 5, 1887
R. Z. Johnson appointed February, 1889
(This office was not created until 1885.)
SURVEYOR-GENERALS.
LaFayette Cartee appointed August 13, 1866
LaFayette Cartee appointed 1869
LaFayette Cartee appointed April, 1873
Wm. P. Chandler appointed 1878
Wm. P. Chandler appointed 1881
J. W. Straughn appointed 1885
W. H. Pettet appointed 1889
We have given the names of several of these federal officers in
another chapter, but have concluded to give them all here for a
convenient reference.
CHAPTER LVIII.
INTERESTING ITEMS TAKEN FROM THE BOISE NEWS OF 1863 AND 1864,
A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED AT IDAHO CITY BY T. J. AND J. S.
BUTLER THE FIRST PAPER PUBLISHED IN THE
SOUTHERN PORTION OF IDAHO TERRITORY.
"PROCLAMATION."
"By the Governor of the Territory of Idaho:
"Whereas, by the 15th Section of the Act of Congress approved
March 3, 1863, to provide a temporary government for the Terri-
tory of Idaho, until otherwise provided by law, the Governor of
said Territory may define the judicial districts of said Territory,
and assign the judges who may be appointed for said Territory to
the said districts, and also appoint the time and places for holding
courts in the several counties and subdivisions of each of said judi-
cial districts by proclamation to be issued by him;
"Now, therefore, be it known that I, William H. Wallace, Gov-
ernor of the Territory of Idaho, by virtue of the authority vested
in me by said act do define the judicial districts as follows:
"For the First district, the Counties of Idaho, Nez Perce and Sho-
shone; for the Second district, the County of Boise; for the Third
district, the County of Missoula and the country east of the Rocky
Mountains.
"Courts to be holden in the First district for the County of
Idaho at Florence on the first Monday in February, 1864; for the
County of Nez Perce at Lewiston, on the third Monday in Febru-
ary, 1864; for the County of Shoshone at Pierce City, on the first
day of March, 1864; in the Second district, for the County of
Boise at Bannock City (now Idaho City) on the second Monday
of February, 1864; in the Third district for the County of Mis-
soula, at Hell Gate, on the second Monday in February, 1864; in
the country east of the Rocky Mountains at Bannock City (east)
on the second Monday of March, 1864.
"The Judges will be assigned as follows:
"To the First district, Judge A. C. Smith ; to the Second district,
Judge Samuel C. Parks; to the Third district, Judge Sidney Ed-
gerton.
"Given under my hand at Lewiston, this, the eighteenth day of
November, 1863.
(Signed) W. H. WALLACE.
B. DANIELS, Secretary I. T."
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
On account of the murder of Lloyd Magruder, a special term
of court was held at Lewiston in January, 1864, by Judge Samuel
C. Parks, to try the Magruder murderers.
From the Boise News, December 26, 1863, we take the following:
"Justice Walker fined himself five dollars on Thursday morning
for becoming angry in court and swearing at an attorney."
We copy the following from the Boise News of December 26,
1863, published at Bannock City (now Idaho City), giving the
prices of groceries, dry goods, etc.:
"Corrected weekly by Higbee & Company, dealers in general
merchandise, groceries and provisions, corner (Main and Wall
Street, Bannock City.
"Prices Current:
N. B. The prices stated for produce are the buying prices; for
groceries and general merchandise, the selling prices.
"Groceries and Produce:
Butter, per Ib $1.25
Potatoes 25 to 30c
Green Apples 50c
Dried Apples 50 to 55c
Dried Peaches 65 to 75c
Shoulders 60c
Chickens, per doz $36.00
Eggs, per doz 2.00
Ham, per Ib 75c
Soap, per Ib 40 to 50c
Lard, per Ib 70 to 80c
Salt, per Ib 35 to 40c
Beef, on foot, per Ib 12%c
Side Bacon, per Ib 60 to 70c
Syrup, per gallon $5 to $6
Tea per Ib $1.50 to $2
Flour per 100 Ibs 33 to $36
Onions, per Ib 25 to 30c
Rice, per Ib 50c
Sugar, per Ib 50 to 70c
Coffee, per Ib 70 to 75c
Candles, per Ib $1.00
Tobacco, Nat. Leaf, per Ib 1.60 to $2.25
Tobacco, sweet, per Ib 1.30 to $1.50
Beans, per Ib 40 to 45c
Nails, cut, per Ib 40 to 50c
INTERESTING NEWSPAPER ITEMS 296
Clothing:
Women's Kip Boots $30.00
Women's Calf, per pair 6.00
Men's Kip Boots, per pair 9-00
Men's Brogan Shoes, per pair 3.50
Men's Calf Boots 12.00
Woolen Drawers, per pair $1.50 to $2.00
Red Drawers, per pair $2.50 to $3.00
Men's Quilted Brogans $3.50
Gum Boots, long legs $12.00
Gum Boots, short legs 11.00
Men's Cavalry Boots $12.00 to $15.00
Men's Boots, long gr $10.00
Cal. best Blankets $16.00
Salem Blankets $13.00 to $15.00
Oregon Socks, per doz $9-00
Best Cal. Wool Shirts $3.00 to $4.00
Buck Gloves, per doz $18.00 to $30,00
Red Undershirts, per doz $30.00 to $36.00
Wines and Liquors:
Best Champagne, per doz $48.00
Best Champagne, per case 96.00
Cal. Wine, per case 24.00
Claret Wine, per case 24.00
Sherry, per gal. in wood 7.00
Port, per gal. in wood 7.00
Schnaps, per case 24.00
Bakers Bitters, per case $24.00 to $30.00
Bakers Bitters, per case $24.00 to $30.00
Goddard Brandy, per g $10.00
Juler R. & O. per g $10.00
Pelivosin & Silt, per g $6.00 to $7.00
Hermitage Whiskey, per g $7.00
Essence of Old Va., per g $7.00
Magnolia, per g $6.00 to $6.50
Eureka Whiskey $6.00
Cutler Whiskey $7.50
Kerosene Oil, per gal $8.00 to $9.00
(The above prices were usually paid in gold dust at the rate of
$16.00 per ounce, when the real value of the gold dust was only
$14.50 to $15.00 per ounce.)
From the Boise News, Idaho City, Idaho, Saturday, February 27,
1864:
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
"The first term of the district court in and for Boise County
convened here last Tuesday, the 23rd inst., Hon. Samuel C. Parks
presiding. This county having more population at that time than
the balance of the territory, and never having had a term of court
held in the county, there was a large number of civil and criminal
cases on the docket.
"The first order of the court was the issuance of a venire return-
able on Thursday morning, the 25th, for thirty-six persons pos-
sessing the qualifications of jurors.
"The next matter taken up was the examination of the certifi-
cates of attorneys. The following gentlemen having shown to the
court that they had been admitted in other states and territories,
after taking the oath of allegiance prescribed by statutes, were
enrolled as members of the bar as follows :
"Geo. C. Hough, J. K. Shaffer, Edward Nugent, Geo. I. Gilbert,
H. L. Preston, John S. Gray, A. Heed, John Cummins, Daniel Mc-
Laughlin, Frank Miller, I. N. Smith, R. B. Snelling, Geo. Ainslie,
E. D. Holbrook, C. B. Wait, V. S. Anderson, J. S. Hascall, W. C.
Rheem, W. R. Kethly, R. A. Pierce, J. J. Morland, H. W. O.
Margary and Joseph Miller.
As there was no other business before the court for that day, the
Judge stated that he felt it his duty to make a few remarks, which
were as follows:
"Gentleman of the Bar: — Before proceeding with the regular
business of the term, I owe it to myself, to you and to the people
of this county to make a few remarks. The position of a Judge of
the second judicial district was not sought by me. In saying this,
I do not say that the position is not an honorable one. On the con-
trary, it is one of which an abler man than I am might well be proud.
But it was my desire and expectation, and I believed it was yours,
that the Chief Justice of this Territory should be assigned to this
district. There is in this part of the Territory far more population
and legal business than in either of the other two districts. There
are many cases here involving character, liberty and life; there are
others here on which depend large pecuniary interest. It is doubt-
ful whether any court in so new a country ever needed more ability,
integrity and experience.
"This district properly belongs to Judge Edgerton, not only
from his position as Chief Justice, but from his high moral and offi-
cial character, and his large experience. But circumstances rendered
it inconvenient, if not impossible, for him to be here; while the
pressure of business in your court, the crowded state of your jail,
and the natural impatience of your people made it necessary that a
INTERESTING NEWSPAPER ITEMS 297
court should be held at as early day as possible. Under these cir-
cumstances, Governor Wallace assigned this district to me. I con-
sented to the arrangement reluctantly, and with a deep sense of the
responsibility it devolved upon me. To some, and perhaps to a con-
siderable extent, the property, the liberty and the lives of many
men depend upon my action in this court. I do not think that any
Judge can always decide aright; I know that I can not. All that I
promise is that to the best of my ability I will discharge the duties
incumbent upon me, and by so doing strive to secure the confidence
of the Bar and of the people. And from my acquaintance for some
months past with some of your numbers, and the cordial greeting
you have extended to me on my arrival among you, and the uniform
courtesy with which you have treated me since, I feel confident I
shall have your assistance in the effort to make this court a means
of suppressing disorder and wrong, and promoting good morals,
harmony and peace.
"Whatever popular prejudice there may be against the profession
of the law, it is a useful and noble one calculated, when properly
pursued, to expand and elevate the mind and heart, and has fur-
nished many of the loftiest intellects and purest characters that
have adorned the history of our race. Associated in fraternal re-
lations with the members of such a profession here, I cannat doubt
that I shall find them in the conduct of the business of this court
devoted to the real and substantial interest of their clients, and
not to technicality and free form ; relying for success not upon arti-
fice and fraud, but upon professional knowledge and skill — labor-
ing not to embarass but to assist the court.
"Amid the difficulity and embarassments of an untried position
of an unfamiliar practice and of heavy responsibility, I rely for
success much upon your assistance and generosity. In some degree
my reputation depends upon the result of this court; if it shall not
succeed, I am sure the fault will not be yours. Hoping that it may
not fail, and that the just expectation of the community may not be
disappointed, I enter upon the discharge of the duties of the office
assigned me.
Boise News, February 27, 1864: — Appointments of county offi-
cers. The following is a list of the officers sent in by the Governor
and confirmed by the council to hold the offices until the next gen-
eral election in Boise County.
"Sheriff, Summer Pinkham.
"Probate Judge, Daniel McLaughlin.
"County Commissioners, John C. Smith, Frank Moore, Henry I.
Crow.
898 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
"Auditor, Washington R. Underwood.
"Treasurer, Charles D. Vajen.
"Assessor, George Woodman.
"Justice of the Peace, Idaho City, Charles Walker.
"Justice of the Peace, Centerville, J. H. Johnson, C. W. Depuy.
"Justice of the Peace, Placerville, T. H. Stringham, Chas. Wood-
bury.
"Justice of the Peace, Boise City, Daniel S. Holton.
"Notary Publics, John Cummins, Henry C. Anderson, George I.
Gilbert, C. J. Fitzgerald.
"Constable, Idaho City, John G. Howell.
"Constable, Centerville, Edward Thore.
"District Attorney for 2d district, Geo. C. Hough."
Rates charged by Wells Fargo & Company's Express from Boise
Basin to San Francisco and intermediate points in 1864; taken from
their advertisement in the Boise News of May 21, 1864:
"Rates from Idaho City, Placerville, Centerville and Pioneer City
will be as follows:
To San Francisco $1000.00 or over, insured 4^2 Per cent
Under $1000.00, insured 5% per cent
To Portland, $1000.00 or over, insured 3% per cent
Under $1000.00, insured 4% per cent
To The Dalles, $1000.00, or over, insured 3l/2 per cent
Under $1000.00, insured 4 per cent
Umatilla, $1000.00, or over, insured 314 per cent
Under $1000.00, insured . . 4 per cent
Walla Walla, $1000.00, or over, insured 3 per cent
Under $1000.00, insured 3% per cent
LaGrande, insured 2^/2 per cent
Auburn, insured 2% per cent
(Signed) Wells Fargo & Company.
J. J. Smith, Agent.
"Boise News, published every Saturday evening by T. J. and
J. S. Butler, Editors and Proprietors. Terms invariably in advance.
Rates of Subscription:
One Year $12.00
Six months 7.00
Three months 4.00
Single copies .50
Rates of Advertising:
For one insertion, one square $5.00
One square (10 lines or less) 4 insertions 8.00
INTERESTING NEWSPAPER ITEMS 299
"All advertisements of half column or more will be inserted by
special contract.
"Advertisement to insure insertion must be handed in as early
as Monday, and the number of insertions noted on the margin."
Taken from the Boise News, published at Idaho City, Saturday
January 23, 1864.
CHAPTER LIX.
ITEMS TAKEN FROM THE IDAHO TRI-WEEKLY STATESMAN IN THE
SIXTIES.
Boise City, Thursday, September 15, 1864. James S. Reynolds &
Co., Proprietors.
Terms of Subscription:
copy one week, payable to carrier $ 1.00
copy one month by mail or express 3.00
copy 3 months by mail or express 6.00
copy 6 months by mail or express 10.00
copy one year by mail 20.00
Agents supplied on liberal terms.
Terms invariable in advance.
Rates of Advertising:
1 square, (10 lines or less) 1 insertion $ 3.00
1 square, 2 insertions 4.00
1 square, one week 5.00
1 square, one month 10.00
1 square, two months 15.00
1 square, three months 20.00
1 square, six months 30.00
y± column, 1 insertion 5.00
34 column, 1 week 10.00
14 column, 1 month 15.00
% column, 3 months 30.00
i/4 column 6 months 50.00
1/2 column, 1 insertion 8.00
1/2 column, 1 week 1 5.00
% column, 1 month 25.00
1/2 column, 3 months 60.00
1/2 column, 6 months 90.00
column, 1 insertion 15.00
column, 1 week 30.00
column, 1 month 45.00
column, 3 months 90.00
column, 6 months 150.00
Transient advertisements to insure insertion must be paid for
in advance.
ITEMS FROM STATESMAN SOI
Special notices charged for at the rate of one dollar a line,
each insertion.
Office corner of Main and Sixth Streets."
From Idaho Statesman of September 15, 1864:
"Personal. — Governor Wallace (now delegate to Congress) and
his lady arrived in town last Tuesday and put up at the Iowa
House. The Governor started for Owyhee yesterday morning,
whence he will return in a few days and address his constituents
at this place. Notice will be given. Col. Drew also started back to
join his command."
From Idaho Statesman of October 8th, 1864:
"Governor Lyons arrived at the Fort late last evening. He was
greeted by the firing of cannon. We have not had a chance to
take him by the hand, but shall today and bid him a hearty wel-
come."
From Idaho Statesman, October 19, 1865:
"Several of our hotels have raised the price from twelve to four-
teen dollars per week for board. The next fluctuation in the price
of flour will very likely produce another change. They are fre-
quent."
From the Idaho Statesman:
First National Bank of Idaho, Boise, I. T.
Authorized capital, $500,000.00, with circulation. Paid up capi-
tal, $100,000.00.
Organized March 11, 1867, under act of Congress, approved
June 3rd, 1864.
(Signed) B. M. DuRell, President.
(Signed) C. W. Moore, Cashier.
Correspondents and Agents:
National Bank of North American, New York City.
National Bank of Commerce, Boston, Mass.
Union National Bank, Philadelphia, Pa.
First National Bank of St. Louis, St. Louis, Mo.
Bank of California, San Francisco, Cal.
Ladd & Tilton, Portland, Oregon.
B. M. DuRell & Co., Idaho City, Idaho.
DuRell & Moore, Silver City, Idaho.
(This bank is still in existence on a large scale in Boise, and C.
W. Moore is the President.)
From the Idaho Statesman, March 9, 1867:
"The latest information from General Crook is that he is on his
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
way to Harney Lake. He had gobbled a few Bucks on the way,
but had not had any important engagement. He expects to find In-
dians more plenty at the point of destination."
From the Idaho Statesman, March 14th, 1867:
"Special Notice: — -Fire Company. — There will be a meeting of
the citizens of Boise City held at the Court House on Friday even-
ing at 7 o'clock for the purpose of organizing a Hook and Ladder
Company. A general attendance is desired."
From the Idaho Statesman, March 30, 1867:
"General Cartee intends to start next week to look for a proper
initial point from which to commence the public surveys."
(This was the beginning of the surveys of Idaho.)
From Idaho tri-weekly Statesman, July 27, 1867, Jas. S. Rey-
nolds, Editor. Volume IV:
"Today the Statesman commences the fourth year of its publica-
tion. Three years ago we issued the first number of the tri-weekly
with no U. S. mail running nearer Boise City than Umatilla in Ore-
gon, and no express except a pony which was run between Humbolt
and Idaho City by the lamented McCommons, who afterwards lost
his life by the Indians. The prospects did not look very encour-
aging to start a newspaper of any kind in Boise City at that time,
and every one predicted that the Statesman would fail in three
months. It has, however, made its tri-weekly appearance ever since.
In a few weeks after its first appearance, Wells, Fargo & Co., es-
tablished an office here for their express, and Ben Holliday com-
menced the regular trips of his overland stage from Salt Lake to
Umatilla.The placer mines of Idaho were then in their period of
highest productiveness, and all manner of excitement ran at the
very highest speed. Speculations were abundant and further hopes
looked as big as continents. They have not in every instance been
realized. The metaliferous veins of quartz just begun to be dis-
covered, and their extreme richness promised such great develop-
ments that Idaho was looked upon as the richest spot on earth and
the place to secure the largest fortune in the shortest space of
time. The development and progress of the country has been very
much slower than was then anticipated. We all expected before
this time to see twenty quartz mills in successful operation, where
there is one now. And this is the chief and about the only disap-
pointment there is to note. Various causes have contributed to re-
tard the development of the quartz mines of Idaho. They cannot
be enumerated here, but we will say in candor and earnestness that
no man whose opinion is worth anything and who knows anything
ITEMS FROM STATESMAN SOS
about the subject, but is now convinced that our mines are richer
and more numerous than they were ever before believed to be. Our
mines are as good, yes, many of them are far better than was dream-
ed of three years ago; but there have been less capital and labor
intelligently expended in making them productive than we hoped
to see. During these three years some important changes have tak-
en place in Idaho. Like all placer mines, ours are beginning to show
signs of wearing out. There is consequently not the same periodical
rush in the spring that there was then. Nearly all the loose and mi-
gratory population has drifted away and left the country possessed
of only permanent settlers. Then every article of consumption was
brought from Oregon or California. Now the valley produces enough
for home consumption. The price of oats and barley has been re-
duced from 18 and 20 cents per pound to 8 cents per pound, and
all other farm produce in proportion. The price of lumber is re-
duced from one hundred dollars per one thousand feet to forty
dollars, and the cost of living, more than one-half. Boise City, from
being no place at all, has grown to be the most important in the
territory, and will soon number the largest population. Six lines
of stages on four different routes arrive and depart each day.
Another one if not two more will shortly be added to this number.
Wells, Fargo & Co. dispatch daily their express in four directions
and thirty different U. S. mails arrive and depart each week. It
has already become the central point of business, and more improve-
ments are now going on than at any previous time. Three years ago
the Boise and Payette valleys were just being settled by the first
squatters that took possession. The Boise valley is now almost one
continuous field for fifty miles in length on both sides of the river,
dotted every now and then with orchards just beginning to bear
their first specimen fruits.
"The capabilities of soil and climate have been so far tested as
to establish our independence of foreign produce in the future. A
few companies have failed in mining, but not until they had de-
veloped and established the fact that it is useless to seek elsewhere
for richer mines; while many more are slowly opening their mines
and surely laying the foundation for fortunes. All things consid-
ered, Idaho Territory was never at any time really so prosperous
as at the present time. The general decline of business consequent
upon the wearing out of the placer mines, was looked for by every
sensible man. But the growth of quartz interests has not equalled
expectation.
"We begin, however, our fourth year's work in Idaho as cheer-
fully as we did the first, and with greater assurance that the
Statesman will continue to make its appearance as heretofore. We
304 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
propose making no promises for the future except this: That the
Statesman is a fixed institution and that we shall continue to en-
courage as well as we are able, but without exaggeration, every
material interest in the Territory. The support we receive in the
circulation of the paper and its advertising patronage are suffi-
cient evidence to us that we have in a good degree met the expec-
tations of the people/'
(We have copied the above from the pen of James S. Reynolds,
because it gives a fair statement of the condition of things in gen-
eral in southern Idaho at that time. Mr. Reynolds passed away
some years ago, but his writings are still with us. May he rest in
peace !)
From the Idaho Statesman, November 14, 1867. (Written by
Jas. S. Reynolds, Editor.)
"For Brothers and Sisters: Family intimacies should never make
brothers and sisters forget to be polite and sympathetic to each
other. Those who contract thoughtless habits towards the mem-
bers of their own family will be rude and thoughtless to all the
world. But let the family intercourse be true, tender and affec-
tionate and the manners of all be uniformly genteel and consider-
ate, and the members of the family thus trained will carry into
the world and society the habits of their childhood. They will re-
quire in their associates similar qualities. They will not be satis-
fied without mutual esteem, and the cultivation of the best affec-
tions and their own character will be sustained by that faith in
goodness which belongs to a mind exercised in pure and high
thoughts."
CHAPTER LX.
CREATION AND ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES IN IDAHO AREA OF LAND
IN ACRES IN EACH COUNTY SURVEYED AND UNSURVEYED
MILITARY, INDIAN AND FOREST RESERVATIONS AND
AREA OF LAKES UP TO DECEMBER, 1907.
Before the passage of the act of Congress creating the Territory
of Idaho, approved March 3, 1863, the legislature of Washington
territory had by legislative enactment created four counties in that
portion of Idaho taken from Washington Territory, viz., Shoshone,
Nez Perce, Idaho and Boise counties. The last three counties nam-
ed had organized and had their county governments in operation.
The first county created by act of the first session was Owyhee
county. It embraced all territory south of Snake river and west of
the Rocky Mountains. Approved Dec. 31st, 1863. The second was
Oneida, out of the eastern portion of Owyhee county. Act of Jan.
22, 1864. (p. 625.) At this first session of the territorial legislature
of Idaho, an act was passed re-bounding and organizing these
same four counties that had been created by act of the Washington
territory legislature, without any apparent change, viz., Nez Perce,
Shoshone, Idaho and Boise counties. In the same act the counties
of Alturas and Owyhee were organized and Owyhee county was re-
bounded, thus creating and authorizing the organization of six
counties in one act, which act was approved February 4th, 1864.
(See pp. 628 to 630, inclusive, 1st Session laws.)
Ada county was created out of the southern and western portion
of Boise county by legislative act at the 2nd session. Approved Dec.
22, 1864. (See p. 430, 2nd Session laws.)
Latah and Kootenai counties were created out of the north-west-
ern portion of Idaho by legislative act at the second session. Ap-
proved December 22, 1864. (See p. 432, 2nd Session Laws.) These
counties did not organize for several years later, but remained and
acted as a part of Nez Perce until organized, of which mention will
be made later.
Lemhi county was created out of the southeastern part of Idaho
county and was organized in 1869 under an act passed at the fifth
session of the legislature, approved January 9> 1869. All of these
nine counties have been spoken of before in Chapter 20.
The next county created was Bear Lake, which was created out
of the southeastern portion of Oneida county by an act passed at
Hfe-20
306 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the eighth session of the legislature and approved January 5th,
1875.
Washington county was created out of the northwestern portion
of Ada county by an act passed at the 10th session of the legisla-
ture, approved February 20th, 1879.
Cassia county was created out of the eastern portion of Owyhee
county and the western portion of Oneida, by act of the 10th ses-
sion, approved February 20th, 1879-
Custer county was created out of a portion of the northeastern
part of Alturas county and the western portion of Lemhi county, by
legislative act passed at the llth session, and approved January 8,
1881.
Kootenai county, of which we have spoken, appears to have or-
ganized and put her county government into operation in 1881, un-
der the old creative act of Dec. 22nd, 1864.
Latah county appears to have organized and put her county gov-
ernment into operation in 1 883, under the old creative act of Decem-
ber 22nd, 1864.
Bingham county was created out of the northern and eastern por-
tions of Oneida county by act of the ISth session of the legislature,
approved January 13, 1885.
Elmore county was created out of the Southwestern portion of
Alturas county by an act of the 15th session of the territorial leg-
islature, approved February 7, 1889.
Logan county was by the same act created out of the southern
part of Alturas county.
Canyon county was created out of the southwestern portion of
Ada county by act of the first state legislature, approved March 7,
1891.
Fremont county was created out of the northern portion of Bing-
ham county by act of the 2nd session of the state legislature, ap-
proved March 4, 1893.
Bannock county was created out of the southern portion of Bing-
ham county at the same session. The act was approved March 6th,
1893.
These compose all the counties in Idaho up to January 1, 1907,
except that the boundary lines and the names of Alturas and Lo-
gan counties were changed at the 3rd session of the state legisla-
ture in 1895. The name of Alturas was changed to that of Blame,
and the name of Logan, to that of Lincoln. I shall not give any
statement of the different kinds of legislation and litigation had
over the territory embraced in these two last named counties, cover-
ing a period of about nine years, involving great expense, unrest
and some bad feeling. After this, Alturas county will be dropped,
CREATION OF COUNTIES 307
and Elaine county will take its place, and Lincoln county will take
the place of Logan county in this and further writings.
Twin Falls county was created out of the western portion of Cas-
sia county by act of the 9th session of the state legislature approv-
ed Feb. 21, 1907.
Bonner county was created out of the northern portion of Koo-
tenai county, by act of the 9th session of the state legislature, ap-
proved February 21, 1907.
This completes the names and number, twenty-three, of counties
in Idaho on December 1, 1907. All of them have their county gov-
ernments in operation.
We are under obligations to U. S. Surveyor General, Ern C. Eag-
leson, for the following letter and table:
"Boise, Idaho, February 27, 1908.
"Mr. John Hailey,
Secretary Pioneer Special.
I enclose herewith a statement I had prepared on December 1,
1907, giving total areas of counties surveyed and unsurveyed, mili-
tary, Indian and forest reservations, as well as the lake area of
Idaho, also comparative diagrams taking the area of Delaware as
Unit and comparing the same with Indian and forest reservations,
surveyed and unsurveyed lands and the total area of the State.
"The areas given, I think, will be found absolutely correct for
all of the counties except Fremont and Lemhi. The returns of the
survey of the Idaho-Montana boundary along said counties were
not available at the time of making the above calculation. The to-
tals, however, in said counties will differ very little from the
above figures when the final calculations are made.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) Ern. C. Eagleson,
U. S. Surveyor General for Idaho.
808
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
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CHAPTER LXI.
EARLY SETTLERS IN IDAHO.
What might be called the first permanent settlement, made in
what is now Idaho, was made by the Rev. Henry Spaulding at
what is known as the Lapwai Agency on the Clearwater river,
twelve miles above where Lewiston now stands, in the year 1836.
True, a few Catholic priests had passed through the country but
none made settlement. Old Fort Hall was built in 1834 by Capt.
Nathalin Weyth, and old Fort Boise was built by the Hudson Bay
Trapping Company in 1835. But neither of these could be regarded
as permanent settlements as they were built solely for trading and
trapping stations. Mr. Spaulding, with his wife and a few other
Americans, built this Lapwai station in 1836 for a permanent set-
tlement for the purpose of civilizing, educating, and christinizing
the Nez Perce Indians. Mr. Spaulding succeeded so well in his un-
dertaking that this tribe of Indians gave but little trouble other than
the Joseph band which was in the northeastern portion of Oregon.
Mr. Spaulding succeeded in getting a small printing press at his
station from Honolulu, the first that we have any account of ever
having been brought to the northwest Pacific coast. He had school
books printed, also a part of the New Testament — the Gospel of
St. Matthew — printed in the Nez Perce Indian language, and some
books in the jargon language. This was soon learned by both In-
dians and whites. They could talk under standingly on almost any
subject. This language was almost universally used in conversation
between the whites and the Indians in Oregon and Washington Ter-
ritory for many years. Thousands of Indians who could not speak
or understand any of our English language soon learned to speak
the jargon fluently, so that they could talk with the whites under-
standingly. For the great sacrifice made and the noble work done
by the Rev. Spaulding and his wife, their memory should be revered
by all the people of Idaho. These good missionariese had to leave
their home mission in 1847 on account of the war waged by the Cay-
use Indians. They were escorted by Peter Ogden's men of the Hud-
son Bay Company safely to old Fort Wallula, at which place they
joined other white people and went down safely to Oregon City.
But the good work they did among the Nez Perce Indians had the
effect of keeping them at peace with the whites ever after.
The next permanent white American settler was Wm. Craig, who
310 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
appears to have come into the Nez Perce country from one of the
western states with his wife (who was a half-breed Indian woman)
in about the year 1842, and settled on a tract of land which was lat-
er within the boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian reservation. Mr.
Craig seemed to understand how to get along peacefully with the
Indians. He lived there for many years and until he died, often ren-
dered valuable service to the whites in the settlement and develop-
ment of that portion of the country in the early sixties.
The next attempted settlement was made by a small party of
Mormons in what is now a portion of Lemhi county in the eastern
portion of Idaho, in 1855. They built what was called old Lort
Lemhi and began the cultivation of some of the agricultural land
with the view of making permanent homes, but after some two
years stay, the Indians became so troublesome they were forced to
leave and return to Utah territory from whence they had come.
The next permanent settlement made in what is now Idaho ap-
pears to have been in and around where Lewiston now stands at the
junction of the Clearwater river with the Snake, in I860, and also
a few prospectors for gold mines in the southern portion of Sho-
shone county at the small mining camps later called Pierce City,
Orofino and Elk City. Placer gold having been discovered in these
small camps, quite a number came in I860, and more in 1861. In
1861, more extensive and richer placer mines were discovered fur-
there east in the mountains at a place called Florence, a few miles
from the Salmon river, now in Idaho county. There was a great rush
for these mines, several thousand people went in. A few did well,
while many were losers. This rush of people to the mining camps
gave the people and town of Lewiston quite a boost as Lewiston was
situated at the head of steamboat navigation on the Snake river.
There were quite a number of business houses erected there in 1862.
The material consisted principally of board sidings and canvas roofs.
In the summer of 1862, another placer mining camp was discovered
south of the Salmon river called Warrens which was not very rich
nor extensive. Late in the fall of 1862, more extensive and much
richer placer mines were discovered in what is known as Boise Ba-
sin in Boise county which attracted people from all over this coast.
The reader must bear in mind that when all these mines were dis-
covered and towns and settlements made, in what is now Idaho, up
to March 3, 1863, Idaho was a portion of Washington territory, and
the Territorial laws of Washington territory extended over us. A
few locations of farming land were made in the Boise and Payette
valleys prior to the year 1863.
On December 20, 1861, the Legislature of Washington territory
EARLY SETTLERS IN IDAHO 311
passed an act to "create and organize Idaho county," and on the
same day passed an act "to create and organize Nez Perce county,"
and on December 21, 1861, passed an act to "establish and define
the boundaries of Shoshone county." (See pages 3 and 4, Ninth Reg-
ular Session Laws, held at Olympia, W. T., 1861 and 1862.)
At their next session held in 1862 and 1863 they passed an act
"to create and organize Boise county." So at the time Idaho was
created by act of Congress, approved March 3, 1863, we had
three organized counties, viz., Nez Perce, Idaho and Boise, and the
boundary lines of Shoshone county established by law but no orga-
nization.
Soon after the approval of the act of Congress of March 3, 1863,
the President of the United States appointed a corps of territorial
officers for the territory of Idaho, towit: On March 10, 1863, Will-
iam H. Wallace, Governor, William B. Daniels, Secretary, Sidney
Edgerton, Chief Justice, Alex C. Smith and Samuel Parks, Associ-
ate Justices. Dolphus Payne was appointed U. S. Marshal on March
13, 1863. There does not appear to have been any person to accept
the position of U. S. Attorney until February 29, 1864, when George
C. Hough was appointed. Most of these officers were in the east
when appointed, and did not get out here for some considerable
time, owing to the long, slow and roundabout way. They had to
come by water from the east to the Pacific coast. We have no rec-
ord of the exact date of their arrival, but presume the Governor
arrived some time in the following July as his appointment of
John M. Bacon, Territorial Auditor, was made July 23, 1863.
Derrick S. Kenyon was appointed Territorial Treasurer Septem-
ber 7, 1863.
The delay of the Federal officials in getting to Idaho did not
stop the wild rush of people to the rich placer gold mines in
Boise Basin, situated in Boise County which had been discovered in
the fall of 1862. They came in large numbers, horseback and
afoot. A few made selections of agricultural lands and built
cabins thereon. Major Lugeanbeal with a detachment of U. S.
troops located the present military post, Fort Boise, early in
July, 1863. A few days later, Cyrus Jacobs, Thomas Davis, H. C.
Riggs and a few others laid out and started the present town of
Boise.
Section 4 of the act of Congress creating a territorial govern-
ment for Idaho, provides among other things "that the Governor,
previous to the first election, shall cause a census of enumeration
to be made of the voters and divide the territory into legislative
districts, apportion the numbers for each district, call an election,
818 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
canvass the returns, issue certificates of elections, name the place
for them to meet, etc."
The first election was called and held on October 31, 1863.
The time and place appointed and directed by the Governor for
the Legislature to meet was on the seventh day of December,
1863, at Lewiston.
CHAPTER LXII.
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF IDAHO.
This Society was created by act of the Ninth Session of the leg-
islature of the State of Idaho, approved March 12, 1907. The
act did not take effect until sixty days after the adjournment of
the session. The act provided for the taking over of the property
holdings of the Historical Society of Idaho Pioneers, a corporation
organized first on February 10th, 1881, when articles of incorpora-
tion were filed in the office of the Secretary of the Territory. In
1896 they re-incorporated and filed Articles of Re-Incorporation
with the Secretary of State on March 3rd.
The act of March 12th, 1907, provided, among other things,
that the Governor should appoint three trustees who should have
control of the property taken over from the old Pioneer Society,
to "manage and conserve the same for the use and benefit of the
State." The act also provided that the trustees should appoint a
Librarian to care for and keep this property on exhibition for the
benefit of the people. Other duties of the Librarian are set forth
in the act as follows:
"Section 2. — First, to collect books, maps, charts and other pap-
ers and materials illustrative of the history of this state in partic-
ular and generally of the northwest.
Second. To procure from pioneers narratives of their exploits,
perils and adventures.
Third. To procure facts and statements relative to the history,
progress and decay of the Indian tribes within the state.
Fourth. To collect and preserve fossils, specimens of ores and
mineral objects, curiosities connected with the history or other ma-
terial as will tend to facilitate historical, scientific and antiquar-
ian research.
Fifth. To bind, catalogue, and carefully preserve all unbound
books, manuscripts, pamphlets and especially newspaper files con-
taining legal notices, now in its possession or which it may here-
after receive.
Sixth. To biennially prepare for publication a report of its
collections and such other matters relating to the tranasactions of
the society as may be useful to the public.
Seventh. To keep its rooms open at reasonable hours on busi-
814 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
ness days for the reception of the citizens of this state and others
who may wish to visit the same."
The governor appointed Hon. James A. Pinney, Prof. H. L.
Talkington and Mrs. Leona Cartee as the Board of Trustees, and
designated the Senate Chamber in the Capitol building as a tem-
porary place for the Historical room.
The trustees appointed a Librarian, and on the 7th day of May,
1907, all of the property, relics, etc., taken over from the Pioneer
organization, were moved into the room named in the Capitol
building, by the librarian, and placed on exhibition. The room has
been kept open from 9. A. M. to 12 M., and from 1 :30 P. M. to 5
P. M. each business day for the public to inspect what we have.
Since the opening of this Historical Room, the librarian has ad-
ded to the small collection to commence with, quite a large num-
ber of interesting and instructive articles of various kinds, too
numerous to mention here, all of which the public is cordially in-
vited to come and see, free of charge.
We also tender our sincere thanks to all who have contributed
articles of various kinds to help build up and make this Historical
Room an interesting place for visitors, and we trust that the val-
uable assistance given to this institution in the way of contributions
in the past will be continued in the future.
The state furnishes a room in which to place articles on exhibi-
tion and pays the librarian to take care of the room and exhibits;
also pays incidental expenses of the office, including freight or
express charges on articles contributed and sent here from a dis-
tance. Inasmuch as this institution is supported by the state for the
especial benefit of the people, it is our earnest hope that the people
of Idaho will feel that they all have an interest in this Historical
exhibit, and that they all have a right to come and see, and that each
and every one has the privilege to and will contribute something to
help make this institution the pride of all the people of Idaho.
Each person is given credit for all he or she contributes.
JOHN HAILEY,
Librarian of State Historical Society.
CHAPTER LXIII.
THE STATUS OF THE DIFFERENT TRIBES OF INDIANS LOCATED IN THE
TERRITORY OF IDAHO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 1890.
We have already said a great deal about the wars and trouble
between the white people and the Indians. The last, as before
stated, ended in the capture and taking to Vancouver of a small
band of Renegades by United States troops in 1879.
The year before this, most of the Indians had settled down
on their respective reservations, and under instructions of the In-
dian agents had devoted at least a part of their time to agricultur-
al pursuits.
In our last Territorial Governor's report to the Secretary of the
Interior, the late Governor, Geo. L. Shoup, had taken great pains
to ascertain from the different Indian agents in Idaho, the status,
holdings and doings of the different tribes of Indians in Idaho
for the year 1889. Believing the Governor's report to be substan-
tially correct, I shall copy the statistical portion of his report from
each Indian xeservation.
NEZ PERCE INDIAN RESERVATION.
"This reservation contains nearly 750,000 acres. The allotment of
lands under the Severalty Act to the Indians is progressing satis-
factorily with but little opposition on the part of the Indians. The
land on this reservation is excellent, producing all kinds of grain,
and vegetables mature well with a large yield per acre without ir-
rigation. Some of the Indians have good orchards, producing a
variety of fine fruit.
"About 290 families of these Indians are engaged in farming
and cultivate about 6,000 acres.
"Population of Nez Perce Indians in 1889:
Male Indians 700
Female Indians 750
Total 1450
Wheat, oats and corn raised in 1889 47,000 bushels
Vegetables raised in 1889 9,500 bushels
A large amount of hay, beans, peas, turnips, squashes,
melons, etc., not reported.
Head
Horses on hand owned by Indians 14,000
816 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Cattle on hand owned by Indians 6,000
Hogs on hand owned by Indians 500
Fowls on hand owned by Indians 2,500
In addition to this they raised a few mules and sheep.
LEMHI RESERVATION.
This reservation is on the Lemhi river in Lemhi county. It has
an estimated area of 120,000 acres, most of which is mountainous
and rolling hills. This is a poor selection for an Indian reserva-
tion. Recommends these Indians be put on the Fort Hall reserva-
tion where they can have good homes.
Population of Indians in 1889:
Male Indians 524
Female Indians . ... . 265
Total 789
Wheat and oats raised 3,500 bushels
Vegetables raised 2,000 bushels
Hay raised 75 tons
Head
Horses and mules owned 3,003
Cattle owned 75
Fowls owned 20
Land cultivated 300 acres
FORT HALL INDIAN RESERVATION.
This reservation is the largest and perhaps the best in the Ter-
ritory. Its location is in Bannock County, and is occupied by the
Bannock and Shoshone Indians. It has an area of nearly 1,200,000
acres, nearly one-half of which is excellent farming land, with a
fine lot of grazing land on the low rolling hills.
Population of Indians in 1889:
Male Indians 785
Female Indians 808
Total 1593
Wheat, oats, barley and corn raised in 1889 8,975 bushels
Potatoes and other vegetables raised in 1889 1,990 bushels
A large number of melons raised in 1889
Hay raised in 1889 1,800 tons
Horses owned by Indians in 1889 6,140 head
Cattle owned by Indians in 1889 1,000 head
Hogs owned by Indians in 1889 50 head
Fowls owned by Indians in 1889 400 head
INDIAN TRIBES S17
Land cultivated by Indians in 1889 1,100 acres
COEUR D'ALENE INDIAN RESERVATION.
This reservation is situated in Kootenai County. It is estimated
to contain about 600,000 acres of land. It has some good agricul-
tural land, but the larger portion is mountainous with a consider-
able amount of timber. It is occupied by the Coeur d'Alene tribe
of Indians. Their number is:
Males in 1889 208
Females in 1889 215
Total 423
They cultivate 7,000 acres of land, and raised:
In 1889, wheat, oats, barley and corn 78,100 bushels
In 1889, vegetables 11,250 bushels
In 1889, hay 1,000 tons
They owned horses and mules 1,010 head
They owned cattle 300 head
They owned hogs 400 head
They owned fowls 600 head
These Indians all live in houses. They have most all adopted
the white man's custom of living, dressing, farming, education, etc.
KOOTENAI INDIAN RESERVATION.
The Kootenai Indians are a small tribe consisting of about 218
souls, who appear to have no permanent home or reservation. They
live in the northern part of Kootenai County along the Kootenai
River near the boundary line of the British possessions, and live by
hunting and fishing. They do not appear to have advanced much
in civilization.
DUCK VALLEY INDIAN RESERVATION.
This reservation is estimated to contain about 140,000 acres,
about one-half of which is situated in the southern portion of
Owyhee County, Idaho, and the other half in the northern portion
of Nevada, covering a part of the boundary line between Idaho
and Nevada with an agency established on that part located in
Nevada.
We have no census of the Indians on this reservation. It ap-
pears to be occupied by fractions of different tribes of Indians, in-
cluding some Shoshones, Bruneaus, Snakes and Digger Indians of
not a very high grade. As to how they are progressing or what
they own, I do not know.
Taken altogether, Indian affairs in Idaho at the beginning of
the year 1890 were in a fairly good condition, much better and
318 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
much more satisfactory than ever before. They were all peaceful
at this time, with every indication that they would remain at peace
with the whites in the future. Many of them had selected their
land for permanent homes under the Severalty Land Act, and
seemed to have abandoned their nomadic customs and settled down
to work to improve and cultivate their land with the view of mak-
ing permanent homes and an honest living. The younger ones were
making fairly good progress in education at the schools which were
kept and supported by the general government at the different
agencies. Taken all in all, the condition of Indian affairs in Idaho
at the beginning of the year 18QO was very satisfactory.
As to the increase or decrease of these Indians, I have no reliable
statistics ; but I am satisfied that most of these tribes have greatly
decreased since the organization of this Territory in 1863.
CHAPTER LXIV.
INTERESTING HISTORY FROM THE PEN OP JUD BOYAKIN, ONE OP
IDAHO'S PIONEER EDITORS.
A few evenings ago some old Idahoans met and,, with cigar
lighted, fell into a reminiscent mood, indulging in stories of early
days long past when these grizzled pioneers were young men with
smooth faces, and Idaho was a part of Washington Territory with
more Indians on its trails than white men. The conversation
turned on great Atlanta, which at this time is attracting so much at-
tention. The "Democrat" learned it was discovered in 1863 by a
party of prospectors who left Warren diggings on the 5th of July
that year for the purpose of prospecting on the upper tributaries
of the South Fork of the Salmon River, a region which at that
time had never been trodden by the foot of white man. The party
numbered twenty-three men, Frank R. Coffin being one of them
and the only one at this time known to be a resident of Idaho. All
of them had mined at Florence the previous year, a fabulously rich
placer camp, situated in a basin twelve miles from the main Sal-
mon. They were now going to look for a similar basin, which they
felt certain would be found in the wild and rugged mountains they
were going to explore. Nothing of value was discovered until
reaching Stanley Basin, named for Capt. John Stanley, the eld-
est man of the party. There they found gold on two different
gulches, but to work them involved the bringing of water a long
distance. The remoteness of the country from supplies and the
feeling of uneasiness on account of fresh Indian signs on their trail
made it inadvisable, if not impossible, for them to avail themselves
of what in after years proved to be a rich placer camp.
At Stanley the party divided and separated, thirteen under the
leadership of Joe Haines returned to Warren diggings. Attempt-
ing to go back by following the river, they got into deep canyons
where they had to abandon their horses, after killing some of them
for food. Enduring great hardships and losing one of their num-
ber by death, twelve out of the unlucky thirteen reached Warren.
The party of ten, consisting of Capt. Stanley, Barny Parke, Ed
Deeming, Jack Frowel, Ben Douglas, Dan Lake, Mat Gardner,
Frank Coffin, Lee Montgomery and one whose name has been
lost, left Stanley the same day the returning party did. As their
provisions were nearly gone, they hoped soon to find a pass
880 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
through the mountains that would lead them to Boise County, or
Bannock, as Idaho City was called at that time. They had gone
about fifteen miles over the old Indian trail east of Stanley, when
suddenly and unexpectedly they came onto a band of about sixty
Indians camped on a large creek. In the twinkling of an eye the
Indians disappeared in the tamarack timber beyond them. Here
was a poser that called for a council of war. Dropping back on
the trail behind the point that had brought them in view of the
Indians, the veteran Stanley was appealed to for advice, but alas !
he who had been through the fire of a scene of desperate Indian
battles, and bore on his weather-beaten frame the scars as unmis-
takable evidence of his courage, was no longer a leader. The old
man's nerve was gone. He begged and implored the party to turn
back on the trail and overtake the Haines company.
In a short time after the Indians vanished in the timber, seven
of them rode out in sight with superb grace and dignity and one
of them dismounted, divested himself of his blanket and accou-
trements, laid his riflle on the ground at his feet, and, raising his
open hand, made signs that he would like for one of the white
men to meet him unarmed on the open ground between the two
parties. Frank Coffin being an accomplished Chinook linguist,
was selected to meet the gallant brave. Observing the same for-
mality that his red brother had, he proceeeded to the ground
designated by the Indian for the talk. When they met the Indian
extended his hand, and with many assurances in poorly spoken
Chinook but very sxpressive sign-language, convinced Coffin that
his people did not want to fight. The representative of the white
men, in elegant Chinook and with much impressive gesture, as-
sured the red men that neither were his men on the war path,
but were gold hunters on the way to Boise County. The red am-
bassador was a splendid specimen of the North American savage,
young, graceful and supple as a leopard. On his way to Mon-
tana in 1867, Coffin met this Indian again on Wood River near
where the town of Bellevue now stands. The brave in his recog-
nition referred to Coffin's moustache, which had been added since
their meeting in 1863, and reminded his white friend that he
was no longer a papoose chief.
Proceeding a few miles along the trail from where they met
the Indians, they left it and bore directly for what appeared to
be a low pass over the range, but after floundering around
for two days in the timber and brush, they were confronted with
towering cliffs and lofty perpendicular mountain walls that barri-
caded their path. They had reached an elevation that enabled
them to see that they would have to return to the trail they had
DISCOVERY OF ATLANTA
left and travel further east before they could get over the range.
Retracing their steps they struck the trail not far from where they
had left it three days before.
Near where they came to the trail again, on a freshly blazed
tree, the adventurers read a history of their sensational meeting
with the Indians in a beautiful pictograph. It was about five
feet long and eighteen inches wide, and on its surface the artist
had done his work so well in red and black pigment that every
one of the ten men read it at once. On the upper end of the
blaze he had painted the figures of nine men and horses, repre-
senting the number the white men had, and their only dog. On
the lower end of the pictograph six mounted Indians and one
riderless horse appeared, not far from which the artist had painted
a rifle and the accoutrements of which the Indian had divested
himself. In the middle of the picture the two ambassadors were
represented with clasped hands. Between them and the figure
representing the white company, the artist had painted a miner's
pick, near which was an arrow pointing in the direction the white
men had gone. There was no mistaking the object of the picto-
graph; it was to advise their people passing that way that there
may be or had been a party of gold hunters in the country.
His-21
CHAPTER LXV.
The Lewiston Tribune received a copy of the Butte Inter-
Mountain, containing an account of the death of Pat Brice, the
hero of the Nez Perce war of 1877 and reference to whose death
was made in the Tribune yesterday morning. The Butte paper
publishes the story from Anaconda where Brice died of Bright's
disease and says:
"His story, one of the bravest recorded in the West, has been
told in prose and verse in many ways, but he was prevailed upon
to give it from his own lips two years ago to an Inter-Mountain
reporter. It is as follows and bears repeating:
"It was in June, 1877, that I started from Oregon to go to War-
ren's mining camp in Idaho following my pursuit of prospecting. I
had a saddle horse, gun and usual outfit. I had not heard of any
trouble with the Indians and therefore was taken completely by
surprise when, near the crossing of the Whitebird River, a band
of about twenty-five Nez Perces came upon me suddenly and made
me a prisoner.
"They took my horse and blankets and most of them wanted
to kill me on the spot, but an Indian I had met before interceded
in my behalf, telling them that I was a friend of his and had
never done them any harm. While they were discussing the di-
vision of my outfit, the Indian, whose name I shall never forget,
queer as it sounds, 'Moxmoose,' it was, told me of the decision
of the Nez Perces to go to their old home, and that they were on
the warpath; unless I could hide in the brush, the main body of
the tribe now only a mile away would surely kill me if I was found
in that section. Seizing an opportune moment I slipped away into
the brush as he had directed and lay quiet until darkness came on.
"I kept along the bed of the creek then in an effort to escape,
but I had gone but a few rods when I heard a child's voice sob-
bing and crying. I knew it was a white child as she kept calling
for her mama in English, so I made a search until I found her.
A little girl I should judge about six years of age, whose name I
learned was Maggie Manuel. From what she told me I thought
her people had been killed by the Indians. Her mother and an
infant at breast had been killed outright at the cabin and the
father was left for dead in the field by the hostiles, though he
STORY OF BRICE 323
was found and rescued by soldiers eleven days later, having sub-
sisted on raw turnips from the fields in spite of many wounds. He
died, however, some two years later of exposure and the injuries
received at the time.
"The child tried to escape from me at first, but when I talked
to her and assured her that I would take care of her she nestled
down in our hiding place and went to sleep. I thought the morn-
ing would never come as I tried to look out for danger known and
unknown. The sun rose at last and then I discovered that Mag-
gie's arm was broken and that she had been struck on the head.
Her clothing was in tatters and I bound her wounds with my
outer shirt and made a dress of the under shirt, as that was
warmer. My coat and vest had gone to one of the Indian captors
of the previous day.
"During the morning of that first day there was a commo-
tion among the Indians that were all about us and soon I learned
the cause. They were attacked by a small company of soldiers
under Colonel Perry, who was trying to drive them back. He was
outnumbered and finally had to retire. The Indian force was
between us and the soldiers and I looked in vain for a way to
join the bluecoats, that I could see and occasionally hear, until
they were forced to abandon the unequal contest.
"We had nothing to eat that day, but we had plenty of water
from the creek. It was thus that we passed three days, though
each night I would make cautious efforts to get away. Every time
I was driven back by the barking of the dogs in the Indian camp
that warned me it was unsafe. The third day I was getting des-
perate. Something must be done or the child would perish of
hunger; and besides her broken arm was swelling and torturing
her with pain that was almost as severe to me who had to see
her suffering without being able to give her any relief. I crawled
through the brush to reconnoiter, and coming to a rise of ground
I saw three chieftans of the Nez Perce tribe a few hundred yards
away, walking up and down in front of the cabin. I then decided
to make a bold front, and rising to my feet I threw up my hands
and approached the house. (On his bared breast was a tattoo
cross.)
"Whitebird was one of the Indians and I did not know the
others, though I have often wondered if one was not Chief Jo-
seph himself. I told them my story, who I was and about the baby
in the brush and asked them to let me go on my way to Mt. Idaho.
"They held a council and by their gestures it seemed that two
of them were for my instant death. I demanded then that they
shoot me, and declared that I was ready to die but wanted to die
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
like a man. This stand seemed to surprise them, and the taller
of the three stepped forward and grasped my hand, saying:
''You brave! you good, man! Go get papoose, take her to til-
likums,' meaning that I should take the girl to her friends.
"I lost no time in setting out and covered five miles, carrying
the girl in my arms. Toward nightfall we came to a cabin on
Camas Prairie. It was deserted by the owners and the Indians
had ransacked it of everything, and the only thing that was like
food at all was a crust of bread that was so hard that the Indians
had left it, so you may imagine what condition it was in. I broke
off a small portion and soaked it in water in the spring near the
house for Maggie, and well do I remember how she cried because
I would not let her eat it all. My supper? Oh, I took a big
drink of water.
"Do you know," said he, "a man may go a long time without
eating, but he must have water. For the first day or two I was
terribly hungry, but after that there was such a fever that water
seemed to satisfy my cravings and I must have drunk a quart at
a time.
"Well, I saw that I could not make progress with the child in
my arms, so I made a chair out of an old ax box that I found in
the barn and slung it over my shoulders with a piece of halter
rope, and the next day carried her like a peddler carries his pack.
Every mile or two I saw traces of the Indians and their bloody
work along the road. Sometimes it was smoking ruins, and again
it was a dead body, mutilated and scalped. At one place I saw
bodies of three men in a group, stripped of all clothing and
ghastly wounds showing how they had died.
"I staggered on till at last I climbed a hill and saw a short
distance away the little cluster of buildings that constituted Mt.
Idaho. The town was fortified and guarded, for the inhabitants
were in constant fear of attack. The citizens saw me coming and
a delegation came out to meet me. They took the burden of the
child from me and one of them, who must have been a preacher,
gave me a Prince Albert coat that was too small for me, so that
I might go into town.
"Nothing was too good for us there. We were fed and clothed
and a Mrs. Lyons set the broken arm of Maggie. There was no
doctor in the camp, but the job was well done, that I know.
"Maggie's grandfather was among the refugees and he took
care of her for a time, until her father partially recovered. Since
then I lost track of her until a few years ago, when I heard from
her by letter. The little girl is now a woman grown and mar-
ried to a man named Bowman, who runs a sawmill at Grange-
STORY OF BRICE 825
ville, Idaho, not far from the scene where her mother was slaugh-
tered and we had that terrible adventure. She has five little chil-
dren, and I have no doubt has often told them the story of our
escape from Chief Joseph's band."
CHAPTER LXVI.
SPAULDING MISSION, ESTABLISHED 1836 REV. HENRY SPAULDINO,
PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY, WHO FOUNDED THE MISSION
AT FORT LAPWAI ON THE CLEARWATER RIVER,
TWELVE MILES ABOVE ITS JUNCTION
WITH SNAKE RIVER IN IDAHO.
The Rev. Henry Spaulding, his wife and Rev. Dr. Whitman and
his wife and a few others, came across the plains in the year
1836 to what was then called the Northwest Territory, out of
which territory the States of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, a part of
Montana, and Wyoming have since been created. They were among
the first Americans that came from the eastern States to this
Northwest territory to found missions, civilize, educate and Chris-
tianize the Indians, and to make permanent settlement in the coun-
try. Though several other expeditions of men had been sent out
to explore the country, to trap, etc., none had come with the calcu-
lation of making permanent settlement.
Mrs. Spaulding and Mrs. Whitman, wives of these two mission-
aries, were the first white women that ever came across the then
great desert plains to the Northwest. Up to that time, 1836, no
wagon had ever been hauled farther west than Green River (now
in Wyoming). Notwithstanding that the missionaries were told at
Green River by some old trappers and also by the Indians that
they could haul their wagons no farther and would necessarily have
to leave them and pack the remainder of the trip, they answered,
"We want to take our wagons through if possible; we will need
them when we get to our destination, and we desire to open up a
wagon road so that others who come may follow our road. We
will try it." They did, and they succeeded in hauling their wagons
all the way and over the Blue Mountains on into the great Walla
Walla Valley. The trip that these people made at that time re-
quired an exercise of good judgment, bravery, patience and untiring
energy, all of which they possessed.
Rev. Dr. Whitman, his wife and a few of his followers located
and established what has ever since been known as the Whiman
mission, six miles west of Walla Walla on the road leading to
Wallula on the Columbia River, now in the State of Washington,
which country was at that time occupied exclusively by the Cayuse,
Walla Walla and Umatilla tribes of Indians, save and except the
SPAULDING MISSION 327
British Hudson Bay Company maintained a small trappers' sta-
tion at Wallula on the Columbia.
Rev. Mr. Spaulding, his wife and a few others, proceeded to go
about 110 miles farther in a northeasterly direction, at a point on
the Clearwater River about twelve miles above the junction of the
Clearwater with the Snake River, and there established a missionary
station, commonly called the Lapwai Mission. This place is now
in Nez Perce County, Idaho. At that time, 1836, that country was
occupied exclusively by the Nez Perce Indians. These Indians were
very friendly to Mr. Spaulding and his family. They seemed
anxious to learn all about the ways and customs of the white men
and women, including education and the "Book of Heaven," as
they called the Bible.
Mr. Spaulding succeeded with the help of his co-laborers and
some of the Indians, in getting comfortable buildings erected to
live in through the winter. Some provisions and seeds were pur-
chased of the Hudson Bay Company, and with the wild game they
killed and fish, they managed to live fairly well.
Mr. Spaulding was untiring in his efforts to civilize, educate and
Christianize the Indians, while his good wife was equally untiring
in trying to educate them. They were successful, even more so
than they had hoped for. The Indians all seemed anxious to learn
the white man's ways, and always treated Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding
with great respect. Everything seemed to move along well. The
mission building was improved, and church and school house were
erected. In the year 1840, a white man named William Craig with
a half-breed wife, came in from the western States and settled on
a piece of land a few miles from the mission. He proved to be a
good neighbor and everything seemed to move along in a progres-
sive and satisfactory way. Mr. Spaulding succeeded in having a
small printing press sent from the Presbyterian mission at Hono-
lulu to his mission, which was the first printing press that was
brought to the Northwest. He (Spaulding) had not only learned
to speak what was called the Jorgan language, but had also learned
to speak the native Nez Perce language. He printed some school
books for the Indians, some in English, some in Jorgan and a
portion of the Testament in the native Nez Perce Indian language,
so that the young Indians that had learned to read might read from
the Good Book in their native language to the older ones.
Mr. Spaulding and his noble wife seemed to be successful in all
their labors. They were married only a short time before they
started west in 1836. Before the first ten years had passed, their
union had been blessed with three nice, bright children. The
oldest, a girl, had been sent to the Whitman Mission to school
888 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
where Mrs. Whitman was teaching a school attended only by
white children of emigrants, most of whom had lost their parents
crossing the plains, and Dr. Whitman and his good wife had taken
them to raise and educate.
In the Spring and Summer of 1847, everything looked bright
and nice at both the Lapwai and Whitman missions. Good crops
had been raised at both missions. Schools for educating the In-
dians at both missions were in successful operation. The Indians
appeared to be contented. Many of them were adopting the hab-
its and customs of the white man. Late in the Summer and early
Fall quite an emigration of people came rolling along from the
East, bound for the Willamette Valley. Some of them had the
measles. The Indians caught the disease and applying their igno-
rant methods of doctoring, the cold water bath in the river, caused
many of them to die. This treatment they continued against the
earnest protest of Dr. Whitman, who was doing all in his power to
save and protect them. At last some of the more superstitious ones
raised the cry that Dr. Whitman was the cause of all their trou-
bles. He had caused the emigrants to come with the measles to
kill them off, so the white man could get their land. At this time,
November 29th, 1847, Dr. Whitman had at his mission many young
Indian school children, and, including himself and wife and eleven
orphan children, there were seventy-two whites at the mission, the
larger portion of whom were children. On this day, November
2 Qth, 1847, those cruel Indians swooped down upon them and mas-
sacred Dr. Whitman, his wife and eleven others, making thirteen
in all. Forty-eight women and children were taken prisoners ; elev-
en made their escape through the brush down the Walla Walla
River. To Peter Skeen Ogden, the second officer in command of
the Hudson Bay Trading Company, is due the credit and the honor
of ransoming these captives and also of gathering up the eleven
who made their escape in the brush.
A few days before this tragedy took place, the Rev. Spaulding
had been called from his mission at Lapwai to go down into the
Umatilla Indian country to adjust some little differences between
the Nez Perce and Umatilla Indians. Soon after he had started
on his return to his mission, he was met by a friendly Cayuse
Indian and was told of the massacre of Dr. Whitman and others
and of the prisoners taken by the Indians, among whom was his
little daughter Eliza, who was attending school at the Whitman
mission. This not only surprised, but nearly set Mr. Spaulding
wild. This friendly Indians advised him to get to his mission as
soon as "possible, for if the party of Indians that had murdered
Whitman saw him, they would kill him on sight; also advised him
SPAULDING MISSION S29
to hide in the brush in day time and travel by night to escape their
sight. He concealed himself the balance of that day, but deter-
mined to go near the camp of the hostile Indians that night and
see if he could learn anything of the fate of the prisoners. He
went as near as he dared to go and listened for a long time, saw
no one but became satisfied from what he could hear that the pris-
oners had not been killed. Here, Mr. Spaulding says, was the
most trying ordeal of his life. To go into that Indian camp where
the hostile Indians were, to attempt to rescue his dear child, would
be sure death to him and of no benefit to his daughter and the
other prisoners. At last he concluded he would try to make his
way back to his Lapwai mission, which was about one hundred
twenty miles distant. He rode his horse as far as he could the re-
mainder of the night, turned him loose, hid himself in the brush for
the day. Hungry, cold, tired and almost heart-broken, he pushed
ahead at night, hiding in day time, and arrived at Snake River,
near where Lewiston now stands, early the third morning. Here
he found a few friendly Nez Perce Indians that gave him some-
thing to eat and set him across the river in a canoe. He could
learn nothing from them about his family. During this trip, Mr.
Spaulding says that the coarse boots he wore hurt his feet so badly
that he pulled them off and left them and went barefooted. His
feet got very sore. After crossing Snake River, he started on foot
for his mission, twelve miles distant, knowing nothing of what
had become of his wife and two little children, and the few others
he had left there a few days before. He had only traveled a few
miles, feeling sad and weary, when two friendly Nez Perce In-
dian women on horseback overtook him and recognized him. He
inquired about his family and was told that a friendly Indian
from the Cayuses had come up there several days before and
brought the news of the Whitman massacre and that Col. William
Craig (of whom we have spoken) had come down and taken Mrs.
Spaulding, her children and the other whites to his house, and
they were all safe and that the Nez Perce Indians were friendly
and would not go to war, but there was danger from marauding'
bands of the Cayuses who had already been up there and plun-
dered his mission after Mr. Craig had moved his family away. One
of these Indian women, riding a strong horse, invited Mr. Spauld-
ing to get up behind her on the horse and she would take him to
Col. Craig's home, where he found his wife, two children and others
well and being well cared for by Mr. Craig and his family.
During this time, Peter Skeen Ogden, of the Hudson 3fy Com-
pany, was busy with his half-breed and Indian employes, negotiat-
ing with the hostile Indians to get back the captured white women
330 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
and children. In the mean time, he sent some of his men to the
Lapwai mission to bring Mr. Spaulding, his family and the few
other whites. Not long after Mr. Spaulding arrived at Mr. Craig's
home, Mr. Ogden's men came after them. They procured canoes
from the Nez Perce Indians, and all of them, except Mr. Craig and
his family, paddled out down the Snake River for the Hudson Bay
fort, which was ten miles below the junction of the Snake River
with the Columbia. Arriving there in two and a half days, they
found that Mr. Ogden had succeeded in negotiating for all the
forty-eight captured women and children, and had also found all
of the eleven that had made their escape at the time of the mas-
sacre at the Whitman Mission. Of course, this lifted a part of the
great load of grief from the hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding
when they met their daughter, Eliza, and other friends. Mr. Og-
den had provided small boats and competent men to man them,
and they were all loaded into the boats with a small amount of
provisions and blankets, and pulled out down the river, Mr. Ogden
going in person to superintend the management of the expedition
down a dangerous river where there were many rapids and several
portages where the boats and baggage had to be taken out and car-
ried or pulled around. It is said that Mr. Ogden did not get away
from Wallula with his valuable cargo any too soon, for within three
or four hours a large band of hostile Indians came into Wallula
station, who were dissatisfied with the surrender of the captives,
determined to retake them. But on learning from the men left in
charge that Mr. Ogden had been gone several hours and that his
small boats would travel about as fast down stream as their horses
could over a rough trail, besides there was danger of meeting the
volunteers who were even then on their way up from Oregon City
to meet the hostile Indians, they abandoned further chase.
Mr. Ogden landed all of his passengers safely in a few days in
Oregon City, which place was then headquarters for the provisional
government of Oregon. Here they were all taken care of. Mr.
Spaulding and family remained in the neighborhood of Oregon
City for a year or two, then moved up and settled in Willamette
Valley near Albany where Mrs. Spaulding taught school for quite
a time and after some years, this noble, good woman passed away
to her reward. After some time, Mr. Spaulding married again, and
later, in 1871, he went back to Nez Perce County, Idaho, and spent
the last three years of his life, laboring most of the time to civilize
and Christianize the Nez Perce Indians, several hundred of whom
he took into and baptized into his, the Presbyterian church, before
he passed away, August 3, 1874. Near a small grove of trees where
SPAULDING MISSION SSI
he first taught these Indians, near his old mission, built in 1836,
his remains were laid.
I may add to this that the organic act passed by Congress in
August, 1848, organizing all this Northwest into a Territory called
Oregon (which was later divided up) provided that all missions that
had been established in any part of the Northwest Territory be-
fore the passage of the act, should be entitled to hold one mile
square of land at such place for missionary purposes. The Lap-
wai mission having been abandoned in 1847, on account of Indian
troubles, and not having been reoccupied by Mr. Spaulding before
the passage of the act referring to the mission lands, reverted to
the Government. An Indian Agency was established at the old mis-
sion site in 1861, and a military post in 1862, which was abandoned
in 1885, but the Indian Agency is still located there. There was a
long contest about this land, but the Government won out in the
courts.
CHAPTER LXVII.
LIST OF THE NAMES OF MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVEN-
TION NAMES OF FIRST STATE OFFICERS.
This constitutional convention convened (in response to a pro-
clamation issued by Governor E. A. Stevenson) at Boise on July
4, 1889, and adjourned August 6, 1889. The names of the mem-
bers were as follows:
John S. Gray Ada County
A. B. Moss Ada County
Edgar Wilson Ada County
John Lemp Ada County
W. C. Maxey Ada County
Chas. A. Clark Ada County
I. N. Costin Ada County
P. J. Pefley Ada County
Frank Steunenberg Ada County
Jas. H. Beatty Alturas County
A. J. Pinkham Alturas County
O. R. Batten Alturas County
L. Vineyard Alturas County
P. McMahon Alturas County
J. W. Ballentine Alturas County
J. L. Underwood Bear Lake County
W. H. Savidge Bingham County
F. W. Beane Bingham County
H. B. Kinport Bingham County
J. T. Morgan Bingham County
H. O. Harkness Bingham County
Ralph Anderson Bingham County
Sam F. Taylor Bingham County
Fred Campbell Boise County
George Ainslie Boise County
John H. Meyer Boise County
H. S. Hampton Cassia County
J. W. Lamereaux Cassia County
O. J. Salisbury Custer County
A. J. Pierce Custer County
A. J. Crook Custer County
Jas. M. Shoup Custer County
FIRST STATE OFFICERS SSS
F. P. Cavanah Elmore County
A. M. Sinnott Elmore County
Homer Stull Elmore County
Henry Melder Kootenai County
Albert Hagan Kootenai County
W. A. Hendryx Kootenai County
Willis Sweet Latah County
W. J. McConnell Latah County
J. W. Brigham Latah County
W. D. Bobbins Latah County
H. B. Blake Latah County
A. S. Chancy Latah County
N. I. Andrews Lemhi County
Thos. Payeatt Lemhi County
John Hagan Lemhi County
J. M. Howe Lemhi County
Jas. W. Reid Nez Perce County
J. W. Poe Nez Perce County
J. S. Whitton Logan County
Henry Armstrong Logan County
W. C. B. Allen Logan County
S. J. Pritchard Owyhee County
C, M. Hays Owyhee County
J. I. Crutcher Owyhee County
W. B. Heyburn Shoshone County
W. H. Clagett Shoshone County
Wm. H. Hammel Shoshone County
S. S. Glidden Shoshone County
W. W. Woods Shoshone County
A. B. Bevan Shoshone County
A. E. Mayhew Shoshone County
G. W. King Shoshone County
Sol Hasbrouck Washington County
E. S. Jewell Washington County
Frank Harris Washington County
A. F. Parker Idaho County
Chairman of Convention, W. H. Clagett.
First State Congressional Representation 1891, U. S. Senators,
George L. Shoup and W. J. McConnell. Representative in Con-
gress, Willis Sweet.
First State Officers:
N. B. Willey, Governor, from Warrens, Idaho.
John S. Gray, Lieut. Governor Boise
334 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
A. J. Pinkham, Secretary of State Ketchum
Silas W. Moody, State Auditor Boise
Frank R. Coffin, State Treasurer Boise
George H. Roberts, Attorney General Hailey
Joseph E. Harroun, Supt. Public Instruction Albion
Judicial Department:
I. N. Sullivan, Chief Justice Hailey
John T. Morgan, Associate Justice Oxford
Joseph W. Huston, Associate Justice Boise
Sol Hasbrouck, Clerk.
District Court:
First District, Kootenai and Shoshone counties,
J. Holleman, District Judge Coeur d'Alene City
C. W. O'Neil, District Attorney Wallace
Second District, Idaho, Latah and Nez Perce Counties.
William G. Piper, District Judge Moscow
J. H. Forney, District Attorney Moscow
Third District, Ada, Boise, Canyon, Owyhee and Washington
counties.
Edward Nugent, District Judge Boise
Charles M. Hays, District Attorney Silver City
Fourth District, Alturas, Cassia, Custer, Elmore and Logan
counties.
Chas. O. Stockslager, District Judge Hailey
G. C. Barnum, District Attorney Shoshone
Fifth District, Bear Lake, Bingham, Lemhi and Oneida Coun-
ties.
D. W. Standrod, District Judge Malad City
S. C. Winters, District Attorney Idaho Falls
CHAPTER LXVIII.
A PIONEER OR PIONEER^ LIFE.
A Pioneer, as defined by Webster is, "One who goes before
and prepares a way for others to follow by removing obstructions;
one who goes before to remove obstructions or to prepare a way
for another; hence, — a backwoodman; a first settler."
The definition given by the learned Webster is certainly brief,
and, if taken to cover the whole duties that a pioneer usually has
to perform, is liable to deceive some, who may have engaged in
the business of Pioneering in the early settling of this North-
western county, under that definition of the word "Pioneer" or
"Pioneering."
A Pioneer or Pioneers, in its true sense, means a man or sever-
al men, and sometimes includes women and children, who leave
a civilized community of people, and go out into the unsettled
frontier country; where the white man has never settled; where
there is no civilization, no laws, no permanent settlement; where
the country is inhabited by wild roving bands of savage Indians
and wild animals, with no improvements save the temporary wick-
iups, erected by the Indians, which may be hauled down and
moved away before the next sun or moon; where there are no
roads except the small Indian trails, no bridges or ferries across
the streams, none of the soil in cultivation, nothing raised except
what grows wild without the assistance of man; where the na-
tive wild Indian lives by hunting, fishing, picking wild berries,
and depredating on every white man that may chance to come in-
to the country where he roams.
Imagine yourself in a new country, with your little tent pitched
among such surroundings, three, four or five hundred miles from
any white settlement or military post, from which you could get
any protection, with frequent yelps of coyotes and large wolves,
and an occasional war whoop from the savage Indians ringing in
your ears; then, you may catch a small idea of the frontier Pion-
eer's life.
Often he seeks some lonely spot remote from the trail to camp
for the night, and dares not build a fire to cook his meal for fear
the smoke from his fire will reveal his camping place, and his hob-
bled horses may be taken by the Indians; and possibly, if found,
his body may be filled with arrows and he may never live to see
336 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
the light of another day. This has been the sad fate of many
Pioneers in the Northwest, where they went alone or in small par-
ties with not sufficient numbers to protect themselves against
these blood thirsty savages who claimed the whole Northwest and
determined to exterminate all American white people who dared to
attempt to make a settlement within what they called their coun-
try. Often, these savages would not even allow white people to pass
through their country without levying heavy toll on them by steal-
ing and driving away their stock, and sometimes murdering whole
families. The above is only a brief outline of what the first pio-
neers, who came into the Northwest to explore and open up trails
for others to follow, had to encounter.
Later men would bring their families. They usually built strong,
rough cabins of logs, or made dugouts by digging and removing
the dirt from some dry hill side, for a space large enough for the
family to live in, and would roof it over with poles, and put a good
supply of dirt upon the poles. The doors were made of poles, also.
Often several families had to live together in one of the small cab-
ins or dugouts for protection against the Indians. A strong corral
had to be built near the cabin to keep the horses and cows in at
night with a lock on the gate and a faithful watch dog, who stood
guard near the door of the cabin at night, to give the alarm, if
the Indians approached.
Without going into further details of what hardships these
brave Pioneers had to endure in the early settling of this North-
western country, we will state that Idaho forms a part of what
was once known as the Northwestern Territory. Though settled
at a later date than her sister states on the West and South, her
early settlers had no less trouble with the Indians than her ad-
joining states had, in fact, Idaho being the last part of the great
Northwestern Territory to be settled by the white man, many of
the hostile Indians had gathered in Idaho with the confident hope
that the country now called "Idaho" would all be left for them.
By this time, the Indians had seen and learned that wherever the
white men located in the surrounding territory and was allowed
to remain, that they soon began to plow up and cultivate the
wild land, kill off the wild game, and curtail the roaming limits
of the Indians. Having seen the white man gain dominion over the
surrounding territories, the Indians, or at least a large portion of
them, took a very determined stand against the white man settling
in Idaho. They would steal and drive off their stock, murder lone
men or small parties at every favorable opportunity. They took
a large amount of property, of which some was destroyed; and
PIONEER LIFE 837
killed a number of good men. Several lengthy wars occurred, in
which many of the pioneers were engaged.
With the assistance of a goodly number of United States troops,
commanded by good and efficient officers, at last, after many hard
fought battles with heavy loss of life, these Indians finally sur-
rendered and accepted a fair portion of the country for their
homes; and, also, accepted a liberal compensation from our Gov-
ernment for their claim to the balance of the land not included
within their reservations. This compensation to the Indians, for
the right to the lands they abandoned, was to be paid in annuities
for a number of years to assist them in starting in civilized pur-
suits, education, agriculture, etc.
And in placing the Indian on his reservation, where he is mak-
ing some considerable progress in civilization, education and in-
dustrial pursuits, we turn back to the early Pioneers. Here we
find that, while many of the young and middle aged men were
out fighting Indians, the older men, boys, mothers and young wo-
men were working hard to improve the little farm to raise some-
thing to live on, and to take care of the few head of horses and
cows. Often, several families lived together in one log house or
picket fort for protection.
At last, when the cruel wars were over, no longer would they
see the wild savage, with his war paint on swooping down on
them, screaming his murderous war whoop. But, alas, when the
family roll was called, a number were missing that have lost their
lives by the hand of the savage red man, each one battling for
the country that we now possess; where we now have our pleas-
ant and happy homes; where we no longer have to band together
and stand guard at night, nor go to war, nor live in dread of hear-
ing the war whoop of the savage Indians.
These dear old Pioneers, after many years of hard work under
many difficulties, at last succeeded in establishing American civi-
lization in all its modern forms at a great sacrifice of life, prop-
erty, and endurance of untold hardships. In short, the Pioneers
have opened the roads, have cleared the country of all obstruction;
and have caused the way to come to be made easy, quick, cheap
and without danger to all who wish to come to the good land of
Idaho.
To our more fortunate friends, who came at a later date to
help develop and improve Idaho, we extend a hearty welcome ; hop-
ing they will be content to remain and share in the great future
that is in store for us; hoping that you will never meet with the
many obstructions that the old Pioneers had to face and overcome
as best they could in the early settling of our much beloved Idaho.
His— 22
CHAPTER LXIX.
SOME OP THE FIRST AMERICANS WHO CAME TO THE NORTHWESTERN
TERRITORY.
In the year 1787, two sailing vessels were fitted out at Boston,
Mass., by J. Burrel, S. Brown, C. Bulfish, J. Darby, C. Hatch
and J. M. Pintard for the purpose of exploring the Pacific North-
west and trading with the Indians. These ships were named "The
Columbia," and "The Lady Washington." The "Columbia" was
commanded by Captain John Kendrick. The "Lady Washington"
by Capt. Robert Gray. These ships sailed from Boston, Mass., for
the Pacific Northwest on September SO, 1787, each one carrying
in addition to her supplies a lot of goods to trade with Indians.
Captain Gray reached the Northwest coast in August, 1788, and
Captain Kendrick came in a few days later, they having been sep-
arated some time before. These ships anchored in Nootka Sound or
Gray's Harbor, on the Washington coast. They remained there
until the next spring, (trading some with the Indians for furs),
when they returned to Boston, Mass., arriving there on August
10, 1790. Captain Gray remained only six weeks in Boston after
his return from the Northwest until he started back on his re-
turn trip. He was placed in command of the ship "Columbia," and
the brig "Hope" commanded by Captain Joseph Ingraham, was
sent along with the "Columbia." They sailed from Boston, Mass.,
for the Pacific Northwest, September 28, 1790, and reached their
destination in June, 1791. Here they put in their time until the
spring of 1792, trading some with the Indians and exploring the
Northwestern coast. Captain Gray had for some time believed
that he had discovered the place where some large stream of water
emptied into the ocean from the interior country. He made
several unsuccessful attempts to sail up into the supposed river;
finally on May 11, 1792, Captain Gray succeeded in sailing his
ship across the bar and up in the great river, which he named
Columbia, after the name of his ship. He sailed up the river some
twenty or thirty miles, traded some with the Indians and re-
turned.
In the fall of 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition that came
overland arrived and spent the winter of 1805-06 near the mouth
of this great Columbia river.
In 1811, a detachment of the John Jacob Astor Company of fur
FIRST AMERICANS 339
traders arrived from New York with a vessel and about sixty men
with supplies and goods to trade with the Indians for furs and
skins. They landed and established a post on the Columbia river
near its junction with the ocean and called the post Astor. (It is
now called Astoria.) The next year about fifty more of the As-
tor company's men arrived at this post who had come overland,
having had a hard trip and were more than one year on the
route.
Between the years 1805 and 1811, quite a number of British
Canadians came into this Northwestern country and established a
large trade with the Indians. In 1814, Astor's men were compelled
to sell their furs to a Russian company at a great sacrifice and
abandon their trading post at Astor on account of the war between
the United States and Great Britain, the British having sent a
war vessel to the Columbia river to capture Astor's men and their
post, furs and supplies. They succeeded in getting away before
the war vessel got there.
In 1823, the British traders and trappers of the Northwestern
territory, were organized into one company called the Hudson Bay
company, and Dr. John McLaughlin was selected and sent to the
Columbia river to take charge and manage the affairs of this com-
pany in the Northwest. He arrived and took charge in 1824. Soon
after his arrival he established his headquarters at a point on the
north side of the Columbia river and called it Vancouver. This
company under the management of the Doctor, or as he was some-
times called, Governor McLaughlin, done a very extensive business
in trapping and trading with the Indians. He employed many In-
dians and seemed to cover the whole Northwestern territory with
their trade having established trading posts at several convenient
places to get the trade of the Indians. Americans had a poor show
to try to compete. Dr. McLaughlin seemed to have complete control
over all of his men and also over all the Indians. He certainly
was possessed of rare executive ability. His commands were obey-
ed as if they were law. He was a noble, generous, good man and
in later years he helped many of the poor American Emigrants to
provisions, seed, grain, etc.
In 1832, Captain Natalian Wyeth came overland to Oregon. He
had some ten men with him. He had been sent out by a company
of New York men to engage in the business of trading and trap-
ping for furs and pelts. It is said that this company fitted out a
ship and loaded it with supplies and goods for Captain Wyeth to
use in trading with the Indians. This ship was expected to arrive
at Vancouver on the Columbia river about the time Captain Wyeth
would arrive there from his overland trip. The ship never came
340 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
and was never heard from. It was supposed to have been lost at
sfca with all its crew.
Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, of the U. S. Army, procured a
leave of absence from the government, for a few years to explore
in the west at his own expense. He was fitted out in the spring of
1832, by New York merchants for trading and trapping in the
Northwest. He started overland with about twenty wagons loaded
with goods to trade with the Indians for furs and pelts, and a
number of other wagons loaded with supplies, and about 100 men.
Captain Bonneville and Captain Wyeth fell in together on the
plains and traveled together until they arrived at Green river (now
in Wyoming.) Here Captain Bonneville stayed and Captain Wyeth
went on through to Vancouver on the Columbia river. Not finding
his ship, after waiting until spring, he returned East overland.
On his arrival his company outfitted another ship loaded with
supplies and sent it around to the Columbia river with men and
supplies, goods, etc., for Captain Wyeth. The ship arrived safely
in good time and anchored at Wapato, now Sauves island, on the
Columbia river. Captain Wyeth came back overland, leaving New
York early in March, and outfitting at Independence, Missouri, for
the overland trip. He was accompanied by Jason Lee, (the first
American missionary that ever went to this Northwestern coun-
try.) Cyrus Shepard, Philip L. Edwards and Courtney M. Walker,
were engaged by the Board of Missionary to go with the Rev. Ja-
son Lee and assist in establishing a missionary post in the North-
western territory. There were, altogether, who started from Inde-
pendence, Missouri, on April 28, 1834, about seventy men taking
with them about 250 horses and mules. They divided in three sep-
arate parties but kept near each other in case of danger. Cap-
tain Wyeth traveled in the lead. On his arrival at Snake river,
about July 15, 1834, he halted, looked the country over and con-
cluded it was a good location for a trading post. He selected his
location and commenced work building a fort on August 6. He
named it Fort Hall after the oldest member of the company he
represented. He left Mr. Evans and eleven men to complete the
Fort. With fourteen horses and three cows he proceeded on his
journey to the Columbia River with twenty-nine men.
The Rev. Jason Lee held religious services in a grove near the
Fort on July 27, 1834, and on July 28 conducted funeral ser-
vices over one of Capt. McKay's men. On September 16, 1834,
they arrived at Vancouver on the Columbia river. Soon after this
Jason Lee and his men and a few of the others that came, went up
the Williamette river to a point about ten miles from where Sa-
FIRST AMERICANS 341
lem, the capital, now stands, and established a missionary post
called Shampoeg. Captain Wyeth and his men went to Sauves is-
land, where his ship was and engaged in an attempt to trade with
the Indians but he soon found that the Hudson Bay Co., had a
monopoly of the trade. He sold some of his goods to the Hudson
Bay Co., and in 1835, packed the balance to his Fort Hall sta-
tion. On his return trip to Fort Hall he found the Hudson Bay
Co. had established a trading post near the mouth of the Boise
river (later called old Fort Boise.) Arriving at his Fort Hall sta-
tion he found that the Hudson Bay Co. had sent men all over the
country and had succeeded in inducing all of the Indians to
trade with them, so he could get no trade and was compelled to sell
out his Fort Hall station to the Hudson Bay Co., at a figure that
company fixed. Captain Wyeth then returned to the east.
Captain B. L. E. Bonneville appears to have made his head-
quarters on Green river from the time of his arrival there in the
summer of 1832, until the spring of 1833, at which time he moved
and established headquarters in Bear River Valley, (now in Utah).
From here Captain Bonneville sent detatchments of his men in
different directions to explore the country and to trade with the
Indians. He sent one party of about thirty men to go to Salt Lake
and explore the country around the lake with the hope of finding
some nice streams for trapping beaver and other fur bearing
animals. This party failed to find any stream or even sufficient
water to drink, so they wandered off west to the Humbolt river
and finally into the Sierra Nevada mountains and on to the Sac-
ramento river where they wintered and returned to the camp in
Bear River Valley the next spring, by another route, further south.
About all the returns they brought in was some knowledge of the
country and a lot of hard experience.
Captain Bonneville did a great deal of exploring in different
directions from his Bear River Valley headquarters. He, with a
small party of his men, explored the Salmon River country, stayed
one winter near Salmon River, made two trips to the Columbia
River to old Fort Wallula, traveling down the south side of Snake
River as far as Farewell Bend, thence up Burnt River to Powder
River Valley, thence across to Grande Ronde Valley, thence across
the Blue Mountains by Lee's Encampment, into the Umatilla
Valley, thence to Walla Walla on the Columbia River.
Captain Bonneville made maps of the country over which he
traveled and furnished much valuable information for our Gov-
ernment and people about the general character of the country,
which was published in executive documents, Second Session, 38th
Congress, 1854-1855. In 1855 Captain Bonneville returned home.
84® THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
In 1836, Reverends Marcus Whitman and H. H. Spaulding, two
Presbyterian Missionaries, with their wives and a few others came
across the plains to the Walla Walla valley. Messrs. Whitman and
Spaulding brought their wagons through to Walla Walla valley.
They were the first wagons that were ever hauled farther west
than old Fort Hall on Snake river. Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spauld-
ing were the first white women that ever crossed the great plains
from the east to the west. The Rev. Dr. Marcus Whitman estab-
lished a mission on the Walla Walla river six miles west of where
the city of Walla Walla now stands, now in the state of Washing-
ton.
The Rev. Henry H. Spaulding established a mission on the
Clearwater river about thirteen miles above the junction of Clear-
water river with Snake river, (now in Nez Perce county, Idaho.)
These noble men established these missions for the purpose of
civilizing, educating and Christenizing the Indians and to instruct
and teach them in the arts of agriculture. They both succeeded
well in their laudable undertaking for several years, when they
met with serious reverses of which we have spoken before.
From this time on, 1836, a few emigrants came across the plains
to this Northwest each year.
In the great contest between the different claimants for this
northwestern country, the claim of the United States was based
mainly :
1st. On the discovery of the Columbia river by Captain Robert
Gray, 1792.
2nd. On account of the explorations made by Captains Lewis
and Clarke in 1805-06.
3rd. The overland expedition made by John Jacob Astor's men
in 1811-12, who were the first white men to explore the interior of
the country after Lewis and Clark.
4th. Having secured Spam's claim in 1819.
These claims seem to constitute a stronger claim to this coun-
try by right of discovery and exploration than any of the other
contending nations could present.
CHAPTER LXX.
THE FREQUENT CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN NAMES AND
GOVERNMENT IN WHAT IS NOW THE STATE OP IDAHO.
One hundred years ago, what is now Idaho, was a part of what
was known and called the Northwestern Territory claimed by the
United States, Great Britain and Spain, and Russia made claim
to some portion. But prior to 1846, this Northwestern Territory,
for which four nations had set up claims, the native Indian not
only claimed the territory but were the rulers and masters over all
of the Northwest.
Our government acquired Spain's right or claim to this North-
western Territory by treaty made in 1819- Russia relinquished her
claim by treaty in 1824. This Northwest Territory was occupied
by joint occupation agreement with subjects of Great Britain and
the United States without any settlement of title between these two
nations from 1818 to 1846, in which year a treaty of settlement of
title was made between these nations, in which Great Britain ceded
all of her rights and claims to the United States south of the 49th
parallel, excepting the holdings of the Hudson Bay Trapping and
Trading Company and the holdings of the Puget Sound Agricul-
tural Company (both British companies which the United States
bought out at a later date.) In the same treaty, the United States
ceded to Great Britain all of her claims north of the 49th par-
allel. This gave to the United States the rights of all the con-
tending nations except the original occupants, the Indians, who
still laid claim to all, and would often assert their claims by kill-
ing some of the American citizens and appropriating or destroying
their property.
After securing title from the three different civilized nations to
this Northwestern Territory, the Congress of the United States
did not seem to care but little for the territory or for her people,
who had braved all the dangers incident in traveling two thousand
miles over a barren country (inhabited by none but wild savage
Indians) to get this Northwest to settle and make homes. Congress
gave them no protection, no organization, no laws; did nothing
toward extinguishing the title of the aborigines to any part of the
land; but left these few brave old pioneer men and women to de-
fend and protect their lives and property as best they could against
an overwhelming number of savage Indians, who claimed the
whole country as their own property.
344 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Not until several months after these savage Indians had massac-
red Dr. Marcus Witman, his wife and a number of other good
American citizens in 1847, did the Congress of the United States
get aroused up to a sense of their duty to the people that had
emigrated to this Northwestern Territory. On August 13, 1848,
Congress passed an act organizing all of this Northwestern Terri-
tory, west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific
ocean between the 42nd and 49th parallel, into one territory called
Oregon.
That noble, brave and good man, General Joseph Lane, of In-
diana, was appointed Governor for the Oregon Territory. He ar-
rived at Oregon City, March 2, 1849, and put the territorial gov-
ernment in operation at once.
This organized territory included all of what is now Idaho, but,
at that time, was occupied almost exclusively by the wild Indians.
This was the beginning of an attempt to enforce the laws of the
United States over this large territory, the Government of the
United States claiming supremacy, but the Indians still contending
that they were the sole owners.
The next change the future Idaho had was on March 3, 1853.
Congress passed an act dividing the territory of Oregon and cre-
ating Washington territory out of the eastern and southern portion
of Oregon territory with the United States laws still over Idaho,
but a new territorial government.
With the native Indian still contending for supremacy, at last
on March 3, 1863, Congress passed an act creating Idaho territory
of the eastern and southern portion of Washington; and, in addi-
tion, loaded her down with nearly two hundred thousand square
miles of territory east of the Rocky Mountain range, that was oc-
cupied mainly by wild, hostile Indians.
At last Idaho, like the slave that had been sold with the old
farm and was compelled to serve under many masters without
moving away, reached partial freedom, but was heavily handicap-
ped by others who claimed the whole country. The same native In-
dian claimed all of Idaho. The people had a hard struggle to sat-
isfy the native Indians that they had a right to live and earn a
living by their labor in Idaho like the freed slave. They had a dif-
ficult row to hoe to satisfy their former masters that they had a
right to earn their living without a master. Since freedom came,
some of the former slaves have moved ; Idaho has remained station-
ary, but had her boundary lines changed in 1864 and 1868, so
that all that was loaded onto her from the east side of the Rocky
Mountains has been taken off and given to Montana and Wyom-
ing, together with a small amount from the west side of the moun-
FREQUENT CHANGES 345
tains. Still the native Indian would often, like the old slave master,
try to assert his right to the country. But, like the slave, after a
hard struggle, with the assistance of the strong arm of the United
States government, the American pioneers of Idaho were able
to assert and maintain their rights to occupy the larger portion of
the Territory of Idaho; and peaceably work, reclaim, develop and
utilize many of the wonderful resources of this country, which
was once thought to be worthless.
Later on, after much hard struggling, in the year 1890, the old
pioneers had so improved and developed the country that Con-
gress freed us from the bondage of territorial government by giv-
ing us Statehood.
A sufficient amount of land has been set apart at suitable places,
for the Indians to live on. They have been paid fair compensation
for their claim to the balance of the land; and, after having felt
the power of the United States government in the way of several
severe chastisements, they have at last learned to recognize the
rights of the Americans and have settled on their Reservations,
and seem to be making some considerable advancement in civiliza-
tion and improvements in the line of agriculture.
CHAPTER LXXI.
THE PROGRESS I HAVE SEEN MADE IN THE PAST FIFTY-FIVE YEARS.
When I look back and bring to mind how the country west of
the Missouri river looked, and by whom it was inhabited fifty-five
years ago, and compare its present looks, condition and inhabitants
with the past, the changes that have been brought about by the kind-
ness of Providence and the untiring energy and industry of men
and women, it seems almost incredible.
Fifty-five years ago, then a strong lad in my eighteenth year, I
joined a company of good people in Missouri to cross the plains,
(as we then called it) to far away Oregon. Not only our now
beautiful Idaho, but about all the country west of the Missouri
river to The Dalles, Oregon, on the Columbia river, and from the
northern boundary of the Indian Territory, Mexico, Arizona and
Nevada to the British possession on the north, was a wild desert
country inhabited by none but wild, savage Indians, wild animals,
varmints and reptiles, save and except a few hundred people, call-
ed Mormons, at Salt Lake. At that time the country was consid-
ered worthless for white people, that it never would be occupied
by any human beings for homes, except the wild Indians.
In traveling across this broad timberless country we had to be
on guard most of the way, both day and night, to protect ourselves
against the. ravages of the numerous bands of hostile and thieving
Indians, who roamed over the country in war-like bands, appar-
ently to plunder and destroy any party of emigrants they might
chance to come on to who were not prepared to protect themselves.
It required vigilance and untiring energy from start to finish. At
many camping places, water and grass were very limited and of a
very inferior quality. Fuel was scarce, except in a few camps. It
consisted mainly of dry buffalo chips. Occasionally there was a
large stream of water to cross. Then we would have to go to the
nearest mountain slopes where we could cut dry poles, make a raft
of them, put a water-tight wagon box on the raft and cross over
our wagons and everything we had except our stock, which we
would swim over. These obstructions to our travel were very an-
noying, to say the least, and required much patience and persever-
ance to overcome, but we were up against it and there was no use
in kicking. We had started to go to Oregon and to Oregon we were
going to go or die in the attempt to get there.
MARVELOUS PROGRESS 347
There were several women in our train, wives, mothers, daugh-
ters and children, and I must say that I was astonished and filled
with admiration to see how those noble women and girls bore up
under all the privations and dangers of this long trip of six
months. They were ever ready to do their whole share of work
without a murmur or a frown, always good-natured and cheerful,
ever ready to speak words of kindness and cheer to the men in
their most trying times. They were always cool, brave and kind,
exercising good judgment in all their words and acts. They all
stood the hard trip well and with very much less complaint and
grumbling than the men.
We had some rather annoying times with the Indians. At one
time they stopped us. They twenty to one of our number. We were
compelled to give them most of our provisions. At another time
they stole all of our horses at night, leaving us without a horse.
We finally reached our destination at Salem, Oregon. At that
time Oregon and Washington territories had together not to exceed
twenty-five thousand white population. With all this vast area of
territory lying between the great Columbia river and the Missouri,
a wild desert, what have the noble old pioneer men and women
made of this vast area of what was once considered worthless for
white people? They have taken possession of it and have, in ac-
cordance with the laws of our national government, erected out
of this wild territory eleven great states that are today peopled
with good, industrious, intelligent and prosperous citizens. The
names of these states that have sprung from the once great desert,
are as follows: Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming,
Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington,
Oregon, and last, but not least, our beloved State of Idaho.
These eleven states cover an area of 990,900 square miles of land,
almost one-third of the United States proper, leaving out of the
count, Alaska and other late acquired possessions. These eleven
states that comprised what was called the plains, or Great Ameri-
can Desert, fifty-five years ago, have since that time been reclaim-
ed from the wild savage Indians and settled up by a good, intelli-
gent, industrious, brave and law-abiding American citizens. They
have reclaimed the wild lands, built hundreds of thousands of
fine farms and made happy homes. They have built fine towns and
cities, school houses, churches, court houses, capitols, theatres, etc.
In short, they have established good, American citizenship in mod-
ern form most all over this once desert plain. Our government has
paid a fair compensation to the original occupants of the land
(the Indians,) leaving them plenty of good land for homes. They
have civilized and educated all of the Indians that would sub-
348 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
mit to being civilized, and most that would not submit have pass-
ed to the Happy Hunting Grounds on another shore.
There has been constructed and in successful operation for
twenty-four years, one great through line of railroad from the
Missouri river across this once desert plain, passing through the
southern portion of Idaho and through the northeastern portion
of Oregon, running through to Portland, Oregon, where connec-
tions are made with other railroads running south through the
state of Oregon on to California. Numerous branch railroads have
been built into the interior of the country all along the line of this
great trunk line, which are in successful operation, all of which
have been of very great benefit to settlers in many ways, by giv-
ing them much quicker, safer and cheaper rates of transportation
of U. S. mails, express, passengers and freight than they ever had
before. Besides this, the introduction of railroads has acted as a
great civilizer to the wild Indians, driving away that fear that many
people in the eastern states had of venturing to go into the west.
Telegraph lines follow besides the railroads and telephone lines
come soon after, which give the people all the modern improve-
ments of speedy communication, not only all over this once desert
but with all the world. The Northern Pacific Railroad Company
constructed her great trunk line of railroad from Duluth across the
Dakotas, Montana, Northern Idaho, through the state of Washing-
ton, on to Seattle where connections are made with Ocean steam-
ers and other railroads. Many branch roads have been built in
Washington and northern Idaho, with telegraph and telephone
lines, all of which have been of great benefit and convenience to
the people, and have helped in a large degree to settle up and de-
velop the great resources of this northwestern country.
Compare the conditions of this great northwestern country, from
the Missouri river to the Columbia, in 185S, to its present condi-
tion in 1909. The great change that has been wrought seems at a
glance to be almost incredible. These eleven states mentioned here-
in, carved out of this once wild territory, are now and have been
for a number of years past, producing approximately one-half of
the wheat raised in the United States, one-half of the beef, one-
half of the horses, one-half the mutton, one-half the wool, more
than one-half of the gold, silver and lead, about one-half of the
lumber, several million dollars worth annually of fishes, many
hundreds of carloads of the finest quality of fruits of various
kinds, a large amount of sugar of a good quality, made from the
sugar beets raised in these states, and many other agricultural pro-
ducts in large quantities, such as corn, oats, barley, timothy and
alfalfa hay in very large quantities, quite a large amount of cop-
MARVELOUS PROGRESS 349
per, coal and some nickel and other useful metals, and last but
not least, the people are raising up a splendid lot of good, in-
dustrious and intelligent young men and women to take the places
of the old pioneers who are fast passing away.
So far we have spoken of these northwestern states in the joint
or collective manner. Now we desire to speak of the part that
Idaho and her people have acted in this great transformation of
wild territory into beautiful homes. The territory of Idaho was
organized in the summer of 1863, under an act of Congress passed
and approved March 3, 1863. At that time Idaho had but few, if
any, of what might be called permanent settlers. Gold mines had
been discovered one, two and three years before in different parts
of the territory, and there were about thirty-five thousand people
within the limits of the territory engaged in mining, trading, trans-
portation, etc. Few, if any, of them had come with the calculation
of making permanent homes here. All wanted to gather a good
supply of gold and return to their old homes from whence they
had come. Idaho or at least most of it, was situated three hundred
or more miles from the head of navigation on the Columbia river,
from which place all of her supplies had to come by pack animals.
The country looked rough and rugged, no farms, no towns, except
small, cheaply constructed mining towns in the mining camps in
the mountains. Many of the miners and some of the traders suc-
ceeded in gathering large quantities of gold in a short time and
soon as their mining claims or trading business began to fail to
pay them well they would close out, sack up all their savings and
return to their old homes, having done nothing towards making
any permanent improvements in the country; while others less for-
tunate in the mines, after the first year, began to fall back into the
different valleys near the streams and started farming on a small
scale, which proved to be profitable for the amount of labor ex-
pended. Their little farms were extended, the sage brush land was
cleared up and put into cultivation, water was introduced on to the
land in the way of irrigation. It was soon found that each man's
farm would, by proper improvement and cultivation, not only make
him a good comfortable home, but that the returns from his crop
paid as well as, or better than, his mining ventures; and best of
all, his farm, instead of working out produced more each year with
proper cultivation. But it took a number of years for the people in
Idaho to make up their minds to make permanent homes here.
There were many obstacles to contend with. There were several
bands of thieving and murderous Indians skulking through the
country, a few renegade bad white men, as well as Indians, who
would hold men up and take their cash and often steal his stock.
350 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Transportation for all kinds of supplies was necessarily high. We
got no United States mails the first two years, only by express, at
from fifty cents to one dollar for each letter or newspaper. There
was no telegraph. Many of the best paying placer mines were work-
ed out in a few years. Schools and churches were scarce. Many
would become dissatisfied, sell out for what they could get, and re-
turn to their old homes. Others would come. Most all the gold and
silver taken from the mines was taken or sent away either by the
miners or by the merchants to pay for goods and for transportation
thereon.
Most of Montana was taken from Idaho in 1864, and quite a
large strip was taken from the southeastern portion of Idaho in
1868, to help make Wyoming territory. The result was that up
to 1870 Idaho had lost more population than she had gained by at
least ten thousand. Her future prospects did not look very bright
nor inviting for immigration. Still, all who remained were doing
reasonably well. Mining, farming and stock raising were the prin-
cipal industries of the country.
In the early seventies, a number of the farmers in different
parts of the country joined together and constructed large, long
irrigating ditches for irrigating sagebrush lands lying a few miles
away from the streams from which the water was taken. This en-
terprise proved a success. The sagebrush lands proved to be fully
as good and productive as far as they went, away from the streams,
as near the streams. This encouraged men of means to engage in
digging large canals to carry waters to the high sagebrush table
lands for irrigation. The first one to engage in this kind of an en-
terprise was the late Wm. B. Morris. He tapped the Boise River
about three miles above Boise with a large canal which he had con-
structed over the high table lands for about twenty miles, with sev-
eral miles of lateral ditches. The country in the vicinity of these
ditches was soon settled up and put into cultivation. With the ap-
plication of a reasonable amount of water, it proved to be very
productive for cereals, vegetables, fruits, hay, etc. From this time
on up to the present time Idaho's population has steadily increased,
and permanent and valuable improvements and developments have
been carried on at a rapid rate in farming, horticulture, stock rais-
ing, mining, railroad and electric road building, including building
of nice towns, school houses, public buildings, churches, hospitals,
etc.
WHAT IDAHO HAS AND IS PRODUCING.
Idaho has produced in precious and other valuable metals for the
markets of the world, up to January, 1Q08, in gold and silver, about
MARVELOUS PROGRESS 351
$140,000,000, in lead, not less than $110,000,000 and a small
amount of copper with a good prospect for larger quantities in the
near future. Idaho has raised and shipped to the eastern states
each year for the past twenty years, large numbers of beef cattle,
horses, mutton, sheep, wool, fruits, vegetables; and is still produc-
ing and shipping large amounts of gold, silver, lead, livestock,
fruits and vegetables, and is now and has for several years past
shipped to the eastern markets many million feet of fine lumber.
She is now and has been for several years shipping annually sev-
eral hundred thousand pounds of sugar, manufactured from sugar
beets grown in Idaho.
While the early settlers in Idaho had a hard struggle to get peo-
ple to come and help develop the resources of the country owing
mainly to her isolated location, being so far from railroad and
water transportation, at last the railroads came, then the people
came and soon after the development of the many natural resources
commenced in earnest and is being carried on at a rapid and suc-
cessful rate, so much so that the people can say with confidence
that Idaho is one of the most resourceful States in the Union. Ida-
ho is now well up to date with the eastern states with her schools,
churches and all necessary public buildings and thousands of com-
fortable and happy homes.
Idaho was admitted into the Union of States, July 3, 18QO, and
now ranks many of the older states in the development of her great
resources. Idaho has a large amount of arid land which is being
fast reclaimed, all of which produces fine crops with proper cul-
tivation and the application of a small amount of water at the
proper time. Under our system of irrigation, the average yield per
acre of crops of most all kinds in Idaho is much greater than in the
eastern or middle states, and the labor required for raising and
taking care of crops is much less than in the eastern or middle
states.
The climate is healthy, no excessive heat or cold in any of the
agricultural districts. In some of the mountain mining districts,
the snow fall is quite heavy, which affords plenty of water for
the agricultural districts in spring and summer for irrigation. The
mountain slopes furnish fine grass for stock in the spring, sum-
mer and fall. Idaho with her great agricultural, mineral, lumber
and stock raising resources, is destined to be one of the most re-
sourceful and best states in the Union in the near future.
CHAPTER LXXII.
THE MASSACRE AND SUFFERING OF THE OTTER PARTY OF IMMIGRANTS
ON THE OVERLAND ROAD, SOME TWENTY MILES BELOW SAL-
MON FALLS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SNAKE
RIVER, IN I860.
BY HON. GEORGE H. ABBOTT.
In the month of August, I860, the author hereof, having been
assigned to the Umatilla Indian Agency, in Oregon, being in
fact the first Indian agent ever assigned to that agency, and whose
duty it was to put in effect the treaty between the United States
and the Cayuse, Walla Walla and Umatilla Indians. I, the agent,
being at the time temporarily absent from the Agency superintend-
ing the transportation of supplies from The Dalles to the agency,
Byran N. Dawes, an employee of the agent, was in charge at the
agency. About the twentieth of the month of August, I860, two
brothers, Joseph and Jacob Reith, appeared at the agency about
the middle of the forenoon utterly exhausted, worn out and parti-
ally blind from the exertions and exposure to which they had
been subjected, and reported that an immigrant train, of which
they had been members, had been attacked by Indians some twenty
miles or more below Salmon Falls on the old immigrant road south
of Snake River. That the train consisted of certain families from
southern Minnesota and Iowa, also six discharged soldiers from
the military post at old Fort Hall. That the families of the train
as far as I can remember were, first, the Otter family consisting
of twelve souls; second, the Van Norman family consisting of
father and mother and five children; the Myers family of father
and mother and three children and one other family whose name
I have forgotten; also the two Reith brothers. The whole number
of the party being forty-four souls. Mr. and Mrs. Otter had each
been previously married and had families of children before becom-
ing husband and wife. Mrs. Otter's children by the first marriage
being named Trimble.
The Indians had lain in ambush at a point on the road where
there was no water within many miles. When they attacked the
train, Mr. Otter, who was recognized as the head of the party,
caused the train to be corralled in a defensive position. The Indians
pressed their attack and kept it up day and night for almost forty-
eight hours, when the want of water compelled the immigrants to
MASSACRE OF IMMIGRANTS 353
draw out upon the road, driving ahead to reach water, thirst com-
pelling such proceedings. Most of the teams were horses and mules
but at least two of the teams were cattle. The discharged soldiers,
quite well armed and mounted, had volunteered to keep the In-
dians engaged, acted as skirmishers with the assistance of such
members of the train as could be spared from the wagons, who
were forced to act on foot. During the attack before attempting
to move out upon the road, one of the immigrants was killed and
another seriously wounded. As soon as the train started forward
the Indians pressed them closely and the discharged soldiers fled,
making no resistance whatever, easily escaping as the Indians were
without horses. Confusion ensued, women and children panic
stricken. Indians rushing up on both sides proceeded to kill every
person seen. All who could abandon the wagons fled on foot without
supplies or ammunition, following the road to the westward. Nine
of the Otter family were killed then and there. Mr. and Mrs. Ot-
ter and their eldest daughter were seen to fall by the Reith boys,
and all of the family to escape were, Miss Trimble, about eigh-
teen years of age, and a boy of about two years; also the infant
of the family, a little girl of three years. Miss Trimble and her
mother had started from the train just as the oldest daughter was
killed and were off some twenty or thirty steps when Mr. Otter
fell. Miss Trimble trying to encourage her mother in making her
escape, picked up the little girl and running ahead called to her
mother to follow, the little boy running by her side, but Mrs. Ot-
ter turned back to try to reach her husband and was killed before
reaching him. The wagons and teams and all they had in tht
world were abandoned and the Indians turned their attention to
plundering the wagons and securing the stock. This alone seemed
to be the cause of the escape of these people, for the Indians did
not attempt to follow them. The Reith brothers immediately press-
ed forward on foot hoping to overtake the discharged soldiers who
were mounted. This they did on the second day after leaving the
train. They traveled on following the road to the west hoping to
fall in with another train or to reach some settlement or source of
relief. At the crossing of the Malheur river the roads seemingly
forked, one fork running more to the north along Snake river. The
party of discharged soldiers and the Reith boys took the fork run-
ning up Malheur river and followed that road six days when it
became evident that it was only an old abandoned road. The Reith
boys and the youngest of the soldiers tried to persuade the others
to return to the main road but were met with threats of death to
any who would turn back or leave the party. But during the night
of the sixth day they quietly withdrew, and with one horse belong-
His-23
854 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
ing to the young soldier, slipped away on their return down the
Malheur, reaching the main road on the fifth day where they met
a boy of about sixteen years of age who joined them and reported
that the main party of the escaped immigrants had reached the
Owyhee and would be along soon. They then killed the soldier's
horse and taking some of its flesh for food, continued on toward
Burnt river, where they found a few salmon in the stream, and the
discharged soldier and the young boy decided to remain there
to await the coming of the main party, but the Reith boys contin-
ued ahead and finally reached the agency as before stated. While
descending the western slope of the Blue mountains the two boys
came to some cattle grazing on the hill side. They had a muzzle
loading double-barreled shot gun with which they had been enabled
to kill an occasional bird, and one of the boys was in favor of kill-
ing one of the cows, but the other objected on the ground that as
they had been out of shot for some time and were using fine gravel
instead of shot they would be unable to kill one; and further that
where there were cattle there must be people close and if they
were to kill any of the cattle they would be considered thieves
and treated as such. So they pursued their way and in an hour
or two saw a bunch of calves making their way through the brush
and crossing the Umatilla river. Joe, who was the older and strong-
er, told his brother to remain quietly on the road while he would
follow the calves as he believed they would lead him to a white
settlement and promised to return for Jake as soon as possible. He
therefore followed the calves through the brush along the river
bottom out to the opening north of the river where he found him-
self in the midst of an Indian village. As he was seen at once he
decided to trust the Indians instead of trying to escape and as soon
as he could do so made them understand that he wished them to
take him to Walla Walla. The Indians were willing to do this, and
catching a pony one of the Indians mounted and told Joe to get
on behind, as he saw at a glance that the boy was not able to ride
alone. But Joe then explained as best he could by words and signs
that there was another to be taken. The Indians then made him un-
derstand that there was a white chief on the other side of the riv-
er and Joe thinking that it must be an Indian agent at once re-
quested to be taken there. He was so weak, however, that the In-
dians thinking he would fall off his horse had another brave mount
behind Joe to hold him on, and thus they crossed the river three on
the one horse. Jake had grown tired waiting for his brother, and
moved slowly along the road and soon came in sight of buildings
only about one hundred yards distant and hastened to them, so that
when Joe reached the agency he found Jake already there.
MASSACRE OF IMMIGRANTS 355
This was twenty-two days from the time they left the train on
Snake River, eleven days of that time having been wasted in the
trip up Malheur River. The boys had lived on a few birds, part
of the horse spoken of, a little salmon caught in Burnt River, and
wild rose berries, snakes, frogs and one rabbit. They were so
exhausted, starved and wasted that their minds were as weak as
their bodies and it was difficult for them to tell a coherent story.
As soon as Dawes could comprehend the conditions reported by
them, he started two men with a pack mule loaded with provisions
and on the next morning started one man with a yoke of oxen
and a light wagon loaded with food, instructing them to hasten
on with all dispatch until they met the immigrants in order to give
them relief as soon as possible. The men with the pack mule
pushed ahead, watching carefully for any sign of immigrants until
they reached a point on Burnt River near where Huntington now
stands, where they turned back under the belief that the immigrants
must have left the main road and that they had been passed before
going so far. While on the return trip the two men continued
their search for the immigrants and met Copenhaver with the ox
team in Powder River Valley on what was then called Powder River
Slough. Unfortunately the distressed travelers had remained on
the Owyhee. On the day after the ox team had been started
out to their relief I arrived at the agency. Dawes had in the
meantime reported to the military authorities at Fort Walla Walla
such facts as he had been able to gather from the Reith brothers,
and I immediately forwarded a supplementary report to the same
officers and reported in full to Superintendent of Indian Affairs
at Portland, Oregon, all the facts that had reached us and our
action thereon. On the return of the relief parties sent out by
Dawes, I was exceedingly sorry that I had not been at the agency
when the Reith brothers had arrived there, for the reason that
either Dawes or myself would have gone with the advance party
and turned back for nothing until we had found the immigrants.
In the meantime one of the discharged soldiers who had continued
by the Malheur River road got out of the Blue Mountains on the
main road between Umatilla and The Dalles, at a point between
Willow Creek and Butter Creek, and reported that Indians had
attacked their party of five men in the timber of the Blue Moun-
tains and that he felt sure that every member of his party but him-
self had been killed by the Indians. He was so completely ex-
hausted that it was two or three days before he could make any
report. The commanding officer at Walla Walla had reported to
the commanding officer of the District of Oregon at Vancouver,
and when the military red tape was finally gotten through with,
356 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Captain Dent, who was a brother of Mrs. U. S. Grant, the gen-
eral's wife, was dispatched from Walla Walla with a command of
almost eighty cavalrymen. He crossed the Blue Mountains, passed
through Grand Ronde Valley, the Powder River and Burnt River
Valleys under the guidance of an old Scotch mountaineer named
Craig, who lived among the Nez Perce Indians at Lapwai. Joe
Reith was also with the command. When they left the Burnt
River Valley and were crossing over the high point between Burnt
River and Snake River they came upon the bodies of Mr. and Mrs.
Van Norman and boys and found that they had been killed by the
Indians, who had also taken the girls as prisoners and carried
them away. Of course the bodies were buried where they were
found, but the Van Norman girls were not rescued until several
years later, at the conclusion of the war with the Bannocks and
Shoshones in Southern Idaho, when the United States troops were
under the command of General Connor. Pressing on Captain
Dent's command made careful search for further sign of the im-
migrants and soon picked up the boys who had remained on Burnt
River, and reached the Owyhee just six weeks after the people
had been driven from their train, finding among the survivors Miss
Trimble and her little half-sister, whom she had carried from the
train and continued to care for. All of the Myers family and a
few others, making according to my memory, sixteen survivors of
the forty-four souls of the train. These people had been almost
without food except rose berries, a few fish and salmon brought
to them by Indians who seemed to be located near the mouth of
the Boise River. They also found snakes, frogs and mice occa-
sionally but were reduced at last to such a condition of starvation
that they consumed the body of a man who died of wounds re-
ceived in the Indian attack, also of an infant and of a boy of
ten years of age, young Otter, who was killed later by Indians
some distance from the camp. I saw these people at the camp of
Captain Dent at the western base of the Blue Mountains on the
Umatilla Reservation on his return with them, and although he
had traveled very slowly and carefully, after resting with them
about a week at their camp on the Owyhee, a more pitiful sight
would be exceedingly difficult to imagine. With the exception of
Mrs. Myers and the young boys who had remained on Burnt River
there was no one in the party who appeared to have the intelli-
gence or mental strength of a child of three years of age. Cap-
tain Dent conveyed them to Walla Walla where they were well
supplied and cared for until they recovered normal strength. They
were then permitted and assisted to proceed on their way to the
Willamette Valley.
MASSACRE OF IMMIGRANTS S57
The facts herein related of the sufferings of the Otter party of
immigrants were the worst and most distressing, taken in all their
details, of anything that ever came to the knowledge of the author
during his many experiences among the Indians in the early days
of Oregon.
Soldier, Idaho, August 30, 1908.
CHAPTER LXXIII.
THE LATE GENERAL LANE.
The first Governor of Oregon Territory, soon after Congress
passed the Act creating the Territory of Oregon (which was in
August in 1848), General Joseph Lane, who was then fresh from
the front in the Mexican War where he rendered gallant service,
was appointed by the President of the United States to be Gover-
nor of the newly created Territory of Oregon.
He and Joseph Meek, who had been appointed United States
Marshal, with a small detachment of troops made the trip over-
land via the California route, arriving at San Francisco in Feb-
ruary, 1849, where they took a steamer for Astoria near the junc-
tion of the Columbia River with the ocean, thence by Indian ca-
noes to Oregon City, arriving there on March 2nd, 1849. On the
following day he issued his proclamation as Governor, proclaiming
the creating and organizing of the Territory of Oregon under
the laws of the United States.
General Lane's services as the first Governor of Oregon were
great, good, and grand; he rose up to and met every emergency.
Soon as he got the Territorial government in operation he turned
his attention to the capture of six Indians that led the raid in
the Marcus Whitman massacre of November the 29th, 1847. He
saw to it that they had a fair trial before court and jury. They
were duly convicted and executed in accordance with the testi-
mony and law for one of the most horrible crimes that ever was
committed. In 1853 the Indians broke out in Southern Oregon.
When Governor Lane got the news of this he did not say, "Go,
boys, and help the few white settlers subdue them," but he did
say, "Come, boys, get ready quick and go with me to help the
people out there protect their lives and property and chastize the
hostile Indians."
The Governor led them on a forced march to the front, en-
gaged the Indians in battle, led the charge, received quite a severe
wound early in the engagement, but never flinched nor even let
his own men know that he was wounded until after he had gained
a victory and compelled an unconditional surrender of the hostile
Indians to him. General Lane served two or more terms as dele-
gate in Congress from Oregon and it was he who got the bill
through Congress that admitted Oregon into the Union as a
GENERAL LANE 359
State. General Lane was the first Senator elected from Oregon
to the United States Senate.
He was great, good, generous, kind and tender hearted, but
brave as a lion and never faltered at his duty in defending the
rights of the people he represented. He passed from his earthly
mission March, 1881, loved and respected by all who knew him.
Shortly after his death Mrs. W. J. Plymale of Oregon wrote a
tribute to General and Mrs. Lane. It was published in some of
the Oregon papers. It is a worthy tribute to the good old couple
and we think worthy of a place in our book, so we give it here
hoping the author will not be offended at the reproduction:
A TRIBUTE TO GENERAL AND MRS. LANE.
(Written for the fifth annual reunion of the Pioneer Society of
Southern Oregon, by Mrs. W. J. Plymale.)
There is no name more intimately associated with the pioneer
history of our country than that of General Joseph Lane. He it
was that organized the Territorial government of Oregon and for
a succession of years represented the struggling interests of our un-
developed country in the halls of Congress, meeting and combat-
ting the objections urged by older and more favored sections, and
at the same time watching with affectionate yearning and anxious
solicitude, the progress of the various Indian wars that broke from
time to time with ghastly horror over our land, where with others,
his well beloved wife kept tireless watch 'round the hearth-stone,
braving the dangers of early pioneer life, in her fearless endeavors
to lay the foundation in these luxuriant western wilds of our now
peaceful and happy homes. All through our pioneer history is
delicately interwoven the public acts of this truly great man, but
how few of us knew him, in the grander and more exalted charac-
ter of his home life. To know him as a friend was a living
testimony of the great simplicity of his life; and withal he was
generous as he was brave, ready at any time to sacrifice personal
comfort to render assistance wherever the necessities of humanity
demanded help. His devotion to principle was a part of his very
life, but he ever conceded to others the individual right of opinion
and accorded them the greater respect the more strongly they
maintained them. As the years wore on and he was called to
higher stations in public life, the same magnanimity and courtesy,
ever marked his intercourse with opposing parties. Those who
were once his friends were his life-long friends and during the
long months of his last painful illness, which was greatly aggra-
vated by wounds received in the Mexican War and by Indians in
this valley in the war of 1853, he often spoke of his pioneer
860 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
friends and sent for many of them to visit him. One of the most
beautiful and touching characteristics of his life was his unvary-
ing devotion to his wife, with whom he lived in the most perfect
harmony for over 50 years; and how incomplete his history apart
from the grand, true woman who through all those trying and
eventful years was the light and inspiration of his life, and who
with a spirit of heroism and self-abnegation guarded and guided
their mutual interests, through sunshine and shadow keeping a
tireless watch over the beloved treasure of home, while the hus-
band and father periled his life on the field of battle, or watched
our public interests at the then far distant Capital, that it re-
quired months of dangerous journeying by sea or land to reach.
None but a woman can realize the anxious waiting of those weary
years, the proud unflinching devotion to the husband who crowned
her life with loving kindness; sustained her through all the trials
and vicissitudes while she kept brightly burning the beacon light
of home 'round which husband and children were irresistibly drawn
by the power of her womanly love and devotion. The grandest
tribute that it were possible to receive was accorded her when
General Lane was elected to the Senate and many of his friends
from the thinly settled country round their home had called to ex-
tend their congratulations. He took his wife by the hand and
with a tremulous voice modulated to the most touching tenderness
and affection said, "Friends, to Polly, my well beloved wife, I
owe all the joy, all the success of my life, and I am proud to
honor the sex by bearing this testimony to her womanly love and
devotion." In all the success of his eventful life, varying from
the carnage-covered battle field to a dangerous transit across the
continent where dangers were met on every hand — in whatever
public or private venture, at no time did the greatness of his char-
acter shine so resplendently as when he paid his graceful and well
deserved tribute to his loving wife, the honored mother of his
children. Some time before Mrs. Lane's death they celebrated
their golden wedding amidst the general rejoicing and congrat-
ulations of children and grandchildren. Fifty years of married
life! Fifty links in the golden chain of time! From youth to old
age they had walked life's checkered pathway in perfect harmony,
sharing each other's joys and sorrows until their footsteps were
slowly approaching the peaceful shore where they soon hoped to
rest together beneath the evergreens of time. To how few lives
are allotted such a blessed benediction. About a mile below
Roseburg on the line of the O. & C. R. R. on the banks of the
South Umpqua and in sight of the spot where thirty years be-
fore was erected their pioneer cabin stands the mausoleum where
GENERAL LANE S61
side by side sleep these brave old pioneers. Long we stood in
silent meditation by the consecrated spot. And not until the golden
shafts of sunset warned us of declining day did we cease to dwell
upon the scene, the grand possibilities of life and the certainty of
the universal leveler — death. How like a panorama the eventful
life of this great man passed before us, and like turning the leaves
of some long closed book passed in rapid succession the uneventful
pioneer life of this grand and noble woman. The same simplicity
that ever characterized their lives marks their last resting place.
A plain marble slab at the entrance to the vault on the right bears
the incription "Gen. Joseph Lane," with age and dates, and the
one on the left, "Polly, wife of Gen. Lane," while a jet outlined
cross tells of their hopes of another life; and thus together they
rest until the grand awakening of the resurrection morn. Sleep on
in your dual greatness, while the ceaseless flow of the ever rest-
less river murmurs in mournful monotone, and gentle zephyrs in
solemn cadence with the subdued notes of feathered songsters and
the busy hum of midsummer insect life chants you a grander
funeral dirge than it were possible for humanity to conceive. Sum-
mer flowers shall twine in garlands o'er your tomb and winter
snows wrap you in their mantles of purity, while above are the
blue arched heavens ablaze at morn with the symbol of the glory
of the eternal or bedecked with the starry diadems of night and
ever and on, shines the sweet pale light of the Star of Bethlehem
pointing us to the full fruition of your well-spent lives.
CHAPTER LXXIV.
TIME THE OLD TRAPPING STATION COMMONLY CALLED OLD FORT HALL
WAS LOCATED FIRST U. S. TROOPS.
There seems to be three mistaken ideas about or in connection
with this old fort. First, that Captain Nathalian Wyeth was an
army officer. He was not. He was the manager of an eastern
company that desired to engage in trapping and trading with the
Indians for furs.
Second, the Fort Hall that Captain Wyeth built never was oc-
cupied as a military post for the United States troops.
Third, the date of location July 4th, is wrong — Captain Wyeth
selected the sight July 14th, 1834, and commenced work prepar-
ing to build the fort July 15th, 1834. It was named Fort Hall
by Captain Wyeth on August 6th, 1834, after the oldest member
of the firm that Wyeth represented.
August 6th Captain Wyeth, having got the construction of the
fort well under way, left it in charge of Mr. Evans and eleven
men to complete and hold. He also left fourteen horses and mules
and three cows, and he (Wyeth) with 29 men went on to Van-
couver, Oregon. There also appears to be some misunderstand-
ing about the time the Rev. Jason Lee preached at Fort Hall.
"July 27th, 1834, we repaired to the grove near the fort about
3:30 p. m. for public worship which is the first we have had since
we started. Our men and Captain McKay's men, French half-
breeds and Indians, attended. Gave an exhortation from 1st Cor.
10th and 21st." During the afternoon of the 27th, one of the
trappers, a French-Canadian, was accidentally killed. At the re-
quest of Captain McKay, Jason Lee, at 12:00 M. July 28th, at-
tended the funeral and performed the funeral services."
The above was taken from the diaries of Captain Wyeth and
Rev. Jason Lee. As to the hoisting of the American Flag at or
about that time, neither diary mentions anything about it. It
must be remembered by the reader at that date (1834) the few
American and British that were in the Northwest Territory were
occupying this country under and by virtue of what was com-
monly called the joint occupation treaty, between the United
States and Great Britain, and to have raised the Flag at that time
might have caused trouble. In fact I doubt whether either of the
two companies had a flag at that time.
FIRST U. S. TROOPS
About United States troops:
The first United States troops that came to this Northwest came
by water and landed at Vancouver, on the Columbia, in May, 1849-
The second detachment of U. S. troops came overland in the
summer of 1849, a whole regiment. Two companies were left off
in July near the old Wyeth fort to build a U. S. Government mili-
tary post or fort which is commonly called Fort Hall. I presume
they had and raised the American Flag, for the United States had
acquired full title to the Northwest before that time.
CHAPTER LXXV.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION.
Nearly three years ago the author had finished writing a brief
history of the early settling of Idaho Territory up to the time she
was admitted into the Union of States in 1890, and which he had
expected to have had published long since, but owing to circum-
stances over which he had no control he has been unable to have
it published. But as the facts remain the same now as when it
was written, and arrangements having been made at last for its
publication, it is thought best to give a brief review of the progress
made by the people of Idaho since statehood, which must include
the time from 1890 to 1909.
I shall not attempt to give a detailed statement of the many im-
provements and changes made since that time, but shall endeavor
to give to the reader a general synopsis of the present status and
condition of the country, the business, the people and the future
prospects. What follows this is to be published in the same book
with the History of Idaho Territory, so that the reader may have
an insight into the present as well as the early history of Idaho.
It is with much reluctance that I attempt to write anything
about affairs of Idaho since statehood, from the fact that the State
has had a State Commissioner of Immigration since the year 1900
who has been engaged in gathering statistics and publishing a
report biennially. Certainly I have no desire to intrude on the
ground he has so ably covered, but as this volume may fall into the
hands of some who have not read the Commissioner's reports, what
follows may be of some interest to those seeking some information
about the present status and resources of Idaho, so I have ventured
to give a very brief synopsis of the present condition in 1909.
CHAPTER LXXVI.
GOVERNMENT OP STATE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL, FED-
ERAL AND COUNTY OFFICERS.
Under the Constitution of Idaho, the government of the State
consists of three co-ordinate branches, the Legislative, Executive
and Judicial. The Legislative consists of one Senator from each
county. Representatives are apportioned according to population.
Both Senators and Representatives are elected for two years by
counties. They meet biennially at the capitol in January of odd'
numbered years, and hold session for sixty days, draw mileage for
the distance traveled and per diem for sixty days' service at five
dollars, and no longer time unless called into extraordinary ses-
sion by the Executive.
The executive officers consist of a Governor, who is elected by
the voters of the State every two years; also other State officers
are elected at the same time and for the same term, consist-
ing of a Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Superinten-
dent of Public Instruction, State Treasurer, State Auditor and
State Mine Inspector.
The Judicial consists of three Supreme Judges, one of whom is
elected every two years for a term of six years. In addition to
the Supreme Court Judges, we have eight District Judges who are
elected for four years, and one clerk of the District Court in each
county who is ex-officio auditor and recorder of the county. They
are also elected for four years. All other county and precinct
officers are elected for two years by the counties and precincts.
CREATION OF NEW STATE DEPARTMENTS.
In addition to the above, our State legislature created by legis-
lative enactment the following: Commissioner of Immigration,
Labor and Statistics; State Engineer; Commissioner of Insurance
and Examiner of Accounts; State Bank Examiner; State Game
Warden; Horticultural, Food, Dairy and Bee Inspector; State
Chemist; State Veterinary Surgeon; State Land Register and
Land Commissioner; a Board of three Trustees for each of the
two insane asylums; a Board of three Trustees for the State In-
dustrial school; State Board of Horticultural Inspectors for fruit
and orchards; a State Sanitary Board for livestock; a Board of
Medical Examiners; a Board of Dental Examiners and a Board
of Pharmacy.
See THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The duty of these last three boards is to examine applicants to
practice in their respective professions.
Officers of all of these departments created by legislative act
are appointed by the Executive.
There has also been created by legislative act a State Histori-
cal Society, with a governing Board of three Trustees appointed
by the Governor, and a Librarian appointed by the Board of
Trustees.
All of these constitutional State officers and most of the officers
created by legislative acts are supplied with a sufficient number of
clerks to keep the business of the different departments of the
State well up to date. They all appear to have adopted good sys-
tems.
PRESENT OFFICIALS CONGRESSIONAL AND STATE.
U. S. Senators— W. B. Heyburn of Wallace; W. E. Borah of
Boise.
U. S. Representative— T. R. Hamer of St. Anthony:
State officials:
Governor — James H. Brady of Pocatello.
Lieutenant Governor — Lewis H. Sweetser of Burley.
Secretary of State — Robert Lansdon of Weiser.
Attorney General — D. C. McDougall of Malad.
State Auditor — S. D. Taylor of Bonners Ferry.
State Treasurer — C. A. Hastings of Lewiston.
Supt. of Public Instruction — Miss S. Belle Chamberlain of Boise.
Inspector of Mines — F. Gushing Moore of Wallace.
Supreme Judges:
Chief Justice — Isaac N. Sullivan of Hailey.
Associate Justice — George H. Stewart of Boise.
Associate Justice — James F. Ailshie of Grangeville.
District Judges:
First District— W. W. Woods of Wallace.
Second District — E. C. Steele of Moscow.
Third District — Fremont Wood of Boise.
Fourth District— E. A. Walters of Shoshone.
Fifth District— Alfred Budge of Paris.
Sixth District — J. M. Stevens of Blackfoot.
Seventh District— E. L. Bryan of Caldwell.
Eighth District— Robert E. Dunn of Coeur d'Alene.
Federal officers:
Judge U. S. District Court— F. S. Dietrich of Pocatello.
U. S. Attorney — C. H. Lingenfelter of Lewiston.
U. S. Marshal— S. L. Hodgin of Boise.
GOVERNMENT OF STATE 367
The county officers consist of a Board of three commissioners, a
sheriff, a treasurer who is ex-officio public administrator, a probate
judge, a county superintendent of public schools, a county asses-
sor who is ex-officio tax collector, a surveyor, a prosecuting attorney.
Precinct officers are two justices of the peace and one constable
for each precinct.
All of the officers, Federal, Congressional, State and county,
as a rule are competent and attend strictly to the business of their
respective offices and are very obliging to the public.
CHAPTER LXXVII.
STATE LANDS SOLD OR LEASED FOREST RESERVES CIVIL AND CRIM-
INAL LAWS LAWYERS AND DOCTORS HEALTH AND CLIMATE
INCREASE IN POPULATION SINCE STATEHOOD IN-
CREASE IN TAXABLE PROPERTY SINCE STATEHOOD.
The State has a large amount of land given by Congress, of
which we have spoken before. The State Land Board has control
of these lands. They sometimes sell off some and some are leased.
Before any can be sold, it must be appraised. The appraisement
must not be less than ten dollars per acre. It is often very much
more. Then it is advertised and sold to the highest bidder, but
cannot be sold for less than its appraised value.
Purchasers of these lands usually have nine years in which to
pay for it — one-tenth cash annd one-tenth each year, with interest
at six per cent per annum, to be paid yearly on all deferred pay-
ments.
Leases are usually charged for according to the value of the
use of the land, and are not made for a term longer than five years.
FOREST RESERVES.
Most of the mountainous country and hills and some small
valleys in Idaho have been marked out as forest reserves, and are
managed and controlled by the United States Forestry Bureau
through local agents appointed for that purpose. Stock is al-
lowed to run on these reserves, by paying a small fee for grazing
thereon.
Whether the setting aside of these lands as forest reserves is
for the best interest of the government and the people, is a matter
on which there are different opinions. Under acts of Congress,
the 16th and 3 6th sections in each township in the State were
given to the State for school purposes. These reserves cover a
large area of the State. I presume as long as they are held as
forest reserves, the State will be deprived of her share for school
purposes, which amounts to a few hundred thousand acres.
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAW.
We have plenty of civil and criminal laws on our statutes, but
the greatest trouble is that only a very limited number of copies
of these laws have been published and many know but little about
them. We think that our criminal laws, at least, should be pub-
STATE LANDS 369
lished in a separate volume and distributed in every home within
the State.
LAWYERS AND PHYSICIANS.
We have a good supply of each of a high grade. They will
compare very favorably with men in the profession in any of the
older States.
HEALTH AND CLIMATE.
People as a rule have good health all over the State. As for
climate, the air is good and pure in all parts of Idaho. In the
valleys and lowlands, the weather gets a little warm in Sum-
mer. The Winters are mild in the valleys. In the mountains, it is
cool and pleasant in the Summer and Fall and cold in the Winter
and early Spring, with usually plenty of snow in the high alti-
tudes. This snow melts in the Spring and runs in streams down
to the agricultural districts, where it is used by the farmers for
irrigating their crops.
The altitude in the agricultural districts ranges from 750 to
5,500 feet above sea level. In the mountains, it is from 5,000 to
9,000 feet above.
INCREASE IN POPULATION SINCE STATEHOOD.
Idaho was admitted into the Union of States on July 3rd, 1890.
The United States census taken in that year shows Idaho's popu-
lation to have been 84,385. We have no means of knowing with
any degree of certainty just what it is now in 1909, but from the
best information we have, we estimate the population at this time
at not less than 300,000, with a considerable increase daily from
other States.
The population of Idaho is composed principally of the more
intelligent men, women and children of all other States of the
Union, with but few drones or tramps. They are mostly good,
energetic and industrious, law-abiding people and are developing
the resources of the country at a rapid rate.
INCREASE OF TAXABLE PROPERTY.
At the beginning of statehood in 1890, the taxable property of
Idaho amounted to only $24,500,000. At this time, 1909, the as-
sessable property of Idaho amounts to $120,000,000 — an increase
of nearly five hundred per cent in nineteen years, with a good
prospect of a greater increase in the near future.
His-24
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
STOCK RAISING AND RANGE, LUMBER INDUSTRY, FRUIT INDUSTRY,
SUGAR BEETS AND SUGAR FACTORIES, DAIRIES AND CREAMERIES,
FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE SHOPS, FISH HATCHERIES, LAKES
AND HOT SPRINGS, STATE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS,
SCHOOLS, COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
RAISING OF STOCK FOR THE EASTERN MARKET.
The cattle and sheep industry is carried on in Idaho on an ex-
tensive scale and with good profit. The stock is usually kept in
the low hills and mountains and herded in large bands where the
range is good, for about eight months in the year. They are then
driven to the valleys and fed on alfalfa hay through the winter.
Beef cattle are shipped from the range to eastern markets in July
and August and command a good price. Early Spring lambs are
shipped in July, August and September and bring the highest
price of any in the markets. Several hundred carloads are shipped
each year, yielding good profits to the stock growers.
LUMBER INDUSTRY.
This industry is carried on extensively in the northern part of
this State where there are large belts of fine timber of pine, fir
and tamarack. There are quite a number of sawmills located in
these timber belts, of large capacity, one of which, called the Pot-
latch, has a daily capacity of cutting seven hundred and fifty thou-
sand feet. Much of this lumber is shipped to eastern markets and
some to foreign countries. This industry is said to be quite profit-
able.
FRUIT INDUSTRY.
About all kinds of fruit, except the tropical fruits, do well in
Idaho, including most all kinds of berries, peaches, apples, pears,
prunes, plums, nectarines, etc. They all do well in the valleys and
in the low hills in both the northern and southern parts of the
State. Many carloads of fruit are shipped from Idaho to the
eastern markets each year, and some to foreign markets. They
command the highest prices, owing to their superior quality.
SUGAR BEETS AND SUGAR FACTORIES.
The soil in Southern Idaho is well adapted to the raising of sugar
beets. Already four large beet sugar factories have been erected
in Southern Idaho. Each one of them is doing a large business
IDAHO INDUSTRIES 371
manufacturing sugar from the beets raised here. This industry is
said to be profitable, both to the raiser of beets and the manufac-
turer of sugar.
CREAMERIES AND DAIRAES.
There are quite a number of large creameries and dairies lo-
cated in different places in the State. They are supplied with a
good quality of milk and cream, mostly from Jersey and Holstein
cows. These dairies and creameries supply the people with a good
quality of milk, butter, ice cream, etc. All seem to be doing well.
FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE SHOPS.
There are quite a number of these institutions in the State, turn-
ing out good work and seem to be doing well.
FISH HATCHERIES.
The State has three fish hatcheries, hatching out large numbers
of different kinds of fish, and stocking the different small streams
within the State.
LAKES.
There are three good sized lakes in Idaho, Pend d'Orielle, Coeur
d'Alene and Payette Lake, besides several small lakes. Small
steam boats run on the two first named, carrying passengers and
freight. A small steamer built to carry pleasure seekers runs on
the Payette Lake. This lake is twelve miles long by about two
miles wide. The other two are larger. They are all beautiful to
look at.
HOT SPRINGS.
There ^re a large number of hot springs in Southern and South-
eastern Idaho, .several of which carry mineral water with good
medicinal properties. Some of them have been fitted up for bath-
ing purposes and are well patronized.
STATE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The State has a Capitol building in Boise, built in 1885, but the
State business has grown too large for it and a new one of large
dimensions is being constructed which will be completed in the
near future.
The State has large penitentiary buildings and several hundred
acres of land adjoining the buildings; two insane asylums with
farms adjoining, also orchards, teams, milch cows, hogs, fowls,
etc.; a soldiers' home for the old war veterans, with good build-
ings and forty acres of good land with orchard; a large State
University; two large Normal schools and one Academy. All of
872 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
these institutions have excellent buildings well fitted up and good
corps of teachers.
COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
There is a good school building in almost every precinct in the
State, and public schools are taught in all from six to nine months
a year by competent teachers. Some of the counties have acade-
mies. All children have a chance to get a fairly good education
at public expense if they will only apply themselves to their
studies.
CHAPTER LXXIX.
STATE AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND SCHOOL,
STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CHILDREN^ HOME-FINDING
AND OTHER PRIVATE HOSPITALS.
The State supports a home for the unfortunate deaf, dumb and
blind children, with good, comfortable quarters, good board, lodg-
ing and a corps of good teachers, matron and everything necessary
to make these children comfortable and to have them properly ed-
ucated.
STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
The State has large, comfortable buildings, with a farm and
work shop, superintendent and instructors. This institution is
kept and supported by the State for the purpose of training, teach-
ing to work and educating unruly boys and girls.
CHILDREN'S HOME-FINDING.
This appears to be a private institution opened recently for the
purpose of caring for small homeless children. The last legisla-
ture, however, made an appropriation of $20,000 to assist in put-
ting up a new building for this institution. This would indicate
that the State was at least taking a financial interest in this in-
stitution.
PRIVATE HOSPITALS.
There are two large hospitals kept in Boise with fine buildings,
well furnished, with experienced corps of good nurses. One is
called the St. Alphonsus Hospital, owned and conducted by the
Catholics, and the other, the St. Luke's, owned and managed by the
Episcopalians. They are both good and well-managed institutions.
There are a number of other smaller hospitals and sanitariums
kept in the State, all of which seem to be well equipped and con-
ducted.
CHAPTER LXXX.
LAND, FARMING AND IRRIGATION SINCE STATEHOOD.
As stated before, the six counties located in the northern part of
Idaho, north of a range of mountains which divides the agricultural
portion of these northern counties from the southern portion of
the State, consisting of Shoshone, Bonner, Kootenai, Latah, Nez
Perce, and Idaho, belong to the humid district and do not require
artificial irrigation.
The population of these northern counties has increased greatly
since statehood, and improvements in the way of opening and set-
tling up new farms and enlarging and improving old ones have
reached at least two hundred per cent.
The last four named counties above have a large area of as good
land for raising small grain, wheat, oats and barley, as can be
found anywhere in the United States. The people there raise very
large crops of grain, ranging from 25 to 100 bushels per acre. They
also raise large crops of fruit and vegetables of a superior quality.
In fact, everything that is produced in these northern counties is
of a high-grade quality.
The people are industrious, enterprising and intelligent. They
have their farms in a good state of cultivation, with comfortable
homes', convenient and comfortable school houses.
The old towns have taken on new life and doubled in population.
Many new and modern business houses, also nice residences have
been built, and quite a number of new small towns have sprung
up for the convenience of the new settlers.
Real estate has increased more than one hundred per cent, in
value since statehood.
The people as a rule are prosperous and apparently contented
and happy.
There are other things in these northern counties of which we
will speak later on under a different head.
We will now take up what is commonly called Southern and
Southeastern Idaho, which embraces the counties of Ada, Boise,
Blame, Bear Lake, Bannock, Bingham, Canyon, Cassia, Custer,
Elmore, Fremont, Lincoln, Lemhi, Owyhee, Oneida, Twin Falls,
and Washington. These seventeen counties belong to the arid or
dry district and require more or less artificial irrigation. Irriga-
tion, like most everything, has grown very rapidly the last few
FARMING AND IRRIGATION 375
years. As we have spoken of the early beginning of irrigation in
Territorial days, we will not go over it again.
Irrigation has been carried on for the past six years on a larger
scale, partly by the Government of the United States and partly
by individuals and companies operating under what is commonly
called the Carey Act, an act passed by Congress granting to the
different arid States to have said arid land reclaimed by having a
sufficient quantity of water put upon the land by means of construc-
tion of dams across large streams of water, and water taken from
the streams by means of large ditches or canals, and carried on to
this arid land to be reclaimed by irrigation and made to produce.
The State Land Board has control of the letting of contracts to
persons who desire to engage in the business of taking the water
from these streams and carrying it in substantial canals on to the
land to be irrigated. The State Land Board fixes the price to be
paid to the parties who take the water out, by the occupants of
the land at a rate per acre corresponding to the cost and expense
of taking the water out — usually dividing it up into about ten
annual payments with six per cent interest per annum on deferred
payments. The price fixed by the State Land Board and agreed
to by the contractors to furnish a perpetual water right is fixed at
different rates for the different places where the water is diverted
from the stream or streams of water in proportion to the estimated
cost of such diversion of water, ranging in price from twenty dol-
lars per acre up to sixty-five dollars per acre for perpetual water
rights. In addition to this cost, the State charges fifty cents per
acre for the land — nothing to be paid to the United States on these
Carey Act lands.
There has already been let under this Carey Act in the southern
and southeastern part of Idaho, a number of contracts to have
water put on large tracts of this arid land. Most of this land
has been taken by settlers who agree to pay the price fixed for
water. Several of these projects have been completed, the land
put into cultivation. It produces fine crops both in quantity and
quality.
(/ongress has provided a limited annual fund to be used at the
discretion of the Secretary of the Interior for the reclamation of
arid lands in the arid States by irrigation. The operations under
this act of Congress are different from the operation under the
Carey and State Act as stated above. When application is made
to the Secretary of the Interior to have certain arid lands reclaimed
by irrigation and opened to settlement, under the act mentioned, if
there is sufficient money in the funds for that purpose, the Secre-
tary of the Interior usually causes an examination to be made by
376 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
competent engineers and if they report the project practicable and
there is sufficient money in the reclamation fund to cover the esti-
mated cost and expense of the project, he usually has the land to
be reclaimed by irrigation withdrawn or designated from other
public land and people are allowed to settle on small subdivisions
of from forty to eighty acres. The Secretary of the Interior pro-
ceeds to have the necessary work done, building dams, necessary
canals and ditches to convey the water on to the arid district for
the use of the settlers and apportions the entire cost of the project
among the settlers upon the land that has been furnished with
water pro rata, according to the number of acres each locator has
filed on. The payment is divided up into ten equal annual pay-
ments without interest. In addition to this, each settler
has to pay a homestead land filing fee at the local land office and
comply with the Homestead Act.
Under these two systems of reclaiming the arid land, the United
States Government system and the State Carey Act system, there
has been set aside for reclamation more than one million six hun-
dred thousand acres in Idaho, and about six hundred thousand
acres have already been reclaimed by having a sufficient quantity
of water put upon the land to make it produce fine crops of grain,
vegetables and fruits. Hundreds of fine farms and happy homes
are now on these once desert lands. Many fine residences have
been built and the land put in a good state of cultivation and large
crops raised. Quite a number of new towns have been built with
modern buildings. Many new school houses and churches have
also been erected. The work of reclamation is still going on and
in a few years more than two million acres of this arid land will
be reclaimed in Idaho, all of which will be good farming land and
make good homes for several hundred thousand people.
CHAPTER LXXXI.
INDIANS IN IDAHO IN 1907.
The Coeur d'Alene Indians located on the Coeur d'Alene Indian
Reservation in Kootenai County, Idaho, numbered in 1907, the lat-
est census, 506, and the Spokane Indians brought to Coeur d'Alene
Reservation, 95 in number, made a total of 601. These Indians
are the best civilized and the most industrious and the best fitted
up of any Indians in Idaho. They nearly all have comfortable
homes, good farming implements, including several threshing ma-
chines. They raise and sell a large amount of grain and other
farm products, also beef cattle, and most of them have adopted
the white man's mode of dressing, farming and living and speak
good English, and many read and write fairly well. There are 150
of school age. The schools are kept at the DeSmit mission and
are conducted and supported by the Catholics and the Indians and
are known as the DeSmit schools. There are two large school
rooms, one for boys and the other for girls. The girls are in-
structed in housekeeping; the boys are taught farming as well as
"book learning."
These Indians have received but little assistance from the Gov-
ernment and have advanced and improved in every way much faster
than those who have received a great amount of annuities from
the Government. It is said they practice a much higher standard
of morality than any of the other Indians in Idaho.
NEZ PERCE INDIANS ON NEZ PERCE RESERVATION.
The last enumeration of the Nez Perce Indians, taken in 1907,
shows there are only 1473. This shows a decrease in seventeen
years of a little more than 22 per cent.
The Nez Perce Indians, all except some young children, have
had land allotted to them in severalty and most of them lease it to
white men to cultivate, a few of them cultivating their own land.
Some of them work for white men for wages. Some are addicted
to drinking. Tuberculosis seems to be prevalent among them and
often carries them off. Schools and churches are plentful on this
reservation. Children usually learn when at school fairly well, but
many children dislike school on account of the indoor confinement.
A large percentage belongs to the church and several of them
practice preaching the Gospel. There are two schools, one of 150
pupils, supported by the United States Government, the other, 50
378 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
pupils, supported and conducted by the Catholics. Judging from
the returns from the labor, receipts from land leased and some
annuities from the Government, they seem to have plenty to live
on. Many of them have houses to live in. They seem to be making
some progress in civilization.
BANNOCKS, MIXED BANNOCKS AND SHOSHONE AND ROVING INDIANS
ON FORT HALL RESERVATION IN BANNOCK AND
BINGHAM COUNTIES, IDAHO.
In 1907 the census of these Indians shows the following:
Bannocks and Shoshones 1308
Mixed Bannocks and Shoshone from Lemhi 474
Roving bands 200
Total 1982
Decrease from 1900 to 1907, five per cent, in seven years.
The Indians called the mixed Shoshones, Bannocks and Sheep-
eaters that have occupied a small reservation in Lemhi County, set
apart temporarily by executive order in 1874, were all moved to
the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in the Spring of 1907, and are
included in the count of the Indians on that reservation.
Most of the Indians on the Fort Hall Reservation have been al-
lotted land in severalty. Some of them have built houses and
many of them are cultivating portions of their farms and raise
cattle and horses to a considerable extent, have good schools sup-
ported by the United States Government, and taken all in all, they
have made fairly good progress since the war of 1878.
DUCK VALLEY AGENCY, PARTLY IN IDAHO AND PARTLY IN NEVADA,
WITH THE AGENCY ON THE NEVADA PORTION.
The agent there reports about 500, all getting along well, with
a small annual decrease. A part of these Indians were gathered
from Idaho, but they are all enumerated as Nevada Indians. Let
Nevada keep them.
The whole number of Indians we now have in Idaho, as shown
by report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1907, is as
follows :
Coeur d'Alenes 506
Spokanes with Coeur d'Alenes 95
Nez Perces, Lapwai Agency 1473
Bannocks and Shoshones, Fort Hall Agency 1308
Mixed Shoshones and Bannocks, Fort Hall Agency 474
Roving Indians 200
Total number in 1907. . . .4056
INDIANS IN IDAHO 379
This is a decrease from the original number, 23,000, estimated
by Lewis and Clark in 1805, of 82 1-3 per cent in 102 years. Tak-
ing into account all the Indians in Idaho from 1900 to 1907, the
decrease for the seven years in numbers is about 4% per cent. At
this rate of decay, the Indians will last for many years to come.
But their number is so small and they are so fast becoming civil-
ized, there is no danger to be apprehended from them in the future.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
BANKS, NATIONAL AND STATE NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS
TOWNS HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, STORE HOUSES AND MERCHAN-
DISE RESIDENCE BUILDINGS CHURCHES, MINISTERS AND SUN-
DAY SCHOOLS NEW TOWNS AND IMPROVEMENT OP OLD ONES
RAILROADS, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WAGON ROADS, STAGES
AND TRANSPORTATION BY WAGON AND PACK ANIMALS MINING
FOR GOLD, SILVER, LEAD, ETC. FALLS ON SNAKE RIVER ELEC-
TRIC POWER PLANTS.
BANKS.
There are one hundred and twenty-one State banks within the
State, with a capital, surplus and undivided profits of five and one-
half million dollars, and deposits amounting to thirteen million
dollars. There are forty National banks in the State with capital,
surplus and undivided profits of three million two hundred and
twenty-eight thousand dollars, and deposits in the same amount to
about thirteen million dollars.
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
There are one hundred and twelve papers of different kinds pub-
lished within the State. Several of them are dailies and are up to
date, giving all the important news of the world gathered by tele-
graph and telephone. They are an enterprising lot of people
engaged in this business.
TOWNS NEW AND OLD ONES.
Many new towns have sprung up in all the new agricultural dis-
tricts, and the old ones have increased in population and improve-
ments. Many of them have trebled in population and improvements
in the past ten years.
HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND LODGING HOUSES.
These are good and sufficient to accommodate the public in good
style. Many fine modern buildings have been erected for hotels.
MERCHANDISE AND STORE HOUSES.
A general assortment of goods is kept by merchants in most all
the towns and are usually kept in good buildings. Everything is
new, neat and clean and sold at reasonable prices. Some of the
merchants in the towns, notably Boise, keep very large stocks of
goods for wholesale as well as retail. Most of the buildings in
which merchandise is kept are up to date modern structures.
STATE AND NATIONAL BANKS 381
Residence buildings are, as a rule, good and comfortable in all
the towns. Many of them are fine, costly structures.
CHURCHES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
Churches, ministers and Sunday schools are in every town. Some
of the church buildings in the older towns are fine, modern struc-
tures. There are a number of different religious denominations in
most all the towns. There appears to be a sufficient supply of min-
isters and all the different denominations seem to be working for
the good and well-being of the people, and all seem to be in a
harmonious and flourishing condition, each one having its own
manner of worship with no interference from others. I think each
denomination maintains good Sunday schools for children.
RAILROADS, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE LINES.
Of railroads being operated in Idaho, there are about 1978
miles, 814 of which are in the northern part of the state, and 1164
miles in the southern and southeastern part of the State, with a
good prospect of more in the near future. There are about 7,000
miles of telegraph lines within the State and over 16,000 miles of
telephone wires. Most all the towns have telephone service and
many people in the country have telephone service.
WAGON ROADS, STAGES, TRANSPORTATION.
Many of the agricultural and mining districts and small towns
are situated quite a distance from railroads. There are usually
good wagon roads leading from railroad depots to all these settle-
ments. Where the distance is ten miles or more, stages are run
for the transportation of the United States mail, express and pas-
sengers. Merchandise is usually hauled to these interior towns by
wagons and teams, except to a few of the mountain mining camps,
where it sometimes has to be packed on mules or horses a short
distance.
MINING FOR GOLD, SILVER, LEAD, COPPER, ETC.
Nineteen counties out of a total of twenty-three show a produc-
tion of more or less gold and silver and several of them some lead,
copper and zinc. The value of the product for the year 1907, as
shown by the report of Mine Inspector Mr. Robert N. Bell, which
we believe to be correct, is as follows:
VALUE.
Lead, Ibs 334,4.04,920.00 $12,470,341.74
Silver, fine oz 8,491,356.12 5,546,553.82
Copper, Ibs 10,847,905.00 2,241,177.17
Gold, fine oz 66,426.29 1,373,031.40
388 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Zinc, Ibs 9,192,551.00 534,087.24
Total value for 1907 $22,165,191.37
FALLS ON SNAKE RIVER ELECTRIC PLANTS.
There are a number of water falls on Snake River in that part
of Idaho through which it runs, among which are Swan Falls, Sal-
mon Falls, Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, and American Falls. At
Shoshone Falls the water falls two hundred and ten feet. At the
Twin Falls, four miles above, the water falls one hundred sixty
feet.
There are a number of electric plants installed and in operation
along Snake River, at some of these falls, and several others are
located on smaller streams in Idaho. They furnish power for
mining, milling, lighting towns, running street and interurban
cars, also many manufacturing machines, and will in the near fu-
ture furnish power to run railroad cars and many other kinds of
machinery.
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
THE IDAHO STATE FAIR, OCTOBER, 1Q09'
I went to the Idaho State Fair near Boise and saw a very fine
display of almost all kinds of agricultural products, including
almost all kinds of grains, fruits, vegetables and grasses, a lot of
fine horses, high bred cattle and hogs, a superior lot of high-grade
sheep, a fine lot of fowls of many different breeds, and a fine dis-
play of Idaho minerals, and many other products of Idaho.
These exhibits do great credit to the exhibitors who produce them
and also show something of the many great resources and the
the producing power of the land in Idaho. Not least among the
exhibits was the very beautiful handwork of the ladies and school
children. The very excellent exhibit shown by the taxidermist,
Mrs. Austin, of most of the early-day native wild animals
of Idaho, stuffed and mounted, as natural as life, placed on cliffs
of rock, representing the rugged side of a mountain, the native
home of these wild animals, was a grand picture of early-day
scenery. All these exhibits go to show that the natural resources
of Idaho are great. They also show that at least a considerable
portion of the people of Idaho have been doing their full duty in
developing the great resources of Idaho.
The managers of this Fair deserve great credit for the splendid
manner in which they had the grounds and buildings fitted up, and
for the very excellent judgment they exercised in cutting out all
the bad and vicious things usually practiced at such places.
There was another large department of this Fair, called the
"Merchants' Palace." In this department was a large amount of
eastern goods on exhibition which was very attractive. Most of
them were brought here from the east for sale, some of which,
judging from the great resources of Idaho for producing raw ma-
terial, ought to have been manufactured at home, retaining the
money here instead of sending it away. But everything was nice
and for an old-timer like myself to walk around and gaze upon this
fine display of exhibits as I did for two hours, and then let the
mind run back forty-six years and think how the country looked
then and what it is now, for a moment the thought come up, "Can
this great change I see be true or am I only dreaming of what I
have longed to see?" Arousing from this reverie, we realize that
all we have seen is true. The wild, savage Indian has been tamed
384 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
and subdued; the wild animals that once roamed the sagebrush
plains, what is left of them, have gone to the mountains; the once
wild sagebrush plains are no more — they have been reclaimed by
the hands of the industrious home-builders and are now dotted
over with fine fields, orchards, irrigating ditches, towns, churches,
school houses and thousands of happy homes occupied by a good,
law-abiding, industrious, intelligent and prosperous people. To
see and know of these wonderful changes and of this great im-
provement that has been brought about in so short a time, makes
the old-timer's heart beat with pride.
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW CAUSES OF SOME PROPOSED PREVEN-
TATIVE8.
The rapid filling up of our jails and State prisons, certainly de-
mands some serious consideration at the hands of the people, and
the law-making power of each State and Territory of this Union.
This question of the violation of criminal laws, taken in all of
its bearings, is far-reaching and affects the whole people in many
ways. Believing as I do, that there are but few people born nat-
ural criminals, there must be something neglected in our system of
government that has tended to increase the number far in excess
of nature's normal amount. There should be some human remedy,
if properly applied, that would lessen the commission of so much
crime.
Our government is supposed to be founded on equal rights and
justice to all. Property is taxed to support and pay current ex-
penses of State, county and municipal governments including the
making of and administering and enforcement of the laws.
There are a number of things that, in my opinion, might be
done by legislation that would tend to lessen violations of our crim-
inal laws, with but small expense, which would, in the near future,
lessen crime and expense, and improve the moral habits of our
people. It is often said that ignorance of the law is no excuse
for its violation; but is it right, just and fair that ninety-five per
cent of the people who are the producers of the staples of life,
shall virtually be deprived of knowing what laws we are living
under until they are brought up by an officer to answer for the vio-
lation of some law that they had never seen or heard of before?
When we take into consideration that our criminal laws are
classified under two heads, namely: misdemeanors and felonies,
and that there are about 180 different things that may be done that
constitute a misdemeanor, for which the person doing or committing
any one of the offenses may be punished by fine or imprisonment
in the county jail, or in most instances by both, and that there are
about 140 different things that any person may or might do that
constitutes or makes it a felony under our laws, which would, if
convicted of, send him to the State's prison for from one year
to life, and when we further take into consideration the fact that
our people are taxed to pay the expenses of elections to elect mem-
Hia-25
886 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
bers of the legislature and to pay them to make laws, and are
taxed to pay expenses of elections and salary and fees of other
officers to administer and enforce the laws, and that the usual cus-
tom has been to appropriate enough money to have a few hundred
copies of each session's laws published, and to furnish at the ex-
pense of the State a copy free to each member of the legislature and
one to each State and county officer. I presume the object of fur-
nishing the laws to the officers is to enable them to en-
force them, and the reason for furnishing the legislators with
copies is that they may review their work at their leisure
and thereby keep posted and steer clear of violating any law they
have made. But how about the poor farmer, miner, mechanic and
wage worker? They, each and all, are called upon to put up their
share of taxes to help pay the expenses of making and publishing
these laws. They are all expected to obey them ; they are compelled
to help pay the cost of making and publishing them; but they sel-
dom see or hear of any law until they are taken with a warrant, in
charge of an officer, before some court to answer to a charge of
violating some law they never saw or knew was in existence. It
seems to me that, to say the least I can, that it is unfair to
expect men to obey laws that they know nothing about, except they
know they have been taxed to help pay to have laws made and
published, but have never seen them. In all the various avocations
of business that it takes to make up a well regulated and prosper-
ous community of people instructions are always given with accu-
racy by employer to employe, that he or they may know what they
shall and what they shall not do, without which we would have a
very bad state of affairs in business. It certainly is of equal or
more importance that every citizen should know what is expected
of him in the manner of obedience to our laws, and in order that
he may know, he certainly should be furnished with a printed copy
of them. The principles upon which our government is founded
was that all should have equal rights. When the sovereign people
vest their power in the hands of a few men to make laws regulating
the duty of citizens, including crimes and punishments, civil and
criminal procedure, taxation, expenditure of public moneys, and
expect the people to live up to and obey them, they must certainly
furnish them at the public expense a sufficient number of printed
copies to enable them to inform themselves as to what their duty
is. In order that crimes may decrease and both county and State
expenses be reduced to the minimum, I respectfully and earnestly
recommend the following:
First — That the coming legislature have printed for distribution
100,000 copies of our criminal laws in a separate volume; that one
VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW 387
copy be sent to every home in Idaho, and that a sufficient number of
copies be sent to the county superintendent of schools in each county
in this State to put one copy in the hands of each school pupil
over the age of 12 years.
Second — That our school law be so amended as to make it ob-
ligatory on each and every teacher within our State to give to all
pupils above twelve years of age at least one lesson in our crim-
inal law each and every week during each school term and to see
to it that these lessons are studied properly and the contents im-
pressed on the pupils' mind so that they will not forget them when
they get older.
By having the criminal law taught in all of our schools, every
child, when they come to the age of maturity, will at least be pos-
sessed of sufficient knowledge of our criminal law so that they will
understand what would be a violation, and I believe that it would
be of more permanent and lasting benefit to the rising generation
than any one thing that could be done for them. I am satisfied
that it would decrease the number of inmates of the prison and all
county jails, and insane asylums, lessen the expenses of the State
and counties very much more than the cost of publishing and dis-
tribution of the laws, and last but not least, we would have a more
orderly, intelligent, law-abiding and prosperous people.
There are a number of other things that might be regulated by
law which would doubtless tend to lessen crime, among which is the
sale of intoxicating drinks and gambling. I won't say here, to
stop both of these evils to mankind altogether, but I do say that
the whole community would be far better off if both were abolished.
Limit the number of places allowed to sell intoxicating drinks and
compel them to be kept in an orderly manner, with open doors —
no screens, no back or side doors to rooms for secret business. They
should be closed up each day within one hour after usual working
hours is over and not be allowed to open until six o'clock the next
morning. Gambling should be abolished altogether. The pros-
perity, happiness and well-being of the people are not dependent
upon drinking and gambling. Intoxicating drinks and gambling
are not only the cause of a large percentage of the crimes that are
committed, but heavy expenses follow for the people to pay in the
way of prosecutions and the care and maintenance after conviction
of the criminals, and worst of all, they often cause death, loss of
property, destitution and mental suffering to families, relatives and
friends. They tend to demoralize, degrade and degenerate society,
rather than to improve it. The evils that come from strong drink
and gambling are many; the good that comes from them has never
been found.
S88 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
I am aware that some will say that to restrict drinking and abol-
ish gambling by law, would be taking away the liberty of the peo-
ple. Why is it that we have laws on our stautes to punish people
for crimes committed while under the influence of intoxicating
drink and gambling? Would it not be better to enact laws that
would restrain them from these vices? History has shown that
man, at best, is unruly and selfish. It ever has been and ever will
be necessary to have stringent laws to prevent man from injuring
himself and others, and to hold him down to the bounds of decency
and good morals.
It is clearly within the province of the legislature to legislate
upon any subject for the good and well-being of the people.
Another thing that has helped to increase crime is that our
United States Government has allowed too many foreigners of the
wage -working class to come into our country, which has thrown
many Americans of the wage-working class out of employment.
Idleness begets drink and gambling. The distance is short from
there to crime. The wage-workers should be furnished steady em-
ployment if possible.
Is it not time that we were trying to do something to stop crime
and help the people on to a higher plane of good morals in a
human manner, by taking away from them some of the evil temp-
tations set before them, and letting each one know what the crimi-
nal laws of our State are so that they may understand and obey
them? Are we in this advanced age of civilization, going to con-
tinue to keep our laws away from the masses of the producers of
our country, and from their children, and then expect them to obey
them ? I submit that it is unfair. All should at least have a chance
to learn and know what violations of our criminal laws consist of.
If given a chance, if the older people will not learn and obey, I
am sure that most of the younger ones will, for what is learned by
young people between the ages of twelve and twenty-one years, is
seldom forgotten, but carried with them through their whole life.
With the confident hope of improving the morals of our people
and with an abiding faith in the lessening of crime and public ex-
pense in the near future, I submit the suggestions herein for the
candid consideration of the people and of our next legislature.
CHAPTER LXXXV.
ALTITUDE OF COUNTY SEATS IN IDAHO.
COUNTY. COUNTY SEAT. ALTITUDE IN FT.
Ada Boise 2800
Boise Idaho City 4200
Bannock Pocatello 4471
Bear Lake Paris 5496
Bingham Blackfoot 4508
Blaine Hailey 5332
Bonner Sandpoint 2100
Canyon Caldwell 2377
Cassia Albion 4400
Custer Challis 5400
Elmore Mountainhome 3150
Fremont St. Anthony 5300
Twin Falls Twin Falls 3500
Idaho Grangeville 3200
Kootenai Coeur d'Alene 2150
Latah Moscow 2569
Lemhi Salmon City 4030
Lincoln Shoshone 3978
Nez Perce Lewiston 647
Oneida Malad City 4700
Owyhee Silver City 6680
Shoshone Wallace 2500
Washington Weiser 2128
CHAPTER LXXXVI.
ABOUT MYSELF.
I have said but little about what part different persons or myself
took in the stirring times in the early settling of Idaho. Most all
who took part are presumed to have done their duty well, accord-
ing to the surrounding circumstances. I very much dislike to write
about myself for I have nothing great, good or very bad to tell. I
am free to confess that I have fallen far short of doing as much
good as I should have done. As this little book may fall into the
hands of some who wish to know more about its author than has
been written, I herein give a very brief sketch of my career, that
those who may desire may make further inquiry.
I was born in Smith County, Tennessee, on August 29, 1835. I
was put to work on a farm at six years of age and kept at it pretty
steadily. My parents moved to Dade County, Missouri, in 1848.
I was still kept at work most of my time; went to country school
some, learned fast while at school. Left my parents' home April
18, 1853, drove an ox team (five yoke) across the plains to Oregon
that year, arriving at Salem, Oregon, October 18, 1853. Served
in the volunteer service in the Rogue River Indian War in Southern
Oregon in 1855 and 1856; got married soon after the war was
over, left Oregon in 1862 for the northern part of Washington
Territory (now Idaho) ; went to the southern part of Idaho in
1863, since which time Idaho has been my home.
I knew but little when I started out to do for myself. Have
been trying to learn something ever since but find I know but lit-
tle now, but remember most all I have seen or learned. This
seems to be a fast age. I can hardly keep up with the procession —
am most all the time in the rear.
Have been engaged in a number of different kinds of business —
farming, stock raising, packing, saddle train, staging, mining and
have taken some part in political affairs. Have made a consider-
able amount of money, but have lost most of it.
My wife and I have had born to us eight children, two of whom
we lost while infants; six we raised to man and womanhood. One,
a noble, good and dear son, was taken from us at the age of forty-
two. The other five and my wife are still living.
I feel that I have fallen far short of having filled my mission
as well as I should have in this life, but when I come to consider
ABOUT MYSELF 391
the many imperfections of man and the very limited foresight we
have of the future, I am not in any way inclined to grumble. I
feel that the Supreme Being who caused the creation of us all has
been kind and generous towards me, and I hope and trust in Him
that in the final adjustment of my earthly accounts He may take
a liberal and lenient view of my earthly career and decide that I
did the best I could, considering the knowledge and light before
me. When my time comes to depart, I feel that I shall go in
that faith.
CHAPTER LXXXVII.
Idaho is blessed with a greater variety of resources than most
any other State in the Union. With her large amount of good ag-
ricultural and horticultural land, her fine grazing and timber lands,
her immense amount of mineral — gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc,
coal, asbestos, etc., marble building stone, fine material for brick,
her splendid water power for electric plants sufficient to drive
railroads, quartz mills and all kinds of machinery, her beautiful
lakes, her many hot mineral springs, the pure and bracing atmos-
phere, her mild Winters, pleasant Summers and healthful climate —
all these things make Idaho a very desirable place for people to
settle who are looking for homes.
Idaho in the near future is bound to have a large population and
will soon rank as one of the best and most resourceful States in
the Union.
CHAPTER LXXXVIII.
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE IMPORTATIONS AND HOME PRO-
DUCTIONS MORE HOME MANUFACTORIES MORE FARMERS AND
FEWER TRADERS AND IDLERS TOWNS AND COUNTRY LAND AND
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.
In offering suggestions for the future, we do not claim that
we are possessed of any superior foresight over other people, but
we are so constituted that we cannot help giving some thought to
the future. BaDCTOtt Ubntf>
IMPORTATIONS AND HOME PRODUCTIONS.
We import too many things into Idaho and do not produce
enough at home, which takes our money away. We have as fine
agricultural lands as there are in the United States, and the best
grazing lands for live stock of any State in the Union. We have
fine water power for driving machinery, or making electric power.
We have good gold and silver mines, undeveloped for want of
means to work them. Our sheepmen produce wool enough to make
blankets and clothing for twice the number of people in Idaho. It
is all shipped to and sold in the eastern markets in its raw state,
at a low price, fifteen to twenty-five cents per pound. After freight,
drayage, storage, insurance, middle-men's commission, interest, etc.,
is paid, it reaches the manufacturers, and after some delay it is
worked up into blankets and clothing and usually passes to the
eastern wholesale merchants with all of these extras, such as stor-
age, insurance, labor, use of machinery, clerk hire, net profits, etc.
There it is held until the Idaho merchant purchases it with all of
these former extra commissions, interest, etc., with a large addi-
tional amount added for the wholesale man's profits, expenses,
etc. The Idaho merchants ship these goods back to the same place
in Idaho from which the raw material was shipped two or three
years before, and are offered for sale at a price which, if weighed
like wool, would amount to from two to five dollars per pound.
Our beef hides and sheep pelts go and come back to us through
a like channel. Would it not be better policy to try and have our
raw material worked up at home and save this great expense, be-
sides give employment to men who would spend the money paid
them here, thus keeping the money at home and add permanent
prosperity to our towns?
394 THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
MORE FARMERS WANTED.
With all of our fine agricultural lands., we are a long way short
of supplying our home market with all the necessaries that should
come from the farm, and especially is this the case in the southern
part of Idaho. We are not raising nearly enough wheat for home
consumption. We are short on supplying the home market with
milk, cream and butter. We are short on chickens, eggs, turkeys,
etc., also bacon, lard, canned fruits and canned meats. A large
quantity of these articles just mentioned are imported from other
States every year that are not as well adapted by nature to pro-
duce them as is Idaho.
There are many other things which are imported here from other
States that might be produced or manufactured here, such as
wagons, buggies, household furniture, etc. There is a fir tree that
grows in the mountain gulches of Idaho that makes better wagon
timber than any I ever got from the east. I have tested both
while in the stage business for several years.
TOWN AND COUNTRY.
In my opinion the population of each town is too great for that
of the country. In other words, there are too many traders, pro-
fessionals and idlers around the towns for the number of pro-
ducers in the country. We need more producers and less idlers
who hang around the town doing little or nothing, but seem to
think the town might sink if they left. To this class permit me
to say that all we get in this good world comes from two sources and
two alone: The first is this earth with all of its timber, water,
minerals, etc.; and the second and only remaining source is honest
labor brought in intelligent contact with this earth, or some of the
god-given fruits, such as timber, water, mineral, etc. These two,
the earth and labor, produce all, so let no man or woman who is
able be ashamed to work — 'tis God-like. He has rdone his part
well for us; let us try and do our part well by producing some-
thing to sustain life and add to the comforts of ourselves and
others. Honest labor performed for an honest purpose in a
workmanlike manner in any of the legitimate industries of our
country is as high and honorable business as man has or ever can
reach in this world. Our very existence depends on labor.
LAND AND FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.
Our population is increasing rapidly from two sources: natural
births and foreign immigration. In 1810 the population of the
United States, as shown by the census, was 7,240,000. We expect
the census for 1910 to show a population of not less than 90,000,-
SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE S96
000. This is an increase of more than twelve hundred per cent in
one hundred years, or an increase of from 7,240,000 to 82,760,000
in one hundred years over original stock. If this rapid increase
goes on from the 90,000,000 at the same ratio of increase for the
next one hundred years, we will have more than one billion people
in the United States. Where and how will they live? Our land
boundaries extend from the Gulf of Mexico on the south to the
British possessions on the north, and from the Atlantic Ocean on
the east, to the Pacific Ocean on the west and Alaska in the north-
west. But all included we have just 3,602,990 square miles, equal
to 2,305,913,600 acres. In this area is included mountains, rivers,
lakes, lava, townsites, railroads, rights-of-way, wagon roads and
hundreds and thousands of small areas of good land used for pub-
lic and private purposes, other than for producing purposes. We
have no means of knowing just what portion of our land is avail-
able for cultivation or is susceptible of cultivation, but am satis-
fied that it is less than one-half. If our increase of population con-
tinues in the future as it has in the past, it will not be many
years until all of the available agricultural land in the United
States will have to be cultivated to raise a sufficient quantity of
bread, meat, and vegetables to feed the people at home. Would
it not be better to stop foreign immigration from coming here
to settle and save our land for those who are here and their pos-
terity? The great rush of people at the late land openings
ought to be enough to satisfy any one that land is getting scarce
in proportion to the population.
I respectfully recommend for Idaho less importation of goods
and more home manufactures; less traders, less idlers, and more
producers; smaller farms and well cultivated; economy in home,
State, county and municipal governments. Let us all be up and
doing our part while we are here. Our position may be high or
low, but let us perform our duty to the best of our ability and
when we come to the end of our time here, then we may be able
to look back with some degree of satisfaction and truthfully say
we have done our duty as best we could, with a confident hope that
He who is the final Judge of the rectitude of our earthly career
may assign us to a higher and better place in the hereafter.
FINIS.
FROM IDAHO'S MOTHER, OREGON.
Thro* the mist of coming years
From this vale of hopes and fears,
There's a future bright appears,
Rolling on;
And thy sons, amid their toil,
On this far, far distant soil,
Shall be proudly seen to smile,
Oregon !
Tho' no more a foreign rod
Is extended o'er thy sod,
But thy hills and vales are trod
By the free;
Tho' the children of the North
In their might have sallied forth,
To assert Columbia's worth
Gloriously !
Yet alas! the parent hand
That should nurse so bright a land,
Doth but faintly, feebly stand
For its son;
While with anxious eyes we look
On the homes we once forsook,
Fierce and savage tribes to brook,
Oregon !
But we laugh despair to scorn !
Tho' forgotten and forlorn,
We predict the coming morn
Thro' the gloom;
When thy sons and daughters fair,
Sweetly reft of grief and care,
Shall a Nation's bounty share,
And a home !
For the day is drawing nigh
When a long-neglected cry
Not in vain shall raise on high,
"We are One!"
And thy sons, amid their toil
On this fair though distant soil,
Shall in sweet contentment smile,
THEO. J. ECKERSON.
NOTE— These prophetic lines were published in the Oregon Spectator in the Spring of
1860. Major Eckerson was at that time a member of the First U. S. Artillery.
A PIONEER DAY SONG.
(Tune—"Auld Lang Syne/')
We Pioneers are glad today,
For though our forms are bent,
Our hearts are still as blythe and gay
As when in youth we went.
We haste our feet, and gladly greet
Each friend of long ago;
Here, oil and wine of friendship meet;
No space have we for woe.
Sweet melody of heart is ours,
The song of youth and mirth,
While in the gloaming here we sit
Around our camp-fire hearth.
Should ever we those days forget
Or fail to call to mind
The pleasures of old friendship yet,
Then, fate would be unkind.
Flowers to strew our way they bring,
That speak of love and truth;
Gay songs of youth once more we sing —
Of happy-hearted youth.
And were there foe of long ago,
All malice now is past,
Erstwhile we twine the eglantine
Of memories that last.
Then let us dream our dream tonight,
Nor wake 'till morning sun
Shall bathe in such a flood of light
As God's first day begun.
When rolls the year, the latch-string here,
Shall then as now hang out
In memory of Auld Lang Syne;
Though all the world should flout.
(Written by Mrs. Sarah J. Henderson, Portland, a Pioneer of
1845, and daughter of Rev. Ezra Fisher.)
IDAHO (Song).
There's a land whose glory we should tell
In love's divinest melody of song;
In honest glory let our voices dwell
To echo all the hills and vales among;
Where crystal streams, in varied beauty fall,
Through valleys bright that brighten as we gaze,
And mountains lift their minarets of snow,
And over all a wealth of summer days.
CHORUS.
It's Idaho, dear Idaho, Gem of the Mountains, Idaho,
Where golden sunlight lingers and healthful breezes blow,
And heaven bends to kiss dear Idaho.
Here health goes roystering along the grassy slopes,
And dreams of wealth may not be all in vain,
For fortune loves to dally with our hopes,
And he who tries and fails, can try again.
Then dig the hills for silver and for gold,
While rosy health it keeps our hearths aglow;
Better than gold a thousand, thousand fold,
And best of all the boons in Idaho.
Match me, ye bards of southern, sunny lands,
And ye who sing the praise of eastern isles;
It's heaven and earth where liberty expands,
And man can greet his fellow men with smiles;
No king nor creed compels you to obey;
Contagion vexeth not, nor wars alarm,
And to the oppressed of every land we say:
"Come; Idaho will take you in her arms."
All Hail to ye! Ye hearty Pioneers,
Who blazed the trail and fought the dusky foe;
Your deeds of valor brighten with the years,
We honor you in loving Idaho.
For you may time have happiness in store;
And while this lovely heritage is ours,
We pray that when your pilgrimage is o'er,
You will rest in peace beneath the snow and flowers.
— Composed by H. C. Thompson.
IDAHO, O, IDAHO! (Song.)
Tune — "Maryland, My Maryland."
A lovely mountain home is our,
Idaho, O Idaho!
Of winters mild and springtime showers,
Idaho, O Idaho!
Her breezes blow from western shore,
Where broad Pacific's billows roar;
Each year we love her more and more;
Idaho, O Idaho!
Her mountains grand are crowned with snow,
Idaho, O Idaho!
And valleys fertile spread below,
Idaho, O Idaho !
The towering pines on cliffs so steep,
O'er cataracts their vigils keep,
Or in the lakes are mirrored deep,
Idaho, O Idaho!
A thousand hills where herds may range,
Idaho, O Idaho!
And lava beds so weird and strange,
Idaho, O Idaho!
Above our heads are cloudless skies,
In gorgeous hues the sunset dies,
Then starry diamonds greet our eyes,
Idaho, O Idaho !
Such is our wondrous mountain home,
Idaho, O Idaho!
And far away we ne'er would roam.
Idaho, O Idaho !
Oh, "Land of Liberty," we tell,
Beneath a starry flag to dwell,
One star is ours, we love it well,
Idaho, O Idaho!
—Ernest 0. Mills, Idaho Falls, Idaho.
MY COUNTRY.
My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty, —
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring!
My native country, thee, —
Land of the noble, free, —
Thy name I love:
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Our fathers' God, to thee,
Author of liberty, —
To thee we sing:
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our King.
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