1888 — J.A.C__K Takes the Floor

The mines closed down for the winter and we made it through another cold one. Alta, having discovered the joy of walking, kept me on my toes and was the darling of the camp. There was no shortage of nannies but they all had whiskers—and no shortage of parties, either.

My brother Leland Graves had made his way clear to Santa Cruz, California, where he was working as an engineer—tinkering with steam and steel like it was second nature. Samuel continued his own scholarly route. He’d been attending the Coburn Classical Institute in Waterville, Maine, brushing up his Latin and rhetoric in hopes of entering Colby College before year’s end. He talked of a career in journalism, though I hoped it wouldn’t temper his wit or straighten his sentences too much.

By the looks of the camp there weren’t enough children downriver to warrant building a schoolhouse any time soon. I subscribed to numerous periodicals, grew my library and given the way I was feeling, growing another baby in my belly.

My sisters Alta and Millie Dean were yet unmarried, living on the homestead in South Thomaston with my parents, my brother Clyde and youngest sister, Jennie. Edna and her husband William Chamberlain had moved to Newport, California where their daughter Alice had been born in 1884. In the twilight I wrote letters and anxiously awaited news from my scattered family.

Jimmy had unconfined wanderlust and one day announced we were moving to Bayhorse. The town was situated at an elevation of 7,000 feet—more than twice the elevation as Shoup. Sure, it was only fourteen miles to Challis, but straight up, or down depending on which way you were heading. Yes, it had a smelter and the mines ran year-round— Jimmy knew smelting due to his years in Butte, but I wasn't convinced that no sooner we'd settle in, that he'd get itchy feet again. So, we made a compromise and he left before the middle of May.

Idaho Recorder, May 12, 1888

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

James Callahan of Shoup came to town Saturday last. He departed for Bayhorse on Wed. morning where he will permanently locate. His family will soon follow him. We wish Mr. Callahan good luck in his “pastures new”.

That summer brought a great stir of excitement in Salmon City. Ada Merritt and Olin Mintzner bought the Idaho Recorder from Mr. Booth and I could hardly contain myself. A woman co-owning a newspaper! I must confess, I got a little ahead of myself—wrote an editorial so brimming with enthusiasm I half-feared it might catch fire on the press. But really, how could I not? A woman at the helm of a printing office—it felt like progress arriving on paper wings. I wrote a glowing editorial, brimming with historical examples and perhaps a bit too much zeal, but I meant every word of it. When it was time to write the final copy, I uncorked my ink bottle, and signed my editorial with a new pen name for a new era.

Idaho Recorder, August 9, 1888

SHOUP LETTER

To the Editor of the Idaho Recorder:

As congratulations are in order in the field of journalism we herewith tender ours in the new make up of the RECORDER, also most assuredly feeling that we endorse the opinion of the majority of the reading public. If this most admirable change is wrought by one woman taking a position on the editorial staff, then it is much to be regretted that our esteemed ex-editor never availed himself of so valuable a co-partnership.

Our Editress is sustained by the fact that women in journalism have made a good record if we trace the records back along the years. Going back to the 8th Century we find that a Japanese Empress really invented the printing press, but it was suppressed by men who did not know how to use it at that time.

The first Daily paper of the world, the Daily Courant, was established and edited by Elizabeth Mallet, of London in 1702. The first paper published in America was the Massachusetts Gazette and News Letter edited after the death of its founder by Mrs. Mary Draper.[1] This was the only paper not suspended when the British besieged Boston. As long ago as the days of Benjamin Franklin the wife of James Franklin issued the 1st paper of Rhode Island in 1732.[2] In 1772 Clementine Reid printed and edited the Virginia Gazette, a paper in sustaining the Colonial cause. This was the first paper in the United States to publish the Declaration of Independence.

In 1776, Mrs. Mary R. Goddard[3] published a newspaper at Newport, Rhode Island and Mrs. Mary Hart[4] edited and published the New York Journal. In 1771 Penelope Russell edited a paper called the Censor at Berlin, Connecticut.[5] She was her own compositor, setting up the Editorials straight from the case, without the use of pen and ink.

These are but a few of the early women printers who have not missed historical record, but of the 78 newspapers printed in Colonial times, 16 were edited by women.[6] Not withstanding these historical gleanings, journalism was not considered a profession open to women until the year 1850.

Today in every city in the United States there are women doing all kinds of work on newspapers, until now it is the exception to find any papers, daily, weekly, or monthly, without women on the staff, who do editorial or reportorial work, unless it is in some of the most rural districts.[7] The first organization of women journalists was formed in New Orleans, May 13, 1885, called The Woman's National Press Association,[8] then the New England Women’s Press Association[9] and also the same organization in Ohio.[10] Fourth in line is the Southern Women's Press Association, May 13, 1887.[11] The National Association changed to the International now numbering a membership of 100.[12]

It is not our intention to forget our Editor by any means and we will give an opinion of a woman in Brooklyn N.Y. who holds a responsible position on a daily paper in that city. She says, "I think as a class, editors are the finest men we have.[13]" But she mentions a few exceptions to this case, among them small minded men, who are envious of woman's positions and also a few dyspeptic editors who do not want women on newspapers, because they will interfere with their ease and comfort, they can't put their feet on the table and smoke all day.[14] However, if the present Editor of the RECORDER continues as he has begun he will not lower the record of many who have entered the Journalistic conflict long before him.

J.A.C__K[15]

As summer of ’88 slipped toward its close, the air in Salmon City grew thick with politics. The Democrats held their county convention and I went to see it for myself—part curiosity, part civic duty. Mr. A.C. Porter had ambitions for the Assembly and when George Wents stood up and nominated a woman for the post of School Superintendent, Porter objected. Loudly. Said women weren’t qualified. Weren’t eligible. Weren’t competent.

Well.

That sort of talk doesn’t sit idle in my ears.

So I went home, uncorked my ink bottle and set about putting things right the only way I knew how—with words. I didn’t hide behind any pen name and I didn’t sign it “Mrs. J.A. Callahan” either. I signed it the way I meant it.

Idaho Recorder, September 6, 1888

AN OPEN LETTER

When in the course of human events we have the occasion to reply to such remarks as made by A.C. Porter at the recent Democratic County Convention, our pen moves as if charged by an electric motor from the minds of one half of the human race, and that half includes the word male with the little insignificant prefix "fe". The remarks referred to made by the individual named above are his arrogant objections to women holding this position of school superintendent. To quote his own language he very forcibly states that, "Women are not eligible to the position and consequently someone should be chosen that was competent and pay some attention to it."

Forty years ago "his mightiness" could have made this remark without opposition, and probably the entire populace would have stood in awe and trembling at such profound utterances, but to make such statements at this hour proves that a man has been passing through a "Rip Van Winkle" period for the last quarter of a century at least, or he has been dead to all that has been going on in the world during that time, and that he has not been BURIED.

If the Territory has a majority of such enterprising Voters as Mr. Porter, it is surprising that women are not legally eligible to such positions, but as far as their being competent is concerned, where is the woman of common intelligence, ordinary ability, or of average educational attainments that is not competent of ascertaining the qualifications of persons who are to teach in the few schools that are scattered over the sage brush Prairies of Lemhi County? If we are correctly informed there are not a system of graded schools in the county, and this is a fact of the utmost surprise to us when there are apparently such highly enlightened and influential citizens as, Mr. A.C. Porter residing here, and, even if such a system had been or should be inaugurated, there are plenty of women college graduates "competent" of filing any position on the School Board of the United States.

We cite for instance such ones as Maria Mitchell of Vassar College,[16] Alice Freeman Palmer of Wellesley College,[17] Rachael Badly of Medical College,[18] and Miss Cora A. Benneson A.M.;LL.B. (Michigan University).[19]

Follow history at Bryn Mawr College.[20] Perhaps after Miss Benneson completes this honorary special course of two years at Bryn Mawr, which includes the subjects, Biology, History, Mathematics, Greek and English, perhaps then Mr. Porter might be induced to find some subordinate position for her in some Indian school which he in his all-wise opinion might deem her competent to fill. Poor little man! If the Almighty had only consulted him what an improvement there might have been in one half of the human race, what valuable hints as to their make-up and capabilities and "competency".

The proudest boast of every American citizen of European descent is his Anglo-Saxon lineage, and if ever a drop of this noble blood had been allowed to flow in the veins of this unfortunate individual in question, his honor, chivalry and loyalty for the "weaker half" would have been such that he would have condoned the mere matter of "eligibility", and instead of making such an ___ of himself, he would have replied to the nomination in the same spirit that it was proposed and offered her a "two bit" cayuse to ride to remote parts where her duty might call her.

Woman's work and woman's world is anywhere and everywhere that duty to her family and her neighbors may call her. The working world is better for the women who are in it. The working woman has learned not to mistake her duty in life, nor to usurp the duty of others, nor to belittle the task that is really hers and the place that is really hers and having learned this, years of toil cannot crush her spirit nor dull her ambition, nor debase her soul.

Annee C. Callahan[25]

Shoup, Idaho Aug. 28, 1888

Idaho Recorder, September 20, 1888

A.C. PORTER’S REPLY

Originally published out-of-county

When I accepted the nomination for Representative of this county, I made up my mind that I would conduct my canvas in a straightforward, honorable manner, and it is my intention to adhere firmly to that resolution. If any of the other candidates desire to throw [mud], they are at liberty to do so, but so far as I am concerned I haven’t the time nor inclination to engage in any such pastime. My object in writing this is to make an explanation which appears to be necessary at this time.

I read a letter in the Idaho Recorder of the 6th instant, which was written by a lady of Shoup, Idaho (or maybe a man in Salmon City, whose earmark it bears), criticizing what purported to be my remarks at the recent Democratic County Convention. All who were present (including the reporter) know that I was misquoted—but whether intentionally or not, I will let the electors of Lemhi County decide. While you’re making up your verdict, you will please bear in mind the fact that the gentleman who reported the proceedings of the convention is my political opponent.

Instead of the remarks quoted, I made use of the following language, which I am prepared to prove by delegates and a number of gentlemen who happened to be present:

“Ladies are ineligible to the office of County Superintendent in this Territory. I hope some competent person will be nominated who, if elected, will pay some little attention to the duties of the position, as it is one of the most important offices in the county. If women were eligible, I would be in favor of nominating a lady for the position.”

The above remarks were made by me on the occasion referred to. Can any lady take exception to them? Surely not.

The reporter and every person knows what I meant when I said that I hoped someone would be nominated who would, if elected, pay some little attention to the duties of the office.

Nearly every state and territory has a number of lady County Superintendents who are very efficient officers, and I, for one, have no objection to that office being held by a competent lady; and I am prepared to prove that it was my intention to use my influence to have some lady nominated for that office. But a few days before the meeting of the convention, I found, upon examining the Revised Statutes of Idaho, that women—not “females”—were ineligible. And when my friend Mr. George Wents nominated a lady, I thought it my duty to inform the gentlemen at the convention that ladies were ineligible, as I knew that no lady would accept the nomination knowing that she could not legally hold the office if elected.

I know of no good reason why ladies—not “females” as quoted—should be debarred from the privilege of holding the office of County Superintendent; and in my opinion, it was an oversight of the gentlemen who composed the committee appointed by Governor Stevenson to revise the statutes of the Territory. I am glad to know I am not alone in this opinion.

Some of my friends may wonder why I sent this letter out of the county for publication. My reason for not requesting the Recorder man to publish it is because I was afraid that my manuscript would be tampered with and my language misconstrued.

I hope it will not again become necessary for me to write in self-defense. If I find it obligatory to lie or resort to any low tricks in order to secure my election, I shall withdraw at once—and as my worthy opponent is a preacher, there is no danger of him stooping to anything petty or improper during the campaign.

The lady (or gentleman in Salmon City who was accessory to the writing of the quotation from the Declaration of Independence) says “instead of making such an ____ of himself,” etc.

I have written a much longer letter than I intended to when I started out. I will close by asking the readers of this: how would I look in harness with the author of An Open Letter (the Salmon City gentleman who belongs to the same) for my mate?

P.S. Since writing the above, I have learned from a reliable source that the Republicans are circulating the report that I have withdrawn. I hereby inform my Democratic friends that I am still a candidate and will be until the polls close on November 6th, 1888. I am too good a Democrat to withdraw after accepting the nomination. I respectfully request the electors of this county to bear in mind that I have no newspaper whereby to defend myself against the attacks of the alleged correspondents.

A.C. Porter, Lemhi Agency, Idaho. September 12th.

Ha! Porter wrote his reply to me, and insinuated I was a man out of Salmon City, but had it published out of the county.? As if such drivel would slip by Ada Chase Merritt? Olin Mintzer, Ada's partner (having received the Republican nomination and thus running against A.C. Porter) published the following rebuttal in my defense (as if I needed a man to defend me).

Idaho Recorder, September 27, 1888

Shoup, Idaho – September 24, 1888

To the Editress of the Recorder:

You are authorized to state, by the writer of the Open Letter published September 6th, that Mr. Mintzer was as ignorant of its origin as Mr. Porter himself at the time.

Also, that the author is a resident of Shoup—and not of Salmon City or any other place in Lemhi County.[27] (Her bump of combativeness being fully developed, she will fight it out on any line her antagonist proposes, if it takes all summer and winter besides.) But—the pen of a descendant of Hawthorne or a Kallock[28] will not deign to reply to "street dodgers," or medicine-sized pamphlets[29] that come flying through the air with about the same effect as so much thistle-down on a windy day in November.

Wedding chimes are in the distance, but Shoup is not to bear the honor this time. Across the river from Pine Creek is wafted the aroma of wedding cake—strongly suggestive of approaching nuptials.

Mrs. J.M. Parfet, after a residence of one year at Pine Creek, has for the first time briefly visited a few friends on this side. If there is any virtue in brevity and stay-at-home qualities, such visits must be appreciative.

St. Clair, Gibbs, and Johnson have just started out for a hunting trip, taking nine head of horses and dogs and guns in proportion. We can safely predict that the camp will be amply supplied with game upon their return.

C.H. Spayds is in town occasionally, but is located on Indian Creek developing some placer claims.

John McKay is working his silver leads on Spring Creek, though only by way of prospecting them.

Mark Ainslee is out in the mountains on a prospecting expedition, but is expected to return in time to be best man at the double wedding.

Eli Suydam is working his new prospects across the river from Shoup, with very flattering results.

George Sandilands contemplates building the abode for the winter and taking out ore from his mine, the Speculation, of which he is part owner with Robert Bell. We would suggest that Mr. Sandilands build a residence for two while he is about it—for it is a most doleful thought that so many young men as we have here, in well-to-do circumstances, of unquestionable character and ability, should be all doomed to the fate of bachelordom.

They should bear in mind that when they have passed the first, second, and third corners—and that bare spot begins to appear under the crown of the hat, and horizontal furrows cross the brow—that their sacrifice is made, and there is no other alternative for them but to eat their own sourdough bread for the remainder of their solitary existence.

Gus Labrecque has returned from a long, prosperous trip, having been away since July 1st.

Mr. Z.L. Merritt has been in very poor health the past month, not being able to go about a greater part of the time, and at the present writing, is confined to his room.

H.S. Safford has returned to Sac City, Iowa, after residing in Shoup since last March.

A feminine biped in this vicinity shows more foolhardiness than bravery by riding a cayuse of famed notoriety for its vicious and unmanageable propensities. When, someday, she has to gather up the fragments of herself, scattered along the trail, she will probably regret that she has not heeded the sage advice given with so much owl-like wisdom by her masculine superiors.

J.A.C._____K

Mrs. J.A. Callahan

Meanwhile, at the office of the Idaho Recorder, the partnership between Olin Mintzer and Mrs. Ada Merritt began to fray at the seams. They had gone into it thinking their opposing political views might keep the paper balanced—but like so many well-meaning arrangements, it soured under pressure. Reverend Mintzer resigned his post as editor and stayed on as printer, turning his energy toward defeating Mr. A.C. Porter, which he did—thoroughly and without apology.

As for me, I made my way up to Pine Creek, a little mining camp tucked beneath the high workings. It was there, in the profound quiet of fall I brought my second child into the world—a son. I named him Edward Graves Callahan,[30] and held him up to the pale light like a promise. His eyes opened slow, uncertain and then met mine with a softness that made the long months of waiting for him to be in my arms, fade in an instant.

Idaho Recorder, October 18, 1888


BORN—Callahan: At Pine Creek, Lemhi County, Idaho, October 10, 1888, to the wife of Jas. A. Callahan, a son.

Bayhorse had seen its best summer—ore carts full, smelters blazing—but by the end of summer, most of the miners were let go on the pretense that machinery needed an over-haul. The big works were winding down though. I confess, there were moments I wondered if Jimmy would ever return. The mines downriver whispered of layoffs and closures, and Jimmy would know that.

But then, just as the last of the freight boats of the season made its way through the current and landed just above the Pine Creek rapids, James was dropped off—along with equipment and supplies for the Pine Creek Mining Company. He made his way up to the valley, his eyes softening the moment he saw me with a babe in my arms.

But I had more than a babe to show him. I refused to give up on life downriver. This patch of rugged earth, with its rocky but fertile soil and endless sky, had claimed me as surely as any river claims its bends. There were no grand proclamations or sweeping gestures—only daily acts of living: holding my children close, tending to the small and large tasks that kept our home steadfast and warm, and writing words that carried us forward.

I understood better than most that survival here was measured in patience and stubbornness. Refusing to turn away, like so many others did, chasing promises across the mountains, my roots were growing deep in this canyon and just above it, I’d made a home in the Pine Creek valley. No matter what storms came, I wanted to stay—and build more than the cabin. I wanted to build a ranch.

Idaho Recorder, November 1, 1888

SALMON CITY, LOCAL

A flat-boat left early on Thursday morning for Shoup, with C.V. Gilmer and Jas. Compton as oarsmen and J.A. Callahan as passenger. The Kentuck Co. will run but two more boats which will close the business for the Winter.

SHOUP ITEMS

Jack Gilmer is splitting wood as a preliminary operation in reducing his weight preparatory to a meeting with John L. He has succeeded in getting down to the 200 pound notch.

W.W. St. Clair, our butcher, is now killing two or three beers at a time beeves at a time, the weather has been cool enough to keep the beef fresh until wanted.

Our friend Capt. N.L. Turner[31] is visiting Shoup, and says he has struck a valuable placer claim ten miles below here on the Salmon river. He is building a cabin and will begin work on the ground in the early spring.

The weather has been very cold and disagreeable for the past few days and many of our citizens are afflicted with bad colds, which is liable to turn into the whooping cough which is so prevalent in the vicinity of Salmon City.

James Taylor who has been employed by the Kentuck mill for the past six months has gone to California for the Winter.[32]

Mr. Stewart has leased McCormack & Reddy’s mine and has three men at work taking out ore, and has already 60 to 70 tons of ore on the dump, which will be worked at the Kentuck mill. The vein is from 2 to 4 feet in width and from assays will mill $40 to $50 per ton.[33]

The Grunter mill shut down on November 1st for Winter, and the owners are well satisfied with the Summer’s work. The Grunter mine is on of the largest gold-bearing ledges in Idaho, there being enough ore in sigh at the present time to run a 40-stamp mill for the next five years. Mr. Benjamin Harrison (I do not mean our next President) but one of the owners of the Grunter is going to start for California after election for a trip in search of health.[34]

Charley Conniff,[35] of Sour Dough[36], has gone to Missoula for a visit to the old folks at home. We will miss Charles on the day of election.

Thos. Wend had the misfortune to have a valuable mule roll off the trail, which will be laid up for repairs for sometime.

The trail needs repairs, but our new road supervisor[37] is somewhat puzzled to who will be our next County Commissioner for this district. He came down from Gibbonsville[38] and said he would work for St. Clair. He is evidently making himself solid with both parties.

Mr. Price came out from Mineral Hill this week to record some more mining claims. He reports that the mines now being worked in that district are all showing up well and that a smelter will be erected in that camp in the Spring.

This smelter will be located on Spring creek, which will be in Lemma,[39] as well as a number of of these valuable claims.

As 1888 wound itself down and the ballots were finally counted, the political fervor that had whipped through the territory like a dust storm began to settle. I had little time for reflection anyway—with a toddler on a chase, a newborn in my arms, my hands were happily overfull. Between my correspondent duties and the daily demands of camp life, the days passed quickly.

Whenever I could, I stole time to write to my sister Edna in Yolo County, California. My letters were full of news and sentiment—telling her all about my handsome, wonderful husband (even if he did track half the canyon into the house), and the two beautiful children who filled our little home with noise and need and joy.

With the cold came a wave of matrimony that swept through Pine Creek. Weddings gave me something pleasant to write about—frenetic preparations, and new beginnings—and best of all, Jimmy was home. For a little while, at least, the world felt settled.

Idaho Recorder, December 6, 1888

WEDDING BELLS FOR TRIPLE TWAINS

Pine Creek, Idaho

Editress of the RECORDER:

First in the annals of Shoup or Pine Creek are we to record the momentous event of a matrimonial wave which has swept over these towns carrying as its victims one Benedict[40] from the former place and one from the latter.

For the past two months the all absorbing topic of conversation has been in regard to the rumors that a double wedding was to take place. To further excitement amid base suspicion a new house has been built, finished and furnished with special reference to the requirements of a home that is not to be termed "a bachelor's hall." There has also been almost a daily arrival of mysterious packages, boxes, trunks etc., which by close observation those of an inquiring turn of mind found them to represent well known mercantile firms both of Chicago and San Fransisco.

Hardly had these extensive preliminaries been brought to a focus, when the third twain on the scene arrives, their steeds though true and fleet of foot are flecked with foam which plainly proves that two hearts so soon to beat as one, could not ride to their nuptial day at a very slow pace, and just here a parody suggests itself:

They dashed down the trail amid a swarm of huzzas;

No parents, objections could deter the cause,

Till the place of the bridal compelled them to pause.

With foam and with dust their black chargers are gray;

By the flash of their eyes, and their red nostrils play,

They seemed to the whole of Pine Creek to say:

"I have brought Wallace all the way


From Salmon City down to your wedding day."[41]

At the home of the bride's parents on the evening of November 29th the following named person's were united in marriage by Judge Sherman: Alex McLeod[42] and Miss Jessie Palmer, James McCullough[43]] and Miss Lilly Palmer, W.W. St. Clair[44] and Miss Annie Greber.[45]

The first two couples were residents of Pine Creek, while the third couple hails from Salmon City—that is the bride and the newly made husband a resident of the city of Shoup. The sister brides are the daughters of Thomas Palmer who came here from Georgetown, Colorado, a little more than a year ago.

It is a rare occurrence when two sisters are given in marriage at one time, but when such is the case it leaves a void in the parent home which more emphatically bespeaks a feeling of loneliness which never the absent ones are brought to mind. They have ever been faithful and estimable daughters, suitable and pleasing in manner, and we doubt not that the men of their choice will find in them how much the wife is dearer than the bride.

Mr. McLeod and Mr. McCullough are well and favorably known and they have the congratulations of their host of friends to cheer them on their matrimonial way.

Mr. St. Clair is a prosperous business man of strict integrity and honorable principles, one to whom any woman could assuredly trust her future. His young and pretty bride is one of Salmon City's fair maids, a true daughter of the West which indicates the most grand and noble type of womanhood - being an equestrian of rare ability she can ride 50 miles a day in the saddle with much more becoming grace and ease that the "upper ten" society belle who lulls in her cushioned carriage with scarcely animation enough to give a coachmen's order.

Mr. Palmer gave a dinner which displayed a most tempting menu to the wedding party, which included a few invited friends. The brides were richly and fashionably attired and were the recipients of many handsome and valuable presents. The homes of Mr. McLeod and Mr. McCullough were ready for occupancy, and they have evidently permanently located.

Mr. St. Clair's house in Shoup is not quite completed and his bride at present is the guest of J.M. Parfet.

When brides and groom equal in number the balance of the population in a town it looks as if we were to witness only a matrimonial boom instead of a drain in one.

However, we still venture this ascertation that there never existed within the bounds of Idaho a happier wedding party than those who were wedded and made their way to respective homes that Thanksgiving Day. We join the many friends of the newly wedded by wishing them all the happiness that health, wealth and prosperity and a long life can give.

Learn to win a Lady's faith

Nobly as the faith is high

Bravely as for life and death

With loyal gravity

By your truth she shall be true

Ever true as wives of you

And her Yes once said to you

Shall be Yes forever more — Browning[46]

J.A.C.__K.

Idaho Recorder, December 6th 1888

SHOUP ITEMS

George Sandilands is doing some work on his claim, the southern extension of the Grunter near Shoup.[34]

Mr. Thos. Wend treated some of his friends to a fine large watermelon one evening last week.

D.V. Sherman has leased the Monolith mine to Fred Payne, but as he is very sick at present, there is no work being done on this valuable property.

A few days since John Murray discovered and located a prospect below Pine Creek, which shows up some very rich ore, and unless all indications fail, will have a good thing.

Richardson & Ralston recently struck a nice rich body of fine milling ore in the Grunter which far surpasses anything of the kind ever before seen in that famous mine. They are engaged in taking out ore, but do not want to start up the mill till Spring.

Fights are of frequent occurrence here, one which took place recently, resulted in a broken gun, but the head with which it came into collision, remained intact. You will see by this that the heads of some of our citizens are much more durable material than some of the guns.

The last flatboat of the season arrived here on Saturday night, but too late to unload. The river being froze over at Deadwater[36]—the ice five or six inches thick—had to be sawed for a distance of 1 1/2 miles in order to get the boat through and was quite a task, but was finally accomplished and the boat safely landed at Sour Dough.

The Clipper and Bullion mines near Shoup, of which E.S. Suydam is sole owner, continues to develop is a marvelous manner. There has been considerable work done in the way of opening up this property, a tunnel as been run on the ledge which is now 50 feet underground. The lode is evenly distributed, has a uniform width of two feet and assays run from $30 to $50 per ton in gold. If this mine pays, Mr. S. will erect a suitable mill on this property in the Spring.

The year 1888 folded like an old map, creased and worn, marked by rugged trails and sharp turns. Politics flared and cooled, stamp mills pulsed then quieted, and love and family held fast in the corners of our camp.

It was a year that tested the mettle of every soul here—men, women, and children alike. Yet, as snow settled over the hills and Pine Creek whispered beside our cabin, I found myself steadied by a simple truth: this canyon, our verdant valley asleep, was home. No matter the storms, we would bend but not break. And in that stubbornness was a fierce kind of hope— I closed the year with ink-stained hands, worn boots, and a heart ready for whatever the new year might bring.

Notes

[1] Annie mistakes Draper’s first name. Margaret Green Draper (1727–1804) was one of colonial America’s earliest female newspaper publishers. She took over the Massachusetts Gazette and Boston News-Letter after the death of her husband, Richard Draper, in 1774. The paper, known for its Loyalist stance, was one of the oldest in the colonies, originally founded in 1704 by John Campbell. A Loyalist, she was forced to cease publication in 1776 and fled to England, where she was later granted a pension by the British government for her loyal service.

[2] Ann Smith Franklin (1696–1763), wife of James Franklin (brother of Benjamin Franklin), was a pioneering colonial printer and publisher. After her husband’s death in 1735, she took over the family printing business and is credited with issuing Rhode Island’s first newspaper in 1732, the Rhode Island Gazette.

[3] Mary Katherine Goddard (1738–1816) was a pioneering female printer and publisher who, in 1776, published a newspaper in Newport, Rhode Island. She is best known for printing the first copy of the Declaration of Independence that included the names of the signers.

[4] Mary Hart was an early American female editor and publisher who took charge of the New York Journal. Like many women of her time she stepped into a publishing role after the death of her husband.

[5] Penelope Russell edited The Censor in Berlin, Connecticut, in 1771. Remarkably, she was her own compositor, setting up editorials directly from the type case without the use of pen and ink—demonstrating both her skill and independence in the male-dominated printing trade of colonial America.

[6] Annie’s claim that 16 out of 78 colonial newspapers were edited by women sounds impressively specific but is difficult to verify exactly due to patchy historical records. Here’s what historians generally agree on: Women were indeed active as printers and editors in colonial America, often taking over family printing businesses after husbands died. However, female editors and publishers were still a small minority in the overwhelmingly male-dominated printing industry. The number of newspapers edited by women is estimated to be much lower than 16 out of 78. Comprehensive listings from the period (such as those compiled by historians like Frank Luther Mott and others) usually show fewer than 10 colonial newspapers with female editors or publishers.

[7] While urban newspapers increasingly employed women by the 1880s, many rural and frontier papers remained dominated by men.

[8] Annie likely confuses the location. The Woman’s National Press Association was actually founded in Washington, D.C., in 1882 by journalist Marion A. McBride.

[9] The New England Woman’s Press Association was founded in Boston in 1885 and was among the earliest regional organizations to promote women in journalism.

[10] Annie may refer to the Ohio Woman’s Press Association, which was active by the late 1880s, though records of its exact founding are less clear.

[11] The Southern Woman’s Press Association was formed in 1887, reportedly on May 13, mirroring the founding date of the national group.

[12] The National Association later adopted the name International Woman’s Press Association. Annie’s claim of 100 members reflects the rapid growth of such professional women's organizations during the late 19th century.

[13] Annie quotes this praise from "a woman in Brooklyn, N.Y." who was in a responsible editorial position—though the specific woman and publication are unverified. James' father lived in Brooklyn, N.Y and perhaps had a sister in an editorial position.

[14] A dig at Olin Mintzer.

[15] This is Annie’s first use of the pen name of J.A.C__K, which stands for Mrs. James A. Callahan and the “K” probably stood for a her maternal Grandmother’s maiden name of Kallock, also spelled Kalloch.

[16] Maria Mitchell of Vasar College (1818–1889) was a pioneering American astronomer and the first female professor at Vassar College, where she taught astronomy. She gained international recognition for discovering a comet in 1847 and was a powerful advocate for women’s education in the sciences.

[17] Alice Freeman Palmer (1855–1902) was the second president of Wellesley College (not “Wellesby”) and one of the first women to head a nationally known college. A gifted educator, she promoted the higher education of women as a path to public service and independence.

[18] Rachael Badly of Medical College—likely a misprint or phonetic rendering of Rachel Bodley (1831–1888), who served as dean of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Bodley was a noted chemist, anatomist, and advocate for women's professional training in medicine.

[19] Cora Agnes Benneson (1863–1933) was a graduate of the University of Michigan with degrees in liberal arts (A.M.) and law (LL.B.). She was an active suffragist and one of the early women lawyers in the U.S., advocating for women’s legal and educational rights. Annie’s inclusion of her middle initials and degree titles suggests a sharp awareness of the barriers Benneson overcame.

[20] Bryn Mawr College, founded in 1885 in Pennsylvania, was one of the first women’s colleges to offer graduate education and rigorous academics equal to that of men’s institutions. The college quickly gained a reputation for intellectual seriousness and progressive ideals. Annie references it as the cutting edge of women’s scholarship.

[21] Eliza J. Nicholson, Editor and publisher of the New Orleans Daily Picayune, Eliza Jane Nicholson (1843–1896) was the first woman in the U.S. to own and manage a major daily newspaper. Under her leadership, the Picayune became a nationally respected publication.

[22] Mrs. C.H. Young, stove and oil merchant may refer to a real businesswoman known in Annie’s circle—again, not traceable in local directories or newspapers, you might footnote as “presumed local entrepreneur; not identified in historical records.

[23] Mrs. Hye, running a box factory
This reference is difficult to confirm; possibly a regional figure known to Annie’s readership.

[24] Mrs. Callahan building log cabins, a wink to herself, of course—Annie was actively involved in frontier life, and illustrates women's contributions in the western territories. She is planing a move to the valley of Pine Creek, and is having a cabin built there, and perhaps supervising the construction of others that she will sell for a profit.

[25] When Annie wrote her name, she always wrote Annee.

[26] Editor and co-owner of the Idaho Recorder and Porter’s Republican opponent in the 1888 election. His editorial response is both strategic and barbed—defending Annie without directly engaging Porter’s more petty remarks.

[27] Annie doesn’t seem to want to defer to Reverend Olin Mintzer any more than she does A.C. Porter. She points out that, despite running for office in Salmon City, Mintzer actually lives in Shoup.

[28] A double literary punch: Hawthorne likely refers to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Annie’s distant cousin and the famed author of The Scarlet Letter—her tongue-in-cheek way of staking a claim to literary pedigree. Kalloch may refer to her great-grandfather, Captain Alexander Kalloch, who wrote about his exploits during the French and Indian Wars, or to her uncle, Reverend Amariah Kalloch, a controversial Baptist minister and one-time mayor of San Francisco, known for his writing, fiery sermons and public scandals. Then again, it may reference yet another Kalloch—Annie had no shortage of colorful kin.

[29] Street-dodger was a slang term for someone who distributed pamphlets or political tracts in public, often anonymously and with the intent to provoke or defame. Annie uses it here to dismiss her critics as low-effort provocateurs not worth her ink.

[30] Both Annie and James’ fathers had the first name of Edward.

[31] Nathaniel Lewis Turner (1840–1908) Born in New York in 1840, Turner served in the Union Army during the Civil War before heading west to Idaho Territory. By the 1880s, he was well established in Lemhi County as both a miner and trusted mining inspector. Known for his integrity and gentle humor, Turner was a close friend of James and Annie Callahan and often visited them at Shoup and Pine Creek.

[32] James was William E. Taylor’s brother, both from Plumas Valley, California. When he went back to California it seems that he stayed there.

[33] Based on an assay of $40–$50 per ton and a dump of 60–70 tons, the total value of ore in 1888 would have ranged from $2,400 to $3,500. Adjusted for inflation, that’s approximately $78,000 to $114,000 in 2024 dollars.

[34] Benjamin Harrison, born in England around 1833, was placer mining in Lemhi County before 1880. In 1882, he purchased Sam James’s share of the Grunter Mine and entered into partnership with Pat O’Hara.

[35] Charles Conniff, born in Minnesota around 1864, was a young man when he arrived in Shoup from the Bitter Root Valley of Montana.

[36] “Sour Dough” is a playful nickname for Shoup, referencing the term “sourdough,” originally used for seasoned miners and pioneers of the American West. It evokes the hardy, tough spirit required to endure frontier life, as well as the sourdough starter used for baking bread during long, harsh winters. Annie’s use of the term captures both affection and the rugged character of Shoup and its people.

[37] Charles Spayds of Shoup

[38] Gibbonsville, Idaho, was founded in the late 1870s following gold discoveries along Dahlonega Creek. Named after Civil War General John Gibbon, it quickly grew into a bustling mining town. At its peak in the 1880s, Gibbonsville supported several hundred residents, multiple mills and a lively commercial district.

[39]Lemma was a nickname for Lemhi County.

[40] Benedict is a newly married man, especially one who has long been a bachelor.

[41] Not the first or that last, this is one of Annie’s original poems. There will be more.

[42] Alexander McLeod was born about 1867 in Nova Scotia.

[43] James McCullough was born 1865 in Gilbetstown, Ireland.

[44] William Wallace St. Clair, Shoup’s butcher.

[45] Anna Grieber, the daughter of Helgar Henry and Clara Emma (Nagle) Greider was born in Wisconsin on May 11, 1871.

[46] Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "A Man’s Requirements," from Poems (London: Chapman and Hall, 1850). These lines reflect Barrett Browning’s ideal of moral and emotional integrity in marriage—calling upon men to win a woman’s faith with truth, bravery, and constancy.

[47] George Sandilands was born at Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, Scotland in 1860. Miner and boatman, he was residing in Shoup by 1884, running the river with Elias Suydam.

[48] Once referred to as “the Lake” is now consistently called Deadwater.