Dublin Core
Title
Dr. Robert S. Gabbey Memoirs, 1892, Rossville, Kansas
Description
FOREWORD
This collection of interesting stories are the recollections of an early day Rossville physician and the trip he and his family made to the Montana goldfields in 1864, These chapters were discovered by Mrs. Virginia Gentry while doing research on the early history of Rossville. They were originally published in nineteen installments in the Rossville Times in 1892, The adventures and hardships as well as humorous incidents that happened are told by the good doctor in a very interesting and well written manner. Nothing has been changed.
The members of the Historical committee felt this story should be shared with others interested in early day history. This booklet is being published by the board of the Rossville Community Library and any profits derived from it's sale will be used for worthwhile projects in the library.
DR. ROBERT S, GABBEY, 1833-1900
Robert S. Gabbey, pioneer doctor and Inventor was born May 3, 1833 in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. Little is known of his parents but they were of Scotch ancestry. He attended the local schools and then entered Jefferson College, graduating in 1852.
In 1854, he was married to Annie Welton of Columbus, Ohio. After his marriage, he returned to Jefferson Medical College and graduated in 1855. In 1857, President Buchanan appointed him to the position of Government Physician to the Pottawotami Indians living on the reservation in the St. Marys and Rossville area. He served in this capacity for several years, living at St. Marys and later moving to Rossville o
In 1864, Dr. and Mrs. Gabbey joined a wagon train going to the Montana go'ldflelds. Net finding Montana Territory to their liking, they returned to Rossville where he resumed the practice of medicine. He also purchased a farm east of the new town.
In addition to his other duties, Dr. Gab- bey found time to perfect a new type of cultivator which was manufactured locally under the unlikely name of "Gabbey Go-Devil".
During the 1890's he experimented with the theories of powered flight and a model of an airplane of his design hung In his office. His work received attention In scientific journals of that day, His death In 1900 cut short what might have been a successful beginning In the aviation Industry.
CROSSING THE PLAINS 30 YEARS AGO
Chapter I
In crossing the plains In the spring of '64, we left the old California road at a point on the North Platte river., near the crossing of the Sweet water; to follow a new road called, the Brldger cut-off to Virginia City, Montana. It was a new route that was never traveled previous to that spring, and has probably never been since, Our train consisted of forty-five or fifty wagons and about two hundred people, of those two dozen were women and children, Three or four similar trains preceeded us, The first train piloted through by an old mountaineer--Jim Brldger. In our train no one knew when we left camp where we would again reach water or grazing for our stock and It almost Invariably happened that if we neglected to fill our water casks or jugs In the morning we would find no water all day. The distance across on this cot-off was about five hundred miles, and that of about the wildest kind of country, The war was then being carried on and important events were happening almost dally, yet for more than six weeks we had no knowledge of them whatever. It was the day before we arrived at Wind river, some two hundred miles north-west of the point at which we had left the Old California emigrant trail we came to a little grave by the wayside. We camped nearby and I think that there was hardly a member of our party who did not visit the newly made grave. I remember well the neat little head board on which was nailed an old dagnerreotype plate and thereon Inscribed
Myrtle Lee Stevenson of Vincennes, Ind.,
Died July 1st, 1864 Aged 11 Years
My wife and other ladies shed tears to think that the poor child had to be burled so far from civilization and In such a wild and lonesome place.
Some three months afterwards, Thos. McKInsty, a miner at Helena, learning that I had come by the way of the Brldger road, Inquired of me If I had noticed the little grave, not far from Wind river, and If It was still undisturbed by any ghoul or vandal, I assured him that the grave had been undisturbed, He said to me, "That was a sad affair. "In that barren country my team was rapidly falling and I found no one who was willing to take part of my load, and I was compelled to bury two barrels of the finest kind of old Monon- gehala whiskey." Said I, "Tom, I think you ought to be killed, "
Chapter II
About 30,000 able bodied men emigrated to the territory of Montana in the spring of 1864, A part of these were persons who had become tired of acting the part of the bold soldier boy. Another portion were those who didn't wish to take the chance of being drafted or conscripted Into the array, But
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much the greater number were attracted there by the wonderful gold discoveries in that far off country. It is safe to say that of this thirty thousand, more than two-thirds of them returned within a year with no more gold than they had when they started, Of those who remained only a portion were successful in obtaining a large amount of the precious metal; and those who were unusually fortunate became famous personages. Everyone in Montana has heard that Bill Fairweather discovered Alder gulch--the richest placer diggings that has ever been found in the west. Once in the afternoon when near the upper part of this gu'lch, we met a miner who had been at work in that locality, and sat down on a grassy spot while he pointed out to us the claims a little further down that were paying from $1000 to $1,200 per day--"Those opposite us" , said he, "are running from $1,400 to $1,700 and those yonder," pointing a little further up the ravine, "are making out $1,800 and some as high as $2,100, working from five to seven men to the claim." Bill Fair- weather died pennyless a few years after his great discovery.
"Carpenters Bar" was a rich mine and on one particular day the force of five men took out twenty-four pounds (avoirdupois) in gold dust--roughly estimated at seven thousand dollars. A little gold dust had been discovered in a ravine to the west of which is now Helena City,--it was all immediately staked off into miners claims, and named "Nelson Gulch". We were there in a few hours afterwards and could have bought any claim in the gulch for fifty ora hundred dollars. When these claims were worked out it was found that for about half a mile the yield was about thirty-five thousand dollars to the claim. One of these claims was owned and worked by Henry Maxwell. About two o'clock one afternoon Maxwell was sitting on the edge of his pit watching his men at work, when a miner in the pit eight or ten feet below stopped and picked out of his shovel full of gravel a lump of something which attracted his not ice--turned and washed iroff in some water close by, and was inspecting it when Maxwell called to him, "pitch that up here, Bob, and let me see it". Bob pitched it up and Maxwell then turned the find over in his hands a time or two, slowly remarked, "Boys, we will call this days work a quit". It was a nugget of very pure gold, which I afterwards had an opportunity to
handle and examine,--weighed 8 1/4 pounds on the grocer's scales and was worth $2,073.15, This nugget was subsequently placed in a show case in the U. S. mint in Philadelphia, and Is probably to be seen there at the present time, I think it was In the summer of '65 that a miner in sinking down on a quartz ledge about six miles to the south of Helena, came upon what he supposed to be a ledge of pure gold, Other miners who examined it were of the same opinion^ The country was all soon wild with the excitement, and the editor of the "Helena Herald" In announcing the great discovery, stated that the quantity was so immense that the value of gold would soon be like that of silver in the days of Solomon--so abundant that it was of no value whatever. The miner owning this claim took out thirty thousand dollars Infree gold, and then found that he had struck what in miners parlance, Is called a "pocket" and that there was no more of It.
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Chapter III
In September '64 Albert Egnell and I started an express line between Helena and Virginia which soon grew Into a very respectable line of four horse stage coaches; and while we were talking last week about the fortunate miners, we might add that it was not an unusual thing to see a passenger on a coach supporting his pockets with his hands to prevent the weight they contained from tearing them out of his clothes- At Porte Neif canyon robbers in the fall of '64 reduced this strain upon the pockets of the stage coach passengers--on one occasion to the amount of about $60,000. To do so the robbers had to kill a Mr, Causland, Moore, and another man or two of the passengers; which we have no doubt they very much regretted. Whilst the rich mines of Montana attracted the honest laborer, they were also the resort of a great number of the most vicious and depraved people in the world. In the early days of this country murders and robbery were of frequent occurrance. Civil government with the courts, sheriffs and juries were first tried, but it was soon discovered that the state of society was such as to demand a more prompt and effective method, hence the organizing of the "Vigilants Committee". It was soon afterward discovered that the sheriff of the county, Plummer, of Virginia City was the captain of an organized band of robbers. The vigilantes were active and in the summer of '64 and the succeeding winter somewhere about two dozen robbers and murderers were caught and hanged. Amongst those who were executed were the notorious characters Slade, Sheriff Plummer and "Old Boone Helm". It Is told of the latter that In the winter of '63 and '64, Helm In crossing from the Boise mines to Bannock he- came snowed in. The party had but provisions for three or four days. Helm finding no escape from this icy imprisonment shot his two companions and lived on their flesh until the snow melted and when he reached Bannock in the spring had strapped on his back, a thigh of one of his companions. Slade was at one time a divisiln Superintendent on that part of the Overland stage line which reached between the Missouri river and Denver. He at one time in a barberous manner killed a ranchman, and at another time a boy teamster, and altogether during his stay along the Platte he conducted a reign of terror, of no small proportions. To refuse a drink with Slade when surrounded by his crowd was to take chances on being shot at. Our former neighbor, Hank Ford was a driver into Denver in '63 and once on coming into the station Slade was standing in the door and saluted him with, "Get down Hank, come In and have a drink". Hank was telling us the other day that he thought it best not to refuse. When Slade went to Virginia City, he thought to keep up the same bullying, swaggering manner, but made a mistake. A crowd seized him at a time when he was trying to "paint the town", and marched him up to the hill where there was a butcher's windlass and a convenient rope.
A history of the "Vigilantes of Montana," written by Dlnsdale, Is a very Interesting story for those who like that kind of literature, and as we are familiar with many of the Incidents related In It, we can vouch for their being strictly true.
We have been about In the world a little and when we get started In the way of talking It Is difficult to stop. Last week "ye editor" for want of
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space, cut off the entire tail end of our story, which we will here resume.
"Last Chance" gulch, on which the city of Helena is now built, was discovered about the last of August '64 and as usual was staked off into miner's claims in a few hours. The first day of September was selected for a holding of a miner's meeting in which rules for the mining of the new district were to be agreed upon, We were present and after examining the gulch, after the passions of atenderfoot" concluded that the find was of little value. While there an old miner, Jim Duston--perhaps feeling that he was under obligations to us, for some little favors we had done him took me aside and proposed to make me a present of claim No. 6, in this new mining camp- stated that No, 6 had been staked off to his son, Harmon Duston, and that Harmon was a mere boy, who would not stay to take care of it, and that I might have it, I thanked the old man and said to him that I didn't think there was anything in the gulch worth staying for Harmon the boy, however held the claim for awhile then traded it to someone for a horse--This party—I have forgotten his name--held the claim till the following June when he sold it to Dr. Sayles, an emigrant, who had just come in from California. The doctor bought claims Nos. 7 and 7 together and paid for the same $12,000 in coin, We were living in Helena and often heard it remarked that Dr, Sayles that summer in various reckless ways had squandered about $50,000. In the summer of '66 when he had worked out his two claims and left the country he took with him about $100,000 in clean gold dust. For nearly thirty years past I have honestly wished to be able to kick myself in good shape for not accepting Duston's handsome present.
Chapter TV
The Pikes Peak gold excitement of '59 induced thousands of Americans to go and settle in part of the west known as the Arrapahoe country. No treaty had ever ben made with this tribe whereby land had been ceded to the white man, and all that country on which Denver city and surrounding towns now stand was simply seized and taken possession of, A treaty with the Sioux granting right of way through this country, gave the whites an opportunity to take ranches along the Platte river, and as we passed up the Platte valley in the spring of '64 we came to ranchers or settlers every few miles. At that time when one had passed Ft, Riley or the big Blue in Kansas, he was then in the country of the savage. The Indian saw that at the rate in which the white man was encroaching upon his home and hunting grounds, it would be but a few years until there would be no place left for the Indian, Resolving to make a strong effort to clear this country of the pale face, the Sioux, Cheyennes, Arrapahoes and Commanches united their forces and in '64 and '65 made their last desperate effort.
As we passed up the Platte we met several small bands of Indians on horseback and in full war equipment, but their forces were not yet sufficiently concentrated and we were unmolested, Four or five days later freight and emigrant trains were often attacked and sustained a good deal of injury in the way of loss of lives and stock. Near the junction of the Plattes, on the opposite side of the river, but in plain view we saw an emigrant who had fallen
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a little behind his train pounced upon and murdered by a small band of Indians. On the North Platte, we camped one night at Deer Creek, four days afterward the Fanny Kelly party camped at the same place and were all murdered, except Mrs, Kelly and another lady who were taken prisoners. The interesting story of her captivity Is to be found in fook form, Near the Little Big Horn where General Custer_, afterwards had his unfortunate fight, we one afternoon met a party of forty or fifty vicious looking aborigines mounted and wearing their war paint We were unmolested as there were over two hundred of us. This was a larger squad than we had met at any one previous time and aswe were quite out of the reach of assistance , It set us to organizing our forces and making every possible preparation In case of an attack- Once we chanced to camp on a branch of the Yellowstone near a Crow Indian vllllage, The bucks were all away on the war path and all that was left of the tribe consisted of women, children and dogs came and visited us. These people were very kind and friendly, their manner and habits were of a very primitive character, The entire wardrobe of many of these ladies consisted of a single muslin garment something in the form of an inverted flour sack; all the children were perfectly nude These Indians whose home was away upon the Yellowstone river, at that time had no knowledge of paper money, or many of our common articles of diet.
On our return m the autumn of '65 between Salt Lake and Denver we passed a place where Indians had captured a government freight wagon, tied the teamster to a wheel, plied bacon from the wagon around him, then after taking the team and such supplies as they wished, set fire to the wagon and burned up the entire outfit. Those days travelers were on the qui vive for Indians, and occasionally the Indians would get the worst of it. On the Platte we passed by the road side, and saw an Indian suspended by the neck to a telegraph pole. In hanging this Mr, Lo? his executioners had been a little careless and allowed the body to hang so low when we saw It, the wolves had converted more than half of it Into a nice clean skeleton. At Alkali Station, a little further dow,, in a little bend in the river, laid at a short distance from our camp the bodies of eleven Indians who had attacked an emigrant train, and got the worst of It, This affair had occurred about ten days before we reached that point, and in looking over the bodies we noticed that they were all minus ears, teeth, fingers and toes. Passing pilgrims had secured them as mementoes. It was told us that in the affray a lad with a Henri rifle, killed 8 Indians.
In the fall of ’66 not a ranch was to be seen between Denver and Marysville, Kansas. The Indians had burned them all and murdered all the Inhabitants who had not succeeded In making their escape ,--I should except Jack Marrows ranch, at the junction of the Plattes; which was surrounded by a good stockade and defended by 26 ranchmen and stage drivers, and the Indians were unable to take it. At a number of places where we passed, the whole family consisting of men, women and children had been murdered and their property burned,
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Chapter V
Speaking of bears; the small black bear of the west will weigh when full grown between three and five hundred pounds. The Cinnamon bear of the Rocky mountains Is a distinct species, Is usually found In small herds of four, five or six, are about the color of cinnamon bark, and are more vicious and untamable than any other variety, and When fully matured weighs from six to eight hundred pounds.
The Grizzly is a much larger brute and often weighs over a thousand pounds. The skin of a Grizzly which used to hang by the door of a restaurant In S n Francisco was marked 2,800 pounds.
A Mr, Wright who was an Inte lie gent gentleman and had at one time been a dealer In livestock once told me that at one time when out hunting In the Sierra Nevada mountains with a prospecting party saw a Grizzly feeding, and as he had not been observed by the bear sat down on a ledge of rock above him and made a careful estimate of his size, which he placed at 4,000 pounds.
An old hunter once told me an Interesting story about having came upon the trail of a black bear which he followed till the bear became tired, turned the bear In his course, and drove him towards his cabin--his powder had accidently become wet so that he could not shoot, but with his remrod whipped the bear along until he was to his cabin door and there he dispatched him with his tomahawk--when he had finished his story, I thought to myself, "O rats!" but said nothing as he was evidently trying to have me believe it.
I, Individually, once had a little adventure with a bear In the forest, but in my case the bear drove me, and In fact almost caught up with me. I was then fleshy, weighing about 240 pounds, which added considerably to the interest of the matter My Interview with bruin occurred In this way. Late In the fall of '64 when at one time out In the mountains of Montana, hunting for deer, as I passed on a mountain side through a dense thicket of young pines, suddenly in a small open space I came upon a Grizzly of monstrous proportions, 1 was alone! The grizzly had killed an elk, and I suppose fearing that I wished to rob him of his prey, he made belligerent demonstrations. Acted as though he wished to add my carcass to his winter's supply of provisions. This bear I am certain weighed more than a thousand pounds. He made a charge on me in a decidedly hostile manner, and when within eight or ten paces ha.ted for an instant, roared and shook his mane. I was not prepared for fighting bears, and just then wished I was at home, or In Congress or any where except In this thicket. I would just then have swapped places with a Sing Sing convict and gave him boot. I had but a small deer gun, but finding something had to be done, I attempted to shoot; and to add to my surprise, my gun refused to fire. A pine sapling five or six inches in diameter stood by me and in about the time it would take you to snap your finger I threw down the gun and went up the tree. The bear observing my inclinations to retreat dashed up to the root of the tree, but by that time I was beyond his reach. I had no idea I could climb so fast. As soon as I was beyond the reach of the monster--scientists term them "uysus horribltls", but I hardly think "horrible" is strong enough a term; he was a "Son-of-a gun". Well, I drew my revolver which was hanging to my belt, tried to shoot and the cap snapped.
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I carried a large Remington and if he had stayed with me I could have given him an interesting entertainment, but before I could take a second aim at him he dissapeared through the thicket.
Chapter VI
We had travelled about ten days, and in camp at noon on a very pleasant day upon a high rolling prairie between the Little Blue and Platte rivers in Nebraska We were stretched on the grass in the shade of the wagon; our horses had been turned out to graze with their harness on, as we expected to remain but a short time in camp. On this occasion we were alone as the rest of the party we were travelling with for some reason had fallen several miles behind . When nooning in this manner we were suddenly brought to our feet by the horses giving a loud and unusual snort, and discovered a fine, large buck deer, standing about fifty yards from us apparently trying to understand the nature of the outfit. My man Henry, Instead of trying to secure the frightened horses jerked down the gun and In his excitement discharged the contents Into the ground a few yards ahead of him. By this time the horses had got Into the road and were making their best run in the direction of the land where five point bucks are scarce. To my surprise, the deer Instead of being frightened away at the crack of the gun, made a little semi-circle past the wagon and fell into the road behind the horses and so far as we could see was going at full speed a short distance behind them.
We started in pursuit of the stampeded horses and along the way I picked up almost enough lines, tugs, and other broken pieces to make a full set of harness. Our horses were all very gentle and we did not anticipate such a stampede but I have often since heard It asserted by plainsmen that horses that, scare at nothing about home when taken on the plains will be frightened at some trivial thing ana make an ugly stampede,
Henry who was an ex-soldier out travelled me--I suppose he had some experience in the army on "double-quick"--and found the runaways at the stage barn, about four miles back. By paying the captors a dollar per head we got possession of them and soon had them back to the wagon again.
Henry never used profain language, yet I have often heard him since that time remark that "that was the 'drottedest' deer I ever saw."
The deer, strange to relate after chasing the horses a couple of miles down the road returned to our camp, took another survey of our outfit and then ieasurely walked away.
The Platte has a beautiful wide valley. The river itself Is a broad and unusually shallow stream, the banks are low and for long distances no timber was to be seen. Frequently an emigrant could be seen carrying a log suspended under his wagon for fuel purposes; or in lieu of this a gunny-sack hung on the rear end of a wagon and all connected with the outfit, except the driver , scattered over the prairie looking for buffalo chips. A gunny-sack full of these answered the purpose very well for cooking a meal.
Along the Platte good water was to be found at all the ranches. Their wells were shallow and usually walled up with two or three whiskey barrels placed one on top of another, with the heads previously taken out. Henry won-
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dered if every ranchman in that country drank three barrels of whiskey before digging a well.
Chapter VII
When we came to cross the Platte river* the stream was swollen in consequence of the annual June rise and was almost impassible. I gave Gereau and Dian--two Frenchmen who had a ranch a few miles beyond the Platte junction, ten dollars to take my wagon across. The river at this point is a- bout a half mile wide Before starting across I raised my wagon-box by placing blocks about ten inches in depth under it; under the running gear, and with this precaution some water ran in it. Six yoke of fine oxen were then hitched on* and started for the other side. A driver on horseback was on each side of the team and another on the front end of the wagon, each one armed with a heavy ox whip= A portion of the cattle's backs, just enough to whip on, and their heads sticking above the water, was all that could be seen of them. One or two lengths of the team was all that could be made at a time, and that with the most vigorous urging. I never saw cattle so whipped and abused in my life. The next day a negro with six or seven yoke of cattle engaged in the same business three miles further up the stream were swept off by the current and the entire outfit drowned,
After crossing the South Platte, thirty miles up Lodge-pole Creek, took us to a small Indian villi age; I remember that there were but five 'tepees'. At this villiage we saw two white men who appeared to be connected with the tribe . At least their appearance would not indicate that they were missionaries sent out by the Methodist Episcopal church. These men bought of us some ammunition and in payment offered a fifty dollar bill. One of our party was sitting in his lodge when he put his change in his trunk and noticed that he had quite a large roll of bills. About this village there was no stock or other evidence to show how these bills might be honestly obtained. These two men came to us separately and told us that we would find no water for twenty-eight miles, and that we had better not go far that evening and start early the next morning, We did not accept this advice, but watered our stock and started on bout two o'clock in the afternoon. The road was smooth, and by sundown we had gone about fifteen miles where we found good grazing and three small lakes of nice clear water. That night we made our horses fast to our wagons and stood guard. Everything was very quiet until about eleven o'clock when our horses ail of a sudden appeared to be very much frightened and tried to break loose, Within half an hour this was repeated several times but none of our stock succeeded in getting away. The night was dark and I could see nothing to shoot at, but am quite sure that some one with a loud smelling buffalo robe or something of the kind was to the windward trying to stampede our stock, and had they succeeded we would have been paying the same parties ten dollars per head to hunt them up for us the next day, which would have still augmented the size of that roll of bills. Poor fellows, after lying to us, followed, us fifteen miles and riding hard all night they made a "water-haul". How I wished that night that it was not so very dark, and that I could see what was creating the disturbance, I could have saved one at least the trouble of riding back in the night to Lodge-pole Creek.
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Chapter VIII
Of the 25,000 or 30,000 people who emigrated to Montana in 1864 perhaps one-third of them left the country that year, When winter set in we were then shut out from communication with the commercial world, It was + hen discovered that the supply of provisions was not sufficient to carry us through the winter. About this time some one who had an eye to business bought up all the shovels for sale in the territory, and put up the price from $3, 50 to $11,00 apiece, making a nice little corner on shovels,
It was also discovered that the quantity of flour would not take us half way through the winter, I had taken with me enough flour to last me and my family a year, but in the fall imprudently shared with fellow miners till I was about out, and when I wished the staple returned it was not in the country.
Early in the winter four merchants formed a "trust" and bought out al'j the flour of the smaller dealers and then put up the price from $26,00 per hundred to $80, 00, They had a nice corner on the staff of life but the miners soon began to complain and threaten, I think it was in January that bout two or three hundred armed men visited these merchants, but finding that they had built up their flour as breast works and had quite an armed force behind them, the mob for the time dispersed. In the next issue of the "Virginia City Post" we were given a beautiful homily on the advantages of quiet and order, and were warned of the terrible state of society that might be produced by mob law and violent measures; but the old adage that "necessity knows no law", was verified in this case. About a week or ten days later a crowd gathered on the street in Nevada--a town about two miles below Virginia City, Someone hoisted on a pole, an empty flour sack as a banner, and then started for the flour stores. By the time the procession reached main street it was composed of about three thousand well armed, and determined western men, madd&fied with hunger. The flour combine saw that resistance was useless and quietly stood by whilst the flour was carried out sack after sack and sold at the curb stone at the old figures $26,00 per hundred. Some proposed that the mob should visit the office of the "post", but more moderate council prevailed and the whole dispersed. It was somewhat amusing to read in the next issue the editor's strong denouncements of trusts, combines, and oppressive monopolies.
Long before any provisions could reach us in the spring we were entirely our of everything eatable except beef. In March and April, any day could be seen on the streets in Helena and Virginia City, hundreds of men, yes, thousands of them whose wild, savage looks plainly told that they had eaten nothing but beef for many weeks, A few, and only a few, by secreting their supplies managed to pass the winter fairley well, A Frenchman who kept a small grocery a few doors above the post office in Virginia, was noticed occasionally selling a few pounds of flour at $2, 25 per pound, A ranchman who had a wife and children offered on one occasion to trade him a cow for fifteen pounds of flour, but he had no flour to trade for cows. About this time parties set watch, and on the first night they observed Frenchy take an empty flour sack to a pile of bailed hay in his back yard, move a bundle
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or two, fill into his sack about twenty-five pounds, and after replacing the hay return to his cabin. The next raprning a party of miners visited him, examined his hay pile and found fifteen sacks of flour, paid him $26.00 per hundred, and retired in good order with their booty.
An old ox that has been driven across the plains, and been pounded on the way enough to make him tender, when turned out on that mountain bunch grass, by winter time became fat and made an excellent quality of beef.
Chapter IX
In former years the Platte valley was the home of the buffalo and the antelope. The early California emigrants told about the immense herds to be seen in this country. With the Pike's Peak excitement of '59 and other discoveries in Colorado, travel and freighting increased till since about '62, no more game was to be seen along the line of the overland route. In '64 we had gone quite a distance to the north in the direction of the Yellowstone before we began to see much game, Our reason for this was, that the country was very barren, As we came in the country bordering on the Bighorn mountains game became more plentiful, and almost daily some of our party would bring in deer or ontelope, About the first piece of game our individual party had, was the hind quarter of a yearling elk. This, after an exclusive diet on salty bacon for nearly two months was highly appreciated. A day or two further on, one afternoon our train came to a halt. A buffalo trail crossed oifr road a short distance ahead, and away off to our left could be seen two old buffalo bulls slowly following the trail, which would soon bring them near our train. About forty or fifty of our party jumped off their wagons, ran across and concealedhemselves in a ravine, and withtheir guns ready awaited the arrival of the bison. When the first old monster presented himself everyone fired. The animal made a few plunges and fell dead, perforated with bullets from his head to his tail, and when the next old bull came within range, in a few minutes afterwards, there were not enough loaded guns left to kill him and he escaped with but a stray shot or two.
That evening we camped early on the banks of Wind river, and had buffalo boiled, fried, roasted, jerked and stewed. We all ate heartily. Toward morning an epidemic broke out amongst us, I think nearly the whole camp was attacked with a disease which resembled Asiatic cholera in a mild form; but a few doses of pepper tea and a little of Perry Davis' pain killer, soon set us all right again.
In my last article I was broken off suddenly when relating how in the spring of '65 we were for quite a time required to live on a diet exclusively of beef.
When one is practicing an exclusive diet of this kind; it is surprising how many different dishes can be prepared from this one article--beef sausage, chopped with a hatchet, water-fried steak, boiled beef, beef broiled over the coals--I can't enumerate near all of them. Someone suggested to us that prickly pears (the cactus leaves)--fried in tallow was an excellent dish-- I suppose we had not caught on to the proper mode of cooking it, for the one dish was all that we ever prepared.
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That winter some miners In a cabin near by had somewhere obtained a peck of turnips, taken them home, pared them and thrown the rinds out in the snow in front of their cabins. That day, Frank, my son, who was a lad of five years, brought in the rinds, and tried to explain to his mother what a find he had made, and what airs those fellows were putting on, to throw a- way such nice turnip rinds.
Some miners were without provisions longer than we, and others not so long, but for our part we took twenty-seven days on "beef-straight", four days of which we were unable to find salt.
It was In May qhen the first load of provisions arrived in Helena.
( a wagon with six yoke of cattle). Miners gathered around the wagon as soon as it was seen on the street, and made it. a rult. that no one should have more than ten pounds of flour; should pay 80 cts. per pound; and should receive of the other supplies In the same proportions, In less than an hour the wagon w as unloaded, From that time on supplies reached us in sufficient quantities ano prices dropped correspondingly.
Chapter X
Somewhere in these sketches 1 have Incidentally mentioned that Egnell and I in ’64 ran a stage "line between Virginia City and Helena, in the then, . territory of Montana.
The discovery in the winter of '64 and '65 that "Last Chance" now Helena was a rich gold field, attracted thousands of people to that country. Helena was built from nothing, to a fine city of five thousand Inhabitants almost in one summer, consequently the business of carrying passengers from one town to another was lucrative.
In the early days of Virginia and other neighboring mining camps, there sas no United States mail of post office nearer than Salt Lake City, a distance of about 350 miles. Over this route the mail was carried by a private stage line known as the A. J. Oliver & Co., who made weekly trips and charged $1. 00 a letter, We collected 25 cents per letter, and. $20.00 was out* passenger fair, the distance being about 125 miles. In the fall of '64 the o- verland Stage between Atchison, Kan. and Salt Lake City, which was principally owned by Ben Holliday, had been granted a mail contract between Salt Lake and Virginia City, stocked, up the road and after a time ran Oliver & Co., entirely off the route. Then they, Oliver & Co., brought over about 250 mustangs, bronchos and several other varieties of western horses; and a dozen old coaches and undertook to displace Egnell & Co. The amount of travel was heavy and all through the spring and summer both lines had about all the passengers they could carry. For quite a time the only annoyance they gave us, was the almost daily effort to be the first in at the other end of the route Notwithstanding we had given our drivers instructions not to race with the opposition lines, we would often hear of a chase from one station to a- nother, We had a better class of horses, but not half so many, and to kill a few of them by hard driving would do us much more injury than the Oliver line During the summer of '65 we had no serious accident; upset, but once, and then no one was hurt. Oliver & Co, had repeated accidents.
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One evening the driver from the Oliver line came in and asked for a job saying he had quit working for the other party. We were just then in need of a driver and told him we wanted him to take the coach out in the morning. He had hardly gone when three or four passengers came in and bought tickets for Virginia, and before leaving informed me that they had came down that day from Virginia on the Oliver line. That the driver had upset them, and besides brusing up the whole party, had broken one man's leg. I assured them that we never upset, and would send them through in good shape. I have often since wondered, when it came daylight and they saw that they had the driver of the day before, what particular style of invectives they made use of.
On arrival at the end of the route our driver would deliver the mail, dispose of his passengers, put away his team and then report at the office, tell us what he had done, and turn over the cash taken in during the day. On one of these occasions our driver, Theo. Carrick, stated to us that he had that day brought down from Virginia a coach load of Cyprians--I think that is the term he used--that besides filling the "boot" of the coach with baggage they had inside, grips and lunch baskets. That they had also stored under the seats quite a liberal supply of bottled beer, and that they had been holding high carnival the whole way through, Rarely any of them got out of the coach, not, being in proper condition to move around much, "But" he added with sort of a sad expression on his face, "they frequently would throw open the stage door, and make it an undecided question whether I was driving a stagecoach or a street sprinkler,," Theo. was a very modest young man, and added, that if we have any more such loads of passengers to haul; we would have to look for another driver.
Chapter XI
It was early in the season, about the first of March, our coach, within about thirty miles of Helena, on account of a blinding snow storm was compelled to lay over until morning at a wayside cabin. Our load on this occasion consisted of a party of sports--poker players and toughs on general principles--except that a clergyman, by some misfortune had been thrown amongst the lot. An old wagon cover divided the cabin into two rooms. After supper the gamblers were assigned the rear appartment, but instead of re tiring for the night commenced a game of twenty-five cent "ante". About the fire in the other end of the cabin sat the ranchman and his family, the preacher and Thomas Clark, our driver. Thomas was from Lawrence, Kan., had had a religious training and was a clever young man. About bed time our clergyman proposed that he should hold family worship, which was agreed to by "mine host" and all parties joined In a sacred song, including the gamblers in the other room. The sports however failed to stop the game; or at the proper time stop the music, for while the parson was reading a chapter from the scriptures the sports kept up "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" and "Nearer My God to Thee". When the party at the fireside knelt to ask Divine care and blessing, his petition was repeatedly Interrupted by amendments suggested by the Godless party In the other room, and when the minister repeated the words "Give us this day our daily bread", a mouth in the other room bawled
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out "strike him for pie". Then when the prayer was concluded the gambling party surrounded the mild eyed clergyman, displayed their revolvers and in the most earnest manner induced him to join them in drinking a villainous article of whiskey. The constitution of our government grants each one the inestimable privilege of practicing any religious devotion he may desire, ypt we think the religionist who undertakes to practice his devotional exercises when surrounded by none but a party of drunken sluggers is a little short on discretion.
We were at another time in the same winter, well upon the site of a bald mountain when caught in a snow storm. It was in the night and the mountain side for a short distance was so sideling that a road had been cut, otherwise a coach or wagon would have upset and rolled, to the gulch below. When we reached this point the snow had driven so as to obliterate our tracks. For a little while I tried walking ahead to show the way, but in the deep snow it soon became too fatiguing. The only thing left for us to do was to wait for morning. The team was unhitched and tied to the leeward side of the coach, while the passengers spread down their blankets and buffalo robes on the snow. In those days everyone travelling in Montana carried their beds along with them. With some effort we prepared a bed wide enough for ten and all hands turned in, hats, gloves, coats, overshoes and all. It was my misfortune to be on the outside and to the windward. A few anecdotes were told-- short ones interspersed with a considerable ainount of profanity, then a majority of the party fell asleep. One passenger remarked--I remember--"! have been roughing in these mountains for the past eleven years and I hope I may go to torment if this lay over doesn't beat anything in my past experience". The wind howled all night, and the wolves howled occasionally. I was too cold to sleep, consequently was awake until daylight Thought of the monks of St. Bernard, and all the unfortunates I had ever heard of having been lost in a snow storm. Finally daylight came. We hitched up our team--threw our bedding on the coach and started out. About half a mile ahead of where we had lain out all night in the storm around a point of the mountain in a sort of a case in the rocks, half a dozen teamsters had kept up a delightful fire all night. When we saw this, a profain old miner exclaimed, "Well, d-n our luck".
Chapter XII
We like to talk on the subject of staging, but lest we may tire our readers we, after relating a few more incidents, will dismiss the subject.
Between Virginia and Helena we had eight changes, averaging nearly sixteen miles apart, making rather long drives, but in that mountainous country, we had to select our stations where water and grazing was plentiful.
At the stations our stock were turned out to graze on the mountain bunch grass till coach time the following day, when a ranchman who was paid for doing so would have them in a corral ready for us. We worked our stock all through the winter in this way, and was surprised at how well they stood it.
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Two young men, one on each end of the road did the driving, and a smith went over the road once each week and did the dhoeing.
It used to be the custom every summer for a few steamboats to come up the Missouri river as far as the falls of Ft. benton, and after remaining a week or so returned. In the summer of '65 about adozen miners who wished
to return to the states agreed with us to be taken from Helena to Benton, a distance of about one hundred and thirty miles. We fitted up an emigrant wagon with four horses and started a driver with the outfit to meet the boat, in about eight days Theo. returned with everything in good shape and on coming into the office handed over to us two hundred in gold dust as our profits on the trip. In the winter time especially when the road was heavy, it often required all day and half the night to make the drive from one end of our stage route to the other.
It was in February '65 and we were on our way from Virginia to Helena, shut inside, with a coach load of passengers. The weather was very cold and we had the curtains all closely buttoned down.
After a long and tedious up-grade we had arrived on the summit of a bare mountain ridge, our coach halted. The driver rapped loudly on the top of the coach with his whip, and at the same time exclaimed, "look out". In an instant every drowsy passenger was wide awake, it was then nearly eleven o'clock in the night. One passenger suggested robbers, another one said, "highwaymen", there was then a scramble to conceal funds, watches and other valuables, and at the same time, guns and revolvers were got in readiness. A passenger carefully pushed a curtain aside exclaimed "Northern lights". The door was then thrown open and all hands climbed out. The scene was grand, beyond description. It is reported by those who have visited the Artie reglqns that auroral displays In that far northern country are very brilliant, yet I cannot conceive how Dr. Kane and Sir John Franklin could have ever witnessed a display of more grandeur or sublimity. History tells us of a very grand auroral display witnessed in New England In November, In 1887, but In this latitude, 35 degrees, the borealis Is rarely seen, and then is usually very feeble.
Further north, from the top of a tlmberless mountain, a still, clear
cold moonless night, perhaps constituted the most favorable conditions for so grand a spectacle.
The whole northern sky was spanned with broad, brilliant lines of lights of various hues, and these luminous bands waving and dancing in u- nison. In conjunction with these, there were bright,broad straight rays of white lights continuously shooting up from the northern horizon In every direction. Those In the center reaching almost to the zenith. Each alternately fading away to be replaced by others of equal brilliancy. All nature surrounding us appeared to be bathed in a wierd crimson coating. No pen can fully portray or human art ever Imitate the grandeur and sublimity of this heaven designed and gorgeous spectacle.
Amongst those eight or ten rough mountain men, elth myself who stood In silent awe and admiration, there was no ribaldry or course jesting.
I think each one felt as if he was individually in the immediate presence of the Almighty God.
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Chapter XIII
It was the evening of the 23rd of July, 1866 three gentlemen stepped into our express office in Helena and secured passage for Virginia City, on the followint day. Before leaving the office, one of these gentlemen asked, if we could get them to Virginia ahead of the Oliver coach, stating that some friends of theirs were going up to Virginia on the opposition line tomorrow and they had made a," bet of an oyster supper as to who would get through first. To this we replied, that all we ould do in regard to this, was to put them through in good time, but for us'to say that we would put them through ahead of the other coach simply meant a dead race with a four horse coach all the way from Helena to Virginia, and this we could not afford to do for less than $500. They have more stock than we, and are willing to run at any time. "Could you go back and see if your friends would not rather make the bet $1,000 and if they will do so, we will try and get you in Virginia first, and we will pay half the bet or all of it if you wish?" To this the gentleman replied, "Well the folks have some money, and I will go and see them". The gentleman that I had been having the conversation with, I afterwards learned was a stage man himself and connected with the Overland Stage Co., and his name was Hallsey. In a half an hour Hallsey and party returned and reported that they could not get the bet out of the Oliver party, and without much further conversation they departed for their appartments at the hotel, where we were to find them in the morning.
After these gentlemen had gone, I thought this matter over a little, and said to myself, the season is advancing, ajid the amount of travel is beginning to fall off. The opposition line has repeatedly drawn in ahead of us, of late, at the other end of the route, and boasting about it. I believe I will leave a clerk in the office tomorrow and go over the road myself. I then went down to the barn and asked our driver to have his team and everything in shape to roll out ar four o'clock in the morning. And that I would be at the barn to go with him, As I reached the barn at f o'clock the next morning, I found everything in shape, the team hitched up and ready to roll out. We stopped at the hotel and got our passengers and then driving at a moderate gate, when about a mile out of town, overtook the opposition coach. From here to our first station out they pulled through about as rapid as the nature of things would allow. We followed Into the station Immediately behind them. This stretch of 15 miles is quite hilly and intersected with numerous gorges and ravines, but on examining our watches we found that we had made this drive In an hour and one quarter. The ranchman had gone out to get our stock in the corral, after waiting a few minutes we saw at some distance through the twilight of the morning, the ranchman coming with four horses, when he came nearer we discovered that it was the Oliver team, and when he got In the corral he Informed us that he had not been abtLe to find ours. The only thing left for us to do was to again hitch up the same horses. These horses were four strawberry roans and two fine teams altogether for staging in that country.
I think I never regretted anything so much as to be compelled to hitch those horses for another drive. In those days there were no humane societies in Montana. By the time we were ready to start again, the opposition coach was
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quite a way ahead of us, And with their fresh team continued to leave us further behind and when we arrived at our second station, called "Boulder Valley" station, we found that they had exchanged stock and gone for some time. Our stock was out In the lots nearly half a mile away. The ranchman on seeing us coming galloped out on a pony, and in a few minutes had our stock in the corrals. By that time however when we were ready to start from this station the other coach must have been three miles ahead of us. On this drive we had much the better team, and felt quite sure that we could make up part, if not all the ground we had lost. On arriving at our next station which was known as Mountain Springs Ranch we found no stock in the corral, but the other party had driven on without making a change and we did likewise, We had to go over a mountain ridge or two then down a small stream before reaching the next station. Much of this road is quite smooth, and while we had all a- long been trying to get over the mountains at as lively a gait as possible, here we had frequent opportunities to let the team goat the top of theiispeed. Sitting by the driver I repeatedly felt gravel strike me on the face and hands,
I turned to him and asked, "Is that gravel striking you?" He replied, "The lead horses are throwing it with their feet."
Phil Sheridan’s ride was quite a ride, the Overland Stage coach race from Salt Lake to Atchison, Kan., on a heavy bet against time was quite an exciting affair. The chariot races at our state fairs on a broad, smooth race track for a half mile or so, draw large crowds and create sensations. Now we should think that a pair of fine horse stage coaches running a distance of one hundred twenty-five miles, ought to if properly advertised, create a sensation.
At our next station, Whitehall, we overtook the Oliver coach. This was our usual dinner station and to gain a little time when we came within speaking distance I said "Boys let's all eat dinner." The landlord took up the word and also called out, "Gentlemen, dinner is all on the table, walk right in. "Two of the Oliver passengers walked in, and I behind them, as I passed the landlord at the door I said to him in a low but earnest manner, "Have our team changed as quickly as possible". This request however was unnecessary as he could see by the panting, foaming horses which we had just brought in that we were in a bit of a hurry. I sat down at the table and tried to engage the passengers in a conversation, but we had not been there five minutes when a call from the Oliver driver "all aboard" took us outside again. At this station for the first time, I noticed that the number of persons, six on the Oliver coach, was the same as ours. From this station to our next, the Jefferson river crossing, we had an easy route mainly along the river valley. They had four light horses and we the same. Our team on this stretch was the four stout, black Pottowatomie ponies which I had driven across the plains the year before, and they were good ones. From Whitehall the Oliver coach had gone about a quarter of a mile when we got started, we tried our best to overtake and pass them. Our little horses patting it down at their very best licks. For four or five miles I could not see that we had gained any on them. In fact we were unable to see them at all, in consequence of the cloud of dust they left behind. The passengers appeared to be as much intereste in this
16-
chase as we were. They ate no dinner, and at each station would jump out and render us all the assistance they could, and I suppose were in this stretch watching the coach ahead as intently from the inside, as the driver and I were doing from the boot. Presently Mr. Hallsey called to me from the inside of the coach, "Col. I have money to bet that we will beat them to the next station, "I looked again and replied, "I believe we have gained a little on them, but hardly enough to brag about. " In less than two miles further on the open smooth prairie we caught up with them and went by on the gallop as we passed we gave our best yell, I noticed as we passed that the driver on the opposition coach was unsing his whip vigorously, but his team had become so jaded that he could not force them out of a tort. At our next station,, Jefferson crossing, we had our team exchanged and were just rolling out as they came in.
From here for two stations to a place called Daley's ranch our routes diverged, th^following around by a smooth road, the bend of the river, while we cut across the foothills, making about two miles shorter distance, but the two routes were almost equalized by our road being hilly and in some places very rocky, we kept up our best gait, had the team changed at Willow Springs station and went on to Daley’s ranch. When we had changed at DaUey's the Oliver coach was not yet in sight. From here to Virginia, 16 miles, we had four fine bay horses, we kept up a lively gait until we reached our office in Virginia, Arriving here, the first thing we did was to consult our watches, and after making a careful estimate we found we had driven 125 miles over very rough and mountainous country in ten hours and twenty minutes. The Oliver coach came in about an hour later. That record was never made before and I don't think it has ever been broken since.
Chapter XIV
I have previously spoken of having traveled in the summer of '64 over a new mountain trail, a distance of about five hundred miles, between the North Platte river and Virginia City, Montana. On this new mountain road no grading of course had ever been done. In places we had to attach a long rope to the rear axle of the wagon and all hands hold on whilst we would let down one wagon at a time over an almost perpendicular descent,
Several times 20 or 30 men with ropes attached to the side of a wagon would hold on to prevent an upset, and in this way would work our train, one at a time, around a steep mountain point.
Once, as 1 remember, we were traveling on an apparently good road and our train came to a halt. After standing for a few minutes, all of a sudden we heard a loud and unusual rumbling in front. Leaving my team I ran forward to see what was the trouble and found that one of our party in starting to descend one of these prescipices had slipped off the front of his wagon leaving the team to descend over the rocks at a furious rate. Fortunately no serious harm was done.
At one point after climbing to the summit of a mountain we found that we could descend on the other side only by following for some distance a spur of the mountain hardly wide enough on top for a wagon to travel, On each side
to the gorge below the mountain was steeper than a gothic roof. A boulder lay- on this sharp ridge, by which we of course had to pass.
Just as my wagon came opposite this rock and appeared to be nearly tipping over, our train, on account of some little incident, which was not frequent, came to a halt. I in vain called to those ahead to move up but they wouldn't or couldn't give me any relief. To my right, it was a thousand feet to the bottom of the mountain gorge, The wind blew a stiff breeze from the left and at every additional puff I thought I could feel my wagon cant a little toward the gorge and then settle back again. Just at this time minutes became hours and our train upon this occasion made the longest halt--at least it seemed so to me. My hair turned grey and then afterward fell off, which is usually the result in such cases.
On leaving the Platte to go north through the Wind river and Yellowstone country we were liable to be attacked by hostile Indians, and to be prepared for such an event we organized our forces--elected a captain and other officers--enrolled our men and made such rules and regulations as we thought necessary. Fortunately, no Indians found us, for I now think a small band of Indians could have easily taken us in.
Of our forty wagons about 12 or 15 were ox teams. After we had traveled together 10 or 12 days quite a good deal of dissatisfaction was expressed by the ox men of the party, they claimed that with their cattle they could do better as a separate party--could hitch and unhitch quicker, could guard their stock at night more easily, and on the road could travel faster. This dissatisfaction continued to grow till one evening the ox party which numbered about 60 men, and composed of nearly one-third of our whole number, held a convention--agreed upon an ordinance of secession, and in imitation of the play that was then being enacted in the states by Jeff Davis and company, they hitched up early in the morning and left us. Some suggested co- ersion, others argued that hey had signed our roll and they were bound by our articles of confederation, but it was all of no use, they went on and left us, and in this case we hought It best to attempt no compulsory measures for the preservation of our little union, I felt as if I would like to have seen our secessionists thoroughly whipped, but as I could see no chance for me to stay at home and urge the rest of the party to do the fighting, my beligerent. inclinations were not very pronounced.
Chapter XV
At Fort Laramie In '64 we crossed the Laramie river on a bridge constructed and owned by the government. The fare was $3.00 per outfit, no matter whether It was a one horse cart or a six mule wagon.
About 130 miles further on we forded the North Platte. When we came to Wind river we ferried our wagons over on a crude raft that had been constructed by a tram in advance. Our horses and mules were swam across. About the middle of the river a large blind horse became separated from the rest and for quite awhile swam round and round in a circle till his owner, by calling to him from the bank, induced him to come to the shore.
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The Rose Bud, Grey Bull, Steep river and a number of other tributaries of the Yellowstone were all forded. At the Yellowstone we were piloted across by a crow Indian on horse back. The Yellowstone river is not. unappropriated named, and the rocks and boulders in the bottom of the river have all received a heavy coating of yellow or orange color deposited by the water. Especially is this true of its upper tributaries,
Speaking of crossing the streams reminds me of a little incident which occurred at the Madison river. We had forded, and as it was about evening, we camped near the river,
A large camp kettle which hung to the side of my wagon had dipped half full or more of water. At our camp this evening some one had taken the camp kettle down and set it on the ground, Perhaps I did it myself, I was standing by the camp fire when I heard some sort of a racket behind me and on looking around discovered that my little daughter Anna had lost her balance over the edge of the kettle, and with her head down in the kettle, was struggling for dear life. In a minute longer, Anna, you would have been drowned.
Our party in this Bridger's cut-off were the representation of nearly every occupation and. nationality, we had lawyers, doctors, dentists, farmers, mechanics, railroad men--and of these some were German, Irish, French, English and Indians,
The Harvester family, from some rural district in Missouri, was along with us, and was comprised of the fat old man and woman, two grown daughters and a half grown boy, As they were somewhat unique, allow me to describe them briefly. They all usually went barefooted, The women wore home-made linsey dresses which had became abreviated by use and laundry- ing. As it was warm weather they had dispensed with most other articles of female apparel They all smoked pipes, and after camp duties had been performed, would squat down by their camp fire and smoke for an hour at a time. About this time some one in our party found that at the Harvester camp fire, of an evening, was the best place to procure a coal to light one's pipe, and then told others about the find. Shortly afterwards nearly all the men in our outfit were seized with a passion, or mania, for smoking, and would almost invariably go to the Harvester camp fire for a coal. It must have been the pure mountain air was the cause,
Chapter XVI
We were ninety days on the road between Rossville, Kansas, and Virginia, Montana, Leaving here on the 26th of April we arrived in Virginia on the 26th of July, The distance being upwards of sixteen hundred miles. On railroads and ocean steamers one can now go around the world in less time. It might be supposed that so long a trip in an emigrant wagon was a great hardship but such was not the case, I had spent much of the previous winter in arranging my outfit and preparing every convenience for such a journey. The weather was pleasant, and after leaving Kansas, we had but one shower of rain during the entire trip,
Frequently when camping ground was found where there was an abundance of grass, water and fuel we would remain over a day to rest oar stock, repair wagons, wash clothes, hunt, fish or do nothing just as we pleased.
On the evening of July 25th we had camped by a spring well upon the side of a mountain. For six weeks we had been passing over mountains, through canyons and gorges in their undisturbed and primitive condition much the same as when first formed. Here we learned that there was a city in the next mountain gorge. In the morning following by going to the summit and looking down into the canyon beyond we saw the most active, stirring, bustling place in the world. A city of about five thousand inhabitants had been built on this steep mountain side within a year. There was but one explanation for it all. Here was to be found a large deposit, of gold. The amount of the precious metal taken out by those at work in the mines curing the summer of '64, if equally distributed to all hands, would have averaged $25 per day and perhaps as high as $50. I am only making a rough guess, but one thing was certain, Alder gulch was a very rich placer mine. In these days we in the west had a great deal of money borrowed from eastern capitalists, just as it is today. I have often since wondered why some down east, insurance company or some other money loan corporation had not stepped into Congress and had an act passed prohibiting the working of such rich mines lest the western boys from these great finds would soon have money of their own and would no longer be obliged to borrow and pay interest. We suppo ed that after going so far out in the mountains of the northwest., depriving ourselves of many of the comforts of a civilized country, and had taken the chance of being scalped by the Indians that, whatever we might there find on the public domain was ours. But such was not the case. Those who remained at home soon hit upon a plan to make us "whack do" with them. A set of government officials was soon sent out to look after affairs, and see that if any one should wish to engage in mining he should purchase, at a good round figure, government mineral lands. I have known more than one to pay to government officials for their privelege more than they realized in an effort to mine the same.
Of the early emigrants to Montana nine-tenths or perhaps nineteen- twentieths were young men, that is, men who had not passed the meridian of life. A large portion of these remained, became permanent citizens of the country and after a few years of careful industry most of them had provided themselves comfortable homes and had accumulated considerable wealth. Many of these were then desirous to take in a partner. One who could tie on a cravat, or wake one up when suffering from an attack of nightmare. But such persons were not to be found, in the county.
About this time some one who was tolerably familiar with the country inhabitants and had an eye for business, went to Halt Lake Cit.y and opened correspondence with bachelors all over the territory, and by impersonating a young school-mistress, who was anxious to go to Montana and engage in teaching but wished the loan of $75 or $100 with which to pay stage fare. Enclosed a photograph of a fine looking young lady--and asked Montana men to secure her a place and organize a new district if necessary. The job worked well. They usually forwarded the funds and organized new school districts all over the country no matter whether they contained any children or not. -3C- -20-
This was a private matter with the Montana party, but after a few months by comparing cases, found that, they had ail been taken in.
Chapter XVII
We had sold out our stage line and disposed of our mining interests and on the 20th of Sept,, '65 started from Helena., Montana, to return to Kansas, Our party consisted of 20 or 25 wagons, and on account of the hostility of the Indians in the Yellowstone country, we concluded to come by way of Salt Lake City and Denver. The weather was fine, roads in good condition for our lightly loaded wagons, and nothing of special interest occurred during our drive of about four hundred miles down to Salt Lake, which has been often described in print that it would be almost a superfluity to say anything in the way of a description. 1 will, however, make a short talk. This lake is about 80 miles long and 25 or 30 miles wide. From water lines and other evidence it. appears that the lake was at one time much larger than it is at present. It has no outlet and the Weber, Jordon, Bear river and other streams continually flow into it. Evaporation from the surface of the lake is its only outlet. In all streams there is more or less saline matter, this in the process of evaporation is all left behind in Salt Lake till now there is about a quart of salt to every gallon of water. The salt of Salt Lake is used by the people, and we noticed at several places on the shore large iron kettles arranged for e- vaporating the water. The salt of Salt Lake, although abundant and easily obtained, is not a first-class article. The water holding in solution several other minerals in addition to chloride of sodium. No fish or other animal life exists in Salt Lake. There is a gentle slope of half a mile or more in width between the mountains and the lake which is very fertile land when irrigated, and this the farmers of that country have done.
There is a water line to be seen part way up the mountain side which resembles an excavation for a railroad bed. This water line could be seen as far as we followed the shore of the lake, and is a good evidence that, the water of the lake had once been held for a considerable time at this point. The water of this lake, I am told, does not now average more than four feet, deep. From the edge of the water one could wade out into the lake quite a ways and not find water but a few inches deep. At the time of this visit to Salt Lake the valley had been settled about 18 years and much of it then was in a high stale of cultivation. At no other place in America, I am quite sure, had any other community accomplished so much in the general improvement of the country as had these much abused Mormons, Peaches were abundant along the way after reaching the Mormon settlements, and the Salt Lake peach is a very superior quality.
There is no corn raised in the Salt Lake valley, the climate not being adapted to its culture. Their pork is raised on small grain and root vegetables, and consequently is of an inferior quality, 1 would right here remark that pork made from our Kansas corn has probably no superior in the world. We used occasionally to get Salt Lake pork in Montana, and as a rule, found it tough and unpalatable, I remember once, when standing on the street in Helena, to see a man rush out of a restaurant on the opposite side, fall in the
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gutter, and after flouncing about much in the manner of a recently decapitated piece of poultry, in a few seconds died. He kicked almost as hard as our Republican office holders will do after the 4th of March next. I walked across the street where quite a crowd had by this come collected, and saw some one, supposed to be a surgeon, open with a blade the neck of the unfortunate individual and extract quite a large slice of Salt Lake ham. We examined the piece and found that he had first tried to cut it with his table knife, hten had tried to masticate it with his teeth, and failing in both attempted to bolt it whole, and in the effort some way or other the mass lodged in his windpipe.
Chapter XVIII
At Salt Lake City we laid over for two or three days to rest our team, lay in supplies and make ready for another long drive. When there we tried to see the sights—"take in the town" as goes the slang phrase. Salt Lake was once a walled city and the only one that has ever been in the United States. After laying out the city, as a piece of public improvement one of the first things done by the Mormons was the building of an adobe wall of about fifteen feet in height around the town as a defence against Indians. A portion of the old wall was still standing in !65
Neing not acquainted with anyone we wandered about the city at random, saw the residence of the Mormon prophet, Brigham Young, also their tabernacle and the partly built temple. This temple which has since been completed, we understand, is one of the most handsome structures in America They had then a good deal of material on the ground in the rough condition just as taken from the quarry. The stone is a white granite, obtained from a quarry but a few miles out from the city, and when dressed, and laid in the wall, makes a beautiful building material.
We visited the theatre once of an evening--Charlotte Cushman--I think she was the actress--was there playing an engagement. When in the theatre that evening some one who sat beside me pointed out to me, on the opposite side of the theatre, seated in his private box, the distinguished head of the Mormon church, Brigham Young. Also, one of his daughters who was taking a part as one of the perofrmers on the stage. Brigham Young besides being the head, of a new religious colony who had located in this isolated mountain retreat, had the distinction of being one of the most excessively married men that has lived since the days of King Solomon. It is our recollection that he had in all 29 wives, but in consequence of some dying and. others running away he never was blessed with more than 17 at any one time. What a world of care the poor man must have had. We not unfrequently hear of men having a great deal of trouble from having married two wives. Some times one alone will give a man a great deal of trouble, and we occasionally see a man who gets into trouble by merely winking at some other man's wife. Poor Brigham, we suppose he is now away up amongst the angels where Kings Solomon and David are.
There was a time when these Mormons failed to pay proper respect to our Uncle Samuel, and it became necessary during the administration of President Buchanan to send some troops out there and. explain to them who
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Uncle Samuel is-.
When we passed through Salt Lake City, a government, military post-- Camp Douglas, was situated on an eminence ai the base of the mountain to the northeast of the city where some half dozen mounted cannons were pointed in a very pursuastve manner in the direction of Brigham Young's residence, We were also told that behind those cannons there was a newspaper being published which was pouring out upon those devout Mormons scurulous abuse in a most profuse and unqualified manner.
It so happened that some of us placed our teams and wagons in a corral owned and managed by one Porter Rockwell... This Rockwell was one of the pillars of the Mormon church. He and Bill Hickman were recognized as leaders in that portion of the faithful known as "Danites" or "Destroying angels" „
At one time during the palmy days of the church should any one displease President Young it was only necessary for him to say to Rockwell or Hickman that it would be well for Zion if such a one were removed, and the next morning the city would be startled with the news of an assassination.
It is pretty certain that both Porter Rockwell and Bill Hickman were prominent actors in the Mountain Meadow massacre, and if they had not already died should have been shot along with John D, Lee. Rockwell wore long hair which hung braided down his back,, and one day when walking with him, without my having made any inquiry, he informed me that Joseph--meaning Joe Smith, had told, him that so long as he wore long hair he would never be killed by an enemy.
He or Joe Smith perhaps got this idea from the story of Sampson and the Philistines,
Chapter XIX
We were late in getting started for home in the fall of '65, and on the road everybody was on the rush. On the divide between Salt Lake and Denver we were caught in a snow storm and for three or four days about the 24th of October we had bitter cold weather. On that day we passed Fort Halleck, a small military post.
We were short of horse feed and here we had an opportunity to procure corn by paying twenty cents per pound, I exchanged a twenty dollar gold piece for a hundred pound sack of shelled corn and was glad for the chance. This corn which the soldiers were selling to us at twenty cents per pound I have no doubt was being stolen from the government.
At Salt Lake we had laid in a supply of barley, but that had all been consumed. Late in the fall we had no opportunity to turn our stock out at nights to graze and were compelled to buy hay and gram along the way. Usually we paid ten or twelve cents per pound for corn and five or six cents per pound for hay.
A regiment of soldiers--the N» Y. 23rd had been placed along the road for the purpose of affording protection to the traveling public but as we have frequently heard it remarked, the soldiers were of more annoyance to the emigrants than the Indian would have been.
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We were In camp one evening when a soldier came to us and proposed to sell us his horse, The horse was a very fine one, had a fresh brand "B. B.. on the left shoulder, and the soldier represented that the horse was his private property. He offered to sell the horse at so low a price that one of out* party--Ike Moore of Holton, Kansas, bought him, The purchase had hardly been made when another soldier came to Moore and informed him that this horse was government property, and that in the morning a squad of soldiers would follow him and take the horse away. That they had been playing this trick on returning emigrants all fall, and that that large bay horse had been sold at least a dozen times. The soldier added that he would not have told on them had they been willing to divide up with him.
Early in the morning Moore saddled his recent purchase and placed a young man on him with instruction- to keep our of sight, and only come into camp after dark. Sure enough the next day we were followed by a party of soldiers, and their search was kepi up for two or three days, but that was the last time they sold "B.B." to an emigrant.
The keeper of a stage station on the Platte river related to me this anecdote. A few days ago, said he, one of the solders at this station who seems to have more pluck than the rest, was out over the hills, and seeing two Indians, rode back immediately to camp and had half a dozen or more of his comrades to mount their horses and go with him and conceal themselves in a ravine while hw would go around and have the two Indians give him a chase, and in his run he would pass by the ravine where they were concealed. Presently those in the ravine saw their friend coming and the two Indians after him, but instead of waiting they thought, they saw about a thousand Indians and they broke for camp as fast as they could run, the two Indians driv- ving in the whole posse.
We were 72 days in this homeward trip, and arrived Dec. 3rd, Near Fort Keginey we met a company of U.S. Cavalry fresh from Fort Leavenworth, all on fine horses and wearing nice government uniforms. We, on the other hand, had been cn the road two months, our stock was poor, wagons and everything about us was covered with dust. As the soldiers rode past one of their party began singing, "Hard up! O Hard up". An evening or two before, sitting about our camp fire--as we were near hime our party had separated till we had but seven or eight wagons--we in our talk counted up the amount of gold dust in the wagons and we found there was about a thousand pounds. The unfortunate part of this was that a very small portion of this thousand pounds was in our Individual wagon.
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This collection of interesting stories are the recollections of an early day Rossville physician and the trip he and his family made to the Montana goldfields in 1864, These chapters were discovered by Mrs. Virginia Gentry while doing research on the early history of Rossville. They were originally published in nineteen installments in the Rossville Times in 1892, The adventures and hardships as well as humorous incidents that happened are told by the good doctor in a very interesting and well written manner. Nothing has been changed.
The members of the Historical committee felt this story should be shared with others interested in early day history. This booklet is being published by the board of the Rossville Community Library and any profits derived from it's sale will be used for worthwhile projects in the library.
DR. ROBERT S, GABBEY, 1833-1900
Robert S. Gabbey, pioneer doctor and Inventor was born May 3, 1833 in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. Little is known of his parents but they were of Scotch ancestry. He attended the local schools and then entered Jefferson College, graduating in 1852.
In 1854, he was married to Annie Welton of Columbus, Ohio. After his marriage, he returned to Jefferson Medical College and graduated in 1855. In 1857, President Buchanan appointed him to the position of Government Physician to the Pottawotami Indians living on the reservation in the St. Marys and Rossville area. He served in this capacity for several years, living at St. Marys and later moving to Rossville o
In 1864, Dr. and Mrs. Gabbey joined a wagon train going to the Montana go'ldflelds. Net finding Montana Territory to their liking, they returned to Rossville where he resumed the practice of medicine. He also purchased a farm east of the new town.
In addition to his other duties, Dr. Gab- bey found time to perfect a new type of cultivator which was manufactured locally under the unlikely name of "Gabbey Go-Devil".
During the 1890's he experimented with the theories of powered flight and a model of an airplane of his design hung In his office. His work received attention In scientific journals of that day, His death In 1900 cut short what might have been a successful beginning In the aviation Industry.
CROSSING THE PLAINS 30 YEARS AGO
Chapter I
In crossing the plains In the spring of '64, we left the old California road at a point on the North Platte river., near the crossing of the Sweet water; to follow a new road called, the Brldger cut-off to Virginia City, Montana. It was a new route that was never traveled previous to that spring, and has probably never been since, Our train consisted of forty-five or fifty wagons and about two hundred people, of those two dozen were women and children, Three or four similar trains preceeded us, The first train piloted through by an old mountaineer--Jim Brldger. In our train no one knew when we left camp where we would again reach water or grazing for our stock and It almost Invariably happened that if we neglected to fill our water casks or jugs In the morning we would find no water all day. The distance across on this cot-off was about five hundred miles, and that of about the wildest kind of country, The war was then being carried on and important events were happening almost dally, yet for more than six weeks we had no knowledge of them whatever. It was the day before we arrived at Wind river, some two hundred miles north-west of the point at which we had left the Old California emigrant trail we came to a little grave by the wayside. We camped nearby and I think that there was hardly a member of our party who did not visit the newly made grave. I remember well the neat little head board on which was nailed an old dagnerreotype plate and thereon Inscribed
Myrtle Lee Stevenson of Vincennes, Ind.,
Died July 1st, 1864 Aged 11 Years
My wife and other ladies shed tears to think that the poor child had to be burled so far from civilization and In such a wild and lonesome place.
Some three months afterwards, Thos. McKInsty, a miner at Helena, learning that I had come by the way of the Brldger road, Inquired of me If I had noticed the little grave, not far from Wind river, and If It was still undisturbed by any ghoul or vandal, I assured him that the grave had been undisturbed, He said to me, "That was a sad affair. "In that barren country my team was rapidly falling and I found no one who was willing to take part of my load, and I was compelled to bury two barrels of the finest kind of old Monon- gehala whiskey." Said I, "Tom, I think you ought to be killed, "
Chapter II
About 30,000 able bodied men emigrated to the territory of Montana in the spring of 1864, A part of these were persons who had become tired of acting the part of the bold soldier boy. Another portion were those who didn't wish to take the chance of being drafted or conscripted Into the array, But
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much the greater number were attracted there by the wonderful gold discoveries in that far off country. It is safe to say that of this thirty thousand, more than two-thirds of them returned within a year with no more gold than they had when they started, Of those who remained only a portion were successful in obtaining a large amount of the precious metal; and those who were unusually fortunate became famous personages. Everyone in Montana has heard that Bill Fairweather discovered Alder gulch--the richest placer diggings that has ever been found in the west. Once in the afternoon when near the upper part of this gu'lch, we met a miner who had been at work in that locality, and sat down on a grassy spot while he pointed out to us the claims a little further down that were paying from $1000 to $1,200 per day--"Those opposite us" , said he, "are running from $1,400 to $1,700 and those yonder," pointing a little further up the ravine, "are making out $1,800 and some as high as $2,100, working from five to seven men to the claim." Bill Fair- weather died pennyless a few years after his great discovery.
"Carpenters Bar" was a rich mine and on one particular day the force of five men took out twenty-four pounds (avoirdupois) in gold dust--roughly estimated at seven thousand dollars. A little gold dust had been discovered in a ravine to the west of which is now Helena City,--it was all immediately staked off into miners claims, and named "Nelson Gulch". We were there in a few hours afterwards and could have bought any claim in the gulch for fifty ora hundred dollars. When these claims were worked out it was found that for about half a mile the yield was about thirty-five thousand dollars to the claim. One of these claims was owned and worked by Henry Maxwell. About two o'clock one afternoon Maxwell was sitting on the edge of his pit watching his men at work, when a miner in the pit eight or ten feet below stopped and picked out of his shovel full of gravel a lump of something which attracted his not ice--turned and washed iroff in some water close by, and was inspecting it when Maxwell called to him, "pitch that up here, Bob, and let me see it". Bob pitched it up and Maxwell then turned the find over in his hands a time or two, slowly remarked, "Boys, we will call this days work a quit". It was a nugget of very pure gold, which I afterwards had an opportunity to
handle and examine,--weighed 8 1/4 pounds on the grocer's scales and was worth $2,073.15, This nugget was subsequently placed in a show case in the U. S. mint in Philadelphia, and Is probably to be seen there at the present time, I think it was In the summer of '65 that a miner in sinking down on a quartz ledge about six miles to the south of Helena, came upon what he supposed to be a ledge of pure gold, Other miners who examined it were of the same opinion^ The country was all soon wild with the excitement, and the editor of the "Helena Herald" In announcing the great discovery, stated that the quantity was so immense that the value of gold would soon be like that of silver in the days of Solomon--so abundant that it was of no value whatever. The miner owning this claim took out thirty thousand dollars Infree gold, and then found that he had struck what in miners parlance, Is called a "pocket" and that there was no more of It.
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Chapter III
In September '64 Albert Egnell and I started an express line between Helena and Virginia which soon grew Into a very respectable line of four horse stage coaches; and while we were talking last week about the fortunate miners, we might add that it was not an unusual thing to see a passenger on a coach supporting his pockets with his hands to prevent the weight they contained from tearing them out of his clothes- At Porte Neif canyon robbers in the fall of '64 reduced this strain upon the pockets of the stage coach passengers--on one occasion to the amount of about $60,000. To do so the robbers had to kill a Mr, Causland, Moore, and another man or two of the passengers; which we have no doubt they very much regretted. Whilst the rich mines of Montana attracted the honest laborer, they were also the resort of a great number of the most vicious and depraved people in the world. In the early days of this country murders and robbery were of frequent occurrance. Civil government with the courts, sheriffs and juries were first tried, but it was soon discovered that the state of society was such as to demand a more prompt and effective method, hence the organizing of the "Vigilants Committee". It was soon afterward discovered that the sheriff of the county, Plummer, of Virginia City was the captain of an organized band of robbers. The vigilantes were active and in the summer of '64 and the succeeding winter somewhere about two dozen robbers and murderers were caught and hanged. Amongst those who were executed were the notorious characters Slade, Sheriff Plummer and "Old Boone Helm". It Is told of the latter that In the winter of '63 and '64, Helm In crossing from the Boise mines to Bannock he- came snowed in. The party had but provisions for three or four days. Helm finding no escape from this icy imprisonment shot his two companions and lived on their flesh until the snow melted and when he reached Bannock in the spring had strapped on his back, a thigh of one of his companions. Slade was at one time a divisiln Superintendent on that part of the Overland stage line which reached between the Missouri river and Denver. He at one time in a barberous manner killed a ranchman, and at another time a boy teamster, and altogether during his stay along the Platte he conducted a reign of terror, of no small proportions. To refuse a drink with Slade when surrounded by his crowd was to take chances on being shot at. Our former neighbor, Hank Ford was a driver into Denver in '63 and once on coming into the station Slade was standing in the door and saluted him with, "Get down Hank, come In and have a drink". Hank was telling us the other day that he thought it best not to refuse. When Slade went to Virginia City, he thought to keep up the same bullying, swaggering manner, but made a mistake. A crowd seized him at a time when he was trying to "paint the town", and marched him up to the hill where there was a butcher's windlass and a convenient rope.
A history of the "Vigilantes of Montana," written by Dlnsdale, Is a very Interesting story for those who like that kind of literature, and as we are familiar with many of the Incidents related In It, we can vouch for their being strictly true.
We have been about In the world a little and when we get started In the way of talking It Is difficult to stop. Last week "ye editor" for want of
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space, cut off the entire tail end of our story, which we will here resume.
"Last Chance" gulch, on which the city of Helena is now built, was discovered about the last of August '64 and as usual was staked off into miner's claims in a few hours. The first day of September was selected for a holding of a miner's meeting in which rules for the mining of the new district were to be agreed upon, We were present and after examining the gulch, after the passions of atenderfoot" concluded that the find was of little value. While there an old miner, Jim Duston--perhaps feeling that he was under obligations to us, for some little favors we had done him took me aside and proposed to make me a present of claim No. 6, in this new mining camp- stated that No, 6 had been staked off to his son, Harmon Duston, and that Harmon was a mere boy, who would not stay to take care of it, and that I might have it, I thanked the old man and said to him that I didn't think there was anything in the gulch worth staying for Harmon the boy, however held the claim for awhile then traded it to someone for a horse--This party—I have forgotten his name--held the claim till the following June when he sold it to Dr. Sayles, an emigrant, who had just come in from California. The doctor bought claims Nos. 7 and 7 together and paid for the same $12,000 in coin, We were living in Helena and often heard it remarked that Dr, Sayles that summer in various reckless ways had squandered about $50,000. In the summer of '66 when he had worked out his two claims and left the country he took with him about $100,000 in clean gold dust. For nearly thirty years past I have honestly wished to be able to kick myself in good shape for not accepting Duston's handsome present.
Chapter TV
The Pikes Peak gold excitement of '59 induced thousands of Americans to go and settle in part of the west known as the Arrapahoe country. No treaty had ever ben made with this tribe whereby land had been ceded to the white man, and all that country on which Denver city and surrounding towns now stand was simply seized and taken possession of, A treaty with the Sioux granting right of way through this country, gave the whites an opportunity to take ranches along the Platte river, and as we passed up the Platte valley in the spring of '64 we came to ranchers or settlers every few miles. At that time when one had passed Ft, Riley or the big Blue in Kansas, he was then in the country of the savage. The Indian saw that at the rate in which the white man was encroaching upon his home and hunting grounds, it would be but a few years until there would be no place left for the Indian, Resolving to make a strong effort to clear this country of the pale face, the Sioux, Cheyennes, Arrapahoes and Commanches united their forces and in '64 and '65 made their last desperate effort.
As we passed up the Platte we met several small bands of Indians on horseback and in full war equipment, but their forces were not yet sufficiently concentrated and we were unmolested, Four or five days later freight and emigrant trains were often attacked and sustained a good deal of injury in the way of loss of lives and stock. Near the junction of the Plattes, on the opposite side of the river, but in plain view we saw an emigrant who had fallen
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a little behind his train pounced upon and murdered by a small band of Indians. On the North Platte, we camped one night at Deer Creek, four days afterward the Fanny Kelly party camped at the same place and were all murdered, except Mrs, Kelly and another lady who were taken prisoners. The interesting story of her captivity Is to be found in fook form, Near the Little Big Horn where General Custer_, afterwards had his unfortunate fight, we one afternoon met a party of forty or fifty vicious looking aborigines mounted and wearing their war paint We were unmolested as there were over two hundred of us. This was a larger squad than we had met at any one previous time and aswe were quite out of the reach of assistance , It set us to organizing our forces and making every possible preparation In case of an attack- Once we chanced to camp on a branch of the Yellowstone near a Crow Indian vllllage, The bucks were all away on the war path and all that was left of the tribe consisted of women, children and dogs came and visited us. These people were very kind and friendly, their manner and habits were of a very primitive character, The entire wardrobe of many of these ladies consisted of a single muslin garment something in the form of an inverted flour sack; all the children were perfectly nude These Indians whose home was away upon the Yellowstone river, at that time had no knowledge of paper money, or many of our common articles of diet.
On our return m the autumn of '65 between Salt Lake and Denver we passed a place where Indians had captured a government freight wagon, tied the teamster to a wheel, plied bacon from the wagon around him, then after taking the team and such supplies as they wished, set fire to the wagon and burned up the entire outfit. Those days travelers were on the qui vive for Indians, and occasionally the Indians would get the worst of it. On the Platte we passed by the road side, and saw an Indian suspended by the neck to a telegraph pole. In hanging this Mr, Lo? his executioners had been a little careless and allowed the body to hang so low when we saw It, the wolves had converted more than half of it Into a nice clean skeleton. At Alkali Station, a little further dow,, in a little bend in the river, laid at a short distance from our camp the bodies of eleven Indians who had attacked an emigrant train, and got the worst of It, This affair had occurred about ten days before we reached that point, and in looking over the bodies we noticed that they were all minus ears, teeth, fingers and toes. Passing pilgrims had secured them as mementoes. It was told us that in the affray a lad with a Henri rifle, killed 8 Indians.
In the fall of ’66 not a ranch was to be seen between Denver and Marysville, Kansas. The Indians had burned them all and murdered all the Inhabitants who had not succeeded In making their escape ,--I should except Jack Marrows ranch, at the junction of the Plattes; which was surrounded by a good stockade and defended by 26 ranchmen and stage drivers, and the Indians were unable to take it. At a number of places where we passed, the whole family consisting of men, women and children had been murdered and their property burned,
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Chapter V
Speaking of bears; the small black bear of the west will weigh when full grown between three and five hundred pounds. The Cinnamon bear of the Rocky mountains Is a distinct species, Is usually found In small herds of four, five or six, are about the color of cinnamon bark, and are more vicious and untamable than any other variety, and When fully matured weighs from six to eight hundred pounds.
The Grizzly is a much larger brute and often weighs over a thousand pounds. The skin of a Grizzly which used to hang by the door of a restaurant In S n Francisco was marked 2,800 pounds.
A Mr, Wright who was an Inte lie gent gentleman and had at one time been a dealer In livestock once told me that at one time when out hunting In the Sierra Nevada mountains with a prospecting party saw a Grizzly feeding, and as he had not been observed by the bear sat down on a ledge of rock above him and made a careful estimate of his size, which he placed at 4,000 pounds.
An old hunter once told me an Interesting story about having came upon the trail of a black bear which he followed till the bear became tired, turned the bear In his course, and drove him towards his cabin--his powder had accidently become wet so that he could not shoot, but with his remrod whipped the bear along until he was to his cabin door and there he dispatched him with his tomahawk--when he had finished his story, I thought to myself, "O rats!" but said nothing as he was evidently trying to have me believe it.
I, Individually, once had a little adventure with a bear In the forest, but in my case the bear drove me, and In fact almost caught up with me. I was then fleshy, weighing about 240 pounds, which added considerably to the interest of the matter My Interview with bruin occurred In this way. Late In the fall of '64 when at one time out In the mountains of Montana, hunting for deer, as I passed on a mountain side through a dense thicket of young pines, suddenly in a small open space I came upon a Grizzly of monstrous proportions, 1 was alone! The grizzly had killed an elk, and I suppose fearing that I wished to rob him of his prey, he made belligerent demonstrations. Acted as though he wished to add my carcass to his winter's supply of provisions. This bear I am certain weighed more than a thousand pounds. He made a charge on me in a decidedly hostile manner, and when within eight or ten paces ha.ted for an instant, roared and shook his mane. I was not prepared for fighting bears, and just then wished I was at home, or In Congress or any where except In this thicket. I would just then have swapped places with a Sing Sing convict and gave him boot. I had but a small deer gun, but finding something had to be done, I attempted to shoot; and to add to my surprise, my gun refused to fire. A pine sapling five or six inches in diameter stood by me and in about the time it would take you to snap your finger I threw down the gun and went up the tree. The bear observing my inclinations to retreat dashed up to the root of the tree, but by that time I was beyond his reach. I had no idea I could climb so fast. As soon as I was beyond the reach of the monster--scientists term them "uysus horribltls", but I hardly think "horrible" is strong enough a term; he was a "Son-of-a gun". Well, I drew my revolver which was hanging to my belt, tried to shoot and the cap snapped.
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I carried a large Remington and if he had stayed with me I could have given him an interesting entertainment, but before I could take a second aim at him he dissapeared through the thicket.
Chapter VI
We had travelled about ten days, and in camp at noon on a very pleasant day upon a high rolling prairie between the Little Blue and Platte rivers in Nebraska We were stretched on the grass in the shade of the wagon; our horses had been turned out to graze with their harness on, as we expected to remain but a short time in camp. On this occasion we were alone as the rest of the party we were travelling with for some reason had fallen several miles behind . When nooning in this manner we were suddenly brought to our feet by the horses giving a loud and unusual snort, and discovered a fine, large buck deer, standing about fifty yards from us apparently trying to understand the nature of the outfit. My man Henry, Instead of trying to secure the frightened horses jerked down the gun and In his excitement discharged the contents Into the ground a few yards ahead of him. By this time the horses had got Into the road and were making their best run in the direction of the land where five point bucks are scarce. To my surprise, the deer Instead of being frightened away at the crack of the gun, made a little semi-circle past the wagon and fell into the road behind the horses and so far as we could see was going at full speed a short distance behind them.
We started in pursuit of the stampeded horses and along the way I picked up almost enough lines, tugs, and other broken pieces to make a full set of harness. Our horses were all very gentle and we did not anticipate such a stampede but I have often since heard It asserted by plainsmen that horses that, scare at nothing about home when taken on the plains will be frightened at some trivial thing ana make an ugly stampede,
Henry who was an ex-soldier out travelled me--I suppose he had some experience in the army on "double-quick"--and found the runaways at the stage barn, about four miles back. By paying the captors a dollar per head we got possession of them and soon had them back to the wagon again.
Henry never used profain language, yet I have often heard him since that time remark that "that was the 'drottedest' deer I ever saw."
The deer, strange to relate after chasing the horses a couple of miles down the road returned to our camp, took another survey of our outfit and then ieasurely walked away.
The Platte has a beautiful wide valley. The river itself Is a broad and unusually shallow stream, the banks are low and for long distances no timber was to be seen. Frequently an emigrant could be seen carrying a log suspended under his wagon for fuel purposes; or in lieu of this a gunny-sack hung on the rear end of a wagon and all connected with the outfit, except the driver , scattered over the prairie looking for buffalo chips. A gunny-sack full of these answered the purpose very well for cooking a meal.
Along the Platte good water was to be found at all the ranches. Their wells were shallow and usually walled up with two or three whiskey barrels placed one on top of another, with the heads previously taken out. Henry won-
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dered if every ranchman in that country drank three barrels of whiskey before digging a well.
Chapter VII
When we came to cross the Platte river* the stream was swollen in consequence of the annual June rise and was almost impassible. I gave Gereau and Dian--two Frenchmen who had a ranch a few miles beyond the Platte junction, ten dollars to take my wagon across. The river at this point is a- bout a half mile wide Before starting across I raised my wagon-box by placing blocks about ten inches in depth under it; under the running gear, and with this precaution some water ran in it. Six yoke of fine oxen were then hitched on* and started for the other side. A driver on horseback was on each side of the team and another on the front end of the wagon, each one armed with a heavy ox whip= A portion of the cattle's backs, just enough to whip on, and their heads sticking above the water, was all that could be seen of them. One or two lengths of the team was all that could be made at a time, and that with the most vigorous urging. I never saw cattle so whipped and abused in my life. The next day a negro with six or seven yoke of cattle engaged in the same business three miles further up the stream were swept off by the current and the entire outfit drowned,
After crossing the South Platte, thirty miles up Lodge-pole Creek, took us to a small Indian villi age; I remember that there were but five 'tepees'. At this villiage we saw two white men who appeared to be connected with the tribe . At least their appearance would not indicate that they were missionaries sent out by the Methodist Episcopal church. These men bought of us some ammunition and in payment offered a fifty dollar bill. One of our party was sitting in his lodge when he put his change in his trunk and noticed that he had quite a large roll of bills. About this village there was no stock or other evidence to show how these bills might be honestly obtained. These two men came to us separately and told us that we would find no water for twenty-eight miles, and that we had better not go far that evening and start early the next morning, We did not accept this advice, but watered our stock and started on bout two o'clock in the afternoon. The road was smooth, and by sundown we had gone about fifteen miles where we found good grazing and three small lakes of nice clear water. That night we made our horses fast to our wagons and stood guard. Everything was very quiet until about eleven o'clock when our horses ail of a sudden appeared to be very much frightened and tried to break loose, Within half an hour this was repeated several times but none of our stock succeeded in getting away. The night was dark and I could see nothing to shoot at, but am quite sure that some one with a loud smelling buffalo robe or something of the kind was to the windward trying to stampede our stock, and had they succeeded we would have been paying the same parties ten dollars per head to hunt them up for us the next day, which would have still augmented the size of that roll of bills. Poor fellows, after lying to us, followed, us fifteen miles and riding hard all night they made a "water-haul". How I wished that night that it was not so very dark, and that I could see what was creating the disturbance, I could have saved one at least the trouble of riding back in the night to Lodge-pole Creek.
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Chapter VIII
Of the 25,000 or 30,000 people who emigrated to Montana in 1864 perhaps one-third of them left the country that year, When winter set in we were then shut out from communication with the commercial world, It was + hen discovered that the supply of provisions was not sufficient to carry us through the winter. About this time some one who had an eye to business bought up all the shovels for sale in the territory, and put up the price from $3, 50 to $11,00 apiece, making a nice little corner on shovels,
It was also discovered that the quantity of flour would not take us half way through the winter, I had taken with me enough flour to last me and my family a year, but in the fall imprudently shared with fellow miners till I was about out, and when I wished the staple returned it was not in the country.
Early in the winter four merchants formed a "trust" and bought out al'j the flour of the smaller dealers and then put up the price from $26,00 per hundred to $80, 00, They had a nice corner on the staff of life but the miners soon began to complain and threaten, I think it was in January that bout two or three hundred armed men visited these merchants, but finding that they had built up their flour as breast works and had quite an armed force behind them, the mob for the time dispersed. In the next issue of the "Virginia City Post" we were given a beautiful homily on the advantages of quiet and order, and were warned of the terrible state of society that might be produced by mob law and violent measures; but the old adage that "necessity knows no law", was verified in this case. About a week or ten days later a crowd gathered on the street in Nevada--a town about two miles below Virginia City, Someone hoisted on a pole, an empty flour sack as a banner, and then started for the flour stores. By the time the procession reached main street it was composed of about three thousand well armed, and determined western men, madd&fied with hunger. The flour combine saw that resistance was useless and quietly stood by whilst the flour was carried out sack after sack and sold at the curb stone at the old figures $26,00 per hundred. Some proposed that the mob should visit the office of the "post", but more moderate council prevailed and the whole dispersed. It was somewhat amusing to read in the next issue the editor's strong denouncements of trusts, combines, and oppressive monopolies.
Long before any provisions could reach us in the spring we were entirely our of everything eatable except beef. In March and April, any day could be seen on the streets in Helena and Virginia City, hundreds of men, yes, thousands of them whose wild, savage looks plainly told that they had eaten nothing but beef for many weeks, A few, and only a few, by secreting their supplies managed to pass the winter fairley well, A Frenchman who kept a small grocery a few doors above the post office in Virginia, was noticed occasionally selling a few pounds of flour at $2, 25 per pound, A ranchman who had a wife and children offered on one occasion to trade him a cow for fifteen pounds of flour, but he had no flour to trade for cows. About this time parties set watch, and on the first night they observed Frenchy take an empty flour sack to a pile of bailed hay in his back yard, move a bundle
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or two, fill into his sack about twenty-five pounds, and after replacing the hay return to his cabin. The next raprning a party of miners visited him, examined his hay pile and found fifteen sacks of flour, paid him $26.00 per hundred, and retired in good order with their booty.
An old ox that has been driven across the plains, and been pounded on the way enough to make him tender, when turned out on that mountain bunch grass, by winter time became fat and made an excellent quality of beef.
Chapter IX
In former years the Platte valley was the home of the buffalo and the antelope. The early California emigrants told about the immense herds to be seen in this country. With the Pike's Peak excitement of '59 and other discoveries in Colorado, travel and freighting increased till since about '62, no more game was to be seen along the line of the overland route. In '64 we had gone quite a distance to the north in the direction of the Yellowstone before we began to see much game, Our reason for this was, that the country was very barren, As we came in the country bordering on the Bighorn mountains game became more plentiful, and almost daily some of our party would bring in deer or ontelope, About the first piece of game our individual party had, was the hind quarter of a yearling elk. This, after an exclusive diet on salty bacon for nearly two months was highly appreciated. A day or two further on, one afternoon our train came to a halt. A buffalo trail crossed oifr road a short distance ahead, and away off to our left could be seen two old buffalo bulls slowly following the trail, which would soon bring them near our train. About forty or fifty of our party jumped off their wagons, ran across and concealedhemselves in a ravine, and withtheir guns ready awaited the arrival of the bison. When the first old monster presented himself everyone fired. The animal made a few plunges and fell dead, perforated with bullets from his head to his tail, and when the next old bull came within range, in a few minutes afterwards, there were not enough loaded guns left to kill him and he escaped with but a stray shot or two.
That evening we camped early on the banks of Wind river, and had buffalo boiled, fried, roasted, jerked and stewed. We all ate heartily. Toward morning an epidemic broke out amongst us, I think nearly the whole camp was attacked with a disease which resembled Asiatic cholera in a mild form; but a few doses of pepper tea and a little of Perry Davis' pain killer, soon set us all right again.
In my last article I was broken off suddenly when relating how in the spring of '65 we were for quite a time required to live on a diet exclusively of beef.
When one is practicing an exclusive diet of this kind; it is surprising how many different dishes can be prepared from this one article--beef sausage, chopped with a hatchet, water-fried steak, boiled beef, beef broiled over the coals--I can't enumerate near all of them. Someone suggested to us that prickly pears (the cactus leaves)--fried in tallow was an excellent dish-- I suppose we had not caught on to the proper mode of cooking it, for the one dish was all that we ever prepared.
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That winter some miners In a cabin near by had somewhere obtained a peck of turnips, taken them home, pared them and thrown the rinds out in the snow in front of their cabins. That day, Frank, my son, who was a lad of five years, brought in the rinds, and tried to explain to his mother what a find he had made, and what airs those fellows were putting on, to throw a- way such nice turnip rinds.
Some miners were without provisions longer than we, and others not so long, but for our part we took twenty-seven days on "beef-straight", four days of which we were unable to find salt.
It was In May qhen the first load of provisions arrived in Helena.
( a wagon with six yoke of cattle). Miners gathered around the wagon as soon as it was seen on the street, and made it. a rult. that no one should have more than ten pounds of flour; should pay 80 cts. per pound; and should receive of the other supplies In the same proportions, In less than an hour the wagon w as unloaded, From that time on supplies reached us in sufficient quantities ano prices dropped correspondingly.
Chapter X
Somewhere in these sketches 1 have Incidentally mentioned that Egnell and I in ’64 ran a stage "line between Virginia City and Helena, in the then, . territory of Montana.
The discovery in the winter of '64 and '65 that "Last Chance" now Helena was a rich gold field, attracted thousands of people to that country. Helena was built from nothing, to a fine city of five thousand Inhabitants almost in one summer, consequently the business of carrying passengers from one town to another was lucrative.
In the early days of Virginia and other neighboring mining camps, there sas no United States mail of post office nearer than Salt Lake City, a distance of about 350 miles. Over this route the mail was carried by a private stage line known as the A. J. Oliver & Co., who made weekly trips and charged $1. 00 a letter, We collected 25 cents per letter, and. $20.00 was out* passenger fair, the distance being about 125 miles. In the fall of '64 the o- verland Stage between Atchison, Kan. and Salt Lake City, which was principally owned by Ben Holliday, had been granted a mail contract between Salt Lake and Virginia City, stocked, up the road and after a time ran Oliver & Co., entirely off the route. Then they, Oliver & Co., brought over about 250 mustangs, bronchos and several other varieties of western horses; and a dozen old coaches and undertook to displace Egnell & Co. The amount of travel was heavy and all through the spring and summer both lines had about all the passengers they could carry. For quite a time the only annoyance they gave us, was the almost daily effort to be the first in at the other end of the route Notwithstanding we had given our drivers instructions not to race with the opposition lines, we would often hear of a chase from one station to a- nother, We had a better class of horses, but not half so many, and to kill a few of them by hard driving would do us much more injury than the Oliver line During the summer of '65 we had no serious accident; upset, but once, and then no one was hurt. Oliver & Co, had repeated accidents.
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One evening the driver from the Oliver line came in and asked for a job saying he had quit working for the other party. We were just then in need of a driver and told him we wanted him to take the coach out in the morning. He had hardly gone when three or four passengers came in and bought tickets for Virginia, and before leaving informed me that they had came down that day from Virginia on the Oliver line. That the driver had upset them, and besides brusing up the whole party, had broken one man's leg. I assured them that we never upset, and would send them through in good shape. I have often since wondered, when it came daylight and they saw that they had the driver of the day before, what particular style of invectives they made use of.
On arrival at the end of the route our driver would deliver the mail, dispose of his passengers, put away his team and then report at the office, tell us what he had done, and turn over the cash taken in during the day. On one of these occasions our driver, Theo. Carrick, stated to us that he had that day brought down from Virginia a coach load of Cyprians--I think that is the term he used--that besides filling the "boot" of the coach with baggage they had inside, grips and lunch baskets. That they had also stored under the seats quite a liberal supply of bottled beer, and that they had been holding high carnival the whole way through, Rarely any of them got out of the coach, not, being in proper condition to move around much, "But" he added with sort of a sad expression on his face, "they frequently would throw open the stage door, and make it an undecided question whether I was driving a stagecoach or a street sprinkler,," Theo. was a very modest young man, and added, that if we have any more such loads of passengers to haul; we would have to look for another driver.
Chapter XI
It was early in the season, about the first of March, our coach, within about thirty miles of Helena, on account of a blinding snow storm was compelled to lay over until morning at a wayside cabin. Our load on this occasion consisted of a party of sports--poker players and toughs on general principles--except that a clergyman, by some misfortune had been thrown amongst the lot. An old wagon cover divided the cabin into two rooms. After supper the gamblers were assigned the rear appartment, but instead of re tiring for the night commenced a game of twenty-five cent "ante". About the fire in the other end of the cabin sat the ranchman and his family, the preacher and Thomas Clark, our driver. Thomas was from Lawrence, Kan., had had a religious training and was a clever young man. About bed time our clergyman proposed that he should hold family worship, which was agreed to by "mine host" and all parties joined In a sacred song, including the gamblers in the other room. The sports however failed to stop the game; or at the proper time stop the music, for while the parson was reading a chapter from the scriptures the sports kept up "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" and "Nearer My God to Thee". When the party at the fireside knelt to ask Divine care and blessing, his petition was repeatedly Interrupted by amendments suggested by the Godless party In the other room, and when the minister repeated the words "Give us this day our daily bread", a mouth in the other room bawled
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out "strike him for pie". Then when the prayer was concluded the gambling party surrounded the mild eyed clergyman, displayed their revolvers and in the most earnest manner induced him to join them in drinking a villainous article of whiskey. The constitution of our government grants each one the inestimable privilege of practicing any religious devotion he may desire, ypt we think the religionist who undertakes to practice his devotional exercises when surrounded by none but a party of drunken sluggers is a little short on discretion.
We were at another time in the same winter, well upon the site of a bald mountain when caught in a snow storm. It was in the night and the mountain side for a short distance was so sideling that a road had been cut, otherwise a coach or wagon would have upset and rolled, to the gulch below. When we reached this point the snow had driven so as to obliterate our tracks. For a little while I tried walking ahead to show the way, but in the deep snow it soon became too fatiguing. The only thing left for us to do was to wait for morning. The team was unhitched and tied to the leeward side of the coach, while the passengers spread down their blankets and buffalo robes on the snow. In those days everyone travelling in Montana carried their beds along with them. With some effort we prepared a bed wide enough for ten and all hands turned in, hats, gloves, coats, overshoes and all. It was my misfortune to be on the outside and to the windward. A few anecdotes were told-- short ones interspersed with a considerable ainount of profanity, then a majority of the party fell asleep. One passenger remarked--I remember--"! have been roughing in these mountains for the past eleven years and I hope I may go to torment if this lay over doesn't beat anything in my past experience". The wind howled all night, and the wolves howled occasionally. I was too cold to sleep, consequently was awake until daylight Thought of the monks of St. Bernard, and all the unfortunates I had ever heard of having been lost in a snow storm. Finally daylight came. We hitched up our team--threw our bedding on the coach and started out. About half a mile ahead of where we had lain out all night in the storm around a point of the mountain in a sort of a case in the rocks, half a dozen teamsters had kept up a delightful fire all night. When we saw this, a profain old miner exclaimed, "Well, d-n our luck".
Chapter XII
We like to talk on the subject of staging, but lest we may tire our readers we, after relating a few more incidents, will dismiss the subject.
Between Virginia and Helena we had eight changes, averaging nearly sixteen miles apart, making rather long drives, but in that mountainous country, we had to select our stations where water and grazing was plentiful.
At the stations our stock were turned out to graze on the mountain bunch grass till coach time the following day, when a ranchman who was paid for doing so would have them in a corral ready for us. We worked our stock all through the winter in this way, and was surprised at how well they stood it.
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Two young men, one on each end of the road did the driving, and a smith went over the road once each week and did the dhoeing.
It used to be the custom every summer for a few steamboats to come up the Missouri river as far as the falls of Ft. benton, and after remaining a week or so returned. In the summer of '65 about adozen miners who wished
to return to the states agreed with us to be taken from Helena to Benton, a distance of about one hundred and thirty miles. We fitted up an emigrant wagon with four horses and started a driver with the outfit to meet the boat, in about eight days Theo. returned with everything in good shape and on coming into the office handed over to us two hundred in gold dust as our profits on the trip. In the winter time especially when the road was heavy, it often required all day and half the night to make the drive from one end of our stage route to the other.
It was in February '65 and we were on our way from Virginia to Helena, shut inside, with a coach load of passengers. The weather was very cold and we had the curtains all closely buttoned down.
After a long and tedious up-grade we had arrived on the summit of a bare mountain ridge, our coach halted. The driver rapped loudly on the top of the coach with his whip, and at the same time exclaimed, "look out". In an instant every drowsy passenger was wide awake, it was then nearly eleven o'clock in the night. One passenger suggested robbers, another one said, "highwaymen", there was then a scramble to conceal funds, watches and other valuables, and at the same time, guns and revolvers were got in readiness. A passenger carefully pushed a curtain aside exclaimed "Northern lights". The door was then thrown open and all hands climbed out. The scene was grand, beyond description. It is reported by those who have visited the Artie reglqns that auroral displays In that far northern country are very brilliant, yet I cannot conceive how Dr. Kane and Sir John Franklin could have ever witnessed a display of more grandeur or sublimity. History tells us of a very grand auroral display witnessed in New England In November, In 1887, but In this latitude, 35 degrees, the borealis Is rarely seen, and then is usually very feeble.
Further north, from the top of a tlmberless mountain, a still, clear
cold moonless night, perhaps constituted the most favorable conditions for so grand a spectacle.
The whole northern sky was spanned with broad, brilliant lines of lights of various hues, and these luminous bands waving and dancing in u- nison. In conjunction with these, there were bright,broad straight rays of white lights continuously shooting up from the northern horizon In every direction. Those In the center reaching almost to the zenith. Each alternately fading away to be replaced by others of equal brilliancy. All nature surrounding us appeared to be bathed in a wierd crimson coating. No pen can fully portray or human art ever Imitate the grandeur and sublimity of this heaven designed and gorgeous spectacle.
Amongst those eight or ten rough mountain men, elth myself who stood In silent awe and admiration, there was no ribaldry or course jesting.
I think each one felt as if he was individually in the immediate presence of the Almighty God.
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Chapter XIII
It was the evening of the 23rd of July, 1866 three gentlemen stepped into our express office in Helena and secured passage for Virginia City, on the followint day. Before leaving the office, one of these gentlemen asked, if we could get them to Virginia ahead of the Oliver coach, stating that some friends of theirs were going up to Virginia on the opposition line tomorrow and they had made a," bet of an oyster supper as to who would get through first. To this we replied, that all we ould do in regard to this, was to put them through in good time, but for us'to say that we would put them through ahead of the other coach simply meant a dead race with a four horse coach all the way from Helena to Virginia, and this we could not afford to do for less than $500. They have more stock than we, and are willing to run at any time. "Could you go back and see if your friends would not rather make the bet $1,000 and if they will do so, we will try and get you in Virginia first, and we will pay half the bet or all of it if you wish?" To this the gentleman replied, "Well the folks have some money, and I will go and see them". The gentleman that I had been having the conversation with, I afterwards learned was a stage man himself and connected with the Overland Stage Co., and his name was Hallsey. In a half an hour Hallsey and party returned and reported that they could not get the bet out of the Oliver party, and without much further conversation they departed for their appartments at the hotel, where we were to find them in the morning.
After these gentlemen had gone, I thought this matter over a little, and said to myself, the season is advancing, ajid the amount of travel is beginning to fall off. The opposition line has repeatedly drawn in ahead of us, of late, at the other end of the route, and boasting about it. I believe I will leave a clerk in the office tomorrow and go over the road myself. I then went down to the barn and asked our driver to have his team and everything in shape to roll out ar four o'clock in the morning. And that I would be at the barn to go with him, As I reached the barn at f o'clock the next morning, I found everything in shape, the team hitched up and ready to roll out. We stopped at the hotel and got our passengers and then driving at a moderate gate, when about a mile out of town, overtook the opposition coach. From here to our first station out they pulled through about as rapid as the nature of things would allow. We followed Into the station Immediately behind them. This stretch of 15 miles is quite hilly and intersected with numerous gorges and ravines, but on examining our watches we found that we had made this drive In an hour and one quarter. The ranchman had gone out to get our stock in the corral, after waiting a few minutes we saw at some distance through the twilight of the morning, the ranchman coming with four horses, when he came nearer we discovered that it was the Oliver team, and when he got In the corral he Informed us that he had not been abtLe to find ours. The only thing left for us to do was to again hitch up the same horses. These horses were four strawberry roans and two fine teams altogether for staging in that country.
I think I never regretted anything so much as to be compelled to hitch those horses for another drive. In those days there were no humane societies in Montana. By the time we were ready to start again, the opposition coach was
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quite a way ahead of us, And with their fresh team continued to leave us further behind and when we arrived at our second station, called "Boulder Valley" station, we found that they had exchanged stock and gone for some time. Our stock was out In the lots nearly half a mile away. The ranchman on seeing us coming galloped out on a pony, and in a few minutes had our stock in the corrals. By that time however when we were ready to start from this station the other coach must have been three miles ahead of us. On this drive we had much the better team, and felt quite sure that we could make up part, if not all the ground we had lost. On arriving at our next station which was known as Mountain Springs Ranch we found no stock in the corral, but the other party had driven on without making a change and we did likewise, We had to go over a mountain ridge or two then down a small stream before reaching the next station. Much of this road is quite smooth, and while we had all a- long been trying to get over the mountains at as lively a gait as possible, here we had frequent opportunities to let the team goat the top of theiispeed. Sitting by the driver I repeatedly felt gravel strike me on the face and hands,
I turned to him and asked, "Is that gravel striking you?" He replied, "The lead horses are throwing it with their feet."
Phil Sheridan’s ride was quite a ride, the Overland Stage coach race from Salt Lake to Atchison, Kan., on a heavy bet against time was quite an exciting affair. The chariot races at our state fairs on a broad, smooth race track for a half mile or so, draw large crowds and create sensations. Now we should think that a pair of fine horse stage coaches running a distance of one hundred twenty-five miles, ought to if properly advertised, create a sensation.
At our next station, Whitehall, we overtook the Oliver coach. This was our usual dinner station and to gain a little time when we came within speaking distance I said "Boys let's all eat dinner." The landlord took up the word and also called out, "Gentlemen, dinner is all on the table, walk right in. "Two of the Oliver passengers walked in, and I behind them, as I passed the landlord at the door I said to him in a low but earnest manner, "Have our team changed as quickly as possible". This request however was unnecessary as he could see by the panting, foaming horses which we had just brought in that we were in a bit of a hurry. I sat down at the table and tried to engage the passengers in a conversation, but we had not been there five minutes when a call from the Oliver driver "all aboard" took us outside again. At this station for the first time, I noticed that the number of persons, six on the Oliver coach, was the same as ours. From this station to our next, the Jefferson river crossing, we had an easy route mainly along the river valley. They had four light horses and we the same. Our team on this stretch was the four stout, black Pottowatomie ponies which I had driven across the plains the year before, and they were good ones. From Whitehall the Oliver coach had gone about a quarter of a mile when we got started, we tried our best to overtake and pass them. Our little horses patting it down at their very best licks. For four or five miles I could not see that we had gained any on them. In fact we were unable to see them at all, in consequence of the cloud of dust they left behind. The passengers appeared to be as much intereste in this
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chase as we were. They ate no dinner, and at each station would jump out and render us all the assistance they could, and I suppose were in this stretch watching the coach ahead as intently from the inside, as the driver and I were doing from the boot. Presently Mr. Hallsey called to me from the inside of the coach, "Col. I have money to bet that we will beat them to the next station, "I looked again and replied, "I believe we have gained a little on them, but hardly enough to brag about. " In less than two miles further on the open smooth prairie we caught up with them and went by on the gallop as we passed we gave our best yell, I noticed as we passed that the driver on the opposition coach was unsing his whip vigorously, but his team had become so jaded that he could not force them out of a tort. At our next station,, Jefferson crossing, we had our team exchanged and were just rolling out as they came in.
From here for two stations to a place called Daley's ranch our routes diverged, th^following around by a smooth road, the bend of the river, while we cut across the foothills, making about two miles shorter distance, but the two routes were almost equalized by our road being hilly and in some places very rocky, we kept up our best gait, had the team changed at Willow Springs station and went on to Daley’s ranch. When we had changed at DaUey's the Oliver coach was not yet in sight. From here to Virginia, 16 miles, we had four fine bay horses, we kept up a lively gait until we reached our office in Virginia, Arriving here, the first thing we did was to consult our watches, and after making a careful estimate we found we had driven 125 miles over very rough and mountainous country in ten hours and twenty minutes. The Oliver coach came in about an hour later. That record was never made before and I don't think it has ever been broken since.
Chapter XIV
I have previously spoken of having traveled in the summer of '64 over a new mountain trail, a distance of about five hundred miles, between the North Platte river and Virginia City, Montana. On this new mountain road no grading of course had ever been done. In places we had to attach a long rope to the rear axle of the wagon and all hands hold on whilst we would let down one wagon at a time over an almost perpendicular descent,
Several times 20 or 30 men with ropes attached to the side of a wagon would hold on to prevent an upset, and in this way would work our train, one at a time, around a steep mountain point.
Once, as 1 remember, we were traveling on an apparently good road and our train came to a halt. After standing for a few minutes, all of a sudden we heard a loud and unusual rumbling in front. Leaving my team I ran forward to see what was the trouble and found that one of our party in starting to descend one of these prescipices had slipped off the front of his wagon leaving the team to descend over the rocks at a furious rate. Fortunately no serious harm was done.
At one point after climbing to the summit of a mountain we found that we could descend on the other side only by following for some distance a spur of the mountain hardly wide enough on top for a wagon to travel, On each side
to the gorge below the mountain was steeper than a gothic roof. A boulder lay- on this sharp ridge, by which we of course had to pass.
Just as my wagon came opposite this rock and appeared to be nearly tipping over, our train, on account of some little incident, which was not frequent, came to a halt. I in vain called to those ahead to move up but they wouldn't or couldn't give me any relief. To my right, it was a thousand feet to the bottom of the mountain gorge, The wind blew a stiff breeze from the left and at every additional puff I thought I could feel my wagon cant a little toward the gorge and then settle back again. Just at this time minutes became hours and our train upon this occasion made the longest halt--at least it seemed so to me. My hair turned grey and then afterward fell off, which is usually the result in such cases.
On leaving the Platte to go north through the Wind river and Yellowstone country we were liable to be attacked by hostile Indians, and to be prepared for such an event we organized our forces--elected a captain and other officers--enrolled our men and made such rules and regulations as we thought necessary. Fortunately, no Indians found us, for I now think a small band of Indians could have easily taken us in.
Of our forty wagons about 12 or 15 were ox teams. After we had traveled together 10 or 12 days quite a good deal of dissatisfaction was expressed by the ox men of the party, they claimed that with their cattle they could do better as a separate party--could hitch and unhitch quicker, could guard their stock at night more easily, and on the road could travel faster. This dissatisfaction continued to grow till one evening the ox party which numbered about 60 men, and composed of nearly one-third of our whole number, held a convention--agreed upon an ordinance of secession, and in imitation of the play that was then being enacted in the states by Jeff Davis and company, they hitched up early in the morning and left us. Some suggested co- ersion, others argued that hey had signed our roll and they were bound by our articles of confederation, but it was all of no use, they went on and left us, and in this case we hought It best to attempt no compulsory measures for the preservation of our little union, I felt as if I would like to have seen our secessionists thoroughly whipped, but as I could see no chance for me to stay at home and urge the rest of the party to do the fighting, my beligerent. inclinations were not very pronounced.
Chapter XV
At Fort Laramie In '64 we crossed the Laramie river on a bridge constructed and owned by the government. The fare was $3.00 per outfit, no matter whether It was a one horse cart or a six mule wagon.
About 130 miles further on we forded the North Platte. When we came to Wind river we ferried our wagons over on a crude raft that had been constructed by a tram in advance. Our horses and mules were swam across. About the middle of the river a large blind horse became separated from the rest and for quite awhile swam round and round in a circle till his owner, by calling to him from the bank, induced him to come to the shore.
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The Rose Bud, Grey Bull, Steep river and a number of other tributaries of the Yellowstone were all forded. At the Yellowstone we were piloted across by a crow Indian on horse back. The Yellowstone river is not. unappropriated named, and the rocks and boulders in the bottom of the river have all received a heavy coating of yellow or orange color deposited by the water. Especially is this true of its upper tributaries,
Speaking of crossing the streams reminds me of a little incident which occurred at the Madison river. We had forded, and as it was about evening, we camped near the river,
A large camp kettle which hung to the side of my wagon had dipped half full or more of water. At our camp this evening some one had taken the camp kettle down and set it on the ground, Perhaps I did it myself, I was standing by the camp fire when I heard some sort of a racket behind me and on looking around discovered that my little daughter Anna had lost her balance over the edge of the kettle, and with her head down in the kettle, was struggling for dear life. In a minute longer, Anna, you would have been drowned.
Our party in this Bridger's cut-off were the representation of nearly every occupation and. nationality, we had lawyers, doctors, dentists, farmers, mechanics, railroad men--and of these some were German, Irish, French, English and Indians,
The Harvester family, from some rural district in Missouri, was along with us, and was comprised of the fat old man and woman, two grown daughters and a half grown boy, As they were somewhat unique, allow me to describe them briefly. They all usually went barefooted, The women wore home-made linsey dresses which had became abreviated by use and laundry- ing. As it was warm weather they had dispensed with most other articles of female apparel They all smoked pipes, and after camp duties had been performed, would squat down by their camp fire and smoke for an hour at a time. About this time some one in our party found that at the Harvester camp fire, of an evening, was the best place to procure a coal to light one's pipe, and then told others about the find. Shortly afterwards nearly all the men in our outfit were seized with a passion, or mania, for smoking, and would almost invariably go to the Harvester camp fire for a coal. It must have been the pure mountain air was the cause,
Chapter XVI
We were ninety days on the road between Rossville, Kansas, and Virginia, Montana, Leaving here on the 26th of April we arrived in Virginia on the 26th of July, The distance being upwards of sixteen hundred miles. On railroads and ocean steamers one can now go around the world in less time. It might be supposed that so long a trip in an emigrant wagon was a great hardship but such was not the case, I had spent much of the previous winter in arranging my outfit and preparing every convenience for such a journey. The weather was pleasant, and after leaving Kansas, we had but one shower of rain during the entire trip,
Frequently when camping ground was found where there was an abundance of grass, water and fuel we would remain over a day to rest oar stock, repair wagons, wash clothes, hunt, fish or do nothing just as we pleased.
On the evening of July 25th we had camped by a spring well upon the side of a mountain. For six weeks we had been passing over mountains, through canyons and gorges in their undisturbed and primitive condition much the same as when first formed. Here we learned that there was a city in the next mountain gorge. In the morning following by going to the summit and looking down into the canyon beyond we saw the most active, stirring, bustling place in the world. A city of about five thousand inhabitants had been built on this steep mountain side within a year. There was but one explanation for it all. Here was to be found a large deposit, of gold. The amount of the precious metal taken out by those at work in the mines curing the summer of '64, if equally distributed to all hands, would have averaged $25 per day and perhaps as high as $50. I am only making a rough guess, but one thing was certain, Alder gulch was a very rich placer mine. In these days we in the west had a great deal of money borrowed from eastern capitalists, just as it is today. I have often since wondered why some down east, insurance company or some other money loan corporation had not stepped into Congress and had an act passed prohibiting the working of such rich mines lest the western boys from these great finds would soon have money of their own and would no longer be obliged to borrow and pay interest. We suppo ed that after going so far out in the mountains of the northwest., depriving ourselves of many of the comforts of a civilized country, and had taken the chance of being scalped by the Indians that, whatever we might there find on the public domain was ours. But such was not the case. Those who remained at home soon hit upon a plan to make us "whack do" with them. A set of government officials was soon sent out to look after affairs, and see that if any one should wish to engage in mining he should purchase, at a good round figure, government mineral lands. I have known more than one to pay to government officials for their privelege more than they realized in an effort to mine the same.
Of the early emigrants to Montana nine-tenths or perhaps nineteen- twentieths were young men, that is, men who had not passed the meridian of life. A large portion of these remained, became permanent citizens of the country and after a few years of careful industry most of them had provided themselves comfortable homes and had accumulated considerable wealth. Many of these were then desirous to take in a partner. One who could tie on a cravat, or wake one up when suffering from an attack of nightmare. But such persons were not to be found, in the county.
About this time some one who was tolerably familiar with the country inhabitants and had an eye for business, went to Halt Lake Cit.y and opened correspondence with bachelors all over the territory, and by impersonating a young school-mistress, who was anxious to go to Montana and engage in teaching but wished the loan of $75 or $100 with which to pay stage fare. Enclosed a photograph of a fine looking young lady--and asked Montana men to secure her a place and organize a new district if necessary. The job worked well. They usually forwarded the funds and organized new school districts all over the country no matter whether they contained any children or not. -3C- -20-
This was a private matter with the Montana party, but after a few months by comparing cases, found that, they had ail been taken in.
Chapter XVII
We had sold out our stage line and disposed of our mining interests and on the 20th of Sept,, '65 started from Helena., Montana, to return to Kansas, Our party consisted of 20 or 25 wagons, and on account of the hostility of the Indians in the Yellowstone country, we concluded to come by way of Salt Lake City and Denver. The weather was fine, roads in good condition for our lightly loaded wagons, and nothing of special interest occurred during our drive of about four hundred miles down to Salt Lake, which has been often described in print that it would be almost a superfluity to say anything in the way of a description. 1 will, however, make a short talk. This lake is about 80 miles long and 25 or 30 miles wide. From water lines and other evidence it. appears that the lake was at one time much larger than it is at present. It has no outlet and the Weber, Jordon, Bear river and other streams continually flow into it. Evaporation from the surface of the lake is its only outlet. In all streams there is more or less saline matter, this in the process of evaporation is all left behind in Salt Lake till now there is about a quart of salt to every gallon of water. The salt of Salt Lake is used by the people, and we noticed at several places on the shore large iron kettles arranged for e- vaporating the water. The salt of Salt Lake, although abundant and easily obtained, is not a first-class article. The water holding in solution several other minerals in addition to chloride of sodium. No fish or other animal life exists in Salt Lake. There is a gentle slope of half a mile or more in width between the mountains and the lake which is very fertile land when irrigated, and this the farmers of that country have done.
There is a water line to be seen part way up the mountain side which resembles an excavation for a railroad bed. This water line could be seen as far as we followed the shore of the lake, and is a good evidence that, the water of the lake had once been held for a considerable time at this point. The water of this lake, I am told, does not now average more than four feet, deep. From the edge of the water one could wade out into the lake quite a ways and not find water but a few inches deep. At the time of this visit to Salt Lake the valley had been settled about 18 years and much of it then was in a high stale of cultivation. At no other place in America, I am quite sure, had any other community accomplished so much in the general improvement of the country as had these much abused Mormons, Peaches were abundant along the way after reaching the Mormon settlements, and the Salt Lake peach is a very superior quality.
There is no corn raised in the Salt Lake valley, the climate not being adapted to its culture. Their pork is raised on small grain and root vegetables, and consequently is of an inferior quality, 1 would right here remark that pork made from our Kansas corn has probably no superior in the world. We used occasionally to get Salt Lake pork in Montana, and as a rule, found it tough and unpalatable, I remember once, when standing on the street in Helena, to see a man rush out of a restaurant on the opposite side, fall in the
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gutter, and after flouncing about much in the manner of a recently decapitated piece of poultry, in a few seconds died. He kicked almost as hard as our Republican office holders will do after the 4th of March next. I walked across the street where quite a crowd had by this come collected, and saw some one, supposed to be a surgeon, open with a blade the neck of the unfortunate individual and extract quite a large slice of Salt Lake ham. We examined the piece and found that he had first tried to cut it with his table knife, hten had tried to masticate it with his teeth, and failing in both attempted to bolt it whole, and in the effort some way or other the mass lodged in his windpipe.
Chapter XVIII
At Salt Lake City we laid over for two or three days to rest our team, lay in supplies and make ready for another long drive. When there we tried to see the sights—"take in the town" as goes the slang phrase. Salt Lake was once a walled city and the only one that has ever been in the United States. After laying out the city, as a piece of public improvement one of the first things done by the Mormons was the building of an adobe wall of about fifteen feet in height around the town as a defence against Indians. A portion of the old wall was still standing in !65
Neing not acquainted with anyone we wandered about the city at random, saw the residence of the Mormon prophet, Brigham Young, also their tabernacle and the partly built temple. This temple which has since been completed, we understand, is one of the most handsome structures in America They had then a good deal of material on the ground in the rough condition just as taken from the quarry. The stone is a white granite, obtained from a quarry but a few miles out from the city, and when dressed, and laid in the wall, makes a beautiful building material.
We visited the theatre once of an evening--Charlotte Cushman--I think she was the actress--was there playing an engagement. When in the theatre that evening some one who sat beside me pointed out to me, on the opposite side of the theatre, seated in his private box, the distinguished head of the Mormon church, Brigham Young. Also, one of his daughters who was taking a part as one of the perofrmers on the stage. Brigham Young besides being the head, of a new religious colony who had located in this isolated mountain retreat, had the distinction of being one of the most excessively married men that has lived since the days of King Solomon. It is our recollection that he had in all 29 wives, but in consequence of some dying and. others running away he never was blessed with more than 17 at any one time. What a world of care the poor man must have had. We not unfrequently hear of men having a great deal of trouble from having married two wives. Some times one alone will give a man a great deal of trouble, and we occasionally see a man who gets into trouble by merely winking at some other man's wife. Poor Brigham, we suppose he is now away up amongst the angels where Kings Solomon and David are.
There was a time when these Mormons failed to pay proper respect to our Uncle Samuel, and it became necessary during the administration of President Buchanan to send some troops out there and. explain to them who
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Uncle Samuel is-.
When we passed through Salt Lake City, a government, military post-- Camp Douglas, was situated on an eminence ai the base of the mountain to the northeast of the city where some half dozen mounted cannons were pointed in a very pursuastve manner in the direction of Brigham Young's residence, We were also told that behind those cannons there was a newspaper being published which was pouring out upon those devout Mormons scurulous abuse in a most profuse and unqualified manner.
It so happened that some of us placed our teams and wagons in a corral owned and managed by one Porter Rockwell... This Rockwell was one of the pillars of the Mormon church. He and Bill Hickman were recognized as leaders in that portion of the faithful known as "Danites" or "Destroying angels" „
At one time during the palmy days of the church should any one displease President Young it was only necessary for him to say to Rockwell or Hickman that it would be well for Zion if such a one were removed, and the next morning the city would be startled with the news of an assassination.
It is pretty certain that both Porter Rockwell and Bill Hickman were prominent actors in the Mountain Meadow massacre, and if they had not already died should have been shot along with John D, Lee. Rockwell wore long hair which hung braided down his back,, and one day when walking with him, without my having made any inquiry, he informed me that Joseph--meaning Joe Smith, had told, him that so long as he wore long hair he would never be killed by an enemy.
He or Joe Smith perhaps got this idea from the story of Sampson and the Philistines,
Chapter XIX
We were late in getting started for home in the fall of '65, and on the road everybody was on the rush. On the divide between Salt Lake and Denver we were caught in a snow storm and for three or four days about the 24th of October we had bitter cold weather. On that day we passed Fort Halleck, a small military post.
We were short of horse feed and here we had an opportunity to procure corn by paying twenty cents per pound, I exchanged a twenty dollar gold piece for a hundred pound sack of shelled corn and was glad for the chance. This corn which the soldiers were selling to us at twenty cents per pound I have no doubt was being stolen from the government.
At Salt Lake we had laid in a supply of barley, but that had all been consumed. Late in the fall we had no opportunity to turn our stock out at nights to graze and were compelled to buy hay and gram along the way. Usually we paid ten or twelve cents per pound for corn and five or six cents per pound for hay.
A regiment of soldiers--the N» Y. 23rd had been placed along the road for the purpose of affording protection to the traveling public but as we have frequently heard it remarked, the soldiers were of more annoyance to the emigrants than the Indian would have been.
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We were In camp one evening when a soldier came to us and proposed to sell us his horse, The horse was a very fine one, had a fresh brand "B. B.. on the left shoulder, and the soldier represented that the horse was his private property. He offered to sell the horse at so low a price that one of out* party--Ike Moore of Holton, Kansas, bought him, The purchase had hardly been made when another soldier came to Moore and informed him that this horse was government property, and that in the morning a squad of soldiers would follow him and take the horse away. That they had been playing this trick on returning emigrants all fall, and that that large bay horse had been sold at least a dozen times. The soldier added that he would not have told on them had they been willing to divide up with him.
Early in the morning Moore saddled his recent purchase and placed a young man on him with instruction- to keep our of sight, and only come into camp after dark. Sure enough the next day we were followed by a party of soldiers, and their search was kepi up for two or three days, but that was the last time they sold "B.B." to an emigrant.
The keeper of a stage station on the Platte river related to me this anecdote. A few days ago, said he, one of the solders at this station who seems to have more pluck than the rest, was out over the hills, and seeing two Indians, rode back immediately to camp and had half a dozen or more of his comrades to mount their horses and go with him and conceal themselves in a ravine while hw would go around and have the two Indians give him a chase, and in his run he would pass by the ravine where they were concealed. Presently those in the ravine saw their friend coming and the two Indians after him, but instead of waiting they thought, they saw about a thousand Indians and they broke for camp as fast as they could run, the two Indians driv- ving in the whole posse.
We were 72 days in this homeward trip, and arrived Dec. 3rd, Near Fort Keginey we met a company of U.S. Cavalry fresh from Fort Leavenworth, all on fine horses and wearing nice government uniforms. We, on the other hand, had been cn the road two months, our stock was poor, wagons and everything about us was covered with dust. As the soldiers rode past one of their party began singing, "Hard up! O Hard up". An evening or two before, sitting about our camp fire--as we were near hime our party had separated till we had but seven or eight wagons--we in our talk counted up the amount of gold dust in the wagons and we found there was about a thousand pounds. The unfortunate part of this was that a very small portion of this thousand pounds was in our Individual wagon.
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Creator
Dr. Robert S. Gabbey
Originally published in the Rossville Times, Rossville, Kansas
Originally published in the Rossville Times, Rossville, Kansas
Publisher
Rossville Community Library
Date
1892
Rights
Public domain
Format
manuscript
Identifier
RCL0365
Item Relations
This item has no relations.