The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-01-12

people bound to Oregon. One Sunday
morning. abou, the usual church hour in
large place, five or six wagons passed
through the town of WusipOrt and one
old man with siIvc, hair, was with the par
tv. Women and children were walking
fathers and brothers were driving loose
cattle or managing the heavy teams and
keen eyed Youngsters, with their chns
vet smooth and rifles On their shoulders,
kept in advance of The wagons with long
strides, looking as if they were already
watching around the corners of the streets
for game.-There was one striking feat
ure about this party which leads us to
name it more particularly. -Though trav-
cling on the Sabbath, and through the
little town that was all quiet and resting
from business in reverence of the day,
there was that in the appearance Of the
people that banished al once even the re-
molest idea of PROCLAMATION. They were
all clean and evidently appa-eled in their
best Sunday gear. Their countenaces
were all seda,e, and the women wore that
mild composure Of visage-so pleasant
ly resigned-so eloquent of calm spirit
so ready to kind!e up into smies-ihat is
seen more often among the church-goers,
perhaps, than in tue ballroom or boudOr.
Some Of the women carried books, and
the prettest gil held hers open before
her, as she stepped litlle coquettshly
through the dust Of the road. Whether
she was reading, or trying, or pretending
to read, it was hard to tell but the action
had naiue effect, and as she passed, she
was. no doubt. much astonshed at a
strange young gentleman, who audibly
addressed her with
"Nymp, in thy prisons, be all my sins
remembered ~
Many other small bodies of these adj
venturous travellers crossed our notice at
Independence, Westport, and encamp.
ments, made in the vicinity Of these and
other towns; but in their largest force
we saw them ust after crossing the Kan
sas river, abou' the first of June. The
Oreconaus were assembled here to the
number Of six or eight hundred ; and
when we passed lheir encampmenl, they
were engaged in the election Of officers
10 regulate and conduct their proceedings.
1t was curious and unaccounable spec
acle To us. As we approached we saw
large body of men wheeling and marching
about the prairie, describing evolulions,
neither recognizable rs savage, civic OF
military. We soon knew they were not
Indians, and were not long in setting them
down for the emgranis ; but what in the
name of mystery lhey were obout, our
hest guessing could not reduce TO any
thing in the shape of a mathematical pro-
liability.
On arriving among Them, however, we
found that they were only going on with
their elections, in manner perhaps old
enough, but very new and quIzaical TO us.
The Candidates stood up in row before
the constituents, and at given signal
they wheeled about and marched of
while the general mass broke after them,
'lick-a-ty split, each man forming in be.
hind his iavorite, so that every candidate
ilourisaCd a sort Of tail Of his own, and
the man with the longest tail was elected I!
These proceedings we're continued uuli a
captain and a council of ten were elected
and indeed, If the scene can be conceived,
IT must appear as curos mingliug Of the
whimsical with the wild. Here was
OF rough. bold and adventur-
Gus men, gathered from distant and oppo-
site sections of the Union, just forming
an acquaintance with each other, TO last,
in all probability, through good or i'll for
time, through the res, of their days. Few
Of them expected or though. of returning
To the states again, They had with them
their wives and children, and aged, de-
pending relatives. They were going,
with stout and determined hearts, to ira
verse a wild and dcsolatc region, and take
possession OF n far corner of their country,
destined to prove new and strong arm
of mighty nation. These nea were
running about the prairie in long strings;
the leaders, in sport, and for the purpose
of puzzlmg the judges, doubling aud
winding in the drollest fashion; so that
the all-imporlant business of forming n
government. seemed very much like the
merry schoolboy game Of Swapping the
whip" 1t was really very funny TO see
the candidates for the solemn council OF
ten run several hundred yards away 10
show OF the length of their tails, and
then cut half circle, so as to turn and
admire their longitudinal popularity in
eGteaSo themselves. Running for office
is certainly performed in more literal
lns hion nm she nrnitip Than wo 500 The