The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-02-21
WHOLE NO. 200.

ordinary, he might start with all of them;
and his ordinary wagons will go to the mount
aims, where his load will be so reduced that
his other wagons will do 1t is not necessa-
ry to bring along an extra axle-tree, as you
will rarely break one. A few pieces of we'll
seasoned hickory, for the wedges and the
like, you ought to bring.
TEAMs.--The best teams for this trip are
OK teams. Let the oxen be from three to
five years old, well set, and compactly built;
just such oxen as are best for use at home.
They should not be too heavy, as their feet
will not bear the trip so we'll. But oxen six,
seven and eight years old, some of them
very large, stood the trip last year very well,
but not so we'll in general as the younger
and lighter ones. Young cows make just as
good team as any. 1t is the travel and
not the pulling that tires your team, until
after you reach Fort Hall. If yeu have
cows for team it requires more Of them in
bad roads, but they stand the trip equally
well, if not better, than oxen. We fully test
ed the OK and mule teams; and we found
the OK teams greatly superior. One OK will
pull as much as two mules, and, in mud, as
much as four. They are more easily mana
ged, are not so subject to be lost or broken
down on the way, cost less at the start, and
are worth about four times as much here
The OK is a most noble animal, patient, thrift
ty, durable, gentle, and easily driven, and
does not run off. Those who come to this
country will be in love with oxen by the
time they reach here. The OK will plunge
through mud, swim over streams, dive into
thickets, and climb mountains to get at the
grass, and he will eat almost any thing
Willows they eat with great greedness on
the way and it is next to. impossible to
drown an OK.
would advise all emigrants 10 bring all
the cattle they can procure, TO this country
and all their horses, as they will with proper
care, stand the trip we'll. We found good
horse to stand the trip as we'll as mule
Horses need shoeing, but oxen do not. l
had OK shoes made, and so did many others,
but it was money thrown away. If man
had five hundred dollars, and would invest
it in young heifers in the States and drive
them here, they would be worth five thou
sand dollars; and by engaging in stock raj
sing, he could make I'LL independent Tor ruIle.--
Mich COWS on the road are exceedingly use
full, as they give an abundance ofmilk all the
way, though less towards the close of it,
By making what is called thickened milk on
the way, great saving of flour is effected
and it is most rich and delicious food, espe-
oially for children. We found that yearling
calves, and even sucking calves, stood the
trip very we'll; but the sucking calves had
all the milk.
i PRovIs1oNs.-150 pounds -four and 40
pounds bacon to each person. Besides this,
as much dried fruit, rice, corn meal, prached
corn meal, and raw corn, peas, sugar, tea,
coffee, and such like articles as you can we'll
bring. Flour will keep sweet the. whole
trip, corn meal to the mountains, and parch-
t ed corn mea! all the way. The -four and
meal ought to be put in sacks or light bar
rels; and what they call shorts are just as
!, good as the finest flour, and will perhaps
t keep better; but do not remember of any
: flour being spoiled on the way. The parch-
, ed corn meal is most excellent to make soup.
s cattle to kill on the way, or fat calves, are
; very useful, as you need fresh meat. Peas
, are most excellent. The loading should con-
> sst mostly of provisions. Emgrants should
3 not burthen themselves with furniture, or
, any beds; and few light trunks, or very
3 light boxes might be brought to pack clothes
4 in. Trunks are best, but they should be light.
t All heavy articles Should be left, except
= few cooking vessels, one shovel, and pair
3 of pot hooks. Clothes enough to last
i year, and several pair of strong heavy shoes
a to each person, it will be we'll to bring. If
. you are heavily loaded, let the quantity of
n sugar and coffee be small, as milk is prefera-
8 BILE, and does not have to be hauled. You
S should have water keg, and tin canister,
] made like powder canister to hold your
3 milk in; few tin cups, tin plates, tin sau-
e GERS, and butcher knives; and there should
E be small grindstone in company, as the
p tools become dull on the way. Many other
e articles may be useful. Rifles and shot
/, guns, pistols, and powder, lead, and shot, ]
e need hardly say, are useful, and some Of
t them necessary OH the road, and sell well
Y here. A rifle that cost twenty dollars in the
d States, is worth fifty dollars here, and shot
n guns in proportion. The road will be found
: upon the whole, the best road in the world,
ri considering its length. On the Platte, the
/ only inconvenience arising from the road is
r, the propensity 10 sleep in the day time
S The air is so pleasant, and the road so smooth
y that have known many a teamster to 60
y fast asleep in his wagon, and his team stop
n still in the road. The usual plan was for
: the wagons behind to- drive around him, and
S leave him until he walked up, whenhe would
o come driving up, looking rather sheepish.
If Emigrants should start as>aarly as possiblel
!, in ordinary seasons ;sby first of May at far
IS thest even as early as first of April would
d do. For those emigrants coming from the