Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-10-12

thelr wagons, provisions, and great MANY
valuable things, and taken barely enough on
their mules TO carry them through. ANY one
mat has poor wagon can easily exchange it
Tor good one. One Of our coIotany made
an exchange few days ago. But they all
appear to be very hedvy-too heavy for the
tnp. You could hardly believe what wreck
ana waste OF property there is made OF the
iodu' w e nave got so used to ii now, that it
ceases to be wonder. We met a Mormon a
lew days ago, that had come from the Salt
Lake, on purpose 70 plcl, up things and bury
theIh' " e have seen several lots of good
bacon thrown away, and at Fort Laramie,
some OF the emlgrantS burnt up several hun
uIeu pounds, and about SIX hundred mounds
OF sugar, because they could not get more
IMAM ten cents pound for it. They also burnt
up keg of rifle powder. The amount of
lead thrown away Is prodgious, and great
Quantities Of powder. The number Of stoves
Of all kinds and sizes that there are throw n
away Is truly astonishing. They are scatter
ed all along the road. We have not thrown
ours away yet. 1t Is very light, and we
sometimes find 1t handy. when the evening is
cold. We have had but verv little warm
weather. The days are cool, and nights cold :;
ice formed on bucket of water few niphts
ago. l suppose that | cannot say positively
YET what kind Of team Is best for the trip.
OUT nave seen enough To give pretty cor
rect estimate. | think that with an ordinary
emigration, oxen would perhaps thrive. All
the trouble there would he with them. would
be their getting fout-sore. This Is very
dangerous country to pass through with cat
tie, on account Of there being so many alkali
springs and lakes. The water and grass in
such places are dangerous to cattle. There
are vast numbers Of dead carcases scattered
along the road. | suppose that for a great
while the number would average no less
than twenty-five for each davis drive Of IF
teen miles. If the weather had been not and
SultTy, we should have had 10 leave the road,
and travel at a distance from it. We saw in
one place eight oxen, all dead in the same
place. man had driven his team of four
yoke down into alkalI pond to drink. and
alter drinking, they all died together. have
seen acres Of ground covered over with
SaleTatus. We got some from a lake. in
chunks as large as a mans fist and used it in
baking bread. 1t Is very good saleratus.-
Any one bringing oxen, should bring along
plenty of sole leather, for shoes for them
when they get lame. think il is better than
IRON shoes. Nhen they get tender-fuoted. we
put mcccaSinS on them. made Of Buffalo hide.
We nave seen a few dead mules. and horses.
bat nothing 10 be compared 10 tue number Of
dead oxen. We have seen a great many
mules though, that were worn outand left be-
hind, and a good many more t. at ought to be
leIl believe mules would stand the trip
very well, II they would take the same care
OF them that we do Of our oxen, and not load
them too heavy. The trouble is they load too
heavy, and they get poor and disheartened.-
And when they pack" them they have them
rubbed all 70 pieces with the strars. and drive
them long days, without sufficient feed
When mule gets discouraged, he Is GOOD
for nothing. Horses | should not think of
taking, unless they were Of the right kind
they must be freHch PoHies that can live on
brush, or even SAarinss, if 1t becomes neces-
sary.
If were to start on this trip again. think
| should get either a team Of mules. if could
get the right kind, or Canada Ponies. The
kind Of horses they have around Mineral
Point and Hazel Green, are Of no kind ofuse.
Etynerson's horses are very poor. and it is ex-
tremeIy doubtful to me, " neither he will ever
get them through. | would put on three woke
Of oxen. and two yoke of cows to each wag-
on; COWS make very good work cattle. If | /
TOOK only one or TWO cows. | would not nut
them IN the yoke; they don't give as much
mix. In that case | would tIke four woke of
oxen. They should be Of the right kind; /
should not be particular about the aye: from
four to eight. not very heavy, nor very lonu
IN the legs. | should be very careful about
their being good travellers, a great deal de-
Ponds on that The wagon is another very
important item. / should 20. haps paw more
particular attention [. tuat tn4a t. anythlHlr
else. Not one wagon lii d hundred on tie
road, is fit for the trip. They are all too heavy
wagon should be made Of the very best
material; timber well seasoned. This alkah.
and hot sand shriuhs the wheels, and makes
the tires loose. The tires should not be nafle4.
but 6oHea, with about four bolts, with nuts On
the ends. The running gear should be as light
As It could possibly be made and be strong
1t should not be made a c0mm1n, but very
light u o-horse wagon. There is no danger
OF getting 1t too light. | should like to have
the rigging Of my wagon over again. The
ted too, should be as light as possible. sup
pose no two men would agree in their notions
a wagon, but Will tell YOU how /
would have mine rugged. | would have the /
5oTeS three and three-fourths inches. wheels. /
and every thing about it light, and /
have 1t made by man that understands it, /
because a wagon may be light and not run
easy. The bed | would have made Of three
fourths stuff, from to 0 iEchas high. and
ten feet long, and we'll braced Or otherwise. /
would have it made Of scant inch, about 30
inches high, and board ] inch thick, and
inches wide, ON the top Of ii against the bows
| would never, on any consideration, have the
least projection on my wagon bed. | took
mine off before | got to Council Bluffs And
suppose there have been hundreds taken off
since leaving the Bluffs. In loading my wag-
On should observe one rule: TO bring alone /
nothing more than Is absOhlfehJ necessary to /
use on the read. | would never Law in any, .
thing for the sake Of having it after | rot
there, not even clothing. One company .
few days ago, went to packing. and estimated /
the value Of the clothing that they tlrowed /
out at one thousand dollars. and presume it .
would reach that. | have seen flour, meat,
coffee, beans. candles, powder lead, trunks,
cooking utensils, stoves. axes, shnvels, hoes.
spades, Gold washers Of all descriptions,
llrnesses, clothing Of all kinds, boots almost +
new, and In fact, things too numerous to I
mention. all thrown away as if they were en- /
-irely worthless. As in leaking shin. every