Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-08-09
BURLINGTON HAWK-EYE.
From the Oauawka Spectator.
Fart I.ara mia lime :. 1S4O.

From the Oquawka Spectator.
Fort Laramie, June 5, 1e40.
DEAR CoLoSsL:-Knowing the interest You feel, as
we'll many your readers, the welfare OF the Oquaw
ka Pioneers California, take this opportunity OF send
ing you few lines opportunity presents Itself by
private conveyance there being regular mail from THIS
place.
Our company, twenty teams in all, including hve
from Burlington, and five from Mercer County, have safely
arrived this place, where camped last night Every
thing TINS far has been and our prospects
appear fiatering Nothing has uanspred since we iei
to etard progress the good feeling and
harmony that prev throughout company Our cat
tie are all in good heart Notwithstanding have made
the distance thus about half journey, in better time
than company has done that has preceded us
From St Joseph we have averaged at least ~ miles
day. We have passed something like hive hundred teams
including one hundred male teams We have, In iaet;
found hut mule team able to with u.s. This speed
in advance the crowd in those advanced portions OF our
where the and in that undertaking
we succeeded finely. But in order to do that We
have had sacrifice considerably by throwing overheard
in order to tighten loads valuable articles, IN
Guiding pork Coffee salt, powder, lead books, tools, &c
We have this morning. hope, finished throwing away all
that Our loads cannot average now more
than from 12 to Is hundred, they do that The truth u.s.
bound to through il we sacrifice everything but
simply enough carry through But our critical con-
dton consists in this Our teams travelling at the rate
they have need est but if we halt one hour trains that
crowd the road rear, will pass by us, we are tere-
fore determined tighten sufficient to MAINTAIN our po-
son, and the time to render it easy for our cat
e Our Captain advises this course, and here let me say,
he is just the for the occasion venture to say that
no company the road has better, more efficient
Captain, than Col Finley has thus far proved himself to
be- All have confidence in him. and by his MANAGEMENT
well the goodness of cur teams, have been en-
ab!ed eque entity travel o. and days 30 miles.
This may like exaggeratoa, but is literally true
Other companies have given the name ofthe Telegraph
company, account of speed, in fact stop for
nothing, unless is for hard storm We have layed by
but days for that since started. The wealth
has usually been fine but cool Ii we have any thing to
do, such Washing cooking, repairing shortening
wagon boxes, which have had to do time is allow
ed that which between the regular hours
.f ,fartin ShI
usually O'Clock. I you, decidedly work.
ing community. We have neither time for cunning,
keeping journal of our travels, and only enabled
to write by stopping at the Fort while the train is
progressing.
It would be subject of interest and curiosity, you
and the readers of paper could but half that
a person his trip is compelled to observe In this
teprse there engaged all classes and conditions of
Men ofcharacter and reputation, well of prop
ery Men accustomed to all kinds of labor and others
whose hands exposed to the suns rays.
Men who have expended fortune in their outfits and
company organization, and those who have undertaken
the trip with scarcely outfit at ALL and among these
various classes, have missed it much in other
words, expended time and money so fooshly as have
many fthe more wealthy Company after company OF
this description, will California The most OF
this description with heavy mule trains, with heavy
wagons, and then load them down with all the Injuries
they have been accustomed to at homes and being
customed to teamng Of kind have worked and dashed
their poo- animals, until they have become skeletons,
dropped down in the harness. and still INDUCING the vain
hope of getting through have thowed their goods
Some, however, have taken the precauon to do :ha in
season to save their teams.
1t would astonish you to see the amount, the great
quantities OF goods of every description, that lie
strewn by the road side, as far as we have come,
and we have reason to believe that we have not
| seen the one half that remains behind US. In one
place saw what was thought to be 1000 barrels
of pork, which had been thrown away by one COM
pany. Sacks of flour, coffee, sugar, rice, beans,
dried fruit, kegs of brandy and other liquors, &C..
SC. line the whole extent of the road, and no one
derives any benefit from this waste, except the In.
dams and wolves.
| As yet have heard of no molestation from the
Indians, except in one instance, were two persons
we're travelling alone, who had their horses taken
| from them. We have met with but few, and enter
tain fears from that quarter. We are all well and
| in good spirits. We have had no sickness in our
company, except in one case, where one of our men
had the measles. hear Of some few cases of sick
ness in other trains.
One circumstance will mention, which happened
| in small company, travelling in our rear. in which
I one was killed. The persons engaged were
Shields from Mercer County, who had his wife with
| him, and one Harris, formerly from Burlington. II
seems theywere in one mess, owning equal portions
Of their outfit, about which they had considerable
difficulty, after crossing the Missouri. Some of our
company, being acquainted with the parties, though.
| best to interfere. Others thought not. So they
were left to manage their own affairs in their own
way. II also appeared On further inquiry, that Har-
ris had frequently insuted Shields wife, and had
threatened the life of Shields HIMSELF and continued
to persist in his to that degree that reused
the anger of the latter, who Selling axe, struck
Harris two blows which proved fatal. This was
done Fort Kearny, and on arriving there, the
officer in command had him arrested, but he was
dismissed on the ground that the officer had no au-
thority to arrest Shields, unless he ordered to
do so by the United States Marshal. The general
opinion is, believe, that Shields was justiiiable in
the act, that at least, is my opinion. have been
thus particular in the statement, in order that l
might counteract any information that might reach
you concerning this affair, connecting the transac-
| tion with our company.
| Yours truly. w.