The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-10-26
From the EUnigVants.

county, has politely handed US the
following letter from his brother with
permission to publish it. 1t is some
400 miles farther ahead than any
thing we have yet seen from the en-
( igrants. II will be read with absor-
bing interest.
! MAEy's OR IIUNHoLr RryER, Aug 81, 1919
Dear BrOher-l have awaited my
self Of an opportunity to send let
ter forward to San Francisco by a
friend from Missouri who is going on
ahead of his train, thinking You may
feel uneasy on account Of reports
/ you are doubtless Tearing every day
about the suffering of enigrants on
this route, but. who are all back of
us. We hear daily from packers
who pass MS that there have been a
great many deaths from cholera back
of Fort LARAMIE, some say thousands
and great many losing their teams,
mostly by using alkali water, and
feeding on grass strongly impregna-
ted. We have been very lucky with
regard to sicknesS-have had none
of any account in the company since
we left the frontier, except a few ca
ses of diarrI GA, some time ago. AT
present and for some time past, all
have enjoyed first rate hr1Hh, and,
in fact, we seldom hear Of any sick
ness in the grerfwoyiHg mass. You
can scarcely imagine the great crowd
and number OF teams on the route.
Some packers say there cannot be
less than $4,000 teams, which is the
highest estimate, though | think
there are not near so many, proba-
bly, not more than six or eight thou
sand. | think there are near one
thousand ahead Of us.
( And here we are, ITO miles down
Mary's River, and about 400 miles
from the gold diggins; and it will
take us about 4 weeks to get through.
The weather is getting so warm tina,
we cannot travel as we did, and our
grass is scarce and much dried up.
How those coming after us are to
get through, tie Lord only knows,
for it is all we can DO in many pla-
ces to get grass. When we first
struck this river, grass was excel
lent; but for three days past, very
poor except in spots, among the will.
lows; and we expect to find it poor
for the greater part of the distance
on this river. We have kept our
teams in good condition, and made
from l2O to $50 miles travel pr week
for some time past. We shall now,
as all others have to do, take it more
moderately. We have not lost an on
yet, but having some hard road a.
head, we must keep our teams uT
yet awhile-the dust is beyond DIES.
cription. We have not had any rain
for SO long a time, that | have for.
gotten the date without reference to
my journal though we have had
some cold nights. On the fourth OF
July in the morning we had ice one
half of an inch thick, and celebrated
by crossing Green River, with Capt.
Ham, from Hennepin, in two wagon
boxes built on purpose to use as
boats. We paid him ten dollars each
for crossing wagons, and swan our
ca tie over. We might have crossed
at the mormon ferry for three dollars
by waiting three or four days
There were near 500 wagons wait
ing and crossing as fast as they could
on their own hook. We RATED the
north fork of the Platte, which, and
Green river are the only two streams
we could not ford. The Indians
have killed and driven off some cat
tie from small trains of but one or
two wagons, of which there are a
great many. Large trains are all d.
Nittus oht W HcI tHSIC ~ guar
kept, there is no danger from the
thieves. The emigranls kill some
Of them occasionally, when they can.
We think no more of them than we
do of the wolves that howl about us
at night.
We frequently hear from Califor-
MIA. At Fort Hall we heard, and
since from persons returning to Salt
Lake, and all accounts are more ia
vorable than we could expcct-pro-
vision plenty, Fourteen dollars pr Dbl
and gold in great abundance, from
one to five hundred dollars per day
But this we do not expect to find
but will do the best we can, and re.
turn home as soon as we can posi-.
bly, be satisfied; but you may de.
pend it will take a pile to pay us fol
this trip. 1t is impossible for per-
son to realize the fatigue and hard.
ships until they try it, .Uspc cially thi,
season, when we are forced by the
crowd behind us. IN do more thar