The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-07-06
California Correspondence.
OIErA, May 8, 1880

OIErA, May 8. 1850
was most highly gratiied a few days since
by receiving letter from YOU, which gave me
more news from home than had received in Nil
before. Indeed, the mails seem tired Of persecu-
ting me any longer, for within the last two months
! have received count with your fingers so that
you will make no mistake) three letters from
my wife dated severally Aug 25, Oct. 81, Jan. l2
one from my sister Dec. 2, one from Col Nor
gan Of New York, Dec. Is, and you of Feb. A.
all but the first one and Col Morgan's came with
in the last two days, and have read and reread
them so often that have committed them TO
memory to serve until strike another lead
Well this is the merry month of May-hot enough
to roast cggs-men. The hens in this country
don't lay-cause there isn't any. Eggs are brot
bv sea from Acapulco at SO per dozen. | wish
some Yankee would establish a mandatory
there SO as to reduce the price little But spea'
king Of May, it reminds me Of where was year
ago, sailing by point Of compass on the plains be-
tween the Swo Nimehahs, and by this time thou.
sauds Of our fellow citizens have commenced
their long and weary route Of suffering, towards
this land Of distress. sickness, and death, for in
few words such will be the inevitable fate Of ma.
ny who will cross the plains SO many remins
cences OF my trials present themselves so vivid.
ly TO my imagination, that can scarcely write
At all, SO ardenty do desire to be with them to
tell them how to avoid the difficulties and suffer
ing which we encountered, and much may be q.
voided if they knew how. In one Of my commu.
ncatlOns TO you, Ispoke Of the pocket map which
YOU presented me on my leaving Ottawa but from
q word dropped in your letter, conclude you
never received it--lt was copy Of Fremonts
most conveniently arranged in sections, so that By
turning leaf two or three days travel lay before
us. We found it Of infinite use. The distances
were accurately laid down, and the notes and re-
marks were perfectly correct. Many trains were
benefited and something Of the kind would be
very useful to emgrants. Yours was only on this
route to sixty miles west Of Fort Hall, but now a
new and better route is found from Bear Springs,
which saves about an hundred miles travel, leav
ing Fort Hall to the north. 1t seems as If man
may live years in few months in this country, so
many are the changes and the scenes which he
goes through. Every transit from the mountains
to the Valley, or from the Valley TO the noun.
tains, brings its adventures If could detail but
small portion of the experience of travellers to
this country it would form interesting and excl.
ting book Of the kind as ever was published.
| Col Taylor Of St LOUIS in coming out last sea
son with part Of hi. company, left their train,
and started for California. They lost their hors'
es, and in an attempt to make cut off got lost in
the Wind River Mountains, in August, where the
snow was ten feet deep. For many days they
had no provisions only what they killed and tina:
was but little and Just as the last ray of hope
was departing and they had concluded that death
was inevitable they regained the road and sue.
ceeded in getting through, by walking fifteen hun.
dred miles.
! Ny neighbor 7. Z. Gray came through Central
| America on foot On the Pacific he took a whale
boat and put 10 sea, was once washed overheard
in storm, but arrived safely in San Francisco in
twenty seven days. Among the unfortunate suf
ferers who were caught in the November SHOWS OF
the last emigration, was gentleman who told me
that, in desperate attempt to reach the settle
ment, he took his knapsack and started to walk in
about two hundred miles In about three days
hisprovsions were all gone to but days ration
Of flour and small piece Of bacon He over
took family where there were three women, and
three or four little children, who had not mouth
ful TO eat, and the men had gone out to seek aid
Their cattle had all died and they were left help
less. With selfdenial and generosity that few
can fully appreciate but those who have seen suci
things, he gave all his provisions to the helpless
and starving sufferers, and walked three days II
snow knee deep, without food himself, before h
ate anything The family were rescued by III,
common that they have ceased to be a subject o
conversation.
A rather droll meeting happened to me las
fall among hundreds of others During my las
trip to Sacramento City just before the rains Sc
in was driving my OK team in company with
two other teams over a dry arid PLAIN, withou
grass or water-night was approaching and NJ
sign Of camping ground appeared, and tired anc
faded, suffering alike with hunger and thirst w
were nnxously looking round for n resting plac
for the night Directly m old man overlook u.
driving a smart span Of mules in a light wagon
and we inquired where we should find grass an,
water. About four miles from this," he replied
courteously. Il camped there on my way down
and it is the only place YOU will tind-lt will b
after dark before YOU reach it. ! will drive on
kindlc FIRE, and YOU will see it when you get L
tit is about half n mile of the road, but yo,
will see my fire" He drove on and we followed
slowly. When we came in sight We found tina
he had been rs good as his word, for there was
bright fire. and on driving up we found our frlent
cooking his supper. We soon joined him in thi
agreeable operation, and soon we were amused n
his wit and originality. Though rough in his mp
pearance, and somewhat Californian in his Ian
guagc, We soon saw he was a well educated man
and gentleman After spending the evcnin!
quite agrceaoly III story teiilpg, anu uscussll's
variou. topics, We spread our blankets on tn
ground nnd turned in, without one inquring wher
each other was from While we were breakfast
ing next morning, the old gentleman happened Il
drop n remark about Indiana. Are you from In
diana I" interrogated. "Yes,' what part o
itr 30 from down on the Wabash where the,
have the ngue So hard that it shakes the feather
of all the chickens" A sort of recollection flash
cd through my mind like ligh,ning-"Is you
name Patrick I" "Yes"-said he looking up
doctor Sceptre Patrick, from Terc liaute," con
,nucd |, "Yos, that is my name--who the d
are youi You were once q student ofmy fathe
he was Doctor Frederick Delano" My God, i
it possiblc--and you--you must be 4 ou
knives and our breakfast dropped from our hand
Instantly, and they were clutched in the warn
grasp OF "auld lang syne." had not seen hin
for sixteen ycars-"and now Patrick, situated n
you were at home with every comfort about you
with your reputation and circumstances, wha
sent you on this wild chase to California; T. ii,
had been member of the Legislature and I
some what prominent man at home. why, II
tell you--ny health was very poor, and though
the exercise, excitement, and change of air, nigh
bc beneficial, and so it has hut like to hav'
died on the road" "How sof Why, had th,
. cholera, and came within nn ace Of slipping m,
wind I was taken suddenly and most severely