Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-03-01
CALIFORNIA LETTER.

Y
Oct. 2lst, 1919
DEAR BRorurR
| have at last got fairly
here three DAYS ago. which makes it six
months and one or two days since we left
home. 1t has been a long and tedious
Journey; one which I should not wish to
undertake again We arrived here in
good health, though very much fatigued
ClarIndas health has very much improv-
e3 since leaving home; and | have not 50
much rheumatism as | had then | think
that when | wrote last | spoke of being
almost entirely clear Of it | was for some
time before we came to Salt Lake. entire
iy freed from it, but | had a severe attack
ot Il again between Salt Lake and this
place / am better again. and tolerably
Web .4bae 10 perform hard labor We left
Mr. and Mrs. Rynerson at Salt Lake
thcy are going to stay there until next
sumner. 1t was very late in the season
when We arrived there, and the Mormons
told frightful stories about the dangers 20
be encountered on the Northern route so
late in the season. There is 4 new route
further South, which they advised emf
grants to take 4 Mormon named Capt
Hunt. offered his services as guide, by the
Southern route; he had been through
there with = train Of pack mules, and said
that the route vas practicable fer wagons
by working the roads There. never has
been more than one wagon through that
Fortte, and that in one instance had to be
taRen to pieces and let down by ropes. 1t
was light wagon with two mules, and no
i3ad il it. When we reached the Salt
s41Ec there were persons there that had
arrived two weeks before US, with pack
:ll.;es. They were afraid to risk the
Northern route, for fear Of snow on the
m0untain5. There would occasionally re
ports reach the Valley, of most alarm
ln@ character. Report said that the grass
Vas al burnt OF on -Mary's River" there
was no feed left for teams, that cattle were
dying off by hundreds that women and
children were sitting by the road side,
barefoot and crying for bread, that the
men formed themselves into gangs. and
robbed the trains as they came up, that
there would be snow on the mountains be
fore we could possibly reach there, and
re should perhaps perish In the snow, or
ut least have to turn back, and after con
summing our provisions have to kill our
horses and mules to sustain life, They
recalled TO our recollection the fate OF the
Bonner party, aud also Of Fremont and
his laon last winter All this, you know
WIS enough to appall the stoutest heart,
bIst We suspected that it was nothing but
a trick Of theirs, to induce Us To 20 tie
Southern route, aud break a road for them,
road hy which they could reach the
mines at any season Of thc year So We
concluded to run the risk Of the North
era route; but knowing that we ran
great risk Of being caught in the snow ia
tl& mountains, because it would not be
I+ss-l Idle 10 reach there much before the
m5di.e Of October, We concluded it was
best 20 trade off our oxen and get horses.
- VIC made up q company Of eight men,
SOLD of ali our wagons but one, and put
IL four horses We got eleven horses and
males IN all, so we started with no women
III company but Clarinda Thomas aud
Richard Jacobs, started near two weeks
before Us. I did not know when they
laEt whether | should leave there this
wnter or not Horses were 50 high. that
J hearly gave up the notion Of buying any
WHEN they left, but [ determined after
wae1s that | would rather sacrifice all |
Aaai than to stay there all winter Hors-
e. rated at from SO to 5I25, and We
ee4.h not sell our oxen for more than $50.
AID wagons from 525 to SO. sold that
wagon that I had built at Dodgeville, for
80 il was q miserably built wagon, and
1gr RynersDn's were no better. The wag-
oa that Mr.. Rynerson and [ bought on
the -oad while coming through Iowa, was
= = -. L Al =.
wagon, and put the horses before It, and
started with 1t from Salt Lake Valley
Thomas and Jacobs took Hastings cut
Of around the South end of the Salt
Lake it was represented as being much
nearer than the road around the North
end. We, however took the road around
tie North end, aud when we came to the
junction" of the two roads, we learned
t.aar It was a cut on instead Of n cut Of
aaa tl.at those who took that road expert
encad tue most dreadful suffering. a great
MANY lost all their horses and mules. and
catSle, and came near perishing, them
SELVES. for want Of water In some cases
they had 60 kill their oxen for the sake
% getting their blood to drink. some
drank the blood and corrupt matter that
rose from cattle that had died | saw 4
i.an that came across the desert with
Thomas and Jacobs; the man had lost
al his mules, and was then on foot; he
saisl that Thomas and Jacobs got through !
battar than most Of the others; their
horses we're very weak, though they saved I
them ali / have learned since [ have /
bee" here, by a man who saw them or |.
Ikam5oldt River, that one Of their horses I
afterwards gave out, and they had to leave /.
t. It was wild horse, that Mr. Ryner- /.
son bought at Salt Lake city, and had her .
brohe previous TO starting. When we came
e t.e junction Of the Oregon and Cali +
tsrlia roads, nearly all lie late travel had .
taken the Southern Oregon route" on f.
account Of the danger Of snow on the I
I.,suatains 1T that late season. We ascer-
tanned there that Thomas and Jacobs had I.
taken the Oregon route. They were then +
. Dat a week ahead Of Us. We took the 7