Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-03-10


friends and, perchance. The land of your
birth and the home of your childhood:
or that you must dispose of and leave
your homes and farms. This you know.
But you must also know that if you
cross the plains, you can take nothing
with you save sufficient food and cloth
ing to last you here. If you start with
more, the chances are five to one that
you will either leave them upon the road
or kill the team that draws them. And
remember that every lbs. weight counts
ONE. And remember that that one pound
must be most valuable pound to Justify
you in hauling and guarding, it for $500
miles! And remember too, that money
will buy almost any article, of either ne
cessity or luxury, in the city of Portland,
Oregon, that it would in any of the east
ern cities! And whatever cannot be read.
lily obtained here, can be easily forward
ed by water.
Most persons are already informed as
to Whist, substantially, they will require
for food and raiment, &c., upon the road.
However. the directions of different indi.
viduals vary materially, and nearly all
who have attempted to write upon the
subject, either advised enormously or o.
nit something important. will there
fore seek TO correct errors and supply de-
ficiencies in this particular.
II has been frequently stated that you
need not start with any thing more than
bacon, -four, coffee and sugar, and that a
very moderate quantity of meat ould do,
as you could easily supply yourself with
deer, elk, antelope and buffalo meat on
the way. Well, have jus, crossed the
Plains, and | was not shut up in either a
tent or wagon, having walked all the
way, save about three weeks Of the time,
during which period | was confined TO
my wagon by sickness, and neither
saw elk, deer or buffalo upon the route!
| saw few antelope, and ate a few
pounds of their flesh; and accidentally
saw buffalo meat, and believe that few
live ones were seen at different times, in
the dlstanc from our encampment.
doubt not, however, tina, there have been
many more seen and killed in former
years. But whether few or many, the
man who crosses the Plains has enough
to do, if he discharges his duty to him.
self and family and teams. without chas-
ing wild game. And if he does do it, he
would be sure TO find, in the end, in the
parlance of gamblers, tha.s "the game is
not worth the candle!" II will not do
them, to rely upon game.
Of flour, each adult person should be
provided with l25 lbs; of meat l0Olbs.
Bring well cured hams. The bone in a
large ham will weigh only from one
pound and a half 10 two pounds. Your
hams will keep, and they are both pala-
table and healthy. Bring also supply
of fat bacon. This you will need, if you
come with oxen. for your cattle. even if
you do not eat it yourself. Thousands
OF pounds OF il we're fed to cattle this
year. II destroys, in measure, at least,
the effect of alkalie, and opens and re-
moves distractions in the disease OF the
bowels. Start also, with a reasonable
quantity of the following articles, (being
your own Judge how much each labor.
in5 individual, being hearty, would eat
in a given length of time. And the length
of time. of course will depend upon how
fast you you travel; and Four speed will
depend upon your employing oxen, hors-
es or mules. If oxen, you will ordina
rily, be 100 days from the Missouri river
to the Cascade Mountains or the Dalls
of the Columbia. If either horses or
mules are employed, from 60 to 80 days
only will be consumed:) Sugar. tea, cof-
fee, crackers, corn meal, dried apples and
peaches. rice, cheese, salt, soap, pickles.
vinegar, mustard, pepper. molasses, sala.
ratus, or yeast powders, butter crackers,
dried beef, and venison, honey, bntler
and peppersauce, horse radish, &c. In
addition to all these articles, / started
with onions, potatoes, eggs, ginger, nut
megs, spices, oysters and variety Of
preserves. dried berries, &c. Why not
have them! You rhust have something
to eat, and the more you eat of these ar
ticles, the less you will eat Of others, and
surely they are healthy. Those who ea,
little else than bread and salt meat, very
generally were afflicted with the scurvy:
If nothing more serious.
Of the articles enumerated above, he
sure to ctart with liberal supply of su-
gar, dried fruit, rice. pickles and vinegar.
These articles, especially, wee in great
demand on the road. and were the frs,
gone. And would suggest iha, in the
preparation of any or all os these arti-
cles. pains should be taken TO compress
them into the smallest compass. Meats,
tor instance, another perishable articles
OF diet, from which the intrinsic substance
can be extracted, or which can be COM
pressed and hermetically sealed, so as
to afford convenience and lessen weight.
In addition to the foregoing articles of
food, &C., the following articles will b g
needed. viz: matches, candles, duplicate
whip-lashes. and, iii you bring either or
both gun and pistols) powder, lead and
percussion caps. Start too, say with one
gallon OF spirits of turpentine 10 each
team. This is too searching for ordina-
ry tin cans. Put i. in some vessels sha,
you know. before starting, will surely