Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-01-27
VOL: v.
Overland Journey to California.

kanesville. We did not crcss the Missouri till the
l7th Msy, having to wait there about week for or
provisions to come up the river. This was rather a
late start but after we got away from that cur
ECO nawkeye . ate, We rolld along like brick and
hsd nothing VI importance interrupt cur progress,
oa'r'n assampsde occas onally while coming up the
ratte. We had many yer, severe storms while trav-
ong In the vicinity Of the Platte and the roads were
% muddy and soft that cur cattle's feet became s
s'ned-And when We got out on the hard mountain
sao' many OF sheir feet core through, and we wore
sohgeu 10 leave quito lumber On account of their
is"eness Wessd them, however, to traders-g,t-
tirg five to ten dollars Ger head.
we did not lore mary more cattle than ws calcu
'eo, untii VIC got to Carson river. We crossed the
Dig Desert without losing soof, and when we got
"ison river, we e. Pected loss was at an end
su' 10 81 we we're moving leisurely up the Carson.
IN the taiiest kbd of grass, cur cattle commenced
'Jng hke rotten sheep. During tho ten DAYS that
We were on the Carson We lost IS lead Of cattle b.v
as nigh rs nine to die in one night Welost alta
Boen u % told OF COWS and oxen, end two horses
wncn stock, would DO worth here at the least ynr.
OF prices. $4,000. Bat We lost no greater pronort;on
tran about all tAe drove, that coma ,ba c,-.o
route. s'H
The wild parsn;p and mystic grows in preat alma
.0o VI tue larson bottom, and are said to be very
Po''onou' to the brute creation Notwithstanding our
S'A' 'oss' think cleared in the operation about
'i'eor i'ur thousand dollars, which is far below
"nAs my expectations were when was with Won
oa' Ai'of Fer1oa locks about him q little. he will
ma tnat this is pretty good years work. even in
oanIornlA, at tho present time. l tell Won s.t;m.
Ism a. they ussd to WAS" in th, country. hv nm
means nevI saw s, great a scarcity Of money in
sa country as prevails in these parts at the n-es.n
ume-everybody seems to bs hard up Farme bav.
not made anything this ysar-hey hal to paw very
nsh for secds, &C., last sp,ng; and tho prce of
ner produc, is 50 low, that uni IS the crop is very
"hi not pay for harvesting and shipping
everything is at tbs very lowest figure ex,,p,
sne pilce OF labor and American ssock-buildips ma
t'1ais are also high ard confess cann It cloary
sse what ks:ps these prices up American horses are
actually higher than knew ts.m to be before
We sold one span of ordinary horses for 5000. one
Week after We got in. Cows are worth from 500 To
Siso-oxeu about $500 a ke-labo ing mon &c. $50
to s75 per Month G INK ard Gregg, and scores of
others who faru,,d last year here, su,k MONEY
s'crass and I, have got an ex,elle.t stock Ranch
.a' i''' OF AIT. Diabls, and arc going to ty the
uA"y ana STOCK business for few years. think We
0Au maAs pay pretty wall, We Will have about 50
o. iresn Mulch cows In the courss of two months,
aad VS. expscs to havsa str,am of 6atterniik sufi-
siontiy large to rropel grst-nill OF four run Of
stone, BESIDES some other machinery.
l dare say, you are just as strongly in favor of
coming out here, ~ you we're last SPRING If knew
the correct advice to give you, would cheerfuTy do
So. can only tell you, however, that think there
hyet and will be chance for personsof enterprise to
MAKE money and perhaps d, far better here than in
tho States If you do GENE, you will not of course
have your expectations fxcd too high, nor expect to
make . fortune in month or year, and you will
b' less liable to disappointment.
There are so many things for person to turn his
attention to, that could not Recommend any par
elcaiar branch OF bushes now. You will probably
decide upon that matter bs,.sr after you get here.
Sasuld your faith and family come out, l think
ono good opening would be- to get good tavern stand
IN some 'arishing mining town and feed the hungry
land deal 10 stock, and everything you thought you
could make money ON. II y,u only had good farm
here, on which you ud put improvements to suit
your liking and know it yours, it would probably
suit you better, ard make better home for you than
almost thing else; but the land titles are yet I'M
settled aad likely to b. md the whole of tae valuable
farming land fquated upon from beginning to end
regardless Of the Spanish grants if there were no
such thing. As to buying forming lands, there i.
scarccly any such thing-as one who has lille to
land, will sell without getting an encrmcu, price,
state these things, mercy f.ctsycu will of coursa
do what suits you best after you have looked around
and had time to ju'ge for yourself.
L; lie IL. r
Start with, would depend vhaton The amount of
your meas. If you have pitsl eneugh to buy any
considerable number of good Cows, would most asst
rely advise ycu to bringc teams for your wagorug,
and drive your cows h.ro-ex.ept in case of any of
your oxn gstting lame sick you can easily put in
pair of COWS ami they are almotcq1all good as OK
On Horses are enormously high present, but at the
sauAe time COWS pay much larger percentage. In
stance, pay $40 for good COW, and sell her here
fr$l75. A good horse costs you 500, and you get
$500 to $40 making consider renco in favor
Of the COW critters. II, however, you had rather come
through in ttls less Tine and prefer horses to oxen
you had better buy about four Dig hcrses for each
wsgon-set W II mache', large horses none less han
l6 hands gh if you want them to pay profit Com
mon horses arc Common str OK here. II you drive
COWS, you will want twoor three tough horses mules
for conveniercs. pony or cheap mule, will about
quis cost here an they very servicesble the
road to ride ahead ard find camping ground, DO. If
Jon bring OK t"ams, get coed stout wide wagons, and
have not less than i've yoke to each wagon. Then
don your wagors with useless plunder,
cry pound tells heavy your teams. With excn you
will want about four month supply of provisions
horse teams make the trip from the frontier very
conveniently, In three months-for fur months, you
viii want about $50 lbs breadstus to grown person,
Is lbs bacon, SONS rice-25 lbs sugar. this article ia
emo Of the most need'ul the trip-plenty of tea,
fse dried fruit vinegar, beans, brandy, and all the
ether iittIo neeassares that you can think Of You
VII want good tent, about 10 feet square, and
shseti roa cooking stove.
Abou tn, best routs to come-I pretenl to know,
and mako no hesitancy in advising you in this one
thing. having travelled both the north and south
sides Of the Platte, the Salt Lake road and the Gut
ola, tho north and south sides Of the Humboldt and
the Truckee aud Carson river route. prefer the
NORTH to the south s:ds Of the Platte in consequence
ct is being arer, the road equally as good, and
you avoid crossing the Platte altogether which alone
IN many ssascns Il great inducement for taking the
north side. From where you leave the Platte about
$50 miles above IT Laramie you take the only road
70 Sube Cutoff, about Is miles west of the Pacific
Springs. sublctt's cutoT hasa desert of As miles