Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-06-30
OrppjI,r 1aj,Q 1$pttr RrcorG.
TUESDAY MoaNIyG, JUNE 5o,h, 1897.
Her LAST Footprints.

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Her LAST Footprints.
often does the wavworn and weary
overland emigrant, in passing through
Honey LAX" Valley, turn his steps from
tie more beaten tra,l or wagon track,
in ode, to gct nearer view of the
lake, that makes So important feature
of tie landscape there presented. And
aS h. wiul, along the Oft fr,qn,nt'd
foot-palhs, he will see yet another, and
smaller tlan the one he is following,
that seems to lead even more directly
to the lake; but one IN which the
green grass Of the valley is trampled
down barely sufficient to mark 1t as a
trail; but should he from curiosity fol-
low it, as he approaches the low bank
of .hc lake, Re viii, if ne be a stranger
there, come unexpectedly upon a little
spot Of grou"d, upon which Deaths
seal has been set; grave as been
marked no, made, for there is no grave
there. And yet hoad-boord has been
reared, and on it .s ttis inscription
Her LAST toor-PmNrs.
70 very many who have seen it and
know nothing Of the circumstances of
It's origin il doubtless bears the impress
Of mys cry, but Of the import of that
inscription, and the cause, and cireum-
stances attendant upon the erection OF
hat frail monument, Oh p! would to
Heaven it were all & mystery to me
that its history were aut myth to the
reader, and to the world.
The overland emigration to CaIltor-
MIA in 1892 was immense, and marked
its pathway by memcntos that still eX-
ist, telling their tales OF woe not only
in characters Of 'camp fires long con-
sumcd, and bones that bleach in the
sun,h;nc,' but unmarked graves that
never caa Io numbered.
The company to which was attach
ed was made up mostly Of Young men,
numbering twenty-five IN all, and re-
presenting more than half the States
Of the Union. Al but one of Us were
adventurers, on our fiji st trip TO the
new FL Dorado. The exception was i
Tennessccan, and as he had once be-
fore made the over laal journey, he
was supposed, and assumed, to know
more of the route, and the requirements
ard duties necessary to successful
prosecution OF the journey, than any
on" or all the rest Of the company.
1t was the general custom ot oompa-
nies that wear on starting out, to de-
: cnate one Of their numbcr to act az
chief director or Captain, and as our
Tcnnrssecan, ia injection with flnc
physical development, possessed traits
OF character that seemed well calculat-
ed to adapt hlm to the position, he was
elected our chief, with the
ulle Of Capt. Tenn, as an abIid9ment
of Tennessee, his real name We never
knew.
Ours was a pack-train, we had no
wagon, but a t,nt for every five men,
with the single exception of that OF
Capt. Tennis, which was occupied by
but two, himself, and one whom he
claimed as relative, and whom he
called hally; Why we never knew.
He was but youth, frail and delicate
IN appearance, aud apparently IN i'll
health, though ever appearing quite
joyous and happy And such was the
interest taken by the Captain in his wei
fare, that he always cheertuIly prefer
red doing double guard duty at night,
rather than impose the hardship upon
his tent companion.
| have said that Lally ever seemed
Joyous and happy; and SO he was nlL
irca II 4alt the journey vas accom-
plished. We had reached Pacific
Springs, three miles west Of the South
Pass, and had encampod along the bor-
der of boggy marsh, pear the way
side much earlier than usual, so that
numerous other companies that throng.
ed the way, passed by US. Among
many ho' setback riders, were several
ladies, and Of their number, one seem
ed TO ltg far behind the rest. As she
passed our camp, Captain Tenn very