Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-11-05
An Expose OF the Kirk Expedition by
ono OF the party. Facts and Figures.
Editor of The Rutfe Rerord

III the Mountaln Denl0cTut OF october "a,
1857, under the caption of"A little learning
is dangerous thing" ore some remarks
upon the late National Wagon Road Sur
vey," under the supervision of Mr.. Kirk, of
Placerville, and taking to task one "Sierra"
who had published something in regard to it
in the San Francisco Globe, of Oct. 10Th.
/ do not know Sierra" nor have seen
his communication. but wish to answer some
of the assertions of the Mountain Demo.
crdt." threads /: at is true that the expe-
dition went out by the way of Carson Valley
and 1t is also truo that each wagon was
loaded with 1000 pounds of freight, and
that they were all landed safely across the
mountains" and "that he took thu safest,
easiest, and nearest route from his head.
quarters in Placerville, which the Depart
ment established"
In the first place it is not true that each
wagon was loaded with 1000 pounds Six
OK wagons wero so loaded, and were the
cause Of three 1ceek's toOrk Of serenity men
upon the Johnson Cut-oG, and IN the Car
son canon. There were two four-mule wag-
ons with which there was no trouble, and if
he had taken twelve similar ones, in place
of the other six, the trip could have been
made to Honey Lake in two weeks at far
thest, instead of four. And does the Editor
of the Mountain Democrat know the fact
that, those large wagons were left at the
junction of the Carson Valley and Honey
Lake routes, and that we went the remain
der of the way with the Highest one of the
OK wagons of 5000 pounds freight, six yoke
of the best oxen attached, the two four mule
wagons, and one spring wagon
| The large wagons had served the purpose
for which they were intended. Teas i'm
possible to get them oger the johnson cut
of, and into Carson VdNey acithOW max
ing road. AS regards the economy, t,co
of the lighter wagons cost the same as one
of the heavier, and required one half the
! team.
1t appears strange to me that Placervlle
should have been established as the head
quarters Of the expedition, when the whole
outfit was purchased at Sacramento, and
| from which place in fact, the train started,
and any one, who knows anything, will say
that, the easiest and most direct ropte thence
to Honey Lake is not through Placervile.
Again, the Democrat says, that drinking
of the waters Of Honey Lake, probably kill
ed the stock that died. The waters there
are not injurious. | saw stock there graz
ing upon the shores, and standing in the
, water, and was told by settlers, that they
allowed oil their stock to do so. That cat
tie preferred the water Of the lake to any
other, and fattened on the rushes that grew
in and near it. The truth of the matter is
that the cattle were driven and beaten so
hard in the mountains, having nothing to
eat, that some Of them could not recover.
Again, it reads at is untrue that fur
ther survey was made towards Carson Val
ley.' Now, say that q survey ,oaS made
from the Bend of the Humboldt" to the
"Sink," thence to the ''Truckee Meadows"
through Carson Valley, and to Cary's Mill,
at the mouth of Carson Canon, connecting
with q survey Of some two years ago from
Placerville to the same point. Nothing but
"rapid reconnaissance" was undertaken at
any time ON the route, as will be evident
from the fact that, the "chain" was run
from 16 to % miles day, the whole dis
tance.
As regards the statement made by the
Granger Company" | pass it by. Enough
that our guards were doubled while in their
company.
Had we been two weeks earlier, (and we
might have been by fitting out properly, and
taking the proper route,) am of the opin-
ion that we would have prevented, much, if
not all, of the "Indian massacres,'' although
of course so far as that is concerned it was
not to be foreseen.
So much for the Mountain Democrat"
and its statements.
| could make some statements of the man
ner in which the expedition was conducted,
but will conclude with this: We started
with so men, from Placervile After work.
ing three weeks in the mountains, some six