The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-09-15
A TRIP TO THE GREAT PLAINS.
From Emporia to the Arkansas and Rack.
FBYy. r. wkfsoS
(Confin1,ed.)

abo crossed the Arkansas little above the
grove already mentioned. Our horsemen
had started before US, and were out of sight,
supposing that Hoosier would certainly
Know where he had crossed the river be-
lore but alas poor Hoosier was so be-
Wiidered that be was no longer sure of any
thing--hardly of his own identity. He
was ready to swear, to use his own Ian
guages that everything had got turned up
side down and wrong end foremost
Two OF our company stripped off and
commenced sounding the river. They pro-
ceeded lew rods before US. crossing mar
row channels and sand bars, till we had ar
rived at the further edge of large bar near
the middle OF the river. Here our course
seemed somewhat dubious. The teams were
stopped, while Sam and Hal explored for a
safe passage. Sam diverged off little to
the iett-Hal pushed straight on before US,
crying out, as be went. in the nautical Ian
guage of the leadsman-"One foot scant %
''Two feet u "Three feet scanti I" -Four
-" Chung!
What is that ?" cried one. Where is
Hal 20 inquired another.
80, yonderr he is, coming up like Mai
ad out of the water!''
Why, Hal, where have you been p
Paying Neptune visit. Ell ?''
-" have been down below" said he,
spouti1g the water from his mouth ike a
whale.
"You need not be in hurry to 90 there
you'll find that place soon enough
30, I thought I would just step down
and see the fashions"
"Well, how do the mermaids dress 2"
"Not acmiring the accommodations down
there. did not stay long enough to ascer-
tain but if you will just drive over this
way you will doubtless find the trip deeply
interesting"
Having no wish to share in the aquatic
adventures of our friend Hal, we moved
on after Sam, who landed us safely on the
opposite shore.
composed of sand. This imparts a very
peculiar motion to the wagons as they pass
over it-a rapid succession of joys, not I'M
like those occasioned by passing over cor
duroy bridge. In many places 1t is bed
of quick sand here you must keep your
cattle moving briskly-to stop is to sink.
This is very treacherous stream. Before
you venture to cross it in wagons, it is al
ways safest to send some one before on
horseback.
We soon found the ''old camp" but the
Indians had occupied it recently and burnt
all the dry wood convenient, and had left so
much of refuse buffalo meat around as to
occasion an intolerable stencil. Upon con-
sultation it was determined to move on about
mile further down the river to another
little grove of cottonwoods. This we found
q beautiful spot. 1t occupies about half an
acre of ground The trees were large, and
stood pretty compact, almost in a circle !;
the area within was level, clear of under
brush, and well shaded. If it had been
formed for our purpose it could not have
been better adapted to it. It was situated
about fifty rods from the river, an immense
plum patch stretching up and down the
stream. occupying the space between. Our
first care was to ''clog'' out our cattle
This is done by fastening one end of long
rope GENERALLY made of single strand of
green buffalo hide twisted) to chunk, and
the other to the horns of the OK. The
chunk should be heavy enough to prevent
the OK from running fast should he become
frightened. The river here bends consider
ably to the southeast we were within this
elbow. On the south and southwest we
were enclosed by a cluster of sand-hills.--
These hills extend some two or three miles
out, and are of various sizes. The small
est, or rather lowest of these, are generally
covered with plum bushes. These plum
bushes grow about as high as our wild
gooseberries. The little valleys formed by
these hills are covered with a luxuriant
growth of grass.
- will just here remark, that there can be
sweet potatoes, water melons, and peaches
raised in the Arkansas valley sufficient to
supply the world. And / know not why
an rticle equala to the best Havana tobacco
may not be raised here. Remember, speak
only of the climate and soil. If any of my
readers feel like embarking in this enter
prise, they should be careful to take their
dwellings with them, and sufficient amount
of fencing to protect their crops. The Ca
manche and Kiowa Indians might, after all.
be so stupid and perverse as not to respect
their rights. ~
Our next object was to prepare trenches
for drying meat, and cellar to keep the
tallow. Three trenches were dug just on
the outside of the grove. and were each
about three feet deep, four or FIVE wide, and
about twelve feet long. The meat is cut
lin warnl weather) into very thin slices,
and then, after dipping them into hot brine,
they are laid on rods across these treches.
A fire is kept up beneath until it is sufficient
II dried. This is called sjerking." Some
times meat may be dried in the sun. Our
cellar was about three feet deep and about
eight feet square. In one corner of this
cellar we dug down about two feet deeper
and found good water in a bed of quick
sand. We then selected cottonwood tree
about eighteen inches in diameter, hacked
through the bark clear around it., then again
about three feet above, then made perpen
dicular incision from one ring to the other,
and took the bark between them off entire.
The edges of this. closed together. resem-
BILE large stove pipe. We inserted this
into our little well, and it answered ali the
purposes of a gum. The water was abun-
dant, and proved to be delightful-clerr and
cold.
We subsequently washed some of the
sand taken from this well-found the gold
dross, but ''narry red"
The plums were very abundant, and most
delicious. We had plum pie. plum cobbler,
stewsd plums. etc., until we got pfana6 out
- eucrer end u.olasSaS