The Evansville journal., 1868-02-13
GABRIEL RENNE.
A Tale of the first Emigration.

the year I84S hndIng is events which
illuminated in the fight of Louis
Philippe from Versailles and the ex-
patriation of those who still faith
fully adhered to the cause of the
Bourbons.
Gabriel Renne, his young wife
Jeanette, and two infant children-a
son aged three years. and a little
daughter eighteen months Old, eoM
posed family lately residing IN the
north of France. Gabriel had been
bred to agricultural pursuits. He
kwas noted for those qualities of ex-
I cellence which bring their p0ssessor
out conspicuous among his cotempO
raries and give him influence, and
! also for = being a devoted sup
porter of the Bourbon dynasty. Some
months, however, before the final ca
sastrophe at St. Cloud, Gabriel had
4 determined to emigrate to America.
His enterprising spirit chafed under
the restraint Of limited means aud the
trammels Of a social and political regj-
me that made itselffelt even in the qui-
ct farming districts of Normandy. An
idolatry Of affection for those who
/ looked to him as husband, father and
protector, gave zeal to his ambition
for a competency. This sentiment
was, in fact. the prime incentive for
seeking more genial surroundings.
He turned loathingly from the idea of
I employing an iron constitution and
| physical gifts of no common order in
a life that seemed but little better
than vassalage Even the fee-simple
of their small farm was in wealthy
landlord who claimed a large share
of its products.
1 Thousands of miles away the great
valley ofssthe Mississippi pregnant
with havests, yielded its ich tribute
to industry, and there the eye and
longings of the discontented man
res ed. A sale of his effects realized
an amountpf Iuoneysnficient to bear
Gabriel and his living treasures to the
goal of their anticipations. A few
days of prepare ton, a. few weeks of
voyaging on the broad Atlantic, and
all were safely landed at New Orleans.
The fertile. prairies of Missouri beck
oned them.northward AtSt Louis
small eu1grant party Incorporating
to brave the dangers of a journey
across the continent to prospective
homes on the Sacramento Even
then there was a charm in~the name
i of California. Her gold placers were
as yet unkhown, but Fremont's glow
ing descriptions of the country had
! already sent thousands on their 4oil-
some march toward the realization OF
what was considered by less creduious
minds as Utopian.
Early in the Spring Of eighteen
hundred and forty eight a small cara
van, consisting of six OK teamss- left
the Missouri frontier EWith the slopes
and savannas of the Pacific iof its
destination There we're six families
in the company. One of these was
b Gabriel Renne's. Their outfit in
cluded whatever had been deemed
necessary For protection againsteIn-
dams as well as for comfort After
three months of moRotonous travel
we at length find our little band bait
ed at the eastern verge of the tRain
desert, where the St. MaryS or Hum
boldt River, after flowing inrits devi-
Gus channel for nearly three hundred
miles, becomes a Sluggish, fetid
slough, and finally disappears. Cen
sequent upon this fuvial phenomenon
is the existence Of a broad level tract
of grass land containing thousands. OF
acres-now known in the geography
4 lof the overland routesas q" Big Mead
ows."
Here various wild grasses grow lux
} urantly, forming in places a complete
jungle. but greatly deterieatedain
quality by exhalations from soiIBe
meath which.the lost river sleeps. and
which being iniltrated as 1T were.
through the matted grammen6us s
blades and spears, leave an alkaline
eff fhorescencathat in places resemblesa
light snow and fills the atuosphere
with a sulpf1urous faint. But badsas
. it is. this pastorage affords sufficient
nourishmentto the worn outanimals
of the yOyagers, with few days rest,
to prepare them for the ardueus task
. still before them. Big Meadows pre-
sents now assbloody record Of Indian
massacre, but at the period to which
our tale refers, its history-if it had
one-was bound up in obscure tradi-
! tions. Yet with all its sulphur and
blood, but f6r this oasis, no. animal
could ever live through a iourneyso
I1raught with hardships and priva
ktions, and hence during the season of
emigration inssubsequent years it h4s
presented the appearance ofea great
caravansary,
Here it was then that at theelose of
hot day in august, eighteen Hundred
and forty eight, our little company
{ of adventurers had pitched their
Eeamp after a wearisome march oyer
the arid and heated plains. Away to
the southwest stretches the savanna.
while on either side, but few miles
of, presenting an eucampment Of
fssures aud defiles. rise the Humboldt
. AInrntninr h,nrnA nd diacnInrod Le-