Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-06-05
Letter from Astoria.
BY MRS. SAXTON,

On the map of the United States and on
the Pacific coast. you will find the name
Astoria attached to little black dot nj
the mouth of the Columbia river, and that
little town is to be our tarrying place
during the winter months, for the benefit
we hope toderive from the sea air. To
one at the East can imagine that Astoria
must seem only somewhat less distant
than China. lean remember in myschocl
days searching on the map for the Colum
bia river and tracing it from its source to
its mouth, but never dreamed of sailing
on it, its whole length, as have done re
peatedly, distance of over four hundred
miles. Still less did ever dream Of find
ing even transient home in the little
town at it's mouth. / also remember in
connection with this coast, hearing Of the
emigrants crossing the plains in OK
teams and on many bright spring morn.
ing when the sun was shining brightly in
the blue heavens and the air was soft and
odorous from the thousands Of bursting
buds and springing grasses, as / have
wended my way sorrowfully to school, |
have had such intense longings for free
dom and the delight of outdoor life and
would have hailed with rapture the pros
pect of starting from home in an OK cart
20 cross the wide prairies, the foaming
rivers, the Great Desert, the Rocky noun.
iains, the Sierra Ncvadas to the Pacific
Ocean.
This desire clung to ME later in life |;
and when kind Providence turned our
footsteps to this coast, and we were whizz,
ing over mountains and rivers, through
canyons and valleys in Pullman Palace
car, | looked out at an emigrant train as
1t wound slowly through u beautiful
country at the foothills Of the Rocky
mountains, and envicd them their days of
slow travel which gave such opportunity
for a full enjoyment of scenery and novel
experience attendant on a long journey
through strange, unknown country.
And that there must be many pleasures
connected with such a life for six months
seems apparent; but in conversation with
many men who came over twenty years
ago. / find the hardships have made the
most lasting impression, while the suffer
ings endured by the women cannot be re-
fered to by them without a shudder. We
have just met here in town II woman who
| came over with four children, and though
| o devoted wife and mother, was so worn
with fatigue and the terrible monotony If
re slow travel, through binding dust
under burning sun, that at night when
he lSid down in the bottom of the wagon
-, h htr children, she prayed the. dawn
,,;,., Vt find them all dead. But the pitiless
,rn >, 20 asQin, the interminable barren,
,a,chsa plains spread ont before her eyes,
Nd ~. ,evitas,le march must be taken
- an.;a for she and the older children
= rsd a. whole distance to save the
cam sill, the oopedy and tragedy
,ern . r,:.,v -, 'ngled, and we felt our
ras '.".;a.ss. ,,,a,,. tely with tears and
~ ehtcr during her uf"iii, ao =
II ter they had been out '"'0' 49,
nall body of Indians rode l.. L..
sagons 10 trade. One fellow lad a '''e'
Of woven grass filled with ripe bcf- ''eS
The woman offered one article afte-
mother, even gun, for the fruit, But lie
shook his head, when at last he polluted to
.he sun bonnet on her daughters head.
you better believe" she said, "that !
off that bonnet quick from the
girls head, and while he tied it under his
urly chin, we went at the berries. Then |
while the cattle rested / cut up an old |
calico dress, and made another sun bonnet; |
and every time I Wanted to trade with
them red skins l whipped of the ehild's
bonnet, and always got what / wanted;
and made up seven bonnets out Of that
old calico, and them painted fellows would
ride of as proud as if they'd got scalp"
On another occasion when the wagon
Lsd become separated from the train,
party of Indians came. up and demanded
two of their cattle. The man fearing to
irritate them, surrendered pair Of oxen.
Shortly afterwards the woman's husband
went aside some distance to hunt for game
and the woman and her Oldest son were
left in charge, the rest of the train being
several miles ahead. The Indians again
rode up and demanded the remaining oxen.
THAT rilcd me-" she said, | handed one
rifle TO the boy and took another myself,
stepped IN front Of the cattle, and says |,
not hoof Of them beasts shall You have
without bullet first; They understood
the rifles if they didn't me, and after
hanging round 4 little, rode off. Now"
she continued, "thcy don't want to give us
women the vote because We cant be sol
dicrs. Id like TO know who showed the
most fight then, me or the old man." The
argument was unanswcrable, and VIC told
her we hoped she would live TO cast the
ballot set.
wish had space to detail to you all
the histories given me by the many l have
met on this coast the perils from lndians
from storms, hunger and cold, narratives,
dcatll-bed scenes, births and burials in the
wilderness; of hcrcisIn, noble sclf.sacrificc