The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-02-02

Two or three days travel from the
scene of the disturbance brought them
to the springs where they were to pro-
vide water and grass for crossing what
was known as Hastings desert, an aka
line region destitute of water or vegeta-
ton. The treacherous Vasquez had in
formed them that it was less than fifty
miles wide, while it proved, in fact, more
than eighty. 1t was understood that
they must travel day aud night, only
stopping to feed and water the cattle.
When about two-thirds of the way across
the stock manifested signs Of exhaustion,
and the company directed Mr.. Reed to
go forward until he found water, and
report. He did so, reaching it in about
twenty miles, and was on his way back
to camp when he met his teamsters, about
IL o'clock at night, driving the cattle,
having left their wagons. Soon after
leaving his teamsters one of their horses
sank down in the road, and while they
were endeavoring to raise it, the cattle
nine yoke of oxen-scented the water
and made for it. They were never
found; and there was Reed and his fam
ily, with all their supplies, out on a
desert hundreds of miles from any hu-
man habitation, and the winter very
nearly at hand. The other members of
the expedition drove their teams much
further, and some succeeded in reaching
water. Reed not receiving any informa-
ton, and their supply of water being
nearly gone. Reed started with his
family on foot, carrying the youngest
child in his arms. In the course of the
night the children became exhausted (;
but cold hurricane commenced blow
ing, and they were forced to move OH,
although the sufferings of the children
were intense. Near daylight, to their
great Joy, one of Jacob Donner's s wagons
was reached, which proved to contain
the latter's family. Donner kindly con-
veyed the unfortunate family to. where
the others were camped, where they re-
NAMED week trying to find Reeds cat
tie; but the search was fruitless. He
then divided his provisions, borrowed a
yoke of oxen, and, leaving his seven
wagons In the desert, moved on with the
others.
Some days furth on it was found that
the provisions were running short.
Reed proposed that, If two men would
go forward to Capt. Suffers in Califor-
MIA, he would write him (Sutter) letter,
asking for provisions and animals to
assist the party to its destination. None
was eager to undertake a journey fraught
with 80 many dangers, but finally two
men consented to go. These two were
VIM. McCutcheon, who had joined the
train from Missouri, and a Mr.. Stanton,
of Chicago, man of the most daring
bravery and whose nobleness of character
cost him his life. Their progress was
slow, and week after week elapsed with
out any tidings from them. Affairs were
now becoming very desperate Ia the
camp; the food was weD-nigh exhausted.
The expedition was camped in the
mountains, and it was impossible to
proceed further at that season of the
year on account of the heavy SHOWS.
Here the party would have to remain
until spring. It was finally agreed that
Reed should go forward to ascertain
what had become of Stanton and Mo
Cutcheon, and hurry up supplies. So,
leaving his wife and five children in care
of friends, he started out on horseback.
The Donner brothers were camped a
mile or two in advance of the main body,
and with them was q man by the name
of Walter Heron, who, when Reed
reached them, volunteered to go with
him, which Reed agreed to. Having but
onehorse they rode in turns. In the course
of a week their provisions gave out, and
they travelled for days without food,
except wild geese and other game, which
they were obliged to devour raw. When
crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains,
Heron became 80 desperate as to pro-
pose the killing of the horse. Reed,
knowing that they would never be able
to cross the mountains alive without the
aid of this animal, vowed he would put
an end to his own life rather than perish
of hunger and cold among the noun
tains. That afternoon Heron became
delirious for. want of food, and his case
looked hopeless, when, to Reeds great
Joy, he found handful of beans in the
hollow of a log, and, although almost
starved himself, gave them to his COM
panion. The following day they came
upon some abandoned wagons, which
they ransacked, but failed to find any
food. Taking the tar bucket from one
of the wagons, and scraping the tar
from the bottom, Mr.. Reed found q
streak of rancid tallow, which he made
known to Heron, who at once swallowed
large piece without giving it smell.
He swallowed second piece and wanted
more, which Reed refused to give him,
having himself eaten some which made
him deathly sick. Soon afterward they
descended into Bear River valley, where
they found a party of emigrants, who
relieved their sufferings. They here
found Stanton and the two Indians sent
by Capt. Sutter to aid in carrying the
provisions which he had kindly let STAN
ton have. Reed was so terribly ema-
ciated that the others did not recognize
him until they had conversed together
for some minutes.
The next morning, Oct. %, 1916, both
parties continued their journeys. Mr..
Reed went on to Capt. Suffers, told his
story of the terrible condition of the ex-
petition, and Sutter, ever ready to ex-
tend helping hand to the suffering,
supplied him with an abundance of pro-
visions and thirty horses and mules to
convey the same TO the emisrants. Reed
here found McCutcheon, who had been
prevented from joining Stanton on ac-
count of sickness. With the aid of two
t. II. .kx.l