The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-09-02
Opening OF the santa Fe rra,1.

Opening OF the santa Fe Trail.
1t was about the beginning OF this centu
ry that 1t dawned upon our people thai
there were as good markets as we'll a,
cities and people In and near this same
Rio Grande Valley, and under DIexicar
rule. There is said to be in the ancient
palace at Santa Fe Spanish document
proving the existence of a trail In the las,
quarter of the eighteenth century from the
old French settlements in what is now
Illinois to some Of the towns in New Meyi
co. and from one of Observation-Disclosures
California. General Kearncy is said tc
have dispatched courier over the latter. But
all efforts of the writer have failed to prove
the authenticity, or secure proper transla-
tlons, OF the document in question. Mr..
Gregg, IN his interesting book, IHe Com.
Hae"ce Of the PrCliTieS (now out Of print).
from which much information could be
collated. stated that merchant of Kaskas-
kia named Morrison, heard, about i 8O4.
through some trappers of the stories which
the Indians had told them of this ancient
land, where Spanish pomp and civilization
went hand and hand with royally high
prices of merchandise. He dispatched one
La Lande, French Canadian, on an i'd
venture to Santa Fe, and Mr.. La Lande
went thither with alacrity, but omitted the
tritling formality of coming back again.
The log huts of Kaskaskia knew HIM no
more; he lived in opulcncc in onc-story
adobe house, while the excellent DIorri-
son.
Looked Tor the coming which might not boz"
and finally La Lande died in the odor of
sanctity and was gathered to his fathers,
without having rendered any account of
sales, or made any remittance to his primer
pal.
-Four men, starting with their goods in
1872, and manfully pushing their way to
Santa Fe, returned only in 1921, having
beenimprisoncl during nearly all the in
termediatc time. The next year, however.
marked the opening of the Santa Fc Trail,
that wonderful road, some eight hundred
miles In length. rising so imperceptibly for
three quarters of this distance as to seem
absolutely level, and without bridge from
end to end. There it stretched away to.
ward the sunset half a century ago, and
there 1t stretches to-day, and what poets
dream, what prophetic vision OF the ardent
patriot, stcadfastly believing in the future
greatness OF his country, is commensurate
with either the romance or the reality of
the march over and beside it. during those
nifty years, OF tho pioneeer, the trader, the
soldier, the Frce-State champion, tho sot-
tier, and the railroad engineer?
The first traders carried their merchau-
DISC on pack horses or mules, and it was in
1924 that it was decided to use wagons. a
number of which reached Santa Fe with
much less difficulty than might have been
expected. The practicability Of this method
being established. the trade began steadily
to increase, and in few years a large
amount of capital was embarked therein.
Its initial point was first Franklin, some
one hundred and fifty miles west of st.
Louis; then Independence; then Westport-
oil these towns being on the Missouri
River, and thus easily reached during the
season of navigation. Hero were found
motley crowds-tradors, outfttcrs, dealers
In supplies of all kinds, tourists, invalids
hoping to regain their health by trip on
the plains, drivers, and 'sroughs" in abun-
dance, The covered wagons were drawn
first by horses, then by mules, then by both
mules and oxen; and were carefully load
Cd, Besides the merchandise, supplies for
the men were carried-say, bacon, flour,
coffee, sugar and little salt, 1t being ex-
pected that enough butfaloes would be
Killed to furnish fresh meat. Starting off
In detached parties, the wagons would rem
~S-'N oV S"saIASh SlofCt ol u DTaIlCn OF
the Neosho River, twenty miles north of
the present town of Emporia, and here an
Organization would be effected for mutual
aid and protection during the long journey.
In such Il caravan there would be, perhaps,
one hundred wagons. and captain of
the caravan" would divide them into four
divisions, with lieutenant to each
Every individual in the caravan was COM
PEELED to stand his watch at night, and
this guard must have presented a motley
assortment of clothing and arms. When
all was ready, the start was made. Every
night hollow square and temporary cor
raj were made with the wagons, and the
camp fires lighted outside of this square.
Across swamps, quagmires, and even riv-
ers, the teams were driven, men being sent
ahead to make temporary bridges over the
first two, of brush or .ong grass covered
with earth, and sometimes, for crossing
streams to fabricatc ''buffalo boats" of
hides stretched over frames of poles, or
empty wagon bodies.