Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-06-09

mer season
will here remark that along with
other horrors seen by me on this trip, |
saw horses and cattle on different occa-
sions and in one instance man, SOL
dier in returning squadron to the
States, struck suddenly down and killed
by lightning and wagons turned over
by the wind, cattle stampedcd by hail,
NC. | attended the burial of the soldier,
whose grave was dug in a few moments
after death, near the trail, bis body laid
in it, in his uniform, without coffin and
some ono reading the burial service from
the Episcopal prayer book. 1t was, with
its surroundings, very affecting affair
and not modified in its melancholy fea-
lures by the knowledge that before the
next sunrise his body would be snatched
from its resting place by the coyotes and
other wolves and the bones stripped and
scattered around tho grave, for we saw
many instances of similar Dissertation of
the graves of the emigrants of tho pre-
ceding year. who died from the cholera,
which in that year broke out among
them, on one occasion finding the body
of woman, as indicated by the hair,
combs and ring upon her finger.
| will now commence an account of an
other event, the beginning of which oc-
CURED whilst we were yet noar the bor-
ders, and which | imagine will prove
worth telling On the evening of
nice. clear day, after cooking and eating
supper, one of our party and myself de-
termincd to pay II visit to a camp that
had pitched tent so close to us that we
could hear singing coming therefrom and
distinguish female voices accompanying
We had heard the same, from the same
parties, one evening previous, but did
not visit where they we're. The music
heard in the distance, in SO wild and out
of-the-way place, and at so quiet and
lonesome an hour, sounded delightfully."-
in our ears. On reaching the tent that
we had been attracted to by the singing
We were invited in by an old, gray-haired
gentleman, apparently about sixty years
of age. We soon found out that he was
owner and "boss" of the train, which
consisted of about two hundred head of
cattle. three wagons and four or five hor-
ses and mules. We found out further
that he was widower and had with him
his two daughters and SON. There was
with him. besides these, four men -
They all appeared to be quite intelligent,
gentccl people, and judging from their
conversation, pious people The old
gentleman conducted prayers night and
morning, whenever the weather permit
ted, and it was their singing at prayers
had attracted us. My companion and |
spent an hour or 30 quite agrreably with
these folks and then returned to our camp.
We saw the same party the next day,
but not again until at the crossing of
Laramie river, at Fort Laramie, situated
in the forks of that river and the Platte,
but considerable change had by this
time come over tho entire crowd, father,
son, daughters and all, both as to out.
ward appearance and in demeanor aud
conversation. The whole party had fall
en- from grace woefully, and in the ter
rible struggle among the cmigrants there
at that time, (our party with the rest |
to secure grass for the large droyes Of
cattle accumulated there awaiting the
said river to fall sufficient to ferry, and |
to save cattle from drowning when at last
plunging into the water, the folks speak
Of were as unchoice in their language as
the resto of their fellow-emigrants. While |
making the descent of echo Canon" |
on the west slope of the Rocky Noun
tains, we saw our friends again, and |
AM sorry to say they had grown even
more demoralizcd than over, particularly
the ladies, who had become what they
would have been called at home, in Hi |
noiS, ''no better than they should be"
Afterwards, in 1854, whilst keeping II
small book and stationery store in the
mining camp OF Camptonvillc, in Yuba
county, Cal, where there were congre-
gated at that day some five or six hun
drcd miners, with several stores, butch
er's shops and gambling saloons, Sunday
being the principal day of trade and ca
rousal, an effort was made towards re-
form in this particular by some Of the
better class Of citizens, tho leader of whom
was an old gentleman, merchant there,
whose wife bad already recognized as
being the oldest daughter of our quon-
dam Illinois friend. She had entirely re-
formed and again become gentccl, good
woman, had married very we'll, and in
one of her talks with me informed me
that her father and brother were living in
Napa Valley, and doing well, but that
her sister had gone entirely and hope
lcssly astray.
The use Of the words, lonesome and
hymn-singing, above recalls one or two
"reminiscences it is possible my readers
will be interested in.
The sense or feeling of loneliness af-
fected me, and suppose in almost eyory
ono travelling the wild waste Of territory
We were now traycrsing; (oncly even in
company with co-travelers, but especially
SO when, as | was sometimes wont 10 do,
wandering by myself off from the trail
and from the sight Of tho numerous car
avans thereon was Of nature or kind
differing from anything ever experienced
by mo before or since, for whilst most
intense in degree there seemed an ac-
companying willingness to experience
and indulge in il. have heon in mid
ocean, thousands of miles from land, be-
Gained and naught to look upon or hear
but the monotonous scenes and sounds Of
such condition of things, for days and
even weeks at time, but this in place
Of being enjoyable was sickening TO the
heart and provoked the desire TO be rid
Of it as hastily and completely as posi-
bic. In attempting to explain the rea-
son Of this difference it has occurred to
INC that whilst looking out upon tho vast,
illimitablc, CLASSY sea | was viewing
what had been and would ever be with
out change from first to last, while on the
other hand when surveying the bound
| lag nrau of 0raon and roIl;n0 praira ar |