Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-07
WAS IT A SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION

EDS RECORD UNION Charles Hopper,
who died IN September of last year, in
Napa valley, was trapping in the Rocky
Mountains in the year 1885, in company
with g Peg-leg Smith," whom many of
your readers will remember. At the same
time company of nine Frenehmen-trap-
pers also-had their camp on Green river,
west of the mountains. Hopper and Smith
made their arrangements to visit the camp
of the Frenchmen. to set out on a given
day, the journey requiring three days. On
the morning of the day they were to set
out Mr.. Hopper objected to going, giving
as a reason that he had dream the night
before in which he had warning not to
go. Smith laughed at what he called Hop
per's superstition, and induced him to start
on the trip. The next night he had the
same dream, and on the following morning
renewed his objection, and again Smith
overcame them. But on the second day he
felt an impression that he was doing wrong
to pay no heed to his warning monitor, and,
stopping the pack animals, protested that
there was imminent danger ahead. Smith
became furious, and accused his companion
of cowardice Ia Drawer man never walked),
and again he was induced to resume the
journey. That night the same dream came
to him again, and was followed by the same
objection as before, and again he was per-
suaded to go forward. But about the mid
die of that, the third day, and the last of
their journey before reaching the camp of
the French trappers, to use his own words,
81 was brought up with a jerk which al
most threw me off my horse, and was told
by something to go no further-there was
danger ahead, and they went no further.
That night the Frenchmen were all muir
dered by the Indians. Many will remem.
Der the history of their massacre, as pub
lished in the papers afterward.
In the year 1910, Mr.. Hopper, together
with Colonel Childs (now of Napa county,
and five OR six others. came to California,
and returned the next year to the State of
Missouri. On their return, after reaching
| the gorges of the Rocky Mountains, the
little party camped on q small knoll or
mound, IN anticipation of storm of rain
that night. After retiring, and all had
fallen asleep, Mr.. Hopper walked Colonel
Childs, and told him there were Indians
about. Up to that time, not an Indian
had been seen. Colonel Childs asked him
why he thought so? The answer was, he
had dreamed SO and SO. The Colonel
| laughed at what he called Hoppers super
stition, and all went to sleep again. Alter
| little, the same dream and awaking of
| the Colonel, who protested against being
disturbed, and again all went to sleep.
But the dream came the third time, when
Mr.. Hopper whisperingly called up the
sleepers, assuring them that their camp
was surrounded with Indians and taking
his gun, he orept into the darkness, some
distance from the camp, and detected the
voices of the savsges in whispered con-
versation When daylight came, the
camp was found to be surrounded by
about 400 Indians, who had mistaken the
little company of travellers for a wander
ing band of their enemies. with whom they
were at war.
These, with numerous other strange ex-
periences in his life, were told me by Mr..
Hopper at different times some years ago,
when / used to take great pleasure in
camping out with him, on his bear hunts,
in the region about Clear lake, before that
country was settled and organized into
Lake county. 1 frequently observed, in
our hunts, he would send me around some
'spint Of hill, as he called it, without
satisfactory reasons to me, and / thought
to watch him to learn the cause and more
than once or twice | discovered him on the
ground, on his knees in prayer Wonder
| fully strange man? Whether the angels
stopped to whisper in his ear or touch his
heart, l know not. j. ].
Colusa December l3, 1881.