Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-07-29
9ai1n Eaa1e
OREGON PIONEERS.
PRIvATiONS WHICH ACCOMPANIED
THE TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS.


THE TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS.
How Judge Tolman and Wife Took q
Bridal Tour of e 900 Miles-Dying with
the Cholera-Borrowing q Span OF
Mules-Meeting the Modocs.
While seated before cheerful fire, in the
house Of Judge Tolman, the other evening,
said to Mrs Tolman who was seated near
with some light work in her hand:
"In what year did you come to Oregon!'
We had been talking about the early days,
and the Indians getting ready for the cele-
brated Rogue River war.
We came here in the summer of -"
"You have several times mentioned Incl.
dents connected with your journey across
the country, and l should en- Joy hearing you
tell the whole story" So the brave woman
told it to me, and this is about what she
said:
Our company, numbering sixty five per-
sons and sixteen wagons, left Oskaloosa,
Iowa, on the 18th of April, Mr.. Tolman and
having been married but two days previ-
ously. So the journey was my wedding
trip The company was mainly organized
dt ulC00u ulsSduU, WueT0
Mr. Toman had resided by common con-
sent he was chosen to act as its leader or
captain
mo sooner were our backs turned to the
Missouri than begau the usual annoying at
tentions from the Pawnee and Omaha In
dians, though they showed US no hostility.
The Pawnees were a nation Of incorrigible
beggars and at night they swarmed about
our tent as thick as mosquitoes in the hope
of obtaining the things they 80 fervently
coveted After considerable such maneu.
vering on their part, Mr. Tolman saga
ciously hired their chief to escort us beyond
the bounds Of the tribe
I'VE were now in a region where water to
quench our thirst could seldom be procured
except from the turbid Platte, and where
dry weeds grass and buffalo chips were the
only fuel The heat was intense. There
was no such thing as shade.
COUPLE OF CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS
"One day we came upon a wagon drawn
out upon the roadside. From it q man S
voice inquired if there were q physician in
our company.
ayes, was the answer.
"'Will he not stop and see a woman who
is illP he asked.
"The doctor alighted and found patient
in the last stages of cholera, the company to
which the parties belonged had passed on
and left tn m to fare as best they could
Further on observed a freshly made
grave which the rapacious coyotes had in
vaded. A number of human bones were
scattered about, and on a narrow bit Of
board near i read the name of an intimate
friend Of mine, who had preceded us but
few days
"Our train was well out from Fort Lara
mic when there dashed up beside our car
riage a tall, well built, broad shouldered
man with jet-black eyes, Spanish COM
plexiOn, and the air desperado He was
mounted upon a small Mexican burro, out
Of all proportion to his own size, and alto
gether cut a most ludicrous figure Ad-
dressing my husband abruptly, he said:
LOOK here, stranger. see you have two
mules following this train which you are
not using Now, l want you to help me
take them to draw my wagon, which you
saw back here by tho roadside, to Yreka,
Cal, where l understand you are going.
And more than that, want to travel with
your train. And when we get through,
my woman and l will just vacate the wagon
and you will be welcome to it, mules and
all
Well, that sounds we'll, in q man l
never saw before,' replied Mr.. Tolman,
looking up much amused Il doubt if these
mules will prove q very good purpose
They have never been broken But
how Go you happen to find yourself in
such a fixf'
well, you see,' said the fellow, had
two good mules when l left Texas Or,
rather, another man and l started with two
teams and the one heavy wagon, but one
night he took the best team and Lit out in
the darkness, leaving me two little speci-
mems like this, and they are not strong
enough to pull us through. But 1 can
break your mules if you'll just let me
have them l haven any money and can't
pay you for them, but you shall have my
wagon
"'rake them, said Mr. Tolman The fel-
low did, and upon our arrival in Yreka
delivered up his wagon, saying he had no
further use for it
AN ESCAPE FROM THE MoDoCS
Toward the last Of June we entered the
famous valley Of the Sweetwater river and
were greeted with fine view Of that his
toric object, Independence rock Our pro-
gress up the stream was between two lofty
mountain ranges with ma jestic scenery all
around "from that time on nothing excit-
ing happened until we invaded the realms
of the Modoo Indians, who were now in a
particularly hostile frame Of mind A
train preceding us having been attacked
and some Of the party murdered by the saw
ages, the people Of Shasta county Califor-
mia, quickly raised and sent out to meet us
q company of mounted volunteers, who
formed our escort for two days before
reaching the Modoc territory. At the i'm
mediate entrance to Modoc lake the usual
roads winds past locality called Bloody
Point Here the band lay in wait for us,
concealed among the tules, and watching
our descent OF q rocky bluff, but a little dis
tant
Fortunately for us, however. our guides
having discovered short "cut off, leading
around the lake opposite their lurking place,
conducted our train through that, and
brou hit US out into sweet valley,
stretching away from the lake, ere the In
dams dlscose cred that they were outwitted
But now they started in pursuit SO we
halted, drew our wagons up in compact
order, and awaited call from the warriors
They were much chagrined at our good gem
eralship but protested to the soldiers that
they simply wanted to learn where We were
going.
we entered Yreka August "a, without
the loss Of single animal on the way, hsv-
ing laid over q whole day at Fort Laramie,
and having made the quickest trip on record
up to that date Here We tarried ten DAYS
and then made the transit of the Siskiyon
mountains, which in that day was 10 tria
ing exploit The men and women crossed
on foot, while the wagons were let down the
PERCEPTIONS sides of the bold ran,e by means
- <r.,a
and allowed to uncol slowly as the wagons
descended. In that style we entered south
err Oregon. thirty -four years agor-Oregon
Cor Cleveland Leader.
London Not Yet Recognized.