Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-07-06
An Old Settlers Story.

1
Written for the Washington Standard.
A few evenings ago several of the
old boys" as the pioneers are callet
by our Pacific coasters, were talking
over early days in California.
After a number of stories had beer
told, Bill Crowder, an old Missourian
got in his fin, and said:
shall never forget my first bal
in California. 1t was at Hangtown
(now Placerville) in 80. In crossing
the plains We had all kinds of bad
luck. We had some OF our hosses
stolen by Injuns, and some got aka.
lied and jest naturally dried up inter
mummies as they walked along. The
poor critters was nothin' but skin and
bones. All else had been eaten out'n
'em by the alkali water and by the
alkali they got in gnawin' inter the
ground after the roots of the grass
off'n which the critters of the head
trains had eat the tops.
The animals was nothin' more'n
mechanical machines. Iactually saw
one horse hobble along ut his usual
gait full half mile after he WAS dead.
The poor feller had SO little life in him
that he didn't know when it left, and
his bones and skin jest went right
along till stumble tumbled him over.
Well, when our hosses died off, we
left behind wagons, provisions, tools,
and everything but the little we could
carry on our backs. 1t soon got to be
8 every feller for himself and the In
juns take the hindmost.' Some of
my company got in with parties who
wac still crawlin' along with OK teams,
but l pushed right ahead afoot, and
took the desperate chances of gettin' q
bite of grub here and there ON the
road. walked right along by the OK
teams and by lots of hoss teams. Near
ly naked and half starved, finally got
to the Humboldt river. l found big
party of emiglants camped there for q
day or two to rest their stock, wash
clothes, bake bread, and the like.
+" was rough lookin' customer,
you bet-the worst in all that congre-
CATION. had ON an old red round
about, or warmas, ns We called it, that
I'd worn all the way from Pike, jean
trousers that was ready to drop off me,
and pair cf moccasins that got
from Shoshone Injun for jack
knife. A more devastated critter nor
what was you never seed. A man
At the camp took pity ON me, and,
shown me two pair OF green baize
drawers, told me if I'd wash 'em
might have one pair for my trouble.
As the drawers was sound and much
better than my old pantaloons, l
JUMPED at the chance. So l washed
the articles and hung 'em up on a
bunch of willers at the edge OF the
river to dry. Presently the feller
come and took one pair, leavin' the
other for me. He was y little spin
dim bit OF cuss, while l was tall and,
even at that time, starved as ! was,
weighed nigh on to 16O pounds.
took the drawers and went some dis
tance down the river from the camp
when got behind a bunch Of willers
out of sight of the wimmin folks, to
make my toilet. The washing and
dryin' had shrunk the drawers to sich
an extent that it took me bout half an
hour to get inter 'em. They was skin
tight, and lacked six inches of reachin
down to my ankle jints. I was ar
amazin' sight. / looked for all the
world like naked man painted green
fsom the waist down to the calves O
the legs.
IL walked up and down the banl
of the stream for long time before
could collect my feelin's sufficient tt
venture back to camp. When l re
viewed myself over l felt SO modes
that l went and looked for my OLD
breeches, but I had throwed 'em int
the river in the start, and they hat
floated away or sunk. So resumed
my cogertations. As l promenade
up and down thar, by the wate<'
edge, my long, slim, green legs mad
me look like one Of these ere fy-uI
the-creeks, a crane, or some sich kim
Of \ wadin' water fowl.
As there was all kinds of blame
fools u bangin' away among the col
tonwoods and wi!leIs skirtin the rive
shooting at bout everything in sigh
I began to be mighty afeerd of beir
taken for some new kind of big Gran
of the wilderness. When I'd got m
courage up to the stickin' pint, ] wen
hack to the camp.
As soon a. come in sight thel
was grand commotion. Everybod