Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-08-02
THE EPIoNEER TBAMsTER.

and Chihuahua traders carried on a very |
extensive trade with the northern states Of
Mexico. Notwithstanding a great Amre-
ican Desert had to be crossed, and the
many dangers and pritations the mer-
chants had to encounter in those fearful |
days, the profits were so large and the
chances for making money so great that
there was no lack of daring men of means
to engage in the peulous enterprise. 1t
required nervy wiiy men, with great pow
ers Of endurance, who could look danger
IN and the face and view with serenity the
wreck of matter and the crush of world, "
to engage in this gigantic trade When
they passed the Missouri border, twenty
miles west of Independence, they bid fare
well to peace and all the comforts of civil
ized life to take the chances of fortune in
hard life in The hardest country on the
face of the earth.
A trip across the plains 10 Mexico had
charm about it that few could resist; the
people of Missouri opened the trade, but
eastern adventufers came, embarked in the
enterprise and acquired taste for the ex-
citing life. There was but one road from
the states to Mexico and that was known
as ''the Santa Fe TRAIL leading directly
across the great PLAINS from independence
Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico, thence
the wagon road turned south down the
Rio Grande and crossing the River at the
natural gateway Of Ell Paso Del Norte.
BY this overland route all the northern
states of Mexico we're supplied with Amer
can goods, mule and ox-wagons being the
only means Of transportation lndepen
dence was the starting point, the annual
out.ftting expenditures were enormous
and made western Missouri rich.
The trains commenced moving slowly to
ward their destipanon in the month OF
May, as soon as the grass was tall enough
tor stock to feed on; this they lived on
from one end of the trip to the other,
drawing heavy loaded wagons across wat
cress deserts to distance of two thousand
and sometimes three thousand miles.
The hlexlcans were always raven.
GUS for AmerIcen goods, and had plenty OF
monty to buy them with. Indeed there
was lorp money in the country before the
American occupation than there is to-day
uuder the benign iuAlonce of American
civilization. This trade was enormous,
running up IN the millions; thousands of
wagons, men mules and oxen were enRag-
ed in the Commences Of prsries. Money
was abundant and the people wanted
goods The traders always sold out their
wagons and animals except enough to
haul back their money with and this is
the way they put up their money. They
would take fresh raw hides and having
counted out the silver dollars in sums Of
$1,000 and 5000 dollars they wuold cut
The hide so as they could sew up the
amount tight in a round pile with a raw
aide thong, and when tho hide got dry 1t
would be a mass OF silver as hard as a
boulder.
When 6rst came to Independence |
was not a little surprised to see these pack
ages dumped out of wagons on the streets
As if they were country rock, but the same
thing was of frequent occurrence
and soon got used to it. When the
many teamsters who had not come for the
wages, but cotne for the novelty Of the
trip we're discharged down about El PAso
and Chihuahua to go back the way they
,..,o a, Coots Eo ma a war; Lane, cirrni.
tons road, and several parties endeayored
tn reach the states by more direct route
by travelling IN ali easterly direction across
succession of deserts. Their friends 10
Missouri hopefully waited their coming,
but alas their fate will never be known un-
til the morning of that great day In vain
different parties sought 10 find a nearer
wagon road to the south Of New Mexico,
until 1850 by the combined efforts of the
people of San Antonio and FL Paso a wag-
on road was made between the two points,
each party worked until they met. From
that time the trade assumed larger proper
hons, aud was divided between the two
routes,
The teamsters on their return to Mis-
souri were very communicative aud had a
knack Of painting Mexico and the incid
ents of the trip in glowing colors. Many
Of the stories although substantially true
sounded like tale Of romance and never
failed to captvate the young men and rur
away with their senses. They showec
them the bright side OF the picture oAly
they did not tell them they would have t.
. walk every foot OF the road and pack wooC
and water on their backse very day dis
tance of half and sometimes one mile
that they would have to drive of night
until and o'clock in the morning anc
, instead of being allowed to go to sleep a.
Z soon as teams we're turned out they woulc
, be compelled to go and stand guard aroun,
the animals and the camp until sunrise il
\ the morning, then eat their breakfasts
hitch up and drive on again. They woul'
tell them a honf the avcitinO enort OF m