Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-10-25
THE LODE STAR TRAIN.

1t was during the fall of 1865 that the
Lode Star Mining Company sent an outfit
from Nevada, in Iowa, across the plains
from Atchison to Denver. The train
consisted of dozen covered wagons la
den with various materials, including a
small engine, in parts, as well as other
machinery. Each vehicle had four mules
with driver and keeper, and altogeth-
er the train embraced in its connections
about thirty-five men.
These men were generally armed with
revolvers, and there was also distributed
among them twelve Spencer repeating
rifles, placed in the hands of the best
men, designed to protect the train from
the attacks of those buccaneers of the
prairie, the red skins. The wagons were
heavily loaded, it being necessary to
carry grain for all the mules, as well as
provisions for the men, in addition to the
machinery.
The outfit made but about twenty miles
per day, and when night approached the
teams were corraled-that is driven into
circle within which the men and ami
mails were grouped to feed and rest. This
arrangement formed sort of fort, behind
which the men could fight to advantage,
if they were attacked by the Indians,
which was pretty sure to occur some time
during the long journey across the plains.
The Lode Star Companys outfit had
not been three days on the route before
they caught sight, now and then, of
Indian scouts in the distance, lowering
first on one flank and then on the other
of the train as it wound along the valley
of the North Platte. The redskins did
not come boldly in sight, but rode up
within long-rifle range behind the favor
ing shelter of some rise in the long roll
of the prairie, and throwing themselves
fiat upon the ground, raised their heads
high enough for the purpose of inspect
ing the train.
The outfit was in good hands, and
under excellent discipline. There was
no staggering, no tagging behind. The
line was kept compact and perfect and
all hands always in call of each other.
The Indians, seeing there was no chance
to pick off any isolated members of the
train by hanging on the skirts of the
travellers, were forced to adopt some
other tactics. But they were very
cautious, for they were impressed by the
watchfulness of the leaders of the ex-
peditlon.
The cunning redskins understand per-
fectly the character of those constituting
one of these mining trains, after few
hours of following and observation
Nothing escapes their vigilant eyes. Any
want of discipline among the men, or any
carelessness in the way of exposure, is
carefully noted and taken advantage of,
while the train that is kept well in hand
by its leader, and conducted with cool
calculation and caution, if attacked at
all, it is only by very superior numbers
and under favorable circumstances of
position.
There were six or eight frontiersmen
with the Lode-Star train who knew very
we'll the Indian tactics, and who " ere
prepared for an attack at any moment,
but, in the meantime, they steadily pur-
sued their way across the dreary and
monotonous plains, appearing to take no
notice of the scouts whose heads now
and then appeared over the distant hill
locks.
BY and by the scouts became bolder,
and would dash up to within rifle shot
of the train upon their little wiry ponies,
take good look and then return again
On the fifth day out from Atchison
twenty five or thirty redskins, early in
the morning, came circing about the
train just as it stared upon the
days journey, and saluted the whites