Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-03
THE PLAINS ACROSS.
The Stirring Days Of Gold.
Seekers Reviewed.
A BRUSH WITH HOSTILE INDIANS
Diary of One Who Came to Cali
fornia in 1849, With Lively
Incidents of the Trip.

The HERALD has published several in
stallments of the diary of Mr.. J. Al. Hix-
son, kept while crossing the plains to
California in 1S49. Here follows another
portion of the story:
Camp 16 was reached on Thursday
May IL, 1S49. We had an early start
and came up to and passed about 100
wagons that had camped further on the
road than our camp the night before.
Nothing of interest occurred this day and
we nooned as usual. The most impor-
tant step was to get an early start. By
go doing we got to the beaten trail ahead
of the other trains. In a case like last
night, where there were 100 wagons, with
from four to five yoke of oxen to the
wagon, it was big item to get ahead, so
as not to pass them while travelling, for
it took long time to do 80, and all that
time our teams were travelling over eoft
ground. The mules were brought in
close around the wagons by the last
guard, and while was preparing break
fast the other boys harnessed them
ready to hitch up IS soon as they got
through eating their slapjacks, bacon
and coffee. By the time the cooking
utensils and tin plates and cups were
put away, the wagons moved off. l had
nv saddle mule, and after look around
to see there was nothing left, rode on
and overlook the wagons. If there were
no bad places to pass went ahead and
selected place to camp for noon, about
where l thought they could be by IL to
/ O'Clock. I unsaddled my mule and
then gathered some wood if there was
any to be had. If no wood was found
the next show for fire was Buffalo chips,
which. when they we're dry, make hot
fire. As soon as the wagons arrived
hot cup of coffee, and that, with some
cold bread and piece OF bacon cooked
by holding it on willow switch or
picket pin over the fire made our lunch.
To keep our fire from being blown away
we had to dig a trench say eight to ten
inches wide and the same depth, and
about two feet long; by placing iron
picket pins over this trench, we set our
coffee pot, camp kettle or anything we
wished to heat. I usually had some
rice, beans, or dried apples stewed from
the last nights meal-especially if we
had any wood to cook with.
By the time the boys who were with
the wagons had unhitched their mules
and picketed them on the best
grass they could find near by,
lunch was ready. We had
good coffee, and l knew how to make it,
and there is nothing one appreciates
more than cup of coffee of cold day.
We had sugar, but no milk. Several Of
the boys took their coffee "straight." 4"
1 roasted my coffee we'll and kept it
in a tight vessel to get all the aroma.
/ used the skin of dry Goldfish in clearing
it. Don't be startled to hear of Mis-.
sourian using codfsh-we only use the
skin.
If we were not hurried we usually
spent from one to one and half hours
in camp at noon. Today we were hur-
ried. The one hundred wagons we had
passed in the forenoon were coming on
and there was big lot ahead in sight.
We travelled hard during the afternoon,
passing $50 wagons, mostly OK teams
with four to five yoke Of cattle to the
wagon. We passed mule team from
Kentucky in which there we're some
Mason county boys, friends of my uncle
and brother. After travelling twenty five
miles we encamped on the Little Blue
river; so Camp II dates Friday, May
18th. We left camp at sunrise
and travelled about five miles
and left the stream to ou
left, ascending high ridge onto 6
plateau ON which was lake of consider
able size, near which we camped, afte
travelling twenty miles. This is all al
open prairie country, no wood except
few cottonwood trees now and then OF
the streams.
We pitched camp Is on Saturday, Ma,
19h. We had the most severe storm
last night We had yet experienced; tn
continuous lightning made it almost a
light as day, and the thunder was deaf
ening, peal after peal; We could not tel
where it struck, but as the ground ap
peared to tremble beneath our feet, i
must have struck some of the bluffs OIL
the Blue river to the southwest. Th
rain came in torrents, but as we were or
the highest land anywhere near, we die
not fear washout. After we left cam,
we heard Of man being killed by
he discharge of gun, but
learned none of the particulars. We lef
camp at an early hour, still raining. A
ga. M, we struck into the Platte bottom
Here the road WAS something fearful
mud and water, tufts of grass and mir
holes. BY noon, however, we hat
reached the main road running up tn
Platte from Council Bluffs to Fort Childs
the road the :Mormons had made ant
were still travelling to Salt Lake. Sool
after reaching the main road, finding
good grass in the Platte bottom, WI
stopped for noon. We turned a few yard
off the road to the right, and the Lexing
ton company commanded by Captain
Gabe Brown, turned from the road few
yards to the left before coming up to ou
wagons. We had scarcely got our mules
picketed before the cry went W
from Captain Browns company, of GIN
dians" Looking down the valley, we
saw, mile or more distant, some sixty
or seventy-five mounted men, coming
with all the speed their animals could
carry them. At the distance it was
difficult to tell Just what they were, but
being in the heart of the Pawnee Indian
territory--the most hostile tribe border
ing on the frontier-we lost no time in
getting our mules secured to the wagon
wheels. We had scarcely done 30 before
there we're two shots from some of the
men from the Lexington company. The
Indians had gotten within some 15C
yards when the shots were fired, but
luckily for all no damage was done. The
Indians we're coming at full speed when
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