Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-10-23
THE OLD SANTA FEE TRAIL.
1t Is Still Distinct aud Serviceablo In
Western Kansas.

Western Kansas.
Travellers. in their "reminiscences of the |
Kansas frontier. write as if the Denver
trail can hardly be traced AZ the present
time. This may be SO in counties rs far
cast rs Ellsworth. but in the western
part of the State it will remain for many
wears as a memorial of the brave meu
who carried the mail for the United
States through an Indian infested dis
trict IL, far lack as 1860 To-day, where
the plow has not been, there are miles of
the old trail in Cove county and west
ward, which are better to drive over now
than when John Butteriield first laid it
out.
How great an undertaking it was to
carry the mail, summer and winter. day
and night, from st. Joseph to San Fran
cisco can be realized 10y those only who
saw the plains in early days. The writer
has often wondered if Messrs. Major,
Warlell. and Russell KEEP. any record OF
| their experiences when they took the
| contract to work the route, and II so,
whether any such record is still in exist
ence. 1t would bs interesting to tho
younger generation to read how the
route was surveyed and the stations
built 10 or IL miles apart. all along the
| line, and of the numberle,s exciting cpl
sedcs which must have occurred.
| 1t has been stated that the names OF
many of the depots on the Kansas Pa
ciiic Railroad were taken from the names
given to the old stage stations. Charac-
teristic names many of them We're, Mo-
notony, Mirage. Wild Horse, etc. Walk
er's Creek. tradition says, was named for
stage driver who was killed by Indians
at that point. From there westward the
writer is we'll acquainted with the Old
trail for many stages. each OF which has
its history. Fort Fletcher, established
in 1866 stands Tor used TO stand) on the
trail at the junction of North Fork and
Big Creek. Here it was that the DASH
lug Custer and his men were washed
out one night by cloud burst. Eight
miles west was Big Greek station, which
is said to have been utterly cleaned out
one time by Indians, probably Chey'
cnnes Ten years after bullets could have
been picked up by the dozen all round,
showing that it was the scene of n hot
fight. Twenty six miles west is what is
known as Threshing Machine Canyon
where the trail runs close beside the
Smoky River Here they say that eight
cen men, taking threshing machine tt
Colorado, were surprised while camped
and every man scalped and the machine
burned up. Portions of the iron wor.
lay around for many year.
About so miles from Fort Fletcher TIN
old earthworks of small fort on Towne
Creek are still plainly discernib!e, an'
again at about the same number of mile
westward stood Fort Monument, near t
Monument Rocks Here stood smal
stone building up to 80, almost ever
stone of which had a name of some tray
eler cut thereon. Some Swede hassinc
pulled down the building and used tn
rock for n dugout, thereby destroyin
an interesting relic of the past and til
handiworl of many man who Ia
doubtless before this gone over Il sti
Il longer trail.
This brings us into the neighborhoo
81 of the Beaver. the scene of the last II
q dian fight in Kansas, in 10, when Ca
= tain Lewis was killed by the Cheyenne
q on their passage northward.
n The story goes that one of the aho'
mentioned mail contractors had an e,
to the spiritual welfare of his men, al
when bull train was about to sta
y would present Testament to each
the teamsters and that on a man appl
ing one day for job he asked, "C'
YOU drive cattle?" YES" was the ,
ply, Il can drive them to H." To Il
y the contractor replied, THANK 70
young man; do nc. require your ser
ices. am not teaming to that point. y
w. b. F.