Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-17
THE G0LD-SEEKER.
Further Extracts From the
Diary of J. NJ. Hixson.
ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 184s.
Fording Streams and Investigating
the Graves of Indian Chiefs.
Horse Collars 500 Apiece.

Following are further extracts from the
diary of J. M. Hixson, kept while cross
ing the plains in 1S49:
On Thursday, May 3lst, we left camp
early, still travelling up the Platte, and
passed State House rock at IL O'Clock
This is an immense rock, lying out in the
bottom, disconnected from all the high
lands. 1t has the appearance OF large
house, 800 feet in diameter and 100 feet
high. As it was some five miles from
the road, and the ground was soft, did
not 90 out to inspect it closely. The road
was swampy all the afternoon. We
travelled twenty-fi five miles and camped
opposite Chimney rock. We passed sew
eral piles of bacon today; one snugly
piled up, must have contained four to
six thousand pounds. The night was
clear and cold, with some ice. We left
camp early to get the road ahead OF large
number of teams, campsd near Chimney
rock. After getting the wagons started l
took across the bottom for Chimney
rock. thought it was about four miles,
but it must have been well onto eight
miles. This is one of the natural curios-
tiles in this part of the country.
1t is formation of sandstone standing
out in the bottom, and almost round,
several hundred feet through the base
and gradually tapering from all sides,
until at height of several hundred feet
it is, perhaps, from 100 to 120 feet across,
and then shaft or spire rises to the
height of some 400 feet that bles
q chimney or smokestack to some ina
mense furnace. At the base of this
shaft or chimney, as it is called, as high
as q man can ascend, there are thou
sands OF names carved and written from
1909 to 1S49. reached the wagons
after they had gone into camp, they hav-
ing travelled twenty-seven miles. One
Of our party, John Conington, an Irish
man, made the trip on foot to the rock
and did not get into camp that night, but
early in the morning he came into camp,
footsore and we'll used up. Our camp
was at spring near where the road
leaves the bottom turning to the
left over high hill called
Scott's bluff. At this place is a
blacksmith shop. The parties were do
ing a land Office business, shoeing all
kinds of animals, principally oxen, as
many of them have sore feet by the
time they reach here.
Camp No. 80 was pitched on Saturday.
June oath. Travelled over the high bluff
and camped in email bottom, travelling
twenty miles and grass being very poor.
There was an amusing ecene on the
side of the road this day. Three men
owning two yoke of cattle and a wagon
had disagreement, and they deter
mined to separate. So they stopped by
the roadside, ten miles from anywhere.
and divided their effects. Two took
q yoke of oxen each, and the other the
wagon. Those having the oxen had
right to hitch onto another team, but
what the poor fellow was to do with his
wagon, coald not see, for wagons were
not in much demand in these parts
without stock.
There was great deal of quarreling
and wrangliDg, not only amongst messes,
but amongst the members of the large
trains. Some wanted to travel faster
than they were doing, some wanted one
thing and some another, and many were
on the verge of insanity. and did not
know what they wanted. We kept aloof
from large trains, and 80 far there had
not been hard word amongst the five of
us, who owned two wagons and twelve
animals. Two of three men who owned
one wagon and seven mules had quar-
relied some, 80 finally one of the party
whose courage had been tried, said to
the two who were quarrelipg, that
the matter had gone far enough
and it had to stop, and as one
had a good double barrel shot
gun and the other could have his
they were to station themselves twenty
five steps apart aud fire at the word
first one barrel, and then if that did mo-
hit, fire the other; and as they did mo-
like that kind of business, and knowins
their partner meant business, they had
been as meek Rs lambs for some dayt
and continued SO.
We reached Camp No. 81 on Sunday
June 31st. We started early and trav
eled twelve miles to noon. After moor
we travelled ten miles over fairly gooC
road and encamped within six miles O.
Fort Laramie. We had good campins
with wood, water and grass. Those
three conditions altogether mean feast
either kettle Of bean soup, pot O
rice or stewed apples, and sometimes two
of the above delicacies at the same time
We had seen number of Indian sepul
chers in trees and on scaffolds severa
feet above the ground, but had neve
disturbed them. At this place there wa
one high up in cottonwood tree, ant
some of the boys, in company with som,
of the Tennessee boys, feeling good afte
their feast of bean soup, concluded thi
must have been chief to have been 81
exalted. So they would peep into hil
blankets and see what the tribe hac
given him to carry to the happy
hunting grounds. Before getting neal
enough to make the examination
the scaffold gave way and down went
the whole outfit to the ground, and 9
worse set of scared fellows one woulG
not often see. After a lecture from
Major Lane, on the result of their acts
to US or some other emigrants, the only
thing to be done was to patrol the sur.
roundings and sec whether there were
any Indians who would be likely to dis.
cover what had been done and double
the guard for the night. There was nc
chance to remedy what they had done.
We pitched Camp No. 80 on Monday
June 4th. We did not care to be seer
at that camp, 80 we crossed Laramie
FORK, a deep, swift stream, and reached
the fort about q. m. This is quite an i'm.
portant place with q large number oi
comfortable houses made out of large
blocks of dried mud, called adobe. The
location IL picturesque, and the contrast
ls very great between this and Fort
Childs, by some called Fort Kearney.
There are a uumhar of soldiera atatioped