Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-12-26
FREMoNT's CARAVAN PROJECT,
Across the American Desert Before the
Iron Track Was Thoupi,t or


Iron Track Was Thought or
Mrs. NJ. a. Bingham, widow of the
late Gen. Bingham, met Gen. John @.
fremont in Kansas City in the DAYS
before the war, and has many incidents
to relate Of the Pathfinder. One of
the most interesting refers 20 the meet
ing Of Senator Benton and Gen. Ere
mont in this city forty years ago to
discuss the establishment of caravan
route to California.
i met Gen. Fremont along in the
fifties," remarked Mrs Bingham. "He
came here and stopped several days at
the famous ellis house. | remember
taking dinner with him. He was re-
garded as brave, adventurous, daring
spirit We looked upon him very much
as people Of today look upon Stanley
AT the time Gen. Fremont was in Kan
sas City planning for caravan to travel
across the great American desert. His
right hand man in this project was
Lieut.. Beale, civil engineer, educated
at West Point The father-in-law OF
Gen Fremont, Senator Benton, was
also here, and regarded the caravan
scheme with favor They proposed to i'm
port camels from Africa and use them IN
transporting goods overland along the
route known as the Santa Fe trail. The
camels were imported at considerable
expense, but the trip was found i'm
practicable. The camels could no:
stand the climate. 1t was proposed to
winter them in Texas or Southern Cali
fornia, but the project fell through.
and the promoters of the scheme lost
considerable money.
81 shall never forget" continued
Mrs. Bingham, how one bright sunny
morning Gen. Fremont rode away from
Kansas City on his way to California.
looking every inch a soldier in his
handsome uniform and military trap
pings. Refining his steed to one side. he
said laughingly to me; When | come
back, get your saddle ready and | will
give you "A ride ON one of my canels.
never had the privilege Of taking that
ride. Gen. Fremont soon forgot thu
camel scheme, and went off to new
fields. The camel idea seemed perfect
ly feasible and practicable, but the idea
of a Pacific railroad seemed preposter
GUS. While discussing the caravan pr.
| ject Senator Benton said to me: Yor
are young, but you will live to see til,
iron cars start from Kansas City anG
cross the mountains to the Pacific slope
am old. | shall never live to sec it
But | have confidence in the country
and | believe in the future of the rail
road. This little town of 300 inhal,
itants will yet become one of the great
cities of the world
Il could not comprehend such f.
project. was surprised at its magni
tude Visions of my school days o.
the great American desert, second only
to Sahara in size, the biographies said
came fitting through my brain, and !
remarked:
But, senator, how about the grea,
American desert? How can they ever
cross itI
That is nothing, he replied
Standing in the moonlight on the POI
tico of the famous old ellis house.
impressive and majestic in manner, tile
/ aged senator has seemed to me ever
! since a prophet. The caravan, which
seemed so plausible, failure-the Pa
citic road, which seemed so far away. .
success. Who can tell what to expect p
Kansas City Times.