Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-10
HIXSON'S JOURNAL.
Many Moving Accidents by
Flood and Field.
CROSSING THE PLAINS IN '49.
A Countless Band of Buffalos-SwIm'
ming Rivers and Fording quick
sands to Seek Gold.

The next installment of j. M. Hix-
sons journal across ths plains IN lS49
given below is of unusual interest be-
cause of the stirring incidents it recites:
Camp No. 10 was pitched on Sunday,
May 20, 1S49. We lay in camp all day.
We overhauled our loading and found
we had more provisions on hand than
we would be likely to use, and the roads
being SO fearfully bad we concluded we
would dispose of some more flour and
bacon. 1t was of the utmost Importance
to save our mules in every way we could,
for on them we depended to get to our
journeys end. We realized we had
long road to travel. We had now been
out twenty days and had not got to the
yard gate as it were on the journey.
This was cold, bleak, windy place.
The wind always blows here. Why a
can't imagine.
On Monday morning, May 21st, we
left camp at an early hour and drove
over to the fort and sold 900 pounds of
hotfr and bacon at Two cents a pound
pretty cheap for such goods, after haul
ing them so far through the mud, but as
our purchaser was sutler to Uncle Sans
soldiers, of course he had to make few
hundred per cent. The fort was COM
posed of a few mud houses, situated in a
mud fat, misunderstanding place for q
habitation. In getting into the fort to
deliver our provision, one of our teams
mired down, and we had great time to
get them out. After leaving the fort we
had fearful roads for eight miles, when
we reached higher level and had good
roads. Travelling twenty-three miles we
encamped on the bank of the river in
the finest grass found since we started.
Wood was very scarce, and that wet
drift wood. There were plenty of ante
lope, but they were 40 shy we could not
get near enough to shoot them. They
were very tantalizing, coming in droves
to the bluff along the bottom just out of
range OF our guns, and when we started
after them they scampered off. We got
an early start for Camp 20, on Tuesday,
May 22-The night was very cold and
roads fairly good. In the afternoon it
commenced to rain, and the wind was
from the north and very penetrating.
We travelled twenty-five miles, and
camped on the bank Of the Platte again.
There was no fuel but buffalo chips. We
had passed tons of provisions piled up on
the roadside the past few days, mostly
bacon.
We reached Camp 21 on Wednesday,
May %. We struck out at 5 80 a. IN.
1t was fearfully cold, and we overlook
and travelled awhile and moaned with
q lot of boys from Clay county, Missouri,
who had OK teams. In the afternoon
we left them-making during the day
twenty-five miles-and encamped away
from the river. Wood and water were
scarce, grass fair. We were in the midst
of the buffalo country, and there were
evidences of them, but at this season of
the year they are mostly back on the
highlands, as there is plenty of water
there at this season of the year. In fall
they come to the Platte bottom for water.
Camp % was pitched on Thursday, May
oath. We got on the road by a. m.
BY it was raining hard, which contin-
ued all day. Gold and disagreeable as
it might be, there might be better times
ahead, but 30 far it had been trying on
man and beast.
We say the first large herd Of buffaloes
today, miles ahead. We discovered
dark streak exter ding from the high
lands on the Soup fork to the north,
crossing the Platte river and onto the
high plateau to the south, resembling
the shadow of black cloud. As we
drew nigh we saw it was q countless
herd of buffaloes. They were under full
run, with their heads down. The head
one could not stop if he would, and the
hind one would not stop if he could. II
one said there WAS 100000 his word
would not be doubted, or if the number
was put at 100000, or 100000, no
one could prove the number incorrect,
for the number could not be counted. l
thought had seen great many tad.
poles in pool, and hogs in a lane when
they used to drive hogs from kentucky to
Virgiania, but I never saw 30 many
animals occupying so compact a space.
The space WAS miles and miles in
length and hundreds of yards in width.
There was nothing could stand in their
course. AS they assembled the hills to
the south on to the high table land, they
scattered into punches, and it is then
the Indians and hunters 60 in to get the
hides-the celebrated buffalo robes
leaving the carcases on the plains.
had often heard the mountaineers tell oi
the immense herds of buffalo on the
plains, but / could form no idex of the
countless numbers until saw these.
Travelling twenty miles we pitched
Camp No. % on Friday, May 25th. II
rained all night. After a breakfast oi
coffee, slapjack and bacon, we got on the
road little after sunrise. We soon lefi
the bottom, and travelled over points o.
hills and came back into the bottom and
camped, travelling eighteen miles
Antelope was very plentiful.
Camp No. "a was reached Saturday
Nav 26th. We left the camp at
a. m. The night was cold, witt
q north wind. Grass was good
but there WAS no wood. There is nc
timber on the Platte along here.
We reached the South Platte thiI
afternoon and crossed it. This was one
of the things, if one had not seen other
do the same thing, they would hardl.
feel like undertaking. The stream il
severe, about a hundred feet wide an(
very muddy, like the Missouri river, ant
shifting sands and whirlpools and eddy
ing of the water give it the appearance o
being deep. The water Was we'll up on thu
sides of the mules, but believe none o
ours had to swim. Others who were les
careful got their teams into swiminl
water. Two of us rode just ahead of th
wagons and wide enough apart to pre-
AT~ II 80.