The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-29
A FREIGHrER'S LIFE.
Dan gers of Travel IN Early Days-Slaugl
Tered by Indians

Dan gers of Travel IN Early Days-Slaugh-
tered by Indians
THE life Of freighter in the early days
OF the West was far from being the roman
tic snap it is sometimes described" re-
marked Reuben Woed, a well-known plains
main, as he tilted back in soft-b0ttomed
chair at the Markham yesterday. If have
been on the frontier thirty-tbree years, and
have passed through about every hardsh ip
that falls to the lot of the pioneer, but the
greatest hardships ever experienced were
encountered while driving mule teams from
the Missouri River to distributing points
along the mountains"
Being pressed to speak more fully upon
subject OF which the present generation
knows but little the pioneer proceeded;
"1he wagons were loaded at Omaha, Ne
bTaska City, Atchs0n, Leavenworth or
Kansas City for long journey Of several
months duration. and embracing 100 to
20J0 miles OF travel. Some freighterS pre-
ferred oxen for the work, but always pre-
ferred the mule, on account of his greater
endurance and ability to keep on his feet
without water. Why, I've seen six-mue
team revived so much by being turned loose
to roll over in the hot sand that the mules
imagined that they had been treated to a
square meal. My outfit usually consisted of
twenty-five teams, and thirty linen armed
with Spencer rifles and reviewers as pro-
lection against the redskins There were
bad Indians in those days. They lurked be-
hind rocks and hills, and were likely to
| dash down upon the uEsuspecting traveller
at any moment. l never knew an Indian
attack to be made in the night, but at day
light, just as the first reflection of the suns
| rays began TO appear the red devils were in
| full bloom, and woe to the camp that was
not then carefully guarded.
But Indians were not the only danger
which the freighter was called upon to face.
Eha.f 1fk hapf nf md fl1lf faro
| storms of winter beat upon him, and it re-
| quired man of strong constitution to with
| stand the strain. Sand-storms sweep across
| the plains Tor days In succession. and the
snow-storms in the colder months were
| sometimes terrible. As the freighter'S cap
| ital was invested in his outfit he kept it NOV
| ing all the year round, and no sooner was
| one trip completed than another was COM
| menced. The big wagons were covered with
| white sail-cloth, ana each wagon was loaded
| with about 5000 pounds OF freight This in
| cluded provisions OF all kinds, such as flour,
| sugar, bacon, salt and a generous supply OF
| whisky and tobacco, which were always in
| strong demand in the frontier settlements.
| We Travelled about twenty-five miles day,
and If the day was too hot or the Indians un-
| usually pesky we often made the journey by
night The route from Omaha to Denver
| across tue prairles and sand hills covered a
| distance Of 600 miles, whose western end
was Il mile higher than the Missouri River.
Inc ROUND trip usually occupied ABOUT Sixty
| days and the profits sometimes reached
| $4,000.
"Once upon leaving Atchison," continued
| he, "a party of tenderfeet, with five wagons,
| asked permission to cross the plains with
us. There were eleven men III the party
and ten of them lie buried under a pile of
| stones in ravine about seven miles from
| Plum Creek When we reached the ravine
| the leader Of the tenderfeet said, Wood,
| let's stop and feed here l refused on the
| grounds that the Indians were dangerous
| ard the spot was not a safe one for a camp.
| The man replied:
"'Oh, we're not afraid. Why, we've not
seen an Indian ON the way our. Here's good
| grass and We'll take rest. Geod-by.' And
with that the teams stopped and the men
| began to turn the horses loose 10 Craze.
"We moved right on, and after we had
| gone about three miles objects could be seen
| coming out Of the distant hills. They looked
| like buffalo, but something suspicious in
their movements caused us TO stop. As the
/ supposed buffalo approached close to the
| ravine suddenly an Indian warrior sat up
| right on every animal, ana the next instant,