The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-04-18

ship of Shortridge, and a mutiny ensued.
There was a good deal of "cutting up'' on
account of a big drunk in which they in
dulged, and Rannabargar was sent from
Fort Leavenworth to relieve ShorIridge
and
PROCEED WITH II TRAIN.
When he arrived at Rock Creek he found
that a number Of the oxen had died, but
he got things in shape and moved on. Ar
irving at the foothills OF the Rocky noun
tains, he found that nine wagon trains
which had left Fort Leavenworth before
the departure of Shortridge's outfit had
been destroyed by the Mormons, and his
own way blocked, so that he could pro-
coed no further with his train. Mounted
on a horse, he made his way to Salt Lake
City, where he was taken prisoner and
held by the Mormons for several weeks.
He had a dispatch for Brigh I'm Young,
the then head of the Mormon church, and
of course expected to be sent back to his
train as soon as he had delivered it.
COL. ALBERT sidney JOHNSTON,
Their in command of the military depart
ment of the Rocky mountains, with head
quarters at Fort Bridger, 113 miles east of
Salt Lake City, knowing that Rannabar-
gar was detained against his will by the
Mormons, captured W or three OF the
members OF that sect who were roaming
about Bridger, and held them as hostages
for the safe return OF the train master.
THIS U ABOUT HIS RELEASE,
and, upon his return to Colonel Johnston's
headquarters, he was started to Fort
Leavenworth on horseback with dis
patches to be forwarded to the quarter
master-general of the army at Washing
ton.
The dispatches, the contents of which
Mr.. Rannabargar is unacquainted with,
were safely delivered into the hands of the
commandant Of the fort at L~eavenworth.
The accomplishment of this feat put
Messrs. Russell, Majors and Waddell to
thinking, the result OF which was the
proposition to establish a pony express
betWeen ~Leavenworth and Salt Lake City,
Mr.. Rannabargar was sent for, and asked
il he would undertake TO make regular
trims on horseback. Without a moments
hesitation, he says, he accepted, and was
given carte blanche in the matter of horses
and plans.
HE RODE A MULE
the first trip, and made the distance in %
a This was early in 1858 and he made
req ular trips until the 18th of July, in the
meantime seeing a regular line of riders
started.
Mr., Rannabargar does not tire of telling
of his experiences o the long rides. He
said he rode until he was tired, then stop
ped, tethered his mule, wrapped himself
in his blankets and slept souGdly. He
had a large leather saddle, which served
him as a chair during his waking hours
and a pillow at night. Sometimes he found
it too cold to sleep at night, ut which time
he would ride until III sun rose in the
morning, and then lie down in the warm
sunshine and make up for lost time.
THE MoRMoNs' DEvIITRY.
Sometimes he would spend the night in
an Indian village, he managing to keep
on friendly terms with the redskins even
when they were at wal with the whites.
Often he would find miles upon miles of
prairie burned clean OF grass by the Nor
mons, when it would be "slim picking"
for his faithful mule.
He received S62.5O a month froa the
firm for which he worked and So a day
from the general government, At the
| Platte river bridge and at Fort Laramie
provision had been made for the exchange
of mules, but in the event of the death OF
II. ..,lo latuyaan thoua nnintc on from
any other cause he found his animal I'M
able to do its work, he was empowered to
buy another at the expense Of the govern
ment. He never had to buy but one mule
that way, he says.
HIS PLACE IN HISTORY.
Mr.. Ra~nnabargar's feat OF making regu-
lar trips between the Missouri river and
Salt Lake was all the more remarkable, rs
there was hardly a mile of the entire dis
lance not beset with dangers of some kind.
The Indians inhabiting those prairies were
continually at war with the encroaching
whites, and were ready at the least provo
eating to kill Il man. Sometimes for miles
there would not be seen a blade of grass
only the dried up stalks OF sage brush.
The Mormons sought to harrass the peo-
pie who yearly made their way to the fertile
valleys beyond the mountains, and would
often capture and destroy a whole wagon
train, driving the men back toward the
states and appropriating the oxen and
such of the contents of the wagons as they
cared to keep, burning the balance. But
his owe lent stability 10 the project Of
a regular express line, and the splendid
steel belts across the continent are the
result.