Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-08-07
THE BONNER PARTY.
MEMORIES OF THE JOURNEY
RELATED BY A MEMBER.
Tales OF the Perllous Trip Across the
Plains-Terrlble Hardships En-
dured by tho lll-Fated
band of Emlgrants.

We were now encampeG In valley
called Twenty Wells" writes a men,
Der of the Bonner party in the Century.
The water in these wells was pure and
cold, welcome enough after the aka
line pools from which we had been
forced to drink. We prepared for the
long drive across the desert and laid
In, as we supposed, an ample supply of
water and grass. This desert had been
represented TO us only forty miles wide
but we found it nearer eighty. 1t was
dreary. desolate, alkali waste; not a
living thing could be seen; it seemed
as though the hand of death had been
laid upon the country. We started in
the evening, Travelled all that night
and the following day and might've
nights and one day of suffering from
thirst and heat by day and piercing
cold by night. When the third night
fell and we saw the barren waste
stretching away apparently as bound
less as when we started, my father de-
termined to go ahead in search of wa
ter. Before starting he instructed the
drivers, if the cattle showed signs of
giving out to take them from the
wagons and follow him. He had not
been gone long before the oxen began
to fall 20 the ground from thirst and
exhaustion. They were unhitched at
once and driven ahead. My
father coming back met the
drivers with the cattle within ten
miles of water and instructed them to
return as soon as the animals had sat
isfied their thirst. He reached us
about daylight We waited all that
day in the desert looking for the re-
turn of our drivers, the other wagons
going on out Of sight. Toward night
tee situation became desperate and we
had only few drops Of water left;
another night there meant death. We
must set out on foot and try to reach
some of the wagons. Can ever for.
get that night in the desert when we
walked mile after mile in the dark
ness every step seeming to be the
very last we could take! Suddenly all
fatigue was banished by fear; through
the night came n swift rushing sound
of one Of the young steers craZed by
thirst and apparently bent upon our
destruction. My father, holding his
youngest child in his arms and keep
ing US all close behind him, drew his
pistol, But finally the maddened beast
turned and dashed off into the dark
ness. Dragging ourselves along about
ten miles, we reached the wagon of
Jacob Bonner. The family were all
asleep so we children lay down on
the ground. A bitter wind swept over
the desert, chilling us through and
through. We crept closer together.
and, when we complained of the cold,
papa placed all five of our dogs around
u.s. and only for the warmth of these
faithful creatures we should doubtless
have persisted.
The misery endured during those
four months at Bonner Lake in our
little dark cabins under the snow
would fill pages and make the coolest
heart ache. Christmas was near, but
to the starving its memory gave no
comfort. 1t came and passed without
observance, but my mother had de-
termined weeks before that her chill
dren should have a treat on this one
day. She had laid away q few dried
apples, some beans, bit of tripe, and
a small piece of bacon. When the
boarded store was brought out, the de-
light of the little ones knew no bounds.
The cooking was watched carefully,
oY,6 caf 90 Tl,.,;.+
mas dinner mother said, Children eat
slowly, for this one day you can have
all you wish" So bitter was the mis-
cry relieved by that one bright day.
that have never since sat down to u
Christmas dinner without my thoughts
going back TO Bonner Lake.
The storms often would last ten days
at a time, and we would have to cut
chips from the logs inside which formed
our cabins, in order to start q fire.
We could scarcely walk, and the men
had hardly strength to procure wood.
We would drag ourselves through the
snow from one cabin to another, and
some mornings snow would have to be
shoveled out of the fireplace before a
uT0 COulu DC mdQe. FOOT llIJle chill
dren were crying with hunger and
mothers were crying because they had
so little TO give their children. We
seldom thought of bread, we had been
without it so long. Four months of
such suffering would ill the bravest
heart with despair.
On his arrival at Suffers Fort, my
father made known the situation to the
emigrants, and Captain Suffer offered
at once to do everything possible for
their relief He furnished horses and
provisions and my father and Mr.. Nc
Clutchen started for the mountains,
coming as far as possible with horses
and then with packs on their backs
proceeding on foot; but they were
finally compelled to return. Captain
Suffer was was not surprised at their
defeat He stated that there were no
able-bodied men in that vicinity, all
having gone down the country with
Fremont to fight the Mexicans. He
advised my father to go to Ycrba
Buena now San Francisco, and make
his case known to the naval officer in
command. My father was in fact con-
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