The morning call., 1891-07-05
THE GOLD-HUNTERS
OF CALIFORNIA.
TAG Trip Across the Plains by the Ill
FatGd Bonner Party.
4 Pioneer Palace-Car-Perils of Emigrants
Relief, Thank God Relief !"-Bread
Better Than Gold.

The following extracts are from an article
In the series on The Gold Hunters of Cali
fornia" taken from ''The Century" for July,
written by Mrs. Virginia Reed Murphy.
was a child when We started to Cali
fornia, yet l remember the journey well
and l have cause to remember il, as our
little band of emgrants who drove out of
Springfield, H., that spring morning of
1886, have since been known in history as
the " Inflated Bonner Party of Martyr
Pioneers" My father, James F. Reed. was
the originator of the party, and the Bonner
brothers. George and Jacob, who lived just
little way cut of Springfield, decided to
Join him.
All the previous winter we were preparing
for the journey-and right here let me say
that we suffered vastly more from fear of
the Indians before starting than we did on
the plains; at least this was my case. In
the long Niuter evenings Grandma Keyes
used to tell NE Indian stories. She had an
aunt who had been taken prisoner by the
savages in the early settlement of Virginia
and Kentucky, and had remained a captive
in their hands five years before she made
her escape. l was fond of these stories, and
evening after evening would go into grand
mas room, sitting with my back close
against the wall so that no warrior could
slip behind ME with a tomahawk. / would
coax her 10 tell me more about her aunt,
and would sit listening to the recital of the
fearful dee DIS of the sayages, until il seemed
10 me that everything IN the room, from the
high old-fashiOned bedpostS down even to
the shovel and tongs in the chimney corner,
was transformed into the dusky tribe in
paint and feathers, all ready for the war
dance. So that when 1 was told that We
were going to California and would nave to
pass through region peopled by Indians,
you can imagine how l felt.
PIONEER PALACE-CAR.
Our wagons, or the Reed wagons" as
they were called, were all made t. order
and l can say without fear of contradiction
that nothing like cur family wagon ever
started across the plains. 1t was what
might be called q twO-Story wagon or
Pioneer palace-car," attached to a regular
= immigrant train. The entrance was on the
side, like that of an old-fashioned stage
coach, and one stepped into a small room,
as it were. in the center of the wagon. at
The right and left were spring seats with
comfortable high backs, where one could
sit and ride with as much ease as on the
teats of a Concord coach. In this little
q
whose pipe, running through the top of the
wagon, was prevented by a circle OF tin from
setting IRE 10 tile canN as cover A board
about foot wide extended over the wheels
on either side the full length of The wagon,
thus forming TIE foundation for large and
ruOmy second story, in which were placed
our beds. Under the spring seats were COM
lartmeutS, in which were stored many
articles useful for the journey, such as
well-hled Work-basket and q full assert
OF ma WI lit otAl haF AaO
for dressing wounds. Our clothing Was
packed-not in Saratoga trunks-but in
strong canvas bags plainly marked. Some
Of mammals young friends added a looking
glass, hung directly opposite the door, IN
order, as they said, that MY mother might
not forget to keep her good looks, and,
strange TO say, when We had TO leave this
wagon, standing Like a monument on the
Bait Lake Desert, the glass was still I'M
broken. l have often thought how pleased
The Indians must have been when they
found this mirror, which gave them back
The picture of their own dusky faces.
PERKS OF CALIFORNIA MIGRANTS.
We were now encamped in valley called
Twenty Wells" The water in these wells
was pure and cold, welcome enough after
the alkaline 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 as only forty miles wide, but We found it
nearer eighty. 1t was a dreary, desolate,
alkali waste; not Il 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 N ght--two nights and
one day of suffering from Thirst and heat 10y
day and piercing cold by night. When the
third night fell ana we saw the barren
waste stretching away apparently as bound
less as when we started, my father deter
mined to 60 ahead in search of water. Be
lore starting he Instructed the drivers II
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
10 fall to the ground from thirst and eXhaus-
ton. They were unhtched 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 satisfied 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 the 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 forget that night in the desert, when
We walked mile after nile in the darkness,
every step serming TO be the very last we
could taEel Suddenly all fatigue was ban
ished by fear. Through the night Game
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 keeping
us all close behind him, drew his pistol. but
finally the maddened beast turned and
dashed off into the darkness. Dragging our
selves 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 des-
ert, chilling US through aud through We
crept closer together and when We COM
planned Of the cold papa placed all five OF
our dogs around us aud only for the warmth
OF these faithful creatures we should doubt
less have persisted.
HARDsHIPs AT BONNER LAKE.
The misery endured during those four
months at Bonner Lake in our little dark
cabins under the snow would fill RACES and
make the cGldest heart ache. Christmas
was near, but TO the starving its memory
gave no comfort 1t came and passed with
out observance, but my mother had deter
mined weeks before that her children should
have treat on this one day. She had laid
away few dried apples. some beans, bit
Of triDe. and small piece of bacon. When
this boarded store was brought out, the de-
light OF the little ones knew no bounds
The cooking was watched carefully, and
when we sat down to our Christmas dinner
mother said, Children, eat slowly, for this
one day you can have all You wish" So
bitter was the misery relieved by that one
bright day, that l have never since sat down
10 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 10 be
shOVelrd ont of The firpDlace before a fire,
could be made. Poor little children were
crying with hunger, and mothers were cry
ing because they had so little TO give their
children. We seldom thought of bread, we
had been without 1t so long. Four months
OF such suffering would nil the bravest
hearts with despair
BREAD BETTER THAN GOLD.
During the closing days of December, 1876
,old was found in my mothers cabin at Don
LIZ. IaIaI,