St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-26

ground, saws the .Sdl} francisco Call.-
The hermet or "Old Rocky as the
few residents of the vicinity of South
Belmont who knew OF the old mans ex-
istence called him, had long passed his
allotted three score and ten. but was
still able to take care of himself. His
form was bent and his hand trembled.
but his eye was clear and voice as strong
as most men at fifty. A shaggy gray
beard covered the lower part of his
face, and long, thin, white locks fringed
his head and hung down 10 the ker-
chief around lis neck.
The old man, after few moments of
silence, turned his face towards his Wis
itor, moved over few inches Oh the
rude bench beside his cabin door with
visible effort, and invited the newcomer
to sit down.
''It's a long way up from the village
over the hills. and / live alone and
away from everybody else, so | don't
see many folks. There amt anything
around here to bring folks this way but
sand hills and few trees, and they can
be seen anywhere.
folks don't care for Old Rocky so we'S
even. What fetched you up here? You
amt hunting, he you? You aiu't got no
gun"
III came up to see Mr.. Barnard"
The name again somewhat startled
the old man and he once more stared at
his visitor, then fixing his gaze upon the
ground before him seemed buried in
thought. The ola mans hut was rude
but substantial affair, constructed with
logs and Weather-beaten boards on the
side of hill and overlooking the bay
about hundred yards off, which could
be seen Shimmeripg through tangle of
gnarled bOughs.
Barnard" he repeated, "Sam Bar
narl, yes. that's my name. It's nigh
onto forty year since lve heard that
name and I'd most forgotten it,"
"'Old Rocky is my name row, all
that I've had since l came to California,
and that was in the spring of al. Pve
been west of the Rocky Mountains ever
since. California wasn't what it is now.
When / came out here all the Ameri-
five minutes. and they had hard time
ofitto get along. The Mexicans and
Indians were all against them and
would steat everything they had.
"What brought me out herep Well, |
don't know. 1t was always my way to
go where nobody else was. and | guess
when | came across the plains from ILL.,
nOiS to California nobody else ever did.
although hundreds have come that way
since.
Yes. l think our Immigrant train was
the first to reach California, and must
be the only one of that party that is liy-
ing, and | won't be long in joining them
in perhaps a better land.
Il was raised in New York state, near
OswegO. but when quite small my par
ents died and was alone in the world.
l went to live with family hamed La
rOuche, French-Canadians, and they
treated ME as one Of themselves. When
was almost a man. they moved to Hi
Eois. about twenty miles or so from st.
Louis. Here LarOuche was Joined Dy
his cousin. named B0uchere. and they
took up piece of land together. re-
mained with my adopted parents for
several years OH this farm, then decided
to take farm for myself. | stuck to it
for about five or six years. but it was
uphill work, and l finally sold out.
Luck seemed to turn against the cousins.
Their crop failed twice in succession.
Then the barns were struck by light
ning, and burned with the gathered
grain. They were discouraged with
farming and disposed of their property.
l had been teaching school few miles
from the farm for year or two after
selling my farm. and was tired of it.
'GlOwing reports were published In
the newspapers of California, and they
commenced to interest me. My adopted
parents and the COUSINS had got the
fever, and the winter of 1889 saw us
preparing to travel due west to the
promised land. Early in May of 1S4O
we started with two wagons and six
horses.
The party numbered nine souls, all
told: Peter Larouehe, his wife and three
sons. Francis, Emile and Joseph;
Jacques Bouchere. his daughter Jeane
and SCH Louis and myself. We crossed
the river in a ferry at st Louis and
camped just outside that place to get
fitted out. We were there five or six
days. and while there met party SIM
liar to our own, from Western OHIO,
bound for Missouri.
''They were Germans, and seemed to
have studied the country as far as the
mountains pretty we'll An old trapper
named Getz was with them. and he had
been in California. He seemed to want
to get back to that country. and he Of
fered to captain the party through pro-
vided the Germans could be induced to
go with us. This it did not take us long
to do, and we left the Mississippi river
with the party twice its former size,
numbering twenty-one souls, well pro-
visioned, but ignorant of the country
through which we were to travel.
I'VE followed the Missouri river as
far as the Kansas river, then up that
and along its south fork. We made fair
time,- but did not hurry ourselves, and
in about six weeks after starting we
saw the blue outlines of the mountains
ahead of US. We then turned north
and travelled along the foothills till we
came to the headwaters of the south
fork of the Platte river. where we met
some friendly Indians, who directed us
to Fort st. Vrains. We got great deal
of information there about the route
through the mountains, and it was very
luckyfor us that we did. We remained
there several days. then set out in
nerthwesterly direction, as directed,
till We reached the north fork OF the
Platte river. This we followed to the
SWeetwater river.
ga hong the Platte river huffaioec