Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-19
By MRs, ]. K. HUDSON.


"rbo Luoirg 70 trdsHt nat ifomdni'
srread ont the map again. Put your
81 down nj the town VI Great Bend,
a., s,,tbern Kansas, on tho Arlnn'as
w. Annihilatc by - backward step
f,-4y yea-a al signs OF tho white
,,,ns urcsenrc that now lie so thick
throughout the lensth and breadth OF
,is fariilcvalloyof the "Niico' kansas'
,-,bo mvsterious stream whose noun
ain fed waters are said 90 ilow moro
Lglrw ground than above.
Picture vast rolling prairie covered
with an the shades Of grus that ever
rro,v. Fresh and spring green IN tho
slourhs. lush and long and June grcun
ON the river margins. burned brown on
Tho foutharn slopes aud misty and gray
nm fine uplinds whcr, the buffalo grass
snrcnls. Tho river ~ hidden by it.
Higher than mans head the rgnl: grass
waves On every passing brorzc OF stands
motonlcss in tho August sun. To tho
waters very edge tine traveller must 90
10 look upon g. Glow Sliding flood.
Down from the higher lands. north
aud south. come narrow paths worn ~
the feet Of tha mighty buffalo H h'
Journeys with tho seasons and halls und
STAMPS 40 thriiyor brink while h0 Glake
his thirst. His "willuws' dot tho up.
lands here and thcro-huc, iulul
patches ten or twelve foot ncru.a, whgrc
lis lordship has rolled aud turned ON
every Journey till thc tough sod IS worn
through aud not spear Of grass sprouts.
40 right angles 10 these dcrp, slim
paths run the Santa Fe Trail, ns times
near the brink OF the river. again cut
uur across @ loop from baEd 90 bend.
and thom climbing 20 the highlands 20
avoid marsh or deep myiur.
Along It's track !, strung % long cayal-
cndc, the returning Santa fc train FOR
the summer OF uighDau hundred and
hity.ouc. Rows Of immense covered
wagons, four ubrcnsi, nul drawn by
many yoke Of oxen, weary pluliors
witlhcala dn0nbcnt and heavy yokcs
rubbing their CALLED ncuks. Pack mules
with their tight padded pnnniers strapped
on their sides mI their huge cars Hap
ping In limo with their thin feet
EronchuS with gay, clgclc3 riders, and
with none, nipping tho tcndcrost tufts
OF grass aud weed tops that urc to thgir
liking. Froutior-mcn with iuriiye cye
and over ready rifle, clad IN buclskin
nrd coitonuGp Of Undesirable cut.
Unitcd States infantry Ia decidedly nm
dress uniform, weary Of the march and
thirty for wur-lndigl. Spauiards,
ambush, anything, they said. TO brcal,
the mouotony of sru and heat, the climb
ing Of one "risc' 10 SEQ another beyond,
and tho never ending sea Of grass.
sirJgglarg from nobody knew whence,
going nobody knew wn,p. The name.
l-smugcrs on, uulcast, and Spectators
in whatever wus easily carried and cUuld
bo dishonesty won.
OF little children there uwnonc, thank
hoaycui though two yunug women live
IN ono Of hcmidllr tnius-sufyr there,
t.ccapianthinst. The wagon In which
They b. gariaulcd with flowers. The
ycag is nearing o. autumn, and tho sea,
son Of ycllows and puppies ms come
GoldourOd icWthys th, ground over
aCresgul acres, md stands iu solid rpws
Of crinklol gold along tho broken line
Of the trail. Tall, purplith flower spike
bend siinly before the r1uth,wind, like
bayonrt8 IN armofed lmndg. and alukc 2
spicy perfume from the sensitive plant
~ their feet. Hero and thcrou clmup OF
iringul gcntian hides hahind screen OF
compass wcoli and the modest cycla
men, the violet ofautumn, sits sweet
white iaco down toward IS own heart
leaves, bushes u leader pink, fades
twists Us stalk into spiral aud bondit,
earth 10 deposit In ripoucd seeds, wher,
they may be cherished 10y Us own sub
stance All these blossoms aud many
more, twincd with the black and reddiAl
water grasses, hang FROM the dusty wag
on bows, But now tho flower beds ar,
almost past, buffalo grass stretches fol
many miles ahead, aud then tho dcscr
sand, alkali dust and cactus.
The wagon masters wife told her com
pauion what was before them and badi
her cherish her flowers we'll. She di,
for their own salies, . But in the fold
Of her only other gown, between tn
leaves Of prayer book That had seen
better days, were the blossoms Ghl
plucEcd along the "Kings highway Oh
the Missouri hills, and mono Of Tics
latter ones were ever put with them.
ahAN hhlNAN llN'A NNfA hNN HOW man.
days More than hundred miles bacl,
at Council Grove ON the Neosho river
they had halted for organization. Tha
point was the final rendezvous for yves
bound trains. There they elected
commander for the expedition and hC
You'd that point tho wagons never fcl
out Of their regular order in tho limo q
march.
-Four long, toiling teams moved COZ
stantly forward sidoby side. Then fou
moro came on abreast, and 80 to IA
end. This arrangements was for III
purpose OF bottcr protection against hu.
tile Indians, for whom constant lool
out waskepi, and with whom eurouuto,
were not unknown by the trader
though treaties Lad boon made by III
government with every tribe throug
whose territory tho Santa Fo Trail rai
by the terms Of which all trains wcro
pnss along its tract, unmolcsted. Thi
tho government entertained q doubt ,
the Indians holding 10 this compact w,
evidenced By tho fact that tho gre.
road, 500 miles long, was made 300 feD
wide, 10 that the caravans might |
kept compact and dofcnsiblo.
The delay at Council Grove had bee
longer than usual, owing 70 the difficult
Of agreeing upoun captain. II doyclop,
tAet there bad been tag!l UNDERESTIMATE