The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-24
CROSSING THE PLAINS.
Hardships and Privations That Beset
the Early immigrants.
Charles Pettit's Experiences-Deadly
Work of Cholera and Mountain
Fever in Those Days.

Charles Petit of this city, who was
among the adventures who crossed the
dreary plains in 1850, the other day re-
lated to RECoRD-UNIoN reporter the
following story of his experiences on that
memorable journey:
at was on the 10th day of May, 1850"
said MIR. Petit, that the little band of
SIX young and inexperienced emigrants
to which | belonged broke camp on the
west bank of the Missouri River, oppo-
site st. Joe. where we had crossed that
stream, and turned our steps toward the
setting sun In search of gold. Our route
lay up the south side of the Platte River,
and after we had travelled two or three
days we came to small log house, which
stood by the roadside near small grove
of timber, at which we were requested by
notices posted alongside of the road for
some distance back to call and give TO a
Government officer, who was stopping
there for the purpose, a list of the num-
Der of persons in our company, and also
the number of animals and wagons be-
longing to our party, all OF which we,
with other emigrants, did.
1--WE also found like station at Fort
Laramie, 700 miles further on, and third
in Carson Valley. These posts were es-
tablished, we were told, by the Govern
ment for the purpose of keeping as accu-
rate an account of the number of emil
grants who passed as possible, and also of
the wagons and animals, and reporting
the same to headquarters at Washington,
ID. G. But there was nothing at these
stations for sale-not even horseshoe
nails, of which we stood in such great
need. AS our long and endless
STREAM OF wHITE-CovERED WAGONS
Wended their way UP the south side of
the Platte River, similar one could be
seen on the north side of the stream NOV
ing along in the same direction as ours,
and for the same purpose.
'TheSe two roads met at Fort Laramie,
and there was where our trouble began.
Many of the emigrants were already
short of provisions, and there was moth
ing to be had for love nor money, and the
only thing to be done was to procure a
little from this one and a little from that
One-aS much as they would consent to
spare-anG get along the best way they
could.
"This was only the beginning of our
trouble. AS we assembled the Rocky
Mountains the mountain fever broke out
among the emigrants, and later on the
cholera got in its deadly work, when al
most every wagon was converted into an
ambulance, and our long line of emf
grant wagons more resembled
A VAST FUNERAL PROCESSION
Than an emigrant train. The sick and
dying occupied the wagons, while those
who were able slowly plodded alongside,
sad and silent. The graves (Which here
tofore we had seldom seem became more
numerous as we advanced-or rather
what were once the graves of dead emil
grants, for the wild beasts had dug into
many of them and deyoured the dead
bodies, while their bones lay,strewn grim
and CHASTITY over the prairie. 1t made
one shudder to think of dying in such a
horrible place.
THE BLACK HILLS.
"At this point wish to digress for
moment from my story to say something
about the Black Hills country, which
Fremont's guide-book told us Law on
the western slope of the Rocky Mount
aims. 1t was most peculiar country,
indeed, and made more lasting impress
sion upon my memory than any region
through which we passed. The forma-
ton was vast area Of high, rolling,
black, bald hills, which spread out for
miles in every direction. What were
these hills composed of?' was the ques-
ton which occupied my mind all that
time. The outcroppings did not resemble
coal or iron, nor did they look like any
rock which l have ever seen, and the
question, What was it that we saw in
the Black Hills?' has occurred to my
mind at short intervals ever since until
d lew IuOLLllS ago.
1.-THE papers have had much to say
about tin and tin-plate lately, and, be-
1ieve, it was in the RECORD UNION I saw
a description of the appearance of the tin
mines in the southern part of this State,
which correspondent exactly with what we
saw in the Black Hills, and the mystery
was solved. 1t was tin, and, it is said,
there are some very rich tin mines now
being developed in that country. If all
that we saw at that time should turn out
to be tin, there is enough there to supply
the world for generations to come
AWFUL EXPERIENCES.
ITO continue my story. The farther
we travelled sthe worse matters grew.
Our stock were dying, and our wagons
were being abandoned and used for fire.
wood.
1--WE arrived at the crossing of the
Humboldt River and crossed that stream
on the 4th of July, 1850, and continued
our journey down the west side, where
the climax of all our trouble was reached,
There was death and destruction every
where. One could stand near a watering
place and count a half hundred dead ami
mails without moving out of his tracks,
and it was no uncommon sight to see
where some starving emigrant had cut
some nice steaks from the hindquarters
of dead mule which lay alongside the
road.
when we reached the great desert at
the sink of the Humboldt, land we be-
ieved we were in advance of the bulk of
the immigration), Sam Pound of Wiscon-