The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-12-15
IoOpy1thi, M, BY American Pros AaaOOlA.

"Whcrc on GiTth hep you beenl'
The old Santa Fe Trail, the scene ofso
many exploits Of daring and suffering,
is now an obliterated path What we
are wont TO call 1.-THE March Of Progress"
and "The Spread of Civilization" have
blurred it past following step by step
over the prairies and mountains Of tho
west, but the long track Is still blazed
here and there by prominent points
bloody massacres and other historic in
cidents-so that one cannot deviate far
il he undertake to follow it.
It would not be wise, however, to set
out upon this journey by any of tho
methods Of travel that were in use when
the Santa Fe Trail was tho scene Of o
, great traGic-with OK team plodding
heavily and slowly, by which the pioneer
enigrant moved on; nor on foot with
pack upon back, as the forty-niners trav-
eled. It would be hard 10 follow the
trail so. The only highway that will
take you over nearly the same route Is
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
road. II It is not convenient b buy q
ticket on that line and you have no pass,
then get a map of the region west of the
Mississippi and put your index finger
down at what was once WestPOrt Land
ing, now Kansas City, Missouri. That
is the starting point of our story.
The old trading town Of Westport was
for long time the eastern limit Of the
Santa Fe Trail. It lay high on the bluffs,
six or seven miles from the sand bar
where st. Louis steamers landed their
cargOes. Beyond the town, westward,
and over the Kansas line, the United
States government had set apart a
stretch Of country for the use Of Santa
Fe trains, on which they encamped and
corraled their worn out oxen. Here the
poor beasts rested, fed upon tho rich
prairie grass and recuperated strength
for the long return journey over the
plains to Santa Fe. The drivers of these
unwieldly OK teams were mostly Mexi-
cans, speaking no language but their
own profane Spanish and looking sullen-
ly out from under their sombreros and
their tangled black hair. They and the
wagon masters slept and ate in camp and
drank at the trading post, while the
head buyers went on to st. Louis to lay
in a stock Of goods adapted TO the
markets Of tho mysterious country that
was long ago conquered by Spain and
then forgotten of men. Sometimes these
trains had a long time to wait for the
journey to St. Louis, and the return
voyage up the mud shifting Missouri
was tedious and Of uncertain duration.
In the summer Of eighteen hundred
and ffty-one many corrals dotted the
uplands Of the prairie on the reserve
near Westport, and the herds Of cattle
belonging to them grazed In the val
leys, lay on the sun slopes, and drank
from the half dry creeks that wound
through the bills toward the KaW.
They had grown sleek and fat, their
gaunted sides were filled out and their
appealing ribs were buried in flesh, 80
long had they waited for o cargo.
Even the lazy teamBteB were growing
restless, and the wagon masters were
anxious to start westward while the
grass was in good condition. All were
listening for the steamers whistle TINT
could be plainly heard at the post when
the wind was from the north, but they
did not trust to that for information Of
the boats arrival. Couriers WerB con-
SANITY going back and forth to and
from the landing on the feet footed
Mexican ponies that accompanied all OK
trains ON the Santa Fe Trail for the use
Of outriders, scouts and mesBengafa.
mo boat" was the word they brought
back day after day, until one hot after
noon when the sunshine quivered over
the prairie like the breath Of o furnace,
and no breeze 80 much as stirred the
long grass in the sl0ugha The cattle
lay painting on the uplands, and tho
Mexicans were stretched out IN the
shade Of the wagons.
Suddenly q grateful north wind came
swirling among the grass, breaking the
siesta Of the summer day In an instant,
and almost upon its first wave came the
sound Of the boats whistle The camp
was alert at once. Ponies were saddled
and mounted and went dashing from
corral to corral, and then away to the
town and the landing.
Wagon Master King was an American,
q Estates" man, and spoke both English
and Spanish. BE was Of uncertain ago,
because Of his brown, unkeinpk run
dersmanlike appearance, and yet rsthgE
young than old. BE had been ono Of
the most impatient for the boat 10 come,
and now he was among the FIRST 70 catch
pony and spur It of down tho hillside
toward the river. Just how he differed
from the others Of this uuimpOrtnnt
party it would DO difficult to tell; per-
haps most markedly in o slight GlOof-
ness, q feeling that had led him 10
make bride path through tho woods
that lay between Wstport town and the
landing, and 10 follow It Whenever be
had ridden doWnto theriver rather than
the wagon road used by tho trains.
When the boats whistle was heard be
started of in great haste, and as usual
turned into the bypath, whilo o DOZEN
or more men kept on in the road This
path had come to DO called IN deFision
tho /" Kings highway" and as the wagon
master turned into It the other rid@I
called ont TO him;
SOnme on By tho big rod mls, Ema
Jon can 60 faster and WI got thGU
sooner II Il 10 longer"
Tho tratnmaatgF hesitated. Bnt ap
, parmtly upon second thought ho hep
on IN the "KingB highway" End only
Q volley Of oaths In Mexiean-Spauis
and western English followed him. ThI
bunch Of mottled and rcd and claybanl
ponies rushed pellmell down tho Wagon
road, their riders clanking heavy spurs
| swinging broad brimmed hats. uttarinr