Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-22
THE TRAITOR SCOUT.

Mormons located at Salt Lake they
bent all their energies to two things
making friends with the Indians
and seeking to prevent white people
not Of their own faith from pene-
trating into that country. They did
gain the good will of the several
tribes of Indians with whom they
came in contact to such degree as
made it safe for a Mormon to go
anywhere. Once in awhile one was
killed before he could identify him
self, but the man who proved him
self a Mormon need have no fear of
the savages, who had been trained
from infancy to hate white man
and take his scalp whenever oppor-
tunity offered.
This desideratum was accomplished
in various ways. They made COM
r1on cause with the redskin against
the remainder of the white race,
promising him all the scalps and
plumber. They made him presents,
caused him to believe that they were
persecuted because they espoused his
cause, and in other ways got such a
firm hold on his affections that he
became the most powerful ally that
they could have selected. They made
him arrowheads and lanceheads,
they provided him with his first fire
arms and best tomahawks, they fed
him when he was hungry and helped
to outfit him when he went to war.
When the California gold fever be-
gan to push long wagon trains
across the country the Mormons saw
what the result would be unless they
could stop the rush. Left to them
selves the savages would no doubt
have attacked in every case where
there was. hope of success, but not
one person would have been killed
where ten actually yielded up their
lives but for the assistance of the ac-
cursed Danites. These were the
good men and true" of the Mormon
church-the enthusiasts and fanatics
who could be depended on to carry
out any order and preserve the Sc
crets of the church with their last
breath.
They knew the country, the trails,
the streams and ravines and valleys
from Council Bluffs or st. Joseph to
their own doors in Salt Lake City.
They were strung out all along the
overland trail, and in constant COM
munication with the Indians. They
acted as guides-were elected as cap
tains of trains--sought every position
which would enable them to play
into the hands Of their allies and
work the destruction of trains. This
was not even suspected, however, un-
til they had worked fearful slaughter
among the gold seekers. No living
man win ever be able to give figures
on the train people murdered during
the many years in which the over
land trail was in use.
The first train Invent out with, said
an old scout, consisted of fifteen
wagons and fifty persons OF these
twenty-five We're full grown men
and well armed, and each one fully
realized the perils which beset the
route. 1t would seem the height OF
folly for husband to invest his all
in span of horses and wagon and
set out for California with sickly
wife and three or four childrenSbut
plenty of them did so. Indeed there
was no train without it's women and
children, and their presence always
increased the dangers. Previous to
leaving st. Joe we had to elect a
captain of the train, boss, whose
word should be law until we reached
the end of our journey.
The position naturally fell TO some
veteran--some hunter, scout or In.
dian fighter, who was posted as to
the ways and routes of the Indians.
Some such man was always going
out with train. In our case the
choice lay between two-one an old
trapper of many years experience,
who looked honest and seemed to
have had plenty experience, and a
man who was stranger To all, but
who was loud in his boasts of how
many Indians he had killed and what
u brave, careful man he was. dis
liked him at first sight, as l know he
did me, but, though I did all l could
10 defeat him. he was elected TO the
position of captain. Hewas fellow
with an ugly, sulky look TO his face
eyes which where constantly rowing
about and could never look you
square in the face, and in my heart ]
believed he meant us i'll
lfound one or two Others who en-
tirely agreed with me. but the ma
jority We're perfectly satisfied that
he was all right. and il would not be
prudent for MS 10 say anything until
we had better foundation than
mere suspicion. II would have been
rebellion to speak against him or no.
fuse 10 obey his orders, and he had
the power to disarm us and put us
under guard,
At that date the train which pro.
gressed 100 miles into Kansas WAS