The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-09-16

gon and California and the vast country
west of the Rocky mountains was ter"
incoEnta.
During most Of this time Eridger made
Westport ms headquarters whenever ne
deigned 70 approach the haunts Of ciFlil%a-
ton After AN active career of over lorty
years on the plains ana in the mountains
Eridscr rett ~ncd to his old stamping
ground and $, tiled On = farm Of 10 acres
two miles NORM ot Little Santa Fe. Here
he lived during tine remaining years OF his
Ike. and here he was buried when ne ui'u'
some ciaht .cars aso.
The farm was divided among his three
children before his death. one al ms
dau.siiters. Jennie, married Albert WASH
burue. OF Wcstpogt and all his children are
wei known 10y many % the Older residents
Of Westport aud Kansas city.
A Noted Pioneer.
With the exception Of Daniel Boone ana
Kit Carson jim liridGor Is proha"iy the
most noted pioneer IN the history Oh the
westward course of the star Of empire. HIS
n.me was a household word thrpush"ul
the west half a century ago. Everybody
had heard OF Brideer's fort and SO long as
the Rocky mountains tower toward the
SKIES. Btiagcr's pass viii exist as mohu-
ment to his undying fame. lridGer's iort
in the southwestern part OF Wyoming was
a celebrated outpost Ter years ara the S''d
Of many a party or prospoctora and trap
pers and oftcl Uuit@l states troops WHEN
hard pressed by Indians in those trouhlous
times.
Fremont mot Bridger at Fort Iara'nie
on the occasion of his hrst exploring exp ~
dtion in lSi2 Bridgev did not so with this
expedition as il was already under the
charge Of Kit Carson as scout and guide
The mountaiuccrs OF whom he was the
leader warned Fremont against the danger
of proceeding further westward ana the
Indians openly threatened the party Win
humiliation il they insisted upon adNahc-
ing. Fremont called the chiefs OF "a mum
Der of tribes in council at Fort Laramie
and boldly announced his intention of pro-
cccding according to his original plans.
There were loud murmurngs on the part
Of the redskins and had il not been Tor the
influence ard energetic Interference OF Jun
lirldascr. il is probable that the whole party
would have been massacred before they
had proceeded three days ON their march.
I}ridger possessed great influence WIN
the northern ChcyeuueS and Is said II have
-ad several squaws among the Ctes, al
though this was afterward denied 10y mem
bers Of his family. 1t was probably owing
TO his immense influence, however, that
Frcmont's expeditions were made possible.
As a hero OF the ycllow-haclled literature
of the last decade Jim Bridger has proba-
bly, figured as frequently as has the re-
doubtable Kit Karson himself. The mum
Der of trips which the old scout made
across the plains is more than equalcd by
the number of dime novels in which his
name appears.
Early Experiences.
nut little is known Of Bridger's earlier
career. Tie was a taciturn man and not
M IA -
exploits even TO his most Intimate friends
Toward the end he became somewhat gar
rulous but his mind was wan iering then
and he fitted from one subject TO another
with 50 little coCcrcncy that it rs DIM
cult to form an dea of his narrative. III"
was born in Richmond. Va, in 1896 and
moved 30 St Louis with his father when
about fourteen years old. For a year or
two he assisted his father in the icrrying
business, but the love Of adventure WAS
strong in the lad and he lonEei to sce
OF the world. particularly that
mighty west which lay almost uncNplored
en- the other side Of the great father of
waters across which he daily carried his
passcrgers. The opportunity came in 49,,
when the boy was net yet seventeen years
old. at which time he joined n military eN-
pcdition going west with certain Captain
Henry, of ;hc United States army.
How Bridger Fought Indians.
At one time, being closely besicgcd by
band of Indians, Bridge took the rifles
of three dead or desperately wounded COM
panions, and with his own weapon in addi-
ton managed TO crawl. slowly and labori-
ously through Il shallow gully to the
hanks of little stream. Here lie eau
tiousIv ard painfully made his way
throush the tangled willows and under
brush, and sometimes wadinS, sometimes
crawling on his berry in the mud, with the
rifles strapped on his back. finally man
aged TO pull up in the rear of the hostile
band Cooking his four rties, he dlschar,s-
ed them 81 the Indians in rapid succession,
dropping a rcdsliin at every shot. At that
time repc.. ting rifles E-C~c unknown, and
the Indians, thinking that n large party of
white men had arrived to succor the be