Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-26
OLD BULLY .WHACkING DAYS
Freighting on the Plains Before tho Era
of Railroads.
EXPERIENCES on THE SANTA re TRAIL
Alexander Majors, the Pledge lie Tat
to His Employees, nnd Ills Mus
terry over Mcn-Utnh Expe-
dition FrciGhting.

says writer in the New York Sun, the river
landings from where Kansas City nows
stands to Nebraska City were the dis
tributng points for merchandise for ;he
early settlements in the far west. St. Louis
was the great market, and hundreds of steam
packets piled upon the Missouri river between
that city and the landings along the eastern
border OF the great plains. Before gold had
been discovered in California and when the
silver veins of Nevada, Colorado and Montana
were known only by vague traditions brought
into the settlements along the river by trap
pors and traders, quite transportation bus
iness grew up between the river landings and
Santa Fe n. NJ, the frontier trading post
of the MeXicans. Mexico was producing
great quantities of silver, and Mexican silver
dollars were eagerly sought after by the bus
mess men of this country, for by reason of
the scarcity of silver in this country, the
Mexican dollar was recognized as legal ten
der. AS early as 1922 a Captain Rockwell
sent train OF pack mules across the plains
to Santa Fe, loaded with merchandise for
the Mexicans, and silver dollars sewed up in
green hides were brought back as the profits
of the venture.
There were no well-defined trails or roads
between the Missouri river and the Mexican
settlements for many years after Captain
Rockwells expedition returned All sorts
of vague ideas prevailed regarding the desert
country. Tribes of nomadc Indians were to
be feared; the sand storms of the desert
were deadly to stock; water was scarce and
bad; no roads could be made in the shifting
sands and a caravan might easily get lost.
Many men doubted if there ever would come
a time when well-deined roads and trails
would be made across the prairies. But
as the years went by and the desire for
Mexican silver dollars encouraged men of
adventurous nature to persist in making eN-
petitions across the plains. the knowledge
of the country became more positive and
the Santa Fe trail became an established
fact.
BY the time the United States declared war
against Mexico a wagon trail had been so
well established that 1t was determined to
send military expedition across the plains
to operate against the MeXicans from the
north; and Doniphan's expedition made the
journey in safety and succeeded in driving
the MeXicans back until Chihuahua fell and
the United States army marched into the
northern capital. After peace had been de-
clared, trading between the MeXicans and
the Americans rapidly grew in volume until
Santa Fe became a great commercial CEN
ter.
REIGN OF THE BULLWHACKER.
For time mule teams drove the heavily
loaded freigh -ers' wagons across the plains
but 1t was found that oxen were a more sat
isfactory motive power for long journeys, and
the reign of the bullwhacker began. One
freighter, named Spires, set out somewhere
about 1S40 from the Missouri river landing
of Wayne City with several heavily loaded
wagons, drawn by mule teams. Along the
Cimarron one hot day, after the mules had
struggled through the sands for several
hours, severe hail storm came upon the
train and chilled the heated animals, and
before night every mule had died. leaving
the wagons stranded on the plains. A guard
was placed upon the train, and a party of
men walked on to Santa Fe where they
purchased mules from the MeXicans and re
turned to the wagons. For years afterward
monument of skulls of these mules was a
familiar landmark on the plains.
One of the men famous throughout the
country during the days OF the freighters was
Alexander Majors, now residing in Denver
He was reared upon a farm in western Mis-
souri,. and he passed his life on the frontier.
His father had tramped across the plains
with party as early as 1926 in vain search
for a wonderful silver mine mentioned by a
trapper, and Majors early determined to en-
gage in the freighting business. His first
application for employment as wagon master
of one of the freight trains managed by the
leading firm OF freighters at Independence
Landing was promptly refused. Majors was
too religious for the business, they thought;
he was known to exhort, he observed the
Sabbath, he did not swear nor drink whisky;
1t was. therefore, self-evident that he never
could manage a company of bullwhackers
on the plains or fight Indians with
much courage or wisdom.
THE MAJORS PLEDGE.
Majors insisted that despite these appar-
ent disadvantages he could manage train,
and he proposed that If he did not satisfy
the firm at the end OF the journey he would
not charge for his services, while If he made
a quicker trip than had been done by any
other man in their employ he would ask
only one wagon and team as payment. But
the firm had doubts and declined the offer. |
Majors found firm of St. Louis merchants |
to back him, and he had the satisfaction of |
passing one of the trains of his rivals on |
the road, while he made the round trip in |
ninety-two days, the best record up to that |
time. He brought his oxen back looking |
we'll. and his journey had been made with |
out difficulties of any kind. The ST. Louis |
firm was so delighted with the venture that |
Majors was employed to go out with a larger |
rain the next year. From a beginning of !
six wagons Majors increased his business so |
asst that in a few years he was running |
more than 100 wagons across the plains and |
lad an advantageous contract with the gov
,rnment to supply the frontier posts with |
provisions.
The men he took with him on his first |
ourney in 1S4S were neighbors and friends
Who knew his ways; but as his business
;rew he had to employ great many of the
nen who were to be found along the border
All had to agree to his rules
# conduct. Before accepting men for serv-
ce Majors presented to them written
hedge which they were required to sign. 1t
cad as follows:
"While / am in the employ of A. Majors,
agree not to use profane language, not to
ret drunk, not to gamble, not to treat ami
nails cruelty, and not to do anything else
hat Is incompatible with the conduct of a
Gentleman. And I agree, If | violate the