The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-03

pie quite as gentle have made the at
tempt in other days and gentier climes
The bones Of many Of them are still
whitening on the plains or cleaning
from the midsummer grasses in Sierra
Nevada canyons.
IN the spring of 1916 a hopeful COM
pany of people drove out of Springfield,
Ills, on the way to California. 1t was
before the discovery of gold at Suffers
Mil. but the fever for emigration to
that far, fair land had taken hold on
the people all over the middle west.
This Springfield party was TO cut out
new path Of its own. so that the ex-
perience of its members viii be much
like that awaiting the pioneer who
pushes across ChiIkoot pass or
searches for short cuts to the Klondike.
These people suffered terribly. One
member Of the party. then a little girl
named Virginia Reed, now an old Wom-
an named Virginia Reed Murphy, Nv
ing at Los Angeles, has left a most
vivid story of the journey. II VIII be
particularly interesting reading at this
time. when men and even women are
hushing their apprehensions of danger
on the Yukon and beyond. For II there
was danger in the Sierras, how vastly
more perilous must be the Wilds of the
ST. Elias range. But read the story as
Mrs Murphy tells 1t.
My father. James F. Reed, she
says, was the originator OF the party
and the Donnor brothers, George and
Jacob. who lived just little way out
OF Springfield. decided to join him. we
left April Is, 1916. There We're 81 per
sons in the company George, Jacob
and Hansen Bonner had u children.
In the Reed family there were nine
James f and Margaret Reed, Grand
ma Reyes, aged &c years; Patty Reed,
now Mrs. Frank Lewis Of Capltols.
Cal; James 2. Reed, jr., Thomas K
Reed. Virginia Reed-and Eliza and
Baylis Williams. When We reached the
Missouri we joined quite caravan.
Nothing Of much interest happened
till we reached what is now Kansas
The first Indians We met We're the
Kaws, who kept the ferry and had 10
take US over the Kaw river. I watched
them closely hardly daring to draw my
breath. and feeling sure they would
sink the boat in the middle of the
stream 1 was very thankful when
found they were not ike grandma
Indians. a new route had Just been
opened by Lansford ". Hastings.
called the Hastings cutoff, which
passed along the southern shore OF the
Great Salt Lake, rejoined the old Fort
Hall emigrant road on the Humboldt.
1t was said to shorten the distance 800
miles The greater portion of our COM
pany went by the old road and
reached California in safety. Eighty
seven persons took the Hastings cut
Oft, including the Donners, BreenS
Reeds, Murphys, c. T Stanton, John
Denton. William McClutehen, William
Eddy. Louis Keseburg and many others
too numerous TO mention in a short
article like this. And these were The
unSortNnates who have since been
known as the Bonner party"
CARAVAN IS DIVIDED.
"On the morning of July 81 we parted
with our travelling companions. some
of whom had become very dear friends
and, without a suspicion OF impending
disaster. set off in high spirits on The
Hastings cut-off Learning the hard
ships of the advance trains, the party
decided TO cross toward the lake. Only
those who have passed through THIS
country ON horse back can appreciate
the situation There was absolutely nc
road. not even a trail. The canyoC
wound around among the hills. Heavy
underhrusA had 10 be cut away anC
used for making q road bed. While
cutting our way, step by step, through
and Joined by the Graves family, con
sisting of f W Graves, his wife anS
eight children, his soIl-in-laW, Jay Eos
dick. and a young man by the name o
John Snyder Finally we reached tht
end of the canyon, where it looked as 4
our wagons would have TO be aban
doned. 1t seemed impossible for tbs
oxen to pull them UP the steep hill anN
the bluffs beyond. but we doubled
~
ait last, almost every yoke in the SraiI
being required to pull up each wagon
We were now e7lCamped an a. Vaile1
called Twenty Wells The water il
these wells was pure and cold, welcom
enough after the aikaii pools, IRON
which we had been forced to drink
We prepared for the long drive acros
tine desert and laid in as we supposed
an ample supply Of water and grass
This desert had been represented to u
as only 40 miles wide, but we found i
nearly So 1 was a dreary, desolate, al
kali waste; not a living thing could b
seen: it seemed as if the hand OF deatl
mad been laid upon the country. w
STARTED in the evening, Travelled al
might've nights and one day of suf
ferirr from thirst and heat by day an'
piercing cold by night When on TN
third night We saw the barren vast
stretching away. apparently as bound
less as when we started, my fathe
determined to go ahead in search o
water. Before starting he instructe'
the drivers. if the cattle showed sign
of giving OUT, to take them from tn
wagons and follow them
NIGHT OF HORROR.
He had not bean gone long befor
the oxen began 10 fail 10 the grouni
from thirst and exhaustion. They wer
11uhfrched at once and driven ahead
NY father coming back met the driver
with the cattle within 10 miles of waite
and instructed them to return as 500,
as ne animals had satisfied their thirSi
He reached US about day light w
waited all that day in the desert look
ing for thine return Of our drivers, tn
other wagons going out Of sight. To
ward night the situation became des
perate. We had only a few drops Q
water left: another night there mean
death We must set on foot and II
TO reach some Of the wagons Draggin
ourselves along about 10 miles, W
reached the wagon Of Jacob Donnel
The family were asleep, SO we childre
law down on the ground. A bitter win
sUert over the desert, chilling u
through and through. We crept close
together and, when we complained c
the cold, papa placed all five of GU
dogs around us. Only for the warnlt
of these faithful creatures We Shout
doubtless have persisted
"At day light papa was off TO lear
the fate of his cattle, and was told tina
all were lost EXCEPT one COW and an OF
The stock, seeming the water. ha
RUSHED ahead Of the men, and ha
probably been stolen by the Indian
end driven into the mountains. wher
AN races Of them were lost A wee
was spent here on the edge Of III