Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-09
honor TO THE
| BRAVE PIONEERS
!, Characters Of Colorado
VIII Known to Utah Veterans
!, ARE IN DENVER NOW
o,Alexander Majors, capt
.,.on. David street and
W" ,.nn,r "a Of the Far IVES.

81. IaChsoh'
rruppsrs Of che Far IVES"
,,rer /, just now doing honor ~ 10
t .'','.srs as Utah did to hers a lit
,wo years ago though not on
.,,e a scale. still what is be-
60, is most interesting, especial
.l.a Of the fact that some Of the
Characters to whom reference Is
~ '.,a well known by veterans here
IAN, is that true Of Alexander
wbo was one of the great
.,,,. across the plains and through
early days. Speaking of him
.,1os the Denver News says
a.. ,,reets Of Denver, almost any
Y w he seen the form OF the ven
W." 3byauder Majors, one OF the
l.. seeded OF the old-timers OF the
y ,sin states Majors came TO the
- ..' as early as 1875 and MS ms
Sseycn in seventy Years on the
M i one Of the most thrilling
~" ~, published. He was one OF
y , 80 Fighters IN the early times,
~,sso,ioted with Russell q Wad-
'~'rs6 tens OF thousands OF draft
~ and thousands OF horses ana
go The business grew 70 sueh
.,,e dimensions that II fell of us
Iree6i and through the dupllcity
.,,oss connected with the firm.
~ MAJORS has always been a man
gsrlipg convictions and unusual
| splrit. He Is today one OF the
y, interesting characters living,
=, tragic death Of Capt. George A.
'..on BIZ an accidental discharge OF
rm while coming 20 Denver from
s,nlne camp In Eastern Utah, IS
N an in the minds Of host of the
,..r, friends. II is surprising that
I'M who carried a rifle for forty
I. should become the victim OF HIS
| Il tsreleyyness, but this Is one OF the
.,sss Tragedies OF life. jackson was
IA plains with Kit Carson. before
. 4, n. and was the discoverer OF gold
M Jackson diggings near Idaho
.rnes The adventures Of this man
nj make stirring chapter In the
son Of the West,
| MA Street arrived in Denver In
N 1857 hoving made the trip from
awawoth KAN, IN six days on The
-ial Overland California and Pixies
bis Express coach" The late George
CLAYTON was a passenger on tho
a. czech, although 1t was not Mt
|dgon's ais, trip 10 Denver, as he al
IN hsd o store established In the
|r Two years previously, in 1855, Mr..
|srsl crossed the mountains with an
-lilon which went TO Salt Lake
h..
| fRAPPERs OF THE FAR WEST
A history u the fur companies which
|eyned In the Rocky Mountains pre-
|rus to the coming of the gold hunt
|gs and the destruction OF the fur
|tsie would make volume OF great
|hget ". i. Bailey OF this city has
. .As course OF years gathered a high
n Jduable collection Of books on The
|.T trade, and Il is from him that the
|.loglng facts are obtained.
NJ American Fur company was one
h Ae early organizations brought into
,1ssne In the United States for the
iVplse Of operating In the far West
n company was chartered by the
il:iture Of New York as early as 1909.
riA a capital Of 100000. II carried on
. business In much the sam way as
o Hudson Bay company and other
DER ofganizailons. which had made
gai fortunes in the fur trade OF the
Nfh American continent. The Mis-
sSN. Missouri and Yellowstone riy-
H we're covered by the American Fur
cnTiny, as well as the great area as
~ vest as the coast This company
rs he first 70 use steamboats, on the
ysSogH river II remaines in the field
70 lMs 20 1860 The roster Of the
tlpny includes many names familiar
: sslern history General Ashley, the
enWIer Of South pass Jed Smith, the
~ American 10 cross the Slerras; Jim
a'g,r, the scout and guide; Jim Beck
w Toe mulatto who became a chief |
g a, Crow Indians and was acquainted
IN many OF the early settlers OF Dem
Y we're on the list The annual eX-
tAu9hs Of the company reached forth !
no 81 Louis the headquarters, TO all |
4it Where beaver End other fur
silig animals could be profitably
u'li.d In the West. The posts Of the !
q, J, lpahy were scattered widely. In 1885 |
!, s'AntTioan Fur company absorbed the !
Wy Mountain and Missouri Fur COM
\ $50 and under the management OF |
y Vh0nteaus had the entire Rocky |
ssy.hlaln iur trade south OF the line OF |
lld America under Its control.
y unes beaver skins commanded as |
- as Y per pound, but In 1886 the !
s 4 iaa fallen to 81 per pound. Wien /
Z m1e IN buffalo hides commenced |
'. sonpany assumed new life. and, |
!. ,..s,liiaWing from the mountains, con-
~ ~ lt operations largely 10 the buff |
=, On The plains.
't trading posts presented lively /
- a. times Of the year when the |
,.l. gathered TO barter with the 4
~. o. The fur companies. In the |
49,. ~ o. Irving and Parkman vivid de-
! .'T,s9ls ~ those gatherings are Civ /
y Toy 81 Vrain, fifty miles north Of /
81 On the Platte river. was one /
/. s most important corters during /
I,,, VI twenty years, commencing as
y, as as ls'5. The ruins OF the old fort /
-. . . be seen standing In a meadow |
me mouth Of the st. Vrain river. /
uss Of the most romantic spots in
=. 'lv and visit to the historic /
rv 'yula wei repay any lover Of his
~ 4, mere General Fremont made his |
4. Iuohomical observations at the /
~ lhe mountains, and here thou
' -, p weary, homeslck gold seekers /
~ Ivy camp 20 rest after a long trip /
NJ we states. The view from the 4
S,s'a surprisingly beautiful, with
!. i, pax rising above the clouds in
=, wy ,llate background and the end
ln,,hs stretching away 10 the east. 4
~ "f n post u great interest In the
49, erl Bent. In the valley Of the 4
y. az Tie remains OF old Fort Bent
e. .,loN disappeared, but newer
: ,,o'ssssI"ards changed into a station
is,v y ~ Of the United States, has
i'.rs''ss a'ures which will attract the
~ wv s. o. The traveller. At Fort Bent
W., ,s,acled many OF the stirring
!. ns., J, safly Western history. and the
',,fs,' !. y described many times In the
.gbn,,. aa'enturers who came to the
!. pa e. We obstruction Of the buffalo.
al N ~, seli into dipso. and today a