The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-08-11
From San Francisco to Salt Lake City.
A hitherto unpublished incident of Western life
Written for THE INDExl

In the winter Of 1878 in the city Of San
Francisco, met Mr. Cooper, an accredited
agent Of the restless and celebrated fhbus.
terer, VIM. Walker, OF Nicaragua fame. rhis
Mr.. Cooper had been dispatched from New
York to Salt Lake City with view to work.
ing up a land speculation by getting Brigham
Young to lead the Mormon people-then suf-
fering from the trouble brought upon them
by President Buchanan's blunder in sending
an army to Utah--to the Mesquite country in
Central America. Mr. Walker offered to sell
Brigham Young l2,OOO, 900 acres Of land at ten
cents an acre and Elder Dwight Evelette,
-.1,. s.' s.-ss.s ssssoiiiii rs
his pleadings, I consented to an interview
with Mr.. Cooper and his colleagues. at once
took the ground that they would be disap-
pointed. that they would spend their money
and have for nothing their trip to Salt Lake
City to see MT. Young. And in those days a
trip from San Francisco to Salt Lake by the
southern route meart 1900 miles through
desert country with no Inhabitants but hos
tile Indians. / placed these arguments
before them, but they were bent on going,
and requested me to pilot them.
With light spring wagon for the luggage
and good mount of horses we started The
company consisted of Mr.. Cooper, Mathew
son, Hardin, myself and a eolOred man for
cook. About 900 miles out we Overhauled and
stayed over night with small company Of
MormOus,i among whom were thirteen re-
turning missionaries walking oheerfully
across the deserts, enthuscd with the hope of
meeting their loved ones and sharing with
them the trials and dangers Of another exc
dus. Save this company for 500 miles we saw
only three white men. At the Vegas Springs
in Nevada, met for the first time that noted
Indian neacemaker Jacob Hanblin-suu-
buEnt and toll stained, surrounded BY the
dusky desert warriors with whom he was
making his home IN order to accomplish his
mission of peace. He communicated to me
the hrsti reliable news that had had Of the
horrible massacre Of the company Of Arkan-
sas emigrants AZ the Mountain Meadows and
told me that the Indians, elated with their
success were thifsting for more blood On
the Muddy small stream Of that region,
living in a wagon bed turned bottom side up
Ira Hatch and Ihales Haskell, men giving
the better part Of their lives to labor that
brought them neither pleasure nor wealth.
Taking their advice we rested day purpos-
ing to make forced drives until we should
reach settlements At the Beaver dams, near
the Utah-Nevada line we rested and took
supper then after dark rode fifteen miles
and turned on the road and oamped without
making fire and in the morning moved ten
miles TO Cane Springs, Utah, and stopped for
breakfast, While making ready 70 eat, our
party was surrounded and surprised by
about eighty Indian Warfiors. Many Of them
were WeD dressed In white men clothes and
they were Well armed / oomprehended at a
glance that We were feoe TO face With the saw
ages who took part iu the Mountain Meadow
murder Hastily replacing the things In the
wagon, we placed our backs against the same
and awaited further developments,
We were oamped on open ground some
| eight OF ten rods from the spring which
| sprang from q clump Of tall willows Just at
this moment mourning dove lighted on the
| TOP of one Of the willows. The Indians COM
monoed shooting az 10, the bird ir it's fright
l olinging TO the tree which 5Wayod to and
/ fro in tho breeze making a diihcult marx to
hit. The wild hilarity was Contagious and
an Joined the shooting match In the excite
ment i too lost my head and stopping into
[ line with the Indians, fired In my turn ff ]
had had the bird In my hand j could not
have cut it8 head on any neater than did.
heioading my gun J moved back 20 Mr. Har-
din, who stood by the side of the wagon
holding his double-barroled shotgun ia his
right haud, the butt resting on the ground.