The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-22
THROUGH DEATH VA
WOMAN's STORY OF A TERRIBLE
TRIP OVERLAND.
For the First Time Since 1850 Mrs.
Julia Brier, the Only Woman of
the Expedition, Relates Her Ex-


Julia Brier. the Only Woman o
the Expedition, Relates Her Elk
periences.
From the San Francisco Can.
! don't know how to tell you about gu
struggle through Death valley in 1880
and the Christmas we spent amid its nor
rors. l never expected TO say anything
about it for newspaper. 1 was the onl,
woman in the party-Mr. Brier, our thre
boys, Columbus, John and Kirk, the old
est being years and two young men, st
John and Patrick, made up our mess,
as we called it.
We reached the top of the divide be
tween Death and Ash valleys, and, oh
what a desolate country we looked dowr
into. The next morning we started down
The men said they could see what looked
like spring out in the valley. Mr.. Brie
was always ahead to explore and fnl
water, so 1 was left with our three boy.
to help bring up the cattle. We expected
the men pushed ahead. 1 was sick anc
was all that kept me up. Poor little KirI
gave out, and 1 carried him on my back
barely seeing where 1 was going, until h
would say, Mother, 1 can walk now
Poor little fellow! He would stumble OF
a little way over the salty marsh anC
sink down, crying, 81 can't go any far
Their" Then 1 would carry him again
and soothe him as best l could.
Many times l felt l should faint and a!
my strength departed l would sink on my
knees. The boys would ask for water
but there was not a drop. Thus We stag
gered on over salty wastes, trying to keel
the company in view and hoping at every
step to come to the springs. Oh, such
day. If we had stopped l knew the meT
would come back at night for us, but
didn't want to be thought a drag or hin
drance.
Lost on the Plains.
Night came down and we lost all tract
of those ahead | would get down on my
knees and look in the starlight for the
OK tracks, and then we would stumble
on. There was not a sound and l didn
know whether we would ever reach camI
or not
About midnight we came around a bis
rock and there was my husband at
small fire
us this the camp?" / asked.
mo; lis six miles farther" he said.
I was ready to drop and Kirk was al
most unconscious, moaning for a drink
Mr. Brier took him on his back and has
tened to camp to save his little life.
was o'clock Christmas morning wher
we reached the springs. 1 only wanted t,
sleep, but my husband said / must ca
and drink or l would never wake up Oh
such a horrible daV and night
We found hot and cold springs there
and washed and scrubbed and rested. Tha
was a Christmas none could ever forget.
Music or singing? My. no. We wer,
TOO far gone for that. Nobody spoke very
much, but / know we were all thinkns
of home back East and all the cheer aut
good things there. Men would sit looknl
into the fire or stand gazing away silent
~ over the mountains, and it was easy t,
read their thoughts. Poor fellows. HaV
ing no other woman there, I felt lone
some at times. but l was glad, too, tina
no other was there to suffer
The men killed an OK and we had ;
Christmas dinner OF fresh meat. blacl
coffee and very little bread. l had on,
small biscuit. You see, we were on shor
ration then and didn't know how Ions
we would have to make provisions last
Nobody knew what untold misery tn,
morrow might bring, so there was no oc
casion for cheer.
Bound 10 Go On.
Fred Carr said to me that night: Don
you think you and the children had bet
ter stay here and let us send back 70
yoa?"
I knew what was in his mind "No."
said. Il have never been a hindrance.
have never kept the company waiting
neither have my children, and every stel
l take will be toward California"
Then / was troubled no more. AS tn
men gathered around the blazing camp
fire they asked Mr.. Brier 10 speak t
them-to remind them of Monochrome
they were thinking of home fast enough
anyway. So he made them a speech.
When we reached the Jayhawkers' cam
they were about to burn their wagons an
pack their oxen to hurry along Tha
made us still gloomier, but none com
planned. The men realized that to stop o
go back meant death, and they deter
mined to struggle on while strength an
life lasted, trusting to tomorrow TO brin
them TO the land of plety Then we strug
sled through the salty marsh for mile
and miles. Oh, II was terrible. We woul
sink TO our shoetops and as water CAV
out we were nearly famished. hav
heard since that Gov Blaisdeu of Nevad
found our tracks there twelve years late
and still encrusted in the hardened sal
Reached the Mountains.
A march over twenty miles OF dry san
brought us to The foot of the mountain,
with hope almost gone and not a drop c
water to relieve our parched lips an
swollen tongues. The men climbed up {
the snow and brought down all they coul
carry, frozen hard Mr.. Brier filled an oil
shirt and brought il to us Some ate
white and hard and relished it as thong
it was flowing water but enough Wa
melted for our frenzied cattle and cam
use
Here We lived on jerked beef and mi.
cradle pancakes. Some of the compan
told us they were going to leave the
cattle, bake up their provisions and pus
ahead as last resort. DR. Carr brok
down and cried when we would not g
back 10 the springs. l felt as bad as an
of them, but it would never do TO give u
there. Give up-ah I knew what ths