Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-03
PIONEER DAYS ON M PLAINS


On the instant, at a signal from the
chief, the Indians circled around dane
ing and screaming. selected one OF the
oxen, drove It on, and left me with my
thirty-thsee cattle standing on the pral-
RE had started out from the camp
al daylight, and / reached II again at
noon.
Il have met a great many dangers,
but have never felt so small and help
less as when !, unarmed, faced twenty
I'VE OF thirty armed savages with whom
could communicate only by signs"
On that same trip the wagon train
came on the ruins OF stage coach al
the edge Of Mexico. now a station on
the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe,
called Wagon Mounds The party had
passed the freight train on the road
some weeks before, but decided 70 forge
ahead and dispense with the protection
OF the train for the sake Of making
better speed, They were massacred By
the Indians, and the affair made no
sensation whatever, because there was
little or no travel at that season OF the
year. and the story was not told along
the route. The Indians had buried their
victims In a little earth, but the wolves
had dug them up and stripped the
bones. Colonel Majors calls attention
TO a curious fact which was much
specialized upon by old freighters.
When the Indians killed party on the
Santa Fe II frequently happened that
Mexicans also were among the num-
Der murdered. When found the bodies
Of the Americans were always eaten by
the wolves, while the bodies OF the
Mexicans were left untouchd Some
thought this was because the bodies OF
the Mexieans were so impregnated with
their diet Of red pepper.
In 1856 the profits Of the Overland
freight TO Colonel Majors firm were
$500 900. The next two years, floods
and heavy rains, combined with the
death OF lot Of the cattle from lack Of
supply, used up all the money that had
been made. Cold weather set In be-
fore the last OF the supplies were got
to the army in Utah. and grass and
water enough could not be had for the
animals. Then a party OF "Mormons"
burned four wagon trains and their
freight on Green river, the freight con-
sisdng mainly OF 100000 pounds Of meat
for General Johnston's army. Next
year report was sent 10 Washington
by army engineers that 1t would be inn
possible to find subsistence along the
road for the number Of animals re-
quired TO transport freight to the army
General Jessup. then quartermaster
sent to Colonel Majors. who was in
Washington at the time, and asked him
If, under the circumstances, he would
take the contract again.
Yes, sir" said the colonel. you
may play ball with my head on Penn
sylyania avenue IL / don't get every
pound OF goods necessary to the army,
provided the government will pay for
it." And the supplies We're hauled. Cat
tie were turned out on the range in
the mountains In Nevada over winter,
rounded up In the spring, and driven to
California and sold for beef. After the
wagons were unloaded In camp they
were sold TO the "Mormons" so apiece,
although they cost $3.50 and sl75. Oc-
casionally calculations OF selling the
cattle on the coast In the spring failed.
Heavy SHOWS came and covered up the
grass, and In one season Colonel Ma
tors lost $4,000 in this way, for, out
Of $500 oxen turned out on the noun
tain range, only 200 were alive in the
spring.
Colonel Majors greatest enterprise,
from a spectacular point Of view. was
the establishing Of the pony express"
In the days OF the California gold fe-
yer this was TO the coast what the fly |
Ing mail trains are TO the people today !
From the terminus OF the Eastern tele- |
graph lines there was a stretch Of 1900 |
miles to the coast Majors had already |
established an overland stage line, OPP |