Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-17
,son Francisco BulletIn)


How time hles' It Is now more ihan
tblrty-uine years ago-and yet II seems
hardly ten-that I LEFT my home IN a
nrosnerous town In the southwestern
rort ~ Indiana for a buffalo hunt on
,bs mains The dreaded Ciyil war had
become a grim fact sumter had fallen,
The tiger was loose. and the mad waves
OF dlsloyalty swept up 70 our very door
slns Kentucky. as a State had not yet
declared itself although partisan sol
dlery was organizing in every county.
"old Glory was nailed 20 the peak ana
a stayed there. only the mile width Of
Che Ohio river separated us from a
SETTLING hotbed Of seCessiOnism. South
ern Indlsna was under constant mem
ace OF invasion. We were under mar
tlsl law. and business was paralyzed,
II was on the 3rd Of June 1861, that |
turned the KEY Of my office from the
outside md took the first West-bOund
steamboat for Kansas city which was
10 be my starting point Tor the plains.
There were then no railroads west or
the Missouri river. The advance OF
civilization was retarded by that ire
pressble conflict which eliminated In
che great tragedy Of the next four
years.
Before reaching Paducah, the captain
OF our boat received Information that
the secesslonists had possession OF the
town and had planted a battery there
Tor the purpose Of capturing everything
that came along down the river. There
were a large number Of passengers on
board. The ladies' cabin was filled with
women and children. Paducah would
be reached IN the night. and the captain
had a mind 20 run the blockade, creep
ing along close 20 the opposite shore
with all lights extlngulshed and only
sufficient steam power employed 20 give
the boat Storage The scheme met
with general approval But II was n
clear proposition that the Confederates
were apprised Of our coming and would
have a watch set for u.s. The chances
OF stealing by were very small. and as
the ladies' cabin was as exposed 20 a
raklng FIRE from the battery as any 9TH
or part OF the boat, the captain finally
concluded 20 make a landing at Padu-
cab. and take the chances OF cOniisca-
tlon. We We're received as We expected
20 be. The boat was tied up ana the
passengers were ordered 10 consider
themselves prisoners Of war, which we
did with the able assistance Of a guard
IN butternut uniform. | felt the import
nnce OF the occasion. II was something
20 be a prisoner Of war. The honor
came entirely unsolicited. Some men
are born great; others have greatness
thrust upon them. | was one Of the
"others."
There were too many Of US 10 feed,
and as nothing contraband of war was
found on board. the captain was,
through the interoessl0n Of influential
citizens, allowed 10 proceed. after Civ
ing reprisal bond maturing az the
acknowledgement Of the independence
OF the Confederate states.
oNE-EYED PACK HORSE.
At Cape Girardeau l picked up a
young man for a companion, who had
never been further away from clyilza-
ton than ST. Louis As he Is now the
father Of a numerous family, modest
and unwilling TO be pilloried before the
world with the insignia OF distinction.
his name for the purposes Of this story
shall be Bob" We arrived at Kansas
City full " visions OF sport ahead.
Stories were rife OF Indian hostilities:
settlers were being driven In and we
were RECALLED with bloodcurdling ac-
counts OF massacre and rapine. We had
selected a route up the Smoky Hin
fork Of the Kaw river. That and the
Republican fork We're considered extra
and We were strongly ad-
vised 10 abandon the project An H.
llterate fellow who was anxious 10 Join
us, provided We would take some other
route, upon finding that We adhered 10
our original intention, threw up his
hands and exclaimed. "Oh the savage
infeestel" He resigned, but his quaint
expression found a Judgment In Bobs
memory, and from that time at every
fresh sign OF Indians. whether hostile
or otherwise, he gave II an airing.
In View Of exciting possibilities, we
took saddle horses and one TO pack our
stun, Instead Of numbering ourselves
with a wagon Our pack animal was
an indian pony-a trained buffalo hunt
er--light Of limb and feet OF foot. that
had undergone the ordeal Of having its
right eye obliterated-a custom among
the savages done TO enable them To
ride close along by the left side OF the
huge game under full speed and plant
an unerring arrow In It's heart. Having