The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-08
BY OK TRAIN 1000 MILES
NEW ALBANY EXPEDITIONS TO THE
OLD WEST IN 1s4s-1sgO.
Journey I'm Striking Contrast To the
Luxury Of Travel To-Day-Whaf
CoIdseekers Endured.

Robert Louis Stevenson's book entitled
Across the Plains" an unpretentious little
green paper-covered pamphlet of sixty
four pages, bearing the same name. was
published in New Albany. Ind. by "Jno r.
Nunemacher. city book store; Kent & Nor
man, Ledger bldgs.; c. Hagan & Co,
Louisville: william II. Moore & Co. Gin
cinnat. and Lippincott, Grambo & Co.
Philadelphia" A publishers note states
that the first portion of this chronicle OF
a trip to California in 1880 was printed in
the New Albany Daily Ledger. The
authors name was James Abbey. and the
book bears the following elaborate ex-
planatory title:
A Trip
Across the Plains
In the Spring of 1850
Being Daily Record OF Incidents of the
Trip Over the Plains. the Desert and
the Mountains. Sketches OF the
Country, Distances from
Camp to Camp. etc.
And Containing Valuable Information TO
Emigrants
AS to Where They Will Find Wood. Water
and Grass at Almost Every Step
of the Journey
James Abbey. whose one achievement in
print was recently resurrected from a dark
shelf near the ceiling in Lafayette woods's
secondhand shop. was an Englishman by
birth, son OF Ansel and Bersheba Abbey,
and for many years a steward on the
steamboat United States. which ran be-
tween Louisville and New Orleans. When
on land the young man INDUCED bent for
reporting. and is remembered by Mr.. Chas.
W. Coltom having often furnished for
his own pleasure river notes and other
news items to the old Daily Ledger. II
was but natural and logical, therefore that
his willing pen should record in daily notes
details OF a trip lasting four months-an
OK cart journey of over 1000 miles in quest
of gold in far California.
Two years before James Abbey's trip.
however, this small town OF 5000 inhabi-
tants mot lighted as yet by street lamps,
the people carrying lanterns on all after
dark excursions, TO which no railway came.
the l., n. A. & c. Railway being then in
construction became mildly aroused with
the earliest circulation OF the news that
gold had been found in California, and I'm
April. 1S4S. ten men, with two OK wagons
loaded with food clothing and implements,
left New Albany on the steamboat Me-
teor," Captain Turner. via the Ohio Mis-
sissppi and Missouri rivers for Independ-
ence. Mo-, then a popular frontier starting
point for emigrant trains to the far West.
William Robinson. log pumpmaker. still
living in New Albany. was among the men
of that earliest migration. and his wagon
mates were Alfred Rager, Nathan Benton.
John Bolin and Horace Kent. the later a
brother of Alexander Kent- the founder OF
Kentland, Newton county, Indiana. At In
dependence the two New Albany wagons
81
joined a train of nine wagons from Ten
nessee, and after being ferried across the
Missouri river rolled off toward the West
ern coast on the Utah trail. or Great Salt
Lake trail, so called because Brigham
Young in 1876. had led his band OF follow
ers across it from the States to Utah Ter
ritory.
THE RUSH OF TRAVEL
The route led across a corner OF Kansas,
through Nebraska, Wyoming. Utah. Colo
RADIO and Nevada to great, golden Califor-
MA Though emigration at that time was
considered heavy, and wagon trains were
never out of sight Of other trains. the
rush 10 California in 1850 was so much
greater that man with n single team.
1t is averred. could have made the journey
in safety Mule teams were also used in
traversing the great, rough highway OF the
plains, but they soon lost caste as having
a tendency TO give out" while the slower
OK II fed and watered. could step with sus-
tanned strength and dignity from one ocean
to the other. At that period the plains
were alive with Indians and swarming with
buffalo; but the excited gold-seekers stop
ped not often to shoot game, while the IN
dams were temporarily peaceable and un-
| offending. Only once in the long journey,
one Sunday morning. the New Albany
| camp was visited by red men-300 in num-
Der. They feigned TO be searching for an
| enemy" and thoroughly ransacked the
| Indiana wagons without finding him. They
also inquired for "whisz,' but there was
no fire water" discovered among the
| stores the warriors departed without maxi
| ing any trouble. Great droves Of buffalo
more properly American bison-were
| often met on the trail. and the OK teams
were always turned aside and halted TO
| give them the right OF way. Food was
| abundant, each wagon carrying 900
pounds OF provisions-bacon, -four, beans,
rice. coffee dried fruits, etc.-but when the
mountainous part of the trail was reached
much of this had TO be thrown away to
tighten the loads.
In fact all along the way, the roadsides
were strewn with everything imaginable,
| cast overheard by proceeding emigrants-
| tools, clothing. food and furniture; small
| fortunes for junkmen, had not the golden
| Junk of California seemed more aluring.
| Through the Black Hills. across the Rocky
mountains. which William Robinson de-
| soribes as not counting at all By the Sierra
| Nevadas'-the OK wagons toiled on. Rivers
| were ferried by caulking the wagon-beds.
roping them together and floating them
| over: while the oxen had TO swim across
Before the great sandy desert was reached.
| grass was cut and loaded for the oxen. and
| sacks and casks OF water taken on the
| wagons. The water came boiling hot from
| Steamboat Spring" near the Humboldt
river. and had TO be cooled before the oxen
| were allowed TO drink IL. Two nights and
| a day OF hard travel left the sixty-ive
| mile desert behind. AS an experiment. an
| eight-foot well was dug, but the water
| was found to be strong, nauseating brine.
| After a toilsome journey Of nearly four
months. long and dangerous. but not