Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1900-02-08
CROSSING THE PLATTE.
A REMINIOCENCE OF LONG AGO.
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Written for the Ledger.
BY W. ". cLENDENIN.

Written for the Ledger.
IL was on bright June morning In
1858 that we reached the lower cross-
Ing Of the South Platte river and as
many trains Of emigrants were ahead
of us we had to wait several hours
until It came our time to cross. The
river at that crossing was nearly q
mile wide and from bank 70 bank the
bottom Of the swift running stream
was nothing but bed OF constantly
moving quicksand; 80 when you
started into the water you would have
to keep moving pretty lively or, like
Magnify, down you would go.
The course for the wagons to take
was marked on both nides OF the river
and by keeping on astralght line the
water was not more than from three
to Eve feet deep. Many Of the emil
grants raised the beds OF their wag-
ons nearly TO the top OF she standards
to make sure Of not getting their
provisions wet, and this made them
top-heavy and easy to capsizs. if they
were not kept on level ground.
At the edge of the water there was
a sheer drop OF about two feet and II
the wagon was not driven straight
into the stream, 80 that both FORE
wheels would strike the water at the
same time, IL was dead sure to cap
size. One emigrant, when his turn
came to cross, did not drive straight
into the water, but headed his team
up the stream and the consequence
was that the right forewheel dropped
down SO suddenly that it turned the
wagon complete flipfiap and landed
it bottom upward where the water
was about four or i've feet deep,
was Watching the driver when be
started his team and / thought that
he was bigger fool than Thompson's
colt. Shortly after the accident hap
pened q woman's head shot out Of the
tail end OF the oapeized wagon and
she wac spouting muddy water like q
whale, but 40 soon as she could catch
her breath she said: "My God, save
my baby" She wac so badly fright
ened that she didn't know that she
held the baby tightly clasped to her
breast.
As soon as she was pulled up the
bank another woman's head popped up
and she, too, held baby in her arms,
but so much muddy water had gone
down her throat that she couldn't
even mako her tongue wag.
Jeff Kenny, one of our boys, sprang
into the water and ripped the cover
Of the wagon into ribbons. he then
thrust his foot inside and feeling
something soft under big Saratoga
trunk he dove under the water and a
moment later rose with beautiful
girl about Is years old In hia arms.
When be carried her up the BANK she
was gasping and as limp as a rag; but
before we left she was able to sit up.
So far as the unfortunate girl was
concerned 1t WAS one OF the closest
calls that ever saw.
And what do you suppose that
driver was doing while all this was
happeningf Not single thing, but
stand there as though he was paral-
yzed; he never even opened his
mouth to say single word, but he
looked as black as thunder cloud at
Kenny for wrecking the cover of his
wagon. That made me feel as though
! would like to take my big OK whip
and lambast him half mile up the
river and then back again, on q dead
run.
Now, It 30 happened that was feel
ing very badly and under the weather
that morning. / had caught q bad
cold-who ever heard of one catching
a good one7-and, as the glands OF
my neck we're badly swollen, i thought
that had the mumps, so l got one OF
the boys to drive my team across the
river and mounted horse.
It is easy for US all to look back and
see where at sometime in the course
OF our lives we have made fools of our
selves and right there is where
made one OF myself to perfection.
Instead Of following the wagons as
should have done l rode about fifty
yards above the ford before ] entered
the water. At that place / found the
water to be very shallow for several
hundred yards from the shore and
was congratuIating myself on finding
a much better crossing than the one
marked out for the wagons when my
horse suddenly pitched onto his head
and made q dive like q muskrat
When the horse made his sudden
plunge / shot out about ten feet and
Il utEuCh tuG Holck hoadAoAOmooe oAS
bull dog. How far under the water
l went never knew, but judged the
hole to be about twenty feet deep ,anc
when l rose to the waters surface
found the horse swimming by my side
and / caught hold Of bis name ant
held on until we touched bottom,
From that to the shore It was nothing
but wade, dive and swim, for ! think
we struck not less than g dozen bot
tomless holes and theyranged from q
to 15o feet In width. Well, when
reached the shore felt like I was ai
wet as a dozen drowned rats and I hat
to hang myself out in the hot sun. al
that afternoon TO get dry.
From the South Platte we drove
0Mo Et,9 Tib1 fhp