Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-02-28

canyon and along its banks and spread
ing out for hundred yards on either
side, was bed of agates from few
inches to foot deep. These agates
we're of the striped variety and were
the most beautiful ones | ever saw,
being all the colors Of a rainbow. We
reached the Little Sandy, which is a
fine stream Of snow-water, at noon
that day and topped for dinner. On
the west side Of the stream sage brush
grew as thick as hair on a dogs back,
and in this brush sage rats little mar.
mots-were as thick as grasshoppers
used to be in Kansas. These little
animals were exactly like their big
brothers-the prairie dogs-on the east
side of the Rockies, and their flesh was
white and as sweet and tender as any
l ever ate. Some emigrants, who had
camped on the creek ahead Of us, were
carrying water from the creek and
pouring it into the rat holes,and when
the half drowned little animals came
out they were easily killed with sticks.
They had several large buckets filled
with them that they had caught that
way.
After dinner we filled our water
kegs and started into the 46 mile
desert on Greenwood's cut off. At
dark we camped, and about two in the
morning we yoked up our cattle and
struck out for Green River, reaching
it about 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
That morning from the time that the
first rosy streaks of dawn appeared
ON the east side of the mountains un-
til the sun rose over the summit, l
witnessed one of the most beautiful
sights that my eyes ever beheld. All
along the summit everyrock, pinnacle
and peak looked like FURNISHED silver
and gold, whilst the west side of the
mountains and the desert were still
wrapped in midnight darkness.
When we got to the river we found
an army of emigrants ahead of us and,
although the Mormons had eleven
ferry boats that were kept constantly
running, we had to wait six hours be-
fore our turn came. About 300 yards
below the ferry, ON small island, the
dead body of a man was lying in plain
view. The MormOns said that the
body had been there three days and
that it was the body Of stranger who
had come to the ferry either drunk or
crazy and had committed suicide by
jumping into the river and drowning.
l think that the Mormons made him
drunk on the vile whisky that they
had to sell to emigrants at dollar a
glass, and then murdered him and,
after robbing his body, threw it into the
river. Capt. Allen, from Jackson coun-
ty, NO., was at the ferry with 300 cat
tie that he was taking to Oregon, and
he and his men had been there since
daylight trying to force the cattle tO
swim the river, but had failed in every
attempt they made. A Rocky noun
tain hunter told Allen that by going
three miles down below the ferry he
would find a place where he could
easily ford the river with both wagons
and cattle. When the leader Of the
Mormons heard this, he told Allen
that he would follow him with lot Of
his men and stampede his cattle in
the night. A MiSsourian heard the
threat made and he put bug in the
Mormon's ear by telling him what
kind Of a man Allen was, and that
ended it. This Capt. Allen had q
history. He was once Justice Of the
Peace in jackson county and, one day
when he was holding court, lawyer
made himself n ssiittle too DreviOus'