Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-19

Big Sandy, to the Ohio river. All of this
country was then sparsely settled, and in
many places wild and uninhablted. Its
vast and endless mineral and timber
wealth was then unknown and undevelop-
ed by the coal and timber barons- Reach
ing the Ohio, took steamer for st. LOUIS
then went UP into illinois, which was
very thinly settled and full of malaria, or
which I received more than full dose.
The trouble lasted me to the Pacific AS
Illinois was a prairie State, large focks
of sheep were driven there from the State
of Ohio, which enabled me to get a herd.
I bought over 5000 head of sheep, fifty
mich cows, and some twenty-five splendid
mules Now the trouble was to get upon
the great plains. The snow was melting
rapidly in the upper country, the rivers
were booming, and the lower grounds
were covered with water. Frequently the
sheep were up to their sides in water,
swimming for days. finally crossed the
Mississippi at Hannibal. Then struck
for ''St Joe' on the Missouri.
HOW THEY GOT ACROSS.
''When I arrived there found the river
so high that steamers could not be used
I then drove sixty miles down the river.
opposite the mouth Of Cav river. then
found a large steamer, lying back against
a bluff. two miles from the main current.
After considerable persuasion succeeded
in getting the captain of the steamer TO
undertake the perilous task of conveying
me and my herds across the river. He said
he had no idea where he would land on
the other side. said to him: 1T matters
not to me so you get there" loaded up,
and we started across the swollen stream.
and when we finally landed we were nine
miles below the mouth Of the river, and
had terrible time getting back. 1t took
three days to get the stock over. We then
had the foods behind us and the great
plains before US. T now found that
change had to be made My intention was
to go up the north side Of the Platte river
and follow the emigrant route, but was
so late reaching the plains that could
not take that route on account of the
snow. We had to strike south through
the UNEMPLOYED regions, which would land
us in Southern California, on the head
waters of the San Gabriel river.
UPON THE GREAT PLAINS.
eve had not far to go from the Missouri
river before we were upon the Great
Plains The situation now was-civiiza
ton behind us. Indians, buffalo and wolves
before and around us, and not civilized
man from the State line to the Rocky
Mountains. What a change have lived
to see. Where the buffalo grazed unin-,
terruptedly upon that silent plain, and
the Indian roamed with no fear Of God or
man, are now to be found thousands of
acres of wheat and corn The mower and
the binder are to be seen in every direc-
ton, while the SHIRT horn, the Hereford
and the polled angus have taken the place
of the buffalo. A traveller passing through
that country and not knowing the history
of it would think that it had been settled
thousand years. But as I Travelled West
the crops got shorter, the climate drier.
and water scarce indeed. And now comes
the tug of war. The plains are left be-
hind the mountains and the desert are
in front.
AND THEN THE MULES DIED.
.'Here another change takes place I
started with twenty-four of the best mules
ons loaded with provisions. When reach
ed the Sierra Nevada mountains not one
of them was alive All had died! then
hitched oxen to the wagons, and no OK
or wagon ever went through such coun-
try before, for there is none such on
earth! Strange as it may seem, every OK
passed through that fearful land, over
the eternal SHOWS Of the Wahsatch and the
Sierra mountains. and landed on the head
waters of the San Gabriel river In fair
condition, thus contradicting the univer-
sal belief in the mules claim for life eter-
nal, and establishing the ox's claim OF
greater powers for enduring hardships.
The government had sent Gunnfson out
to explore that country, which was a
great help and relief to me, as I followed
his trail until I reached the place where
he was killed by the Indians just after
crossing the Wahsatch mountains. After
Gunnson's untimely death, which occur
red only a few days In advance Of my
travels, his men struck for Salt Lake city.
Izl,a1at5 on To Ca ffnrnia.a on may taYA