Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-07-06
SANTA
FE TRAIL
STORIES
"reminiscences of Pioneers on
ROad---IncidentS of Two
Fast Rides

Members Of the Early Settlers asso.
citation of Missouri, who, with a party
of city officials from Kansas City, have
recently been attempting 70 locate the
original route Of the Santa Fe trail
which is to be marked, seem to have
settled the location of the road as far
as the old Harris house at westport.
Mo.
Among the older men of the party on
the trail the other day an odd bit of
history came out, says the Kansas City
Star. When Westport became a -four
ishing town II felt the need of a more
convenient route to the river landing.
so rock road was built reaching as
far into Kansas City as Twelfth street. |
In those days Kansas City had about |
the same relation to westport that In. |
dependence now holds to Kansas City,
except that the westport merchants
had to come to Kansas City TO get ]
their freight. SO the big town built
the road, a sort Of toll road, running
mostly on the west side Of the old San.
Ia Fe trail.
The trail was not at all easy for
speedy travelling, but s. O. Ragan took
swift trip ov,r it once. He was driv.
ing three yoke Of oxen down the hill
north from Twenty-eighth street when
lightning struck a tree just behind the
wagon. The oxen ran all the way to
Kansas City as fast as six frightened
cattle could run.
]. 8. Chick told Of little fast riding
he did in his time on the trail beyond
Wostport. He fell in with four Mexi-
cans who had mules to sell, or said they
had. "They were drinking some of
their Mexican drinks" he said, "and
wanted me to drink with them. 1 OBJ
jected." L
"Not to a little whisky'" W. r. u
Bernard suggested.
81 did not say I objected to n little
whisky. ] did object to taking their .
Mexican drink with them when 4 vas c
already suspicious of them.
"The mules were supposed to be out
on the trail few miles in Kansas.
We set out to find them. They were
not where the Mexicans first said they
were, but they said we would find
them a few miles farther away. Then
hey rode two in front of me and two
behind. IL was an uncomfortable
place for me. They knew / had money
% buy mules with. thought knew u
hoy were thieves and cut throats and o.
soon lost interest in their mule story
iguring on how to leave them behind. ~
finally got n chance and started my :
lorse on run to a settlement near. =
Don distaneed the Mexicans, and
lever saw the mules. don 7 know Of 4
my one else that ever did"
IL is curious fact that war has been
factor in the making of Kansas City.
{ was the war between Texas and
Iexico that made the Santa Fe trail
Commerce with Mexico was carried on
" ships across the gulf of Mexico un.
il that war. Then Texas put out some
rivateers that made the trade danger
us, and it was started overland by OK
cams. Goods were sent by way of
,ansas City and Santa Fe into central
iexieO, keeping too far west and north
or the Texans TO do any damage. Az. n
erward when the United States took
p the war the trade continued to go
verland, and to this day goods are
hipped to Mexico through Kansas
ity.
Every one knows that the civil war
nd the troubles that followed sent the
exas cattle trade into Kansas City
srritory instead of east by water or
cross Louisiana, and every foreign
ar strengthens the Kansas City mule
Iarket as well as the hour and meat
-ade. j. s. Chick said Nhat it was the
ar between Texas and Mexico that
ade the Santa Fe trail and laid the
,undation for the city that has helped
} outfit or provision every war that
as been fought since in every part Of
10 globe.
"The party of city officials and
embers of the Early Settlers associ.
ion who attempted TO locate the old
anita Fe trail the other day came
-etty near the original route, as l re-
ember it,, said James Hunter. Mr..
unter is a notary in Westport, where
, has lived continuously for many
sars
''I came to what is now Westport Il
it'll my father in 1884" said Mr..
untor. "I was then eight years old,