Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-29
SANTAFE TRAIL STORIES
"Reminiscences of Pioneers On Road That Will Be Marked.
INCIDENTS OF TWO FAST RIDES

ciation of Missouri, who, with party of city officials from Kansas City, have recently been attempting to 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 four ishing town it felt the need of 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 h. 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 bulk the road, sort of toll road, running most ly on the west side of the old Santa Fe trail The trail was not at all easy for speedy travelling. but S. c. Ragan took swift trip over 1t 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.
 J. s. Chick told of a little fast riding { he did in his time on the trail beyond Westport. 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. I ob- jected."
 Not to little whisky?' W. R. Ber- nard suggested.
 T did not say I objected to a little whisky. I did object to taking their Mexican drink with them when was already suspicious of them. ,,
 "The mules were supposed to be out on the trail a 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 ind them few miles farther away. Then they rode two in front of me and two behind. It was an uncomfortable place for me. They knew had money to buy mules with. thought knew they were thieves and cutthroats, and soon lost interest in their mule story figuring on how to leave them behind. I finally got a chance and started my horse on a run to settlement near. soon distanced the Mexicans, and l never saw the mules. don't know Of any one else that ever did"
 It is curious fact that war has been a factor in the making of Kansas City. It was the war between Texas and Mexico that made the Santa Fe trail. Commerce with Mexico was carried on by ships across the gulf of Mexico un- til that war. Then Texas put out some privateers that made the trade danger ous, and 1t was started overland by OK teams. Goods were sent by way of Kansas City and Sante Fe Into central Mexico, keeping too far west and north for the Texans to do any damage. Aft erward when the United States took up the war the trade continued to 60 over land, and to this day goods are shipped to Mexico through Kansas City. Every one knows that the civil war and the troubles that followed sent the Texas cattle trade into Kansas City territory instead of east by water or across Louisiana, and every foreign war strengthens the Kansas City mule market as well as the flour and meat trade. J. s. Chick said that 1t was the war between Texas and Mexico that made the Santa Fe trail and laid the foundation for the city that has helped to outfit or provision every war that has been fought since in every part of the globe.
 'The party of city officials and mem bers of the Early Settlers association who attempted to locate the old Santa Fe trail the other day came pretty near the original route, as remember it." said James Hunter. Mir. Hunter is notary in Westport. where he has lived continuously for many years.
 1T came to what is now westport with my father in 1884" said MT. Hunter. T was then eight years old. and we had removed from 6 farm near Independence, where we settled when we came from Kentucky. I grew up and went to school in the drst log schoolhouse near a spring about . quarter of a mile from what is now the wornall road. When John c. Nc Coy laid out the town of Westport hs told my father he would give him lot at what Is now the southwest corner of Shawnee street and westport avenue If be would start a store there. My fa. ther built the store on the ground. and we ran it together until 1ss6.
 From 1850 until the time of the war 800 wagons a day went oyer this trail from May rntil June Going out of westport the first camp on the trail was just beyond the old wornall home stead, near Indian creek. The exact route of tse trail may be a matter for | personal recollection, but we can never differ as to the location of the watering places on the trail I can name today all the watering places between here | Kansas City1 and Council Bluffs. This