The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-17
A FRIEND OF JIM BRIDeER
William Walker Tells How he Was
Clothed and Fed on Utah
Plains

William Walker, IS years old, who
more than fifty years ago sat around
camp fires in the little Indian village in
Utah with James Bridger, the explorer
and scout. and strolied through the
forests with him in search. Of game.
visited the grave OF Bridger in Mount
Washington cemetery this morning
and laid a wreath of flowers upon the
Ionument which was unveiled sunday,
December II. 1901 Mr. Walker lives at
Scandal, Kan. He has lived there
twenty-seven years.
This was his first visit to the grave
of Jim" Brideer. the hunter, trapper
fur trader. explorer. guide, scout ard
Indian fighter. In the winter Of 1850
Mr. Walker last saw James Bridger
Since then he has read much of the
career of Bridger. and came 10 Kansas
city for the purpose of visiting the
grave of the man who once befriended
him when he was far away from civil
ization and among the Indians.
In the spring Of 1880 Mr.. Walker and
five companions left their homes Ia
California on horseback. \ few weeks
later they passed through old West
port. stopping only day and cross
ing the KaW river on . ferry beat into
Kansas. They travelled up the Mis-
souri, river valley TO Omaha.
"A few days out from Omaha their
horses and provisions were stolen. Mr.
Walker and a companion named
Thatcher decided TO pursue their jour
ney TO California on foot. The other
four which made up the party of six
turned back TO Omaha.
The trail We Travelled was deserted
by the white Cmigrants, and the IN
dams who usually camped along the
trail had returned 10 their villages.
said Mir, Walker this morning. We
Werc compelled to eat snakes and
wolves, and Tor weeks we saw no liv-
ing person and feU livmg things.
Aioog the trail we found a few ci4-
easses Of beasts and from these car
.casSes We cut meat and ate it. This
was not choice food, but We secured
the best the plains offered US.
We encountered no white man an
I'll we arrived at & smaH Indian set
Element, eighty miles from Salt Lake.
which Jim Bridger discovered, There
we found Bridger living among n
friendly tribe of Indians. We were
given a royal welcome and offered the
best the country could produce. He
gave Us clothes and food and made us
comfortable in the little Indian hut.
When we were ready to depart he fur
nished many of the necessities for. our
journey. II was the first ana last time
ever saw Jim Bridger. He was as
fearless as hon ana had a heart full
of goodwill and friendlinesS for his fell
low adventWers.. ..-
I formed a friendship and attach
ment for Bridger which has made me
wish many times ! could see him again.
/ shall place on his grave few flow
ers and now that l am getting old and
travel around very little it will proba-
bly, be the last time | shall have the
pleasure OF paying a tribute to the
memory Of my old friend, Jim Bird
ger. .... -- -'
Mr.. Walker spent two months in the
vicinity Of Salt Lake in 1850. and there
met kit Carson, who also often visited
James Bridser.
y expected to spend the Winter" near
Salt Lake" said Mr.. Walker but
Brigham Young found out that I was
from Illinois, and. as q committee of
Mormon leaders had passed a resolu-
ton that no one from Illinois and Mis-
souri, would be harboTed in Utah on ac-
count Of the difficulties encountered by
the Morm6ns in being driven out of
these STATES. I was compelled 10 con-
tinue my journey 10 California. a COM
mittee Of MOrmOns visited me and told
me l would have to move out / then
proceeded 70 California where / stayed
for several years.
Il then visited Mexico and later went
to Chile. There ! entered into the mer-
camille business in competition with
some German and English Jews A
band of natives tried To assassinnate
me. I WAS Informed by those familiar
with conditions that some Of the Jews
wished To drive me out OF the coun-
Try and had given the band of natives
a small amount of gold 10 kill me. l
boarded the first coaster that came
along, which took me 10 Panama.
There I barga!ned for a coffee plan
tation, but found ] could not depend
on the natives / then went to Near
aqua, where I remained only a short
time. | returned to the United States
in time to be among the first to enlist
in the Federal army in the Civil war.
After the war I located in West Lib
erty, Ia. Ten years later I went TO
Scandal, Kan. where / have since re-
sided. kansas City Star.