The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-08

TWENTY-FIVE grizzled pioneers
Who blazed the pack trail across
the sun-seorehed alkaH stretches
al the Nevada desert and beat paths
over the rugged mountains half CEN
fury ago. suffering thirst and hunger
in opening a route from Salt Lake to
san Bernardno, will leave at O'clock
tomorrow night to make the trip again
over the san Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt
Lake railroad. They are the guests of
PRESIDENT W. A. Clark, and the special
excursion is given 10 them in reCogni-
ton of the energy, bravery and fOrti-
tude displayed by that band Of men
VINO first opened up the Old san Bel1 az
dino trail.
The survivors of these early bands Of
men who felt their way through the
barren country are gathered in salt
Lake. They have come from all parts
or the state. Those who will pdrtici-
pate in the excursion are as follows:
w. G. a. SniOOt, James a. Bean, a. l..
Hale, Benjamin Cluff, ". ". Cluff.
Henry Heath. :. l.. Ensign :. :.
Worthingtou. Ruel Barrus, William
Price Jones. James Oakley. William g.
Mitchell. William Robbins Charles
Crismon, Alexander GemmiH !. y.
DunyOn, George SpeiTs. a. Milton Mus
SER Elliott Wilder. George Harrison,
Thomas Dallin Hop Fender. James
Lawson, Nathan Tanner and Phil Mar
gets,
Talks OF Old Times.
Pathetic were the embraces and hand
shakes Of these old gray-haiTed men
when some of them met each other for
the first time since they toiled across
The desert. Their bodies bent with age
III 10 I'd
talked of their trials and haTdships.
They. seemed more anxious, however, 10
talk Of the Incidents of later years
the welfare of their wives and chill
dren. some have gathered wealth and
property around them, while others
have had Indifferent success. Many
have grown so feeble that they have
fallen back on their children for sup
port and are unable 10 make the jour
ney alone. Fifty years ago these men,
then i'm the prime OF life. suffered the
hardships of pioneers. Their bodies and
minds were strong. Tt took men OF
courage and energy TO brave the dan
gers of am unknown frontier and dreary
wastes. The country, they found, was
kpiked with the cactus tree No water
was to be found i'm the canyons and
gulches The great, dry alkaii stretches
spanked i'm the glare of the sunlight.
The heat waves radiatv0 from the loose
heavy sands ana a blistering wind
swept across The level plains The
mountains were rough and rugged and
from the plains they beat paths over
the suOW-capped hills and through can
yOnS stuffed with brush. Nothing save
Wild horses inhabited the mountains
and I'm the sands snakes and lizards
CraWled about under the burning sun.
They launched out into this country
fearless of the consequences. Their
suifermgS We're many, but they won an
uphill fight against nature. Behind
them they left a tnail and across the
streams and gulches they left bridges
for others To follow. Death threatened
them many times, but they took their
lives I'm their hands and pulled through
The Indians who inhabited sections of
the region We're hostile 10 them. OFT
times they We're attacked u their
camps and many lives were lost i'm
some of the earliest skirmshes, Their
horses aud oxen were stamneded ana
driven away, and many died on their
hands for the want of wafer. The
hardships they endured have reaped
fruits that are now 20 be eHj0yed by
themselves as Well as by their children
and grandchildren.
I'm their conversation names were men
toned Of men Who are 30 loIze- here.
Men who stood with their shoulders to
htt' N 4AN'4 anu a'hHliNh WIN an A4lNil
might. They realized that it would
only be d short time until the pioneers
of those days would be gone
Great Changes Have Taken Place.
The handful gathered here are all
that have survived. This tTip is the
realization of the dreams of their youth
when they baJIied across The region on
foot and with OK teams. The railroad
closely follows along parts or the old
trail, but few traces of their toll rs Wis
Ib,e. The bridges are mo- longer 10 be
seen bur parts of The old wall around
Las Vegas still stand and will bring
back tu their memories those early
days. The general outline Of the noun
tains and plains viii undoubtedly be
familiar 90 their minds. but nothing
else. san Beruardiuo was "a ranch when
they were there, and Los Angeles was
village. bur the latter is now "a city
such az they have never visited.
Badges OF leather have been provided
for them, with topographic decorations.
AT The top is an arrow head the en-
blem of the salt Lake Route. The OK
team is also represented as the method
of transportation i'm 1850. Below il is
tee head of am Indian and "a modern
train. dated 1905
The pioneers win be given weeks
visit along The line. The first stop is
10 be made at Las Vegas, and the train
VIII stop over several hours, Trips viii
be taken about the town and other
places which were drsr inhabited By
these men. At SAN Eeuardmo Iaud
Los Angeles receptions viii be ten-
dercd them. aud also 81 trip along the
coast special provisions have been
made for their cumfor. and enjoyment
The party win make the journey under
The direction of W. e. A. Smoot ir..
Who was one OF the first 90 sugges, the
excursion for the pioneers