The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-03-15
PIONEER TO, DRIVE as 4, /.
: OK TEAM TO IOWA
Man Who Went 10 California In
1862 viii Camp Out on
His Way Back.
A TRIP OF 1000 MILES
Ezra MssIsr. Aged rs. Buys Oxen ant
Rsbviids Wagon from Remains Of
One Which Ne Used in Cross
ING Plains Years Ago.

Starting from tho Pacific coast and drtv-
Ing an on team behind which viii be
hitched q wagon In every detail like the
prairie schooner with which 80 many Poo
pie crossed tho Rocky Mountains in the
bos TO seek fortune and homes In the west.
Ezra Mcckcr. aged Is. OF Seattle. Wash.
will cross again the mountains 10 Iowa.
this time on the eastern way retracing 30
Tar as possible tho old Oregon trail which
&C followed In making tho perilous trip In
@a '
After winding M. way through and owe.
. he various ranges OF -mountains he Will
inter tho state OF Nebraska near Collins
IN tho North Platte. following this river
aud crossing it three times by ford an he
IId years ago and reaching Iowa at Me-
Sraska City. Neb.. and Pnyrs I'm lows
M viii then cfo.s Iowa 20 his old
,ome In Eddyvile. q small town In Ma
,azka county, Here he lived In isss before
10 went wet "i". ''' '
Rstraes the Old Tsaii. 20.
The cid wagon which hs used many
Tsars ago IN bis trip will be used partly on
his trip AZ he has made a new wagon
rom the ssveraiparts OF number Of cast
NJ wagons. Tho woodwork 10 oil new ex-
sept one locust hub which II from a wagon
% f&s IL was found TO be absolutely
sound and is n part OF a front wheel Tbs
axiss arc OF wood OF the same pattern az
hangs the tar pail of old. :, One cannot use
grease. on such q wagon without finally
tooscnfnx tho spokcw IN the wheels 10 tar
10 used. to- prsyenr this. Tho wagon-b~d -
really q boat as were all the wagon boxes
IN the old time. This orss used BY Mr..
Mecker IL tight and can be- readily uti,s
ICED for an emergency In case . river has
20 be fordcd.
The Proposed trip OF Mssker began las,
scek when he left Seattle by. boat and
landed a. Tacoma, From there he went by
~ater TO Olympia. From TINT point ne
yoked Mp his pair OF oxen and started out
Ia the sfyle OF the travellers Of. MY yeara
ago eastward to old Iowa
... ~" Has a Pine OK Team. "n
The trip ss laid cut ana mapped by AR.
Mcckerris weH told VA q letter reosntlyzssnt
by him, In part u follows: -,
My present team Twist and Dave are
much heavier than my Buck and Dandy,
Of ffty-four years ago and 30 have
thought n best 10 have them shod at the
incsptlon or the "trip. Tho crowds wore 90
great at tho, shop where went 20 have
the work done that IL was forced 20 DO
done NJ night behind closed. 40 diner
.nt from tho days when oxshoeing wan
30 common all over lead.
There Is a pretty story connected with
the shoes that are now worn by Twist and
Dave. These shoes were brought across
tho plains a few years later than my first
trip and were sent mo BY an aged lady
with the statement that, she know I would
need them before ] Should finish my long
trip. ''A"" '.'''' ~ TfN
Saved from Butchers Hammer. q;
Twist ~ q well trained or and weighs
t.t7o pounds. and NH work we'll ip harness
a. In tho yoke. i can drive him with =
spoksn word, simply by n motion Of the
hand. Dave weighs .Seo pounds. is a
range-raised t-year-old steer. and never
had n yoke on him until two weeks ago.
lie IL a fino fellow and was lucky 90 set
him out Of the very slaughter psn. f.-,
Vow as 20 the wagon. had that built
NJ Puysilup after, the pattern OF thu old
time wagon that creased tho plains In the
early days The irons are from the re-
mains or three wagons that crossed the
mountains Ia isS3-3. The woodwork II all
new except one locust hub from q wagon
OF 1861 which was found 20 be sound and 10 .
now a part OF the nigh front wheel. The
axlsa are OF wood OF the Same pattern o<
my wagon Of 1852. Inch plns and all. OF
course: ana under the bed hangs tho old
time TAR bucket we'll filled with tar for use.
70. Wagon Bed 10 q Best. =, ....'
THE wagon bed is really boat nv all
the prairie achoonors were: but have
taken, great pains TO have this one tight
and ready Tor use az moments warning.
I crosssd Snake river infmy trip 90 ls63 &C
two points with my outfit NJ the wagon
bed and may possibly cross 10 again the
same &ay during the present Trip, 81. E
And now a word as 20 my ability 20
make the trip. Many ot my friends are
soiicttous lest at tho aga OF - 1 will be-
come exhausted and unable 10 proceed.
To, such win say that have never been
sick n day iu fifty years ana more; that
whiio cat hut two. meals a day can do
Justice 10 both and "a for siecp-weli. who
IL II that can't sleep In the open air and
be hearty and happy. But I do not pro-
pose 20 do all tho labor incident TO such n
trip but have well provided sufficient aid
that all the brunt OF tire Journey may DO
taken from my shoulders, leaving mo free
TO follow the trail and plan each days