Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-18

remember places with remarkable ac-
curacy, which he had once visited. |
had likewise become used to the sad
die and was good shot with the
rifle
1--WE started for Sacramento late In
July, 1861, where we were to complete
the necessary outfit including the pur-
chase of an additional horse for my
self, SO we would have two horses
each. Each of us had a revolver, Bar
rett rifle and I a double barrel gun, J
one barrel for shot and the other al
rife.
"On reaching the city we went to
the horse market, purchased a likely
looking sorrel leaving him at a
blacksmith shop to be shod, which OPP
Grafton was promised in two hours,
and went out to view the sights. On
returning for the horse at the appoint
ed time I observed him tied at the
farther end of the shop, the perspir-
alton running down his sides and
legs in streams. asked the black
smith the cause Of it, and he inform
ed me that no man living could shoe
that horse. He said that he had blind
folded him, put twist on his nose
and started to drive the first nail
when the animal knocked him down,
he barely escaping with his life. Bar
rett informed me that he knew Of al
| blacksmith at place about thirty
miles distant, and on our route, who
could shoe anything. So the following
morning we started on our Journey.
We had not gone far when the sorrel
became SO lame that could not ride
him, so turning him loose we manag
ed to coax him along until we reach
ed the blacksmith that could shoe any.
thing.
''In the meantime we had. by re-
moving large section Of the hoof,
discovered the cause Iof the lameness,
which was a piece of the nail that the
Sacramento blacksmith had attempt
ed to drive. That redoubtable black
smith of the Sierras put a twist on
the sorrel's nose, blindfelded him and
then tied UP one of his fore legs, the
foot Of which he proposed to shoe, but
the blacksmith got no farther of his
own yolition for the sorrel with the
other fore-foot, gave him blow that
resulted, when he regained conscious
ness, in convincing him that the
only way to shoe the horse was to
rope, throw and securely bind him,
which was done. But the sorrel was
never afterward the same horse. He
was chronically lame, cunning and
mean. Sometime afterward l traded
him for a worthless Indian pony, but
not until he played a trick that for a
time, threatened to result in our walk
ing, instead CT riding, the remainder
of the way.
Scenery Of the Sierras.
The scenery over the Sierras was
inspiring and grand Immediately on
leaving Sacramento the Travelled road
wound along the south fork Of the
American river, whose clear waters
were in constant turmoil as they
leaped down deep declivities and over
huge bouiders,a sight common in New
England, but unlike anything had be-
fore seen in California. Our road
passed through forests of pines, 200 or
more feet in height, many of the
trunks Of which were so large that
when fallen a person on horseback
could not look over one of them. We
camped one night on the shores Of
. Lake Tahoe, a beautiful and clear body
of water. Although it was mid-sum-
, mer, the last Of July, the eternal SHOWS
reached almost to the borders Of the
valley that holds this mountain lake,
and the following morning a heavy
white frost covered the ground.
; During that summer silver mines
. were being extensively developed
around Virginia City and constant
stream of six and eight mule teams,
hauling machinery and supplies, lined
| II. I,.,N Aefo
slope OF the mountains there had been
. recently constructed one of the finest
wagon reads I ever saw. 1t was SIS
miles in length and was built with
practically a uniform grade for its en-
tire length.
.'At Carson City we laid in supplies
l sufficient to last us to Salt Lake City,
l as there was no intermediate station
: where they could be procured. Our
1 plan was to pack one horse, which as
r we had four, allowed one OF them to
: rest from his burden every fourth
t day.,
I'll california at the breaking out OF
/ the civil war was hot-bed Of seces
\ sion sympathizers, there being among
$ it's inhabitants many settlers from the
4 southern states, and strong effort
# was maze 10 LdhS luS StdlS Out VI CuS
I Union.
d when President Lincoln made his
j, first call for troops, $4,000, one could
: hear in almost every crowd persons
J. denouncing his act as demonstrations
i and declaring that he ought to be i'm
8 peached. These traitorous expressions
+ aroused all the patriotic feelings of my
q youthful nature, and though the era O
: good feeling has long since come t.
. stay, can never wholly forget the
i emotions aroused, during the earl!
4. days Of the war, by the talk of those
- who would have destroyed the unior
= in the interests Of the institution OF hu
= man slavery. At Carson City, July %
/, 1851, we learned of the disastrous de
= = feat at Bull Run, which occurred OF
j July 81. Just one week before. TIL
= : news was brought by the Pony express
: m ethod recently inaugurated for car
: :, rying across the plains letters an
a small valuable parcels. The charg
~ =. was SIS per half ounce. afterwards re