Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-13
Wilder Tells of Pioneer Days
On the Old Cali or11ia Trail

hardships He made his way dis
lance OF twenty-five miles back to
where he met us, after we had traV-
eled fifty miles from the place where
our baby was born.
ut was a grett shock to see the
brave little fellow in such a terrible
plight, and when he told. us his heart
rending story we were much discour-
| aged, but decided that we dared not go
! further and would retrace our journey
| to our former camp. Those miles
YEARLY Travelled we were as badly OF
as ever. not wanting to go back and
afraid to go on
| I'VE were bemoaning our misfortune
when we caught sight Of seven men
and six mules coming our way. We
raised a great shout of delight which
attracted their attention. The men met
up half way and showed great surprise
and joy.
"These men proved to he deserters
from the United States army who had
| the California gold fever. But we
| hailed them with as much JOY as IT
they had been strictly on government
duty. The fact was they took us into
their good graces, we did exactly the
| same thing, and we were in just the
| hard-up positions to help each other
without any special prying into pre-
| vious conditions.
/ "These seven men had decided to
| break away from camp under the cover
| of the darkness of night. They planned
that each 'confiscate' a mule and sad
die and pack him with the necessary
equipment for the journey. But on.
| the very start one of the mules became
| fractions and broke away from his
would-be rider. This left the man in
a. sorry plight to pursue his journey
and his comrades advised him to give
up the attempt.
Comes Along on Foot.
"The fellow, however, had the clear
| grit and determination not to be
thrown off the track, and so when all
| were in readiness to start up the six
mules. each mounted with one of his
comrades, he forcefully expressed him
self that he would not be left behind
unless behind a mule-gra bbed one of
the mules by the tail, and tenaciously
hung to it on the run ito keep pace
with the animal
His comrades tried to persuade him
to give up and return TO camp, but
he kept on.
soon his companions decided to
compromise and took turns in eX-
changing positions with him as rider
and runner until meeting us at our
camp.
"These men faithfully piloted us
thru the dangerous Indian territory
and then, as their mules were more
speedy than our OK teams. they babe
!. us a feeling farewell and went their
way.
But to return to the sad scene of
the massacre. "A man by the name of
Kelley, one of my companions, and
4 went tG the spot where the Oatman
! family had been killed We gathered
up the bones of the victims as best
we could-for the prairie wolves had
eaten ali the flesh. AS we had no
i spade with which to dig the graves
we covered the bones with rocks maxi
ing mound as shapely as possible.
/ "This monument still remains, and
the spot and it's immediate surround
ings are today designated as the Dat
man Flats
eve crossed over to the west side OF
| the Rio 'Grande river and arrived at
Socoro. Mexico, where veterans of the
Mexican war were stationed. They
We're in the midst Of making hay for
the government mules, and as the SOL
diers, disliked work, we had good
opportunity of earning SIS apiece and
rations each month for two months
Arrive in California.
1--WE arrived at our destination in
California just one year and twenty
DAYS from the time we started.
.eBut we must not lose sight of the
two girls captured by the Indians and
the bow who was left by them to be
| dead.
cater the youngest girl had been In
captiyity about two years she died. 1t
was the Indian custom to cremate the
dead but the sister interceded with the
chief and was allowed to dig grave
and bury her beloved one in a secluded
spot.
"The older girl had been sold from
one tribe of Indians to another several
times during her captivity of five years
she finally was rescued by the help OF
an Indian named Francisco, who IN
forred the troops of her whereabouts.
Francisco took a note from an officer
4 1ASee>
of the Colorado river and together the!
managed to effect an escape The?
took the hazardous trip of 800 miles
down the river on a crude raft
"Portions of her features had been
tattooed by the Indians, and these
{. never could be obliterated. saw her
later in Los Angeles. She was a beau
tiful young woman and finally married
a banker i'll Texas.
"The boy came with us to California
After working in different places fer
several years he settled down on
farm he purchased in Fillmore county,
Minnesota
.After my arrival in California re-
manned five years. and then. returning
east. purchased farm in Marshall
town. Ia where remained fifty years.
Two years ago I came here with my
son Frank (the baby of the plains) and
| his wife.
my eldest son. who figured in my
first trip to California, resides In MO