Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1908-10-06

= I-sT1xc trzaa a T-ee color impaired
8 a5e atmosphere round A5ouy by Eho
T. same scar5y dl5 empire builders.
r have always t3naly believed that
THE say ot fuAI accounting. sll mul
: drivers. buG-vhaokers. and pr nter
n VII re judged under special disper
: sa1aHH Any other thonght Of
Z x 15s2 uie5snc,
The Santa Fe t-B5l had its beginning
/ liz 1897 th7oach me efforts Of Amer
aa1 l-s3=1s 10 Tazca the city OF SAINT
p Fe TT toe overland route. Six hun
5r.5 miles Of plains, or the '1Gres
Lzls-icz1 Desert a. i wss theI
called. WAs 1he barrier tia: prevented
The Missouri River merchant from
eK-sr5i-g his rrz5e 10 tie vast Mexi-
az1 azyyiiorv. whose commercial cen
ta1 wss the cd city o. Santa Fe. Ac-
s5r5I1g u Clean D. Bradley, the
4 author Of al excellent history Of the
famous highway. Captain Zebulon
+ Pike gave this trade It's first impetus
thro1gh the official report OF his "Trip
70 New Mexico in the year above men
Ecr=i- e10te from this history.
During the pack mule period, from
ls-- = 1924, wagons had not come into
-, and trading expeditions over the
plaias we're made by random adven-
,lrers, their goods being transported
On the backs OF mules. One Captain
Beeknell made atradiug expedition to
Santa Fe in 1911, and 50 great was his
success that he organized a party of
30 men the following year and again
attempted the journey. Winter over
took the party on the plains, and
nearly all the members perished, only
few of the number reaching their
destination.
prior to 1924, the Mexican govern
ment did not openly sanction the over
land traffic, and in 1913 party organ
lied by Messrs. Mcknight, Beard and
Chambers, after reaching Santa Fe |
with a supply of goods, were arrested !
as smuggler5 and thrown into Jail. |
After eight years Of Imprisonment,
the men escaped, and finally found |
their way back to ST. Louis, reaching |
there late in the year 1922
During the early history of the trail
the caravans were made up at Frank
lin, Missouri, and numbered from so |
TO 200 mules. The load of mule was |
about $50 pounds, the goods being
lashed to saddle and cove red with a
cloth TO protect them from bad weather.
These caravans Travelled from 12 to Is
miles without stopping.
by 1924, the Santa Fe trade had
grown to such importance that the
Federal Government attempted to sur
'ey a wagon road to the boundary line
Il New Mexico, but since no permis-
ion could be obtained from the war
ike Indians OF the Arkansas valley,
he survey was completed only
IS far as the Arkansas River.
Is a result the travellers continued to
ollow the old trail, and they were {
orced TO rely upon their own firearms {
md the scanty protection OF a few
Of soldiers. {
Beginning with the ox-wagon per-
cd ls2+ls4sj, the Mexican govern /
nent, encouraged by the prospect Of /
ig tariff revenues, had now assumed
half friendly attitude. This encour- Y
ged the growth Of soundly organized q
operating as common car t
iers over the trail, aud so rapidly did v
uslness increase that, by the year L
$50, the starting point for the cara
ans had moved westward from il
rankin to Independence, Missouri, d
town near the present Kansas a
order. I
Independence at once became the
eadquarters for the overland trade
quite, goods for the Santa Fe COM
lerce being purchased in st. Louis n
nd transported up river to the start A
~ point Thousands OF wagons,
lch being drawn by ~ mules, or six II
okes of oxen, were now leaving Inde- il
endence each year. The wages Of n
ranged from S25 to $50 a a
lonth, including rations. These men A
'ceived no guaranty of safety other ii
ian that furnished by their own b
ghting strength-there was no "
liability law in the old n
ays Of the Santa Fe trail. 81
The wagons started from Inde- e,
endence during the month Of Nav a
nd arrived at their destination in p
ugust. The Mexican government h
larged 100 per cent tariff on all goods 4
rought over the trail. The traders u
sually remained in Santa Fe about n
'ur weeks, starting back early in
'ptember, with wagons lightly loaded
ith silver bullion, gold dust, Mexican -
ankets and wool The freight rate :,
tween Independence aud Santa Fe :
as 10 cents a pound. and each wagon :
lrned about $3.50 on the round trip. =.
The city of Santa Fe was described : :
7 a New York journalist in 1884 as a :
nall town of two thousand inhabi. =
nts, sheltered 10 a collection Of mud
,vels. Although Insignificant in -
ze, the town tries to assume all the =
'etensions Of large city. 1t has a :.
iblic square, a governors palace. :,
id a promenade-yet the public
.uara il nnfarrs,.H a.. ,.-....--a =