Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-13

w. o. Wilder. for q half century 4
resident of this county, who noven to
California about two years ago from
his farm southeast of town, tells IN
terestingly of the pioneer days on the
old California trail, over wlsch he
travelled in 1850. He told his story to
the Los Angeles Herald which prints
the following:
Like a fairy story are the aaven-
lures of Willard o. Wilder, now living
in Los Angeles.
mir. Wilder returned to California
two years ago, coming overland in all
the luxury of modern cars. hut the
first trip he made here fifty-eight years
ago had enough thrills to make a
yellow back novel look tame by COM
parison.
ION chat first trip when California
was the famed El Dorado. MIR Wilder
treked it overland with his Wife and
young family Between watching the
teams and the treacherous Indians, he
was kept pretty busy. AT one 1uncture
only a delay saved the entire party
from death, and as it was several We're
murdered and two of the young chit
dren taken captive. 1T was years later
that they found traces of one of the
young white girls who had been carried
away
"Altho So years of age Mr.. Wilder
is we'll preserved and has come
back to the golden west to spend the
end of his days here. He resides with
his son, Frank w. Wilder and wife. at
657 Tularosa. drive Los Angeles.
"Mr. Wilder recalls vividly to MEM
ory the hardsllips endured in his long
and dangerous journey over the plains
In relating the experiences at his home
he said:
In 1850 sold my property and
fitted up an outfit for crossing the
plains to California. My. family con-
sisted of my wife, one son, j. II. Will
der who was a year and halt ola az
that time Our destination before a
final start was at Independence, MO,
whittier we went with our four Nokes
of oxen, three yokes of cows, attached
-+e-one large prairie schooner
Twenty five Families in All.
"About twenty-five families had met
there FOR the long, tedious journey to
Los Angeles, consisting of about lou
men, women and children.
1--WE took the Santa Fee trail and
followed it TO Las Vegas, N. NJ, and
before ARRIVING at that little Spanish
town we travelled 500 miles without
seeing a single hut, tent or human
hahttation.
"Nine miles this side of Las Vegas
found us at the fork of the road. Al
that place there arose a dispute re-
garding the remainder of the journey
whether to go THE shorter distance
oven. the rough mountains or to go
longer distance along the valley re-
zion. both routes having been de-
scn.ibed to us by people we had met
"This dispute resulted lin about an
eoual Lewiston of OUR company. nall
going one way and half the other.
"My decision was to go by way OF
the valley
"Those taking the mountain fork OF
the road met many hardships. they
became much discouraged, their teams
being faded, poor in flesh and footsore'
These conditions compelled them to
stop in the western part of Mexico, IN
order to recuperate. Their meager
finances obliged them to raise a CROP
and dispose Of it before continuing on
their Journey. This company strag-
gled into Los Angeles about one year
after our arrival.
"Our trip by way. of the valley proved
much the easier. but we encountered
many hardships and the Indians
brutally killed several Of our company
Those going by way of the mountain
met no Indians.
Birth Proves Salvation.
But we feel that my family prob
ably was saved from the cruel blows
Of the Indians by the birth of our son
Frank. which occurred on the way, and
with whom I am now living. He was
born in camp about ninety miles this
side of Tucson, Ariz.. which caused
delay of several days. There was only
one woman with us besides my wife
but the mother and child did finely and
i'm few days we were able to start on
again, but our future prospect at that
time was very sad.
"One Of our party by the name OF
RAYS Oatman, with a wife and seven
children, decided that their finances
would not admit of their waiting for
us, and regardless of our protest
started along toward Fort Yuma. The
family had gone about seventy-five
miles when it came in contact with the
Indians, who killed all but two girls
and, one boy Olive, 13; Mary, 8, and
Lorenzo, II years old. This massacre
occurred about nightfall.
"The Indians beat their victims over
the heads with clubs and supposed
they had killed all but the two girls
whom they took into captivity. The
boy revived some time during the
night and was terrified to find the re-
mainder of the family dead, as he
thought He crawled away some dis
lance, fearing the Indians might dis
cover and kill him, and remained dazed
and frightened, suffering tortures from
the wounds inflicted blythe cruel blows
of the Indians.
"At daybreak the brave little sufferer
left the dead bodies of his relatives and
started on a tourney full of untold