The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-05-29

tr.s arrgs- ft- states Eal1 a.
Ola tine trader here reoea'ly Wa.e-
se,e-u.ce1 t1e I1e r. ne route
The camping places we've a. nre1
A. ue vsu rsa.' TIE cd route
sas a ss-ss q watering places and
'ords sl'a line u more of less
permanent road ss.seer
. have seen accounts o' wagon
trains p.D1d.ng along day after day
from sunrise 20 s4Hse' and Stopping
ste-e night found them B1. 1e
elduf 90 lt He klsz .n the morn.
.ug Just hos fsr se had % - that
iay. somelmes % "a. ten miles.
somermss much farther
When train uas equipped and
loaded a. 'ae starting y.aoe in West.
port d, vent south o1 the Wornail
road 100 the Afternoon On the four
~ five months Trip ~ Santa r.
The long Brush creek bill vas the
fire, opportunity for ne drivers 70
,es, their teams and their new Vhlp
crackers popped Ute pistols a. their
animal. strained "a, their heavy loads.
The fret nights camp saE on the
oyen prairie, nou oaerd by he Ar.
mours. three miles soutl OF town
The second camp was Indian creek.
.u Johnson county. Kansas; the
third O.afAc. the fourth The headwa.
rers ~ Bun creek. in Miami cou1ty.
The n''h vas Black Jack point IN
Franklin county sO named because
u the character of the timber on
the bills the sixth was willow
Springs. several miles west Of Of
'aRa, the seventh 10 creek. Usage
county. tho eighth. l42 creek. Lyon
county Tho last two creeks are 50
named because OF their distance from
Fort Usage. government fort, nOw
the town Of sibley 10 jackson coun.
|fy Missouri where the Santa Re
railroad crosses the Missouri river.
/ The ninth camp was on Rock creek.
10 the eastern part Of Morris county,
/ 'he tenth was in tho same county
whore Council Grove ls now located;
the eleventh WAS az Diamond spring,
iu Morris county; the twelfth, Lost
Spring, 10 the northeastern part Of
Marion county the thirteenth camp
was Cottonwood spring, part Of
the hcadwaters Of Cottonwood river.
10 the northwest part Of Marion
county.
From here on the crews were alert
for Indians and there were many
fights wi,h them every year. In pitch.
Ing camp the wagons were arranged
in a circle so as TO form a fort and
protection from the enemy. At night
guards were placed 10 prevent sur
| prise by the sayagas. The Indians
generally attacked early In the morn
ing Tht stock was then turned out
10 Craze, and boy stampede the
owner was left helpless on the pral
ri"s The government stationed troops
ln the west for the protection oi
the tranc In cases Ike this. but al
such distances that the danger was
little lcsscncd
| The fourteenth camp was onTur
key creek in Mcpherson county. and
the fifteenth ON the Little Arkansa.
IN Rice county near the present town
of Little River. The next camp was
"a celebrated one on Cow creek. 81,
or eight miles west Of Lyons. It wa.
: here that the rich Moxican Chaye.
, was murdered for his money The scy
| ontccn'h was called Big Bend OF
| 'hr Arkansas river. The eighteenth
! was ON Walnut creek near the pres
| cut city of Great Bend PaWuce Rock
a formation which the Indians be-
l,''rd had been mraculausly drop
ped there from heaven. was the nine
'rrnth camp. This Mas a place oi
especial dread 10 the traders be
cause of the frequent assaults mad,
there by thc Indians.
From This point the old trall fol
lowed nap along the north bank O
the Arkansas river for nearly a hun
drrd miles to the old crossing q
90" river az which point the gov
rrumcnt maintained fort knowr
sometimes as Fort Mckee. al othcu
b aH Fort Mahon 70 was about tweuN
miles west OF Dodge city, Here m,
longest drive without water wa.
> made. Il was sixty miles. ON thi,
drive the wagons started in the even
5 Ing drove an night, an the mex
day and with good luck made Ia,
tw'ut}.tourth camp at the Lower Gin
arron springs ON the Clmarron rive