The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-01-24

cost us time, and we did not aver
age 20 miles a day. l felt half des-
perate, as l reflected on what this
might mean. AS early fall was APP
preaching, / could expect, in view
of my own lost time, to encounter
the annual wagon train two or
three hundred miles farther west
ward than the object of my pursuit
naturally would have done. AS
matter of fact, my party met the
wagons at point well to the west
of Fort Hall.
1t was early in the morning we
met them coming west-that long,
weary, dust covered, creeping cara
van, mile long, slow serpent,
crawling westward across the des-
ert. In time | came up to the head
of the tremendous wagon train of
1S45, and its leader and myself
threw up our hands in the saluta-
ton of the wilderness.
The captain stood at the head of
the front team, his hand resting on
the yoke as he leaned against the
bowed neck of one of the oxen. The
men and women were thin almost
as the beasts which dragged the
wagons. These latter stood with
lolling tongues even thus early In
the day, for water hereabout was
scarce and bitter to the taste. So,
at first almost in silence, we made
the salutations of the desert. SO,
presently, we exchanged the news
of east and west.
There is today no news Of the
quality which we then communi-
Gated. They knew nothing Of Ore
gon. knew nothing of the east.
A national election had been held,
regarding which l knew not even
the names of the candidates of
either party, not to mention the re-
suits. All | could do was to guess
and to point to the Inscription on
the white top of the foremost
wagon: "Fifty-four Forty or Fight"
as Polk elected" I asked the
captain Of the train.
He nodded. "He shore is" said
he. "Were comm out to take Ore
gon. What's the news?"
My own grim news was that Ore
gon was ours and must be ours. |
shook hands with hundred men
on that. our hands clasped in stern
and silent grip. Then. after time,
I urged other questions foremost In
my own mind. Had they seen
small party eastbound?
Yes, I had answer. They had
passed this light outfit east of
Bridger's post. There was one
chance in a hundred they might get
over the South pass that fall, for
they We're travlng light and fast,
with good animals. and old Joe
Meek was sure he would make it
through. The women Well. one
was a preachers wife. another an
old ginsy, and another the most
beautiful woman ever sen on the
trail or anywhere else.
Then they began to question me
regarding Oregon. How was the
land? Would it raise wheat and
corn and hogs? How was the
Would it take much labor to clear
farm?
or course 1t came to politics. Yes,
Texas had been annexed, somehow,
not by regular vote of the senate.
There was some hitch about that.
My leader reckoned there was no
regular treaty. 1t had just been
done bv joint resolution of the
house-done by Tyler and Calhoun.
just in time to take the feather out
of old Folks cap. The treaty of
annexation--why. yes. it was rati-
fled by congress, and everything
signed ND March I'd. inst one day
before Folks inaugural. Polk was
on the warpath, according to my
gaunt leader There was going to
be war as sure as shooting, unless
we got all of Oregon.
"Do you see that writin' on my
wagon top" asked the cantain.
"Fiftyfour Forty or Fight. That's
u.s."
And so they went on TO tell us
how this cry was spreading, south
and west and over the north as
well; although the wings did not
dare cry it quite SO loudly.
And so at last we parted, each
the better for the information
gained, each to resume what would
today seem practically an endless
journey. Our farewells were as
careless, as confident, as had been
our greetings. Thousands of miles
Of unsettled country lay east and
west of us, and all around us, our
empire, not then won.
I. made the journey across the
South Pass, the snow being now
beaten down on the trails more
than usual by the westbound ami
mails and vehicles. OF all thesl
now coming on. none would get
farther west than Fort Hall that
year. Our own party. although
over the Rockies, had yet the plains
to cross. was glad enough when
we staggered into old Fort Laramie
in the midst of a blind snowstorm.
Winter had caught us fair and full
I had lost the race.
Here. then, I must winter. Yet
I learned that Joe Meek had out.
fitted at Laramie almost a month
earlier, with new animals; had
bought little grain. and. under
escort of cavalry troop which had
come west with the wagon train,
had started east In time. perhaps.
to make 1t through to the Missouri
In race of one thousand miles, the
baroness had already beaten me al
most by month, Further word
was. of course. now unobtainable.
for no trains or wagons would come
west so late, and there were then
no stages carrying mail across the
great plains. There was nothing for
me to do except to wait and eat
out my heart at old Fort Laramie.
in the society of Indians and trap