Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-16
JAYHAWKER'S TRIALS
Survivors Live Again So Death
Valley Days.
OF the First White Persons to Cross
the Desert in 1849 Only Four Are
Now Livina-eoiIed OK
Hide for Soup.

San Francisco.-Of the hardships
endured by the "jayhawkers of 80.
as the survivors of the first band OF
white people ever to cross Death val
ley are now called. little has been told
The memories of So days spent in the
sands Of the Mojave desert, with boil
ed OK hide for food, and water as ar
occasional luxury, however, are kept
alive by the Jayhawkers' society
whose four members, one OF them a
woman nearly 100 years old, hold year
Iy meetings.
These meetings. preceded by a din
ner, take place on the anniversary oil
the day in 1850 when the remnants oil
the party left the desert behind them
and wandered, more dead than alive
into Mexican rancho in the valley OF
the Santa Clara river near the pres
ent site of Newhall, southern Pa
cific station on the route to Mojave
At the home of Mrs. Juliet w. Brier
the only woman of the party, who
brought three children under the age
of ten years with her on the journey
the remnant was held this year. She
now lives at 81 Myrtle street, Santa
Cruz. Col. John B. Cotton of Gales.
burg, ILL.,; l.. Dow Stephens Of San
Jose and John Grosscup of Laytonville
now compose the rest of the Jayhawk,
ers. Only three were present, as Mr..
Grosscup has been unable to make the
journey for number of years on ac-
count Of i'll health. Absent in body,
he has been present In spirit, sending
a letter each time, which is read at
the dinner.
In 1S49, when the party started for
California, Illinois was a frontier
state, and west of there Indianas were
practically the only inhabitants. By
the time they reached Salt Lake and
the Mormon settlements practically
all their cattle had been stampeded
The desire Of the Mormons to have
some one break wagon trail to south
ern California led them to advise the
jayhawkers to head for Los Angeles,
says Colonel Cotton, and the start
across the desert was made against
the advice of Kit Carson and other
noted plainsmen. Hearing of the
hardships of the Denver party, how
ever, they hesitated at taking the
route over the Sierras, and so, after
waiting for six weeks in Salt Lake for
the desert to cool of. they started
southwark.
Captain Hunt Of the Mormon bat
talon Of the Mexican war was en-
gagged to lead them at price of 81, 900
for 100 wagons. Nearly 290 persons
were in the party at the beginning.
They soon found that they could eat
the flesh of their cattle, and so a diet
of oxen was begun. to continue until
they reached California. These poor
animals. scarcely more than skin and
bones. were killed regularly, and the
skin boiled until it was eatable. Pos
sibly a pailful of blood was secured
from each, and this made blood pud-
ding. By boiling the entrails. a dish
on the order of tripe was made. There
was no other food.
Three out of five water holes they
reached contained alkali and so had to
be passed by. Men and oxen alike
dropped in their tracks, never to rise
again. According to the account of
Rev. Mr.. Brier, husband of the lit
tie woman" one man was left behind,
unable to walk. and the party too