Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-04-17

horses and wagons left at old Fort
Walla Walla were sent for and the
remnants arrived at the settlement
late in the fall. A part Of the cat
tie were not found. A few it was
supposed, had been appropriated by
the Indians. Probably fifty head
reached the settlement, a majority of
which belonged to Jesse Applegate.
What was recovered of the wagons
| don't know, except that of the
three left by Lindsay Applegate only
four wheels were found and brought
down, and they were all hind wheels.
Those wheels were used to make two
carts.
Wagons were made wholly of wood.
The wheels were without hub, spoke,
or felloe; they were simply short see
tions of large trees, three or four feet
in diameter, sawed off and holes made
in the center for the axles. This wag-
ON was called truck, a very clumsy
affair, which without a load, small
yoke of oxen could not draw with ease
even on level ground The friction
on the spindles in the wheels, though
they were we'll tarred, was such that
even with a load of rails requiring
three yoke of oxen to draw them, the
truck did not need any brake going
down steep hill. Under a heavy
moving load, the spindles, if not abun-
dantly tarred, would send forth fear
full scream with variations that could
be heard for miles. One evening af-
ter dark we heard loud screaming or
yelling a mile and half away across
the prairie, and presently fire was
seen to start up like a flash. Some
one said it must be band of Indians
on the war path, whooping, and fir
ing the grass, for it was autumn and
the grass was dry. The facts were,
as we learned next day, that Uncle
Charlie's truck heavily loaded and
drawn by three yoke of oxen was en-
route across the valley and one of the
spindles took fire and burned off be-
fore the teamster who was busy with
the cattle, noticed that anything un-
usual had happened.
Sleds were also used for hauling.
They were very heavy to draw on the
ground and there was hardly ever
any snow. Fifty green rails on a
sled were load for two yoke of oxen.
As we had much fencing to do, the
hauling of rails was a very common
At times we worked
hree yoke of oxen to the sled and
.ould haul hundred dry rails.
One day my oldest brother and my
elf were sent to haul load of rock
rom place in the hills a mile or
o from the house; we had never
lauled rock. AS we had a team of
hree yoke, we piled rock on the
led till the bulk appeared to be about
S big as hundred rails. Ny broth
T. had long whip-lash braided of
aw hide with a buckskin thong for
cracker and with straight wild
berry sprout for a stock. When he
'hirled the whip around and applied
to an OK, the cracker popped like ,
toy pistol and cut the hair like |
lancing bullet. The sled being load |
d, my brother spoke to the oxen to {
love on and cracked his whip, but
hough the team surged forward a lit |
e, the sled did not move; then the a
ing lash of the whip performed t
apid circles through the air and the q
raeker became terrible scOurge. t
he oxen sprang forward wavered, v
hen stood still. But the sled had /
ot moved an inch. That team had a
ever baked before. We were indig- {
ant, and after a short consultation, {
oncluded that the use of the whip
AS not sufficient for the occasion;
D it was laid aside and we both went
} a hazel thieket and cut switches I
bout nine feet long. With these we J
ttacked the team in the rear, on the c
anks, and all along the line, shouting t
lie while words of encouragement b
nd threats that awoke the echoes
the hills far away to the spurs l
the Coast range. Every steer was
Y this time mad all over and resolved
move forward if he had TO burst
is yoke; every OK at the same mo-
ent lowered his head, lashed his
Ill spitefully, and with all his pom
srous bulk and mighty strength ad-
lneed. The power exerted now was
most irresistible; something must
We way or the sled move. For just
he second there seemed to be
'ubt, then the tongue parted from
e sled. This trial of strength sug-- ID
sted fact which we well knew. )
1t had not made a practical use of n
this case, namely, that a load of Il
one is much heavier than a load of II
bod of the bulk. Putting the team th
TO position again wa attached ,h. n