Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-04

and one more of the shaggy bisons or
the American desert lay dead on the
sandy plains. We now charge the
wolves on horse back, using our Colts
"a. What was left Of them scamper-
ed of over the ridge to the westward
from which direction we heard more
shooting. We reloaded our weapons
In haste and while doing so we noted
cloud of dust arising along the trail
and soon out of the dust came the
heads of three living grey mules. fol-
lowed by two more, all were drawing
q fine Concord coach and was the
overland stage going east. There we're
two government ambulances and two
government wagons each being drawn
by four fine mules, then came q troop
of cavalry. The outfit save the stage,
was government pay master who had
been up the Smokey Hill route, west
as far as Fort Bent and going east to
pay of the troops at Forts Aubury.
Dodge, Larned and Zarah. They I'M
ported the good news Of the absence
of Indians along the trail and informed
us that we were four miles from the
Little Arkansas river. II my memory
serves me this was company OF the
ocNcuIH lOWd ChNOAy SOAAho no'AS "
be mustered out
When Stanly killed the buffalo we
discovered that 1t was a fine fat three
year old COW and we cut its throat and
allowed 1t to bleed. We cut off one hind
quarter and gave 1t to the soldiers
cutting up the rest Of 1t and taking II
along for our own use. Our train soon
drove up and great was the disap-
pointment OF the men when they learn
ed that Mud Creek was q dry creek
Mud Creek never had bush or shrub
along It's entire length, but is simply q
depression in the Kansas prairie and
drains vast water shed, the north
branch reaching to the Smoky Hill d.
vide and its northeast branch reaching
to the great Sharps Creek divide and
has no water save after rains.
When our train pulled up at Mud
Creek we made 1t into two divisions
hitching eight mules to each wagon &c
enable the thirsty and tired animals To
easier pull the loads up the high bank
on the west side. We then loaded the
the famous Little Arkansas river where
we arrived Just before sunset. having
driven only about sixteen miles all day,
This ranch was the most extensive
and best kept hostelry on the santa
Fe trail between the Neosha river and
the Rattoon mountains and was kept
by man named Greenway whose son
now has extensive land holdings in
Oklahoma. To fully describe this ranch
and Its surroundings would require
more time and space than have at
the present time. 1t Is situated on the
west bank OF the river and embraced IN
the stockades about twenty acres
which was divided into different sized
corrals, passage way from each lead
irg to the water in the river. There
were nine wells sunk to the creek level.
seven being in the stockade, one inside
the ranch proper and one Immediately
outside the ranch door. GreenWay az
an extensive trading business with the
rhevennes, Kiowas and Arapahoes ,b,t
he never allowed the Indians inside OF
the enclosure, not even the bucks OF
souaws that he employed In tanning
the raw buffalo robes or pelts OF all
kinds.
In 1866 I assisted In loading fifteer
prairie echooners at this ranch WIZ
robes, etc. bought from the Indians
Someone might perhaps like to know
how the ranchers shipped their goods
clusiyely In freight wagons that some
time before went west to Fort Bent
Fort Union, Trinidad and points In
New Mexico and were returning empty
AT this ranch the overland mail kept a
relay OF fifteen mules and man to
care for the stock. 1t was also head
quarters for the safe Of the Overland
folks which often contained Valuapie
papers. There was timber In abundance
a short distance above and below the
ranch. There was also a, tall bridge
OYER the river at thi; point and the toll
rates were 25c team for oxen. horses
or mules and 10c per head for loose
stock. Greenway often told me that the
bridge was to him veritable diamond
mine. I had no recollection OF bridge
at that place in 1859 when we passed
over the same trail. Several OF the EN-
ployes at the ranch were squaW mer
having squaws for wives and these
| suuaws always worked at tanning
robes. skins and pelts Of ali kinds fo1
the eastern market.
Of the prairie dog. the small black oW
and the small but poisonous prairie
rattler. There Is one more inhabitant g
the country elong the trail and Its fur
Is one Of the most valuable In the mar
ket and is often sold at prices as high
as mink fur. This littl> 1nnocent look
ing pestilence Of the night has coz
nomen ranging from polecat to skuns
and SO on, but after close interVie y
with his skunkship you feel very much
like calling him most any kind of a
name even If you had to violate the
commandment which says Thou shal,
not swear" We crossed the bridge thai
evening and went into camp 800 yards
up the river from the ranch. The juicy
bunalo meat was skinned and as this
was our first meat OF that kind we had
tasted, everyone had a good feed In
GLIDING the poor tired mules which
were allowed to run at large that mig :,
being herded by ten men. We restes
there the hext day and the morning 4
the second day we resumed our journey
westward towards the famous Chey-
enne Plains On this dreary stretch
there was patch Of chaparral and a
few scrub trees. There Is four graves In
the chapperral. l never heard an au-
thentic statement of the names Of those
whose remains were buried there
There is an old Indian legend conect~
ed herewith Of which ! may speak al
some future time. The next habitatior
was Cow Creek. This was a, relay sta
ton and was the headquarters Of Col
onel Leavenworth who was agent fol-
the Arapahoes. KioWas and CheyenneS
There was no timber on the creek al
this point but further north at the
junction OF Plum creek with Cow creek