The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-09-03

with two wagons, eight yoke Of oxen
and four COWS
The early part Of the journey was
without particular incidents. except
that cholera broke out IN their COM
pany, which served TO keep the Indians
al safe distance. On July 26, her
30th birthday. they crossed the Rocky
mountains. and her baby was taken
sick and died. She was compelled "a
watch with him at night. listening To
the howl Of the coyote and remember.
ing the graves that they had passed
where the coyotes had unearthed the
bodies buried there. To quote her own
language:
September u we recrossed Snake
river. and from that time on the jour.
ney was more like nightmare. Ny
husbands health began 10 fail, the
hands got impatient and got their pO.
nies and left Us, going on ahead. OuI
cattle gave out, provisions got scarce
and many were almost without any.
Sickness and trouble were on every
hand. We were now at Willow Greek,
where we learned that my husband :
brother, Lauren Thomas, had come that
far to meet us, and not hearing any
thing from US had, the day before, got
impatient and returned home. This
piece Of information had the effect Of
completely pTostrating my husband, as
he was, at this time, suffering with
mountain fever, and from that time on
! had but little help besides what my
little six year old boy could do. lie
did manage to sit IN the wagon and
keep the oxen moving.
"Mr Gould, an old man, stranger,
took pity on us and volunteered to
drive the two cows. On coming up the
bill on the John Day we found wagon
stalled. and as we could not pass we
just had to wait until they were able
10 get out Of the way. On account Of
this we were late in getting up the hill
and failed to get to where there was
water that evening, and we had to
make dry camp. The oxen left and
one of the cows had been left. In the
morning Mr.. Gould went to look after
the COW and to fetch the oxen.
started before sunrise and found the
oxen, but was myself lost, and did not
get to camp till about IL O'Clock. |
found my husband quite wild as we'll as
the children scared Mr.. Gould came
in some time after with the COW, but
we were so late getting started that we
did not get to water, and the oxen
again left US. BY this time we were
getting short of most everything, as we
had divided with others, keeping Just
what we thought we could get through
with. Before MIR. Gould could find the
oxen the children were beginning to
complain, and almost gave up and
said to myself: Must hear my chill.
dren ask for something to eat and not
get it? That is almost too much. But
what am | spared for when so many
are called away.
Just then some men that had come
out to meet the emigrants and get worn
out cattle for but little, hitched to our
wagon and hauled US to water. Pretty
soon Mr.. Gould came up with the oxen
and two cows. One of the cows plunged
into the spring, and we lost her.
Arriving at The Dalles we sold one
yoke of oxen for 500. took my hus.
band to the Cascades in wagon box
towed by little fiat boat that was so
heavily loaded that they could not take
US on. My husband was not able to sit
up and his mind wandered continually
We got to the Cascades and got my
husband taken around the falls on what
they called a car, in half sitting pos.
ture. The car might have been six feet
long and three or four feet wide, with
a man between the shafts to guide and
a mule to pull the load. The children
and walked the five miles around to
where we got on steamboat and went
to Portland. When we got to the hos
pital we had $3.50 left. This was about
October 20"
The family went from there to the
home of Mr.. Thomas brother, near Sill
verton, and afterward settled in Linn
county. This gives an idea of the trials
through which some of the women whc
came to Oregon in an early day had to
pass. 1t was heroic battle.