Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-16

ten by Mr.. King, he tells of incidents
and experiences on a trip across the
great American desert en- route from
Kansas to New Mexico on the old
Santa Fe trail. The articles TEEN
with an interest that thrills lovers OF
stories of the frontier as it was when
the west was young and but little
/ known. The incidents told by Mr.
King in his own style are actual ex-
periences of himself and fellow traV-
elers who used the saddle and wagons
to cross the vast and almost unknown
wastes in the southwest.
! one article Is a continuation Oh an
other, the reader Will n II eacn
some incident related that is dl1erent
| and separate from the other artlcles
published previously. in h numper
preceding the present which was pup
lished early in August Mr.. King rela.-
ed an experience with a herd OF pur-
falo which, when first sighted. gave
rise to the belief that it was a tribe
of blood-thirsty Comanche Indians A
meeting with a number of soldiers at
forts along the route enlivened the
trip. The present installment VIII pc
found as full of interest In that the
same characters are found IN eacn OF
the numbers. :
We always maintained a camp
guard or Waterman during the night,
one man remaining on watch the nrst
part of the night and then being re-
lieyed by another who maintained
watch until turning out time in the
morning. A man by the name OF
Hoard, who was hired at Council
Grove, held the second watch that
night. Soon after going on watch he
came to the wagon where Jim Morrow
and l were sleeping and gently wax
ened and cautioned me at the same
time not to awaken Jim but 70 come
out to where he was sitting. did SO
and when we were converslng notlc-
ed a slight tremor in his voice "nlcn
up to that time I had never observed.
Howard was fifty-fve years OF age,
according to his W statement. ne
was a we'll learned man as all MS con-
versation indicated. He Away ap-
peared to be laboring under some sort
Of mental strain or delusion. He was
the Oldest man in the bunch and FOR
that reason he was known among US
as Father Howard. When l reacneo
him he was sitting on a spring sea-
which had been taken from one OF the
wagons and out of ear shot OF any n
who might be awakened. Howard was
q fair historian and a good conversa-
tionalist but could be drawn IN
to a conversation relative to the
American rebellion. He seemed Wor-
RED that night for our safety on the
desert and I assured him that l woulo
inst as soon cross the desert as q
corn field but he appeared to be con.
ltrolled by an apathy of some sort
from which I failed to arouse him, he
said that when we got to the n OF
our Journey he would tell me MS MS.
tory and something that would pc OF
pecuniary benefit to me also, 1ur-
Their on in my story I will tell you now
his sad ending caused him not to keep
his promise.
| I remained up with Howard till day
break when one of the herders rooe
in for orders. I had the mules driven
to the river and watered Wnen they
were driven into the corral for tnelr
grain feed which was becoming llmlt
ed
A wagon was sent back to the river
with the empty casks and filled for the
last time with water from the rkans
river and as the great king OF day was
shedding his advance rays above the
eastern foothills, forty-two covered
wagons, or prairie schooners once more
| started toward the land Of the treach-
erous greaser. We now had sent our
last message and cut the only wire pc
tween us and civilization while beyond
! us tshimmering in the November sum
| light Law the unbroken vastness OF the
American desert. There were three
routes west from the Arkansas river
that led to Santa Fe. The Cimmeron,
the Aubury and the Mountain or Rat
ton route. The latter was used exclus-
lively by the U. s. government outfits
! going to or from the different western
forts. In the flfties I'M even close to
the breaking out Of the rebellion the
; Cimmeron, or lower route was used by
the overland stages, the U. S. troops
escorting the mail as far as the Arkan-
sas river from where it was escorted
to TT. Union by Mexican troops. ! think
It was in 1860 or Whereabouts that this
! route was abandoned by u. S. land
stage companies on account of the ex-
Il q