Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-30

at this point and find their way 10 the
valley eastward, which afterward became
the route for the Oregon and California
trail. On October % they reached tho
upper waters OF the Platte river. They
did not know what stream It was or
where it would lead them, but they fol-
lowed 1t until November 2. when they
made a winter camp where there was
timber and game. and not far from where
Casper, Wyo.. is now In three days they
killed forty-seven buffalo, They built
log cabin. used the buffalo skins to cover
II. dried the buffalo meat and had made
themselves comfortable for the winter
when a band of twenty-three Arapahoes
on the warpath against the Crows came
to their cabin nearly starved. The As
torians fed them all night with dried buff
faio meat. The next day as soon as the
Arapahoes had left IN pursuit of the
Crows the Astorians packed their faith
fui old horse with what he could carry
and hurried away from their snug cabin
in the mountains, leaving all the rest TO
the Indians.
II was the 18th of December when the
Astorians left their winter quarters The
snow was two feet deep in the noun
tains. Their feet became sore from break
ing through the hard crust. Their old
horse had nothing to eat but willow
twigs and cottonwood bark, but they
struggled on for fourteen days, In which
they made about $50 miles. The country
began 20 change. The mountains gave
place TO hills and the hills to plains
There was no wood and the snow lay
deep on the ground. They feared they
would freeze to death. go they went back
three days march (about seventy-seven
miles,. and December 30 made camp
again where there was wood and buffalo.
This camp was In Nebraska not far from
where bridgeport now stands. Here
they stayed until March and made two
large canoes to travel with on the river,
but tho North Platte Cfor It was that
stream), was so shallow that they were
Obliged TO leave their canoes after all
their hard work In making them and
start again on foot. accompanied by
their faithful old horse.
So Il was that on March 90 1913, they
left their last camp and jouneyed down
the North Platte valley. They saw a
herd OF sixty five wild horses and longed
to be mounted on them as they galloped
away Day after day they marched
along. leading their old horse with his
burden. on either side OF the w.ds
North Platte valley the great prairie
stretched away. covered with buffalo.
but no human being was In sight, They
passed great swamps. where they saw
thousands Of wild swan. geese and ducks.
They were probably In what IL now Gar
den county. There were no trees and
they made their only fires with dry re-
fuse on the prairies. In the early days
OF April they reached great island
about seventy miles long. in the Platte
river When they saw this island. now
called GraT.d Island. they were for the
first time sure that they were In the
Platte river valley. for hunters had al
ready brought word OF this island In the
Platte. Three days later they met an
otOe Indian who took them 10 his village.
Here they met two white traders from
St Louis TO whom they traded their old
horse for a canoe. and on the 18th of
April they fioated into the Missouri river
and down 10 ST. Louis.
To these seven men and their old horse
belongs the honor OF first exploring the
North Platte valley and first finding a
central route through the Rocky noun
tains They were real path-tinders Of
the great west