The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-02-24

brought the American flag and the
Protestant religion to the state of
Idaho. His pack train on this occas-
sion carried about $4,000 pounds of
merchandise, some of which was pur-
chased in the eastern markets and
shipped down the Ohio, the balance
being purchased at St. Louis and sent
by boat to Independence, Mo-, from
which place the expedition started.
His pack animals were purchased
across the river at Liberty, and the
expedition set out on its long journey
on the morning of April 28th, 1884.
In addition to the land caravan, Mr..
Weyth chartered another ship, the
May Dacre, to 60 round by sea AMI
meet him at the mouth Of the William
cite with a cargo Of goods and ma
terial for the salmon fishery. The ad
venturous spirit of this enterprising
Yankee seems to have been thoroughly
sustained by the alluring prospects of a
great success beyond the mountains.
He made great haste in order to reach
the Green river rendezvous ahead Of
William l.. Sublette, a veteran of the
fur trade, but in this he failed, fact
which caused some disquietude in the
mind of Mr.. Weyth, for fear that
worthy competitor might disturb his
profitable contract with the Rocky
Mountain Fur company.
Safe Conduct for Missionaries
The following letter appertains to
the engagement to furnish safe con
duet to the Methodist missionaries:
New York, Feb. Is, 1894.
Rev. Jason Lee, (Baltimore).
Dear SIR 1 have received your
favor of the 18th inst, in answer to
which say that L leave this city to-
morning and proceed directly
west and remain but five or six days
at st. Louis. You will hear from me
in st. Louis by calling on Messrs.
VonPhull & McGill.
I think I received and answered a
line from some one in western Mass,
but l am not certain.
&c. &c. N. j. w.
Relative to his pack train cargo the
following letter will throw some light:
Louisville, March 4.
Capt. Thing (Louisville).
Dear Sir: You will find at Mess.
Allisons & AndersOns 3 bbls Alsohol
and II packages Tobacco, provided
they do not ship the same before you
arrive at this place in which case you
will proceed direct to st. Louis.
1 am sc. N. ]. WYETH.
At st. Louis, ON March 31st he notes
the arrival Of Nuttall, Townsend, and
the missionaries. At Independence, on
April 18th, he notes among other
things that "There are none of the
Dignataries with me as yet and it
they preach much longer in the States
they will lose their passage for l will
not wait minute for them.'
The following notation in the journal
of Mr.. Wyeth, under date of June LIST,
gives us the first building OF the ia
nous Fort Laramie, the first supply
station on the Oregon Trail.
"At the crossing Laramie river) we
found Is of Sublette's men camped
for the purpose of building a fort, he
having gone on ahead with his best am
mails and the residue of his goods
he left about IA loads
The caravan arrived at the Green
river rendezvous, IL miles above the
mouth of Big Sandy on the 18th OF
June, where the first bitter disap-
pointment awaited him. In his jour
nal he noted the following:
''* found rendezvous II miles up
and much to my establishment the
goods which ! had contracted to bring
UP to the Rocky Mountain Fur Co.
was refused by those honorable gentle
men,
Mr.. Wyeth appears to have been in
a bad humor as result Of the treat
ment accorded him by the Rocky
Mountain Fur Co., which was then com
peting with the Hudson s Bay company
in the trade between the Rocky noun
tains and the Snake river valley. 1t
is reported by some writer's that ne
made this significant remark at the
time: 81 will roll stone in your gar
den that you will have trouble in get
ting OUT He broke camp the next
morning and moved over to Ham s
Fork, at a point where the town OF
Granger now stands, distance of 90
miles, where he encamped for seven
days. Here he wrote twelve letters,
all of great interest, but we will for
bear noting them except few refer