The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-04-20
Eli Minert's Renaissance.

was born at Albany. Green coun-
ty, Wisconsin, ON March 30, 1916,
and was reared and worked on a
farm until 81 years of age, ] attend
ed the common schools during the
winter months and served my APP
premiership, learning the trade of
tinsmith. | had heard some of Idaho
and had a desire TO go west. so in
April 1866, Charley Chamberlain and
myself, with a team and rig, started
out and soon landed at Omaha, which
was kind of meeting place for PEG
pie to get together previous to NOV
ing west. At that time Omaha was
Just town, not as large as Salmon
now is, and of course not anywhere
near as nice looking place. There
were no railroads then west of tho
Mississippi river. The first work on
the Union Pacific railroad was done
that spring and they were busily en-
gagged grading as we came by and /
distinctly remember that they had
not as yet rearhed Grand Island,
which was only a small place compaS
ed of a house and stage station.
We QUILTED at Omaha and fell in
with a party having 200 mule teams.
mostly all from Wisconsin; crosse
the Missouri river on ferry boat
and struck out along the north side
of the Platte river, which route was
continued until we came to Fort La
ramie. Here, at this time. the govern
ment was making a treaty with all
the Plains Indians, and such a con.
gregation and mixup was never be.
fore seen. Perhaps ten thousand In
/ or RnlinptRn here
squaw-men, half.breeds and Indians
from all tribes. From here we took
the Bozeman route across the plains
travelling in a northwesterly direc
ton, going by a small fort CALLED
Reno, which is near where Buffalo
wyoming, now stands. And this was
certainly a buffalo country. We could
see buffaloes. and lots of them, al
all times. They covered the face o.
the country even TO the hilltops. They
seemed to have been everywhere ant
we travelled through these herds fol
Ave long days. At one glance q per
son could see buffalo. elk. antelope
deer, bear and gray wolves. Game
was plentiful and easy TO get. WI
came finally to the Big Horn river
which was swollen with the higf
| MAlGTE AIOH Ant InEtIluE -
that time il was as large as three
Salmon rivers. and we experienced
considerable trouble in crossing. Blu
at last we made two boats from som'
large cotton wood trees and lashet
them in such a way that we wer'
able to make a deck on top and b!
this means could carry across thu
river about four horse load OF good
at a trip.
This was a wild Indian country
We saw a great many Indians and o
times they were ugly. II was nea
here they wiped out Gen. Custer
command in 1875 and the government
at this time was having trouble will
them. Several were congregated a
this crossing travelling In the oppo
site direction from the way In whicl
we were going and we kept in thei
good favor by ferrying them acros
the river on our return trips for NOR
goods. Before we got entirely acros
another wagon train came up, so W
turned our boats over to them an
proceeded on our way. Two day
! later we reached Clark's fork a trit
utary OF the Yellowstone. named b
honor of Capt Clark, who explore
! and descended the Yellowstone y
1906 This river was not quite so bac
We made a raft, however. and fioate
, our goods across and swan th
mules. This road had been trayele
very little before this time and afte
, getting across this stream we wer
, unable to tell Just the direction
} travel. Capt Murray, who was Z
charge of the outfit. and myself rod
out over the country for distance {
, about twelve miles. trying to select
way through this region. All at ono
: we observed quite a few indians o
} point a considerable distance ava,
watching US very closely. FINAL
they moved of in such a way thf
we realized they were endeaYorin
TO cut US OF from our outfit by &c
ting between Us and camp. ! sat
} Pete. what do you think Of that
J. After observing them for an lnstaT
he replied, We've got 10 do SON
ridin'. boy" He had been west o
several trips. as his business Il
some time past had been haulin