Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-04-28
From TuIare. California.
to Cameron Township

to Cameron Township
A little coincidence was that
had completed reading "The His
tory of the Bonner Party" just be-
fore leaving Long Beach. So this
place-although not in sight-had
peculiar interest to me for the
history of this calamity was still
fresh in mind. A part of the ILL
fated Bonner party started from
Oskaloosa, Iowa, and went through
Council Bluffs Cor Kanesville as it
Was then called) l believe, and were
doubtless quite close to Audubon
county at one time. And in the
study Of history this leads me to
say that there are many such little
happenings of interest if one will
only dig them out by little care
full study. We passed through
Truckse and at this place several
surviving members Of the Bonner
party settled soon after the fearful
winter spent in the mountains, and
undoubtedly a number of the des-
cendants-and possibly some of
the original membership reside
there. Reno, Nevada, is an his
toric city and the largest in the
state. It was named after General
Reno who was killed in Maryland
during the Civil war. All day long
the run across the state of Nevada
was q picture Of desolation most Of
the time. Running along Hum
boldt river for long distance the
water was very high, often over the
valley and up on the sides Of the
haystacks and up ways on stock
yard fences. However, the porter
told me that if we were to 60 along
there month or so later it would
be absolutely dry, for the water
was coming from the melting snow
in the mountains. At a place
called Alfarata ranch a shepherd
was out with his sheep in just the
same way, l suppose, rs they were
two thousand years ago On the
hills of Judea. Near Humboldt
the word Saloon was printed in
big letters covering the side of the
building and ] thought if it could
talk it could tell many a story Of
the rough house in the wild and
woolly west of only few years
ago. Great herds of cattle, mostly
white faces, were noticed in the
Battle Mountain country. AT
Eiko we were getting much higher
over 5000 feet and consequently
the snow line was getting pretty
we'll down to the base OF, the noun.
tains. 1t rained some as we were
crossing Nevada and the thought
came to me that the only othel
time | was ever on a train when il
was raining was when returning
from Des MONIES where / hae
been as a delegate to the Republic
can state convention in the Cum
minis Perkins contest of 1906. TIL,
two events have no connection
whatever just called to mind tina
old saying that you are general.
safe from electricity on the car
while in motion, for the lightning
was never known to strike NOV
ing train. The country west o
The Great Salt Lake is salt plail
: Tor many miles, known as Grea
Salt Lake desert, and much of i
has no more vegetation than tn
load of gravel we haul out OF
pit. Odd to look at, but an awfu
picture of solitude. Crossin
Great Salt Lake by rail was some
what novel and it appears that n
obstacle is too great to overcom
today in the line Of engineering.
particular item of interest at th
present time is in connection wit
Antelope island, the largest one {
the group located in the Grea
Salt Lake, and about eightee
miles in length. A fine herd {
buffalo are being slaughtered 4