The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-17

himseis With his isriat One hort
and hals % his head were buried
Ia the ground and hts legs Were
entan gled With the lRtiat He hid
stEssgsGd to get up until he had.
become so weak that he could not
stand for some time after NE dis:
engaged him. We nursed the old.
fellow awhile and soon got him Is
eating, though he was very weak.
BE was naturally a spirited OK and
very lively but ever after he neycr
appeared like the same oxen and
he became lazy and WORTHLESS.
In the evening another large
train came up and encamped near
by. George w. Paris bought a
camaneheN pony o; gentleman In
the train, for $42.50. She Is a
noble animalIand very spirited
The weather is quite cool and
grass is scarce.
sunday May o, 1859
When we left independence tos
the land OF gold we did not design
travelling on the Sabbath in no IN
stance but owing TO the scarcity Of
grass we consider 1t best to travel
today. We started at s a. m. and
four miles brought US to a small
stream OF water, six miles to
another and three miles to an
other where we took In wood and
water and drove two miles out on
and prairie and encamped IA
splendid grass.
The, road In the morning was
muddy but this evening It was
quite dry and travelling was pleas
ant.
We passed number OF large
trains during the. day and about /
p. m. we passed a Wagon which
had been upset and the axle tree
broken. The gentlemen who own
ed It were somewhat like our
selves as they were busily making
another, disregardful Of the Sab
bath, and thus showing that when
man Is out OF the bounds Of ciVIli-
zation he has respect for neither
Cor nor his fellow man.
There are several large trains
In this evening.
The day was warm and pleas
ant and We camped at 4 p. NJ. hav-
Ing driven fifteen miles.
Monday May 10, 1852
Started at 8 a m We crossed
quite a number Of small streams
and arrived at Big VermilIion al
10 a. m. The southeast banks ara
thirty or forty feet perpendicular
and the road deseends at grade
Of sixty degrees. Vermillion Is
about twenty-five feet In width
and It runs south and empties itno
the Kansas River.
We let our Wagons down by
fastening ropes to the hind axle
tree and some fifteen or twenty
men holding the ropes to sure It
down. The st. Louis Wagon stall
ed on this side of the creek. 1t
commenced raining as we were
crossing and rained until 3lp. nj.
We drove until 10 m. and pitched
our camp half Of o mile to the
left of the main road.
While crossing a small slough,
before We reached camp, Lambs
Wagon sank to the bed in mud
and water. By ShItchtng eleven
! yoke Of oxen and placing q couple
of men to each wheel we, after the
third trial, succeeded in hauling It
out,
We drove ten miles today.
This morning We gave chase 10
two prairie goats, but after phr-
suing them some distance we were
obliged to give up the chase as
they were too fast for Is. This
evening we gave chase to two
large wolves but they outstripod
US also. We enjoy ourselves very
much hunting but have not sue
ceeded in killing anything but
prairie hens and rabbits as yet.
We have been travelling
through the Pawnee Indian terri
tory since tive crossed the Kansas
River, It being the dividing line
between the Potawatomi and Paw
nees.
The Pawnee Indians are hostile
and are the only tribe this side OF
the Rocky Mountains that have
not entered Into treaty with the
United States. They have refused
repeatedly to enter into 'negotia-
tions.
The evening IS pleasant and
grass is good,
Hereafter as It Is a great deal
Of trouble to sit down and write
every hour or two I shall put of
writing till In the evenings. l shall
in the first place write down the
number OF miles Travelled, the time
Of starting and camping and then
describe the road II necessary the
distance between streams, part OF
all the incidents of the dsy and II
there are any incidents OF impor-
tanec l shall mention tn. place
! where they tranBpired.