The Glenwood post. (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) 1897-current, 1922-01-05
CHAPTER II.
Wherein 10 a Brief Account Of sundry
Curious Characters Met on the Road


At Utica they bought provisions
and q tin trumpet for Joe. and doll
with q real porcelain face for Betsey,
and turned into the great main thor
oughfare of the North leading eastward
to Boston and westward to a shore
Of the midland seas. This road was
once the great trail Of the Lroquois,
by them called the Long House, be-
cause 1t had reached from the Hudson
to Lake Erie, and in their day had
been well rooted with foliage.
Soon they came in view of the
famous Erie canal, hard BY the road
Through 1t the grain Of the Far West
had Just begun moving eastward In
q tide that was flowing from April
to December. Big barges. drawn by
mules and horses on Its shore. were
cutting the still waters Of the canal.
They stopped and looked at the barges
and the long tow ropes and the tug
cling animals.
There is a real artificial river.
hundreds o miles long, hand made
of the best material, water tight. no
snags or rocks or other imperfections.
durability guaranteed" said Samson.
1T has made the name Of Dewitt
Clintoa known everywhere"
II wonder what ns1ti" Sarah ex-
claimed.
They met many teams and passed
other movers going west. and some
prosperous farms on q road wider
and smoother than any they had tray
sled. They camped that night. close
BY the river. with q Connecticut fam
lily on its way to Ohio with great
load Of household furniture on one
So they Jared along through Canaan
daigua and across the Genesee to the
village OF Rochester and on through
Lewiston and up the Niagara river
to the falls. and camped where they
could see the great water flood and
hear its muffled thunder. When near
ing the latter they overlook family
Of poor Irish emigrants, of the name
Of Flanagan. who shared their camp
site at the falls. The Flnnagans
were on their way to Michigan and
had come from the old country three
years before and settled In Brooine
county. New York. They, too were
on their way to a land Of better prom
ise Among them was 4 rugged.
in his teens. Of the name Of Dennis.
who wore tall beaver hat tilted
sauclly on one side of his head, and
a ragged blue coat with brass buttons,
as he walked beside the oxen, whip
In hand, with trousers tucked in the
tops OF his big cowhide boots. There
was also q handsome young man In
this party Of the name Of John Nc
Nell, who wore a ruffled shirt and
swallOw-tall coat, now much soiled by
the Journey. He listened to Samson's
account Of the Sangamon country and
said that he thought he would 20
there.
Sarah gave the Irish family a good
supply OF cookies and jerked venison
before she babe them good-by.
When our travellers left, next morn
Ing. they stopped for a last Look at
the great falls.
Children" said Samson, Il want
you to take 4 good look at that It's
the most wonderful thing In the world
and maybe you'll never see 1t again"
"The Indians used to think that the
Great Spirit was In this river" said
Sarah.
kind O. seems to me they were
right" Samson remarked thoughtfully.
kind o seems as II the great spirit
Of America was In that water. 1t
moves on in the way 1t Wills and no
thing can stop 1t. Everything In Its
current goes along with It,"
"And only the strong can stand
the journey" said Sarah.
These words were no doubt inspired
BY an ache in her bones. A hard seat
and the ceaseiess jolting Of the wagon
through long. hot, dusty days had
wearfed them. Even their hearts we're
getting sore ~ they thought of the
endiess reaches Of the roads ahead.
Samson stuffed a sack with straw and
put It under her and the children on
the seat At word Of complaint he
was wont to say:
" know It's awful tiresome. but we
gst to have patience. We're goln' to
ct used to It and have n wonderful
lot Of fun. The tims'll pass quick
ysa see." Then he would sing and
ct them all laughing with some Gu
rteus bit Of drollery. They spent the
night Of July third at q tavern In
Buffalo. ti'en q busy, crude and rapid
growing center for the shipping east
aud west.
There were emisrants on their
w4S b. ths Ehs wsst in the
cr6wd-tsen. women md children and
babies In arms-Irish, English. Ger
mans and Yankees There were also