Gunnison news-champion., 1923-07-20
On the Plains in
Pioneer Days

killing Of some government scouts on
Mulberry Creek The scouts had tax
On refuge in an old cabin and the Red
Skins were unable 10 get them out
/ .amIug arrows were shot into the
cabin and when the white men werr
compelled 70 venture their heads out
Of the windows for fresh air, the
Indians slipped ropes around their
necks, cut their threats and scalped
them, Government guards were main
tanned 10 keep the Indians from at
lacking bull trains, however, they
sometimes did in spite Of this. Doc
tells that when he made his last
eventful tnp they came upon about
fourteen Indian ponies in one spot
that the bull whackers had killed
when band Of Chsyennes or Arapa-
hoes had attacked them.
This last tnp started in September
1870 from Fl Hays, and was 10
carry quantities Of corn, oats and bran
TO the colorsd cavalry at Camp Sup
ply The train. consisting of SO
yoke Of oxen, lG0 head, and wagons
proportional, was owned By one, Bill
Atchison and A +. Buddecke. the
latter o!d-timer now living in Mont
rose Buddecke had just purchased the
teams belonging TO Shores, but ne
begged that Doc accompany them on
the trlp and so they started.
The night herder was an old Mex
lean" said Mr.. Shores. His name
was John; | don't know what has last
name was. II he ever had any"
Mexican John nearly proved the un-
dong Of the whole affair.
In the early part Of the trip Doc
sayf he had trouble with the Mex
can" Buddcckc had q fat black steer
that made odd numbers, and so was
not hooked up with any team but
was allowed 70 follow along. The
steer becam. lost one night and II
being the MeNieau's duty 20 keep
watch that none OF the cattle strayed
he was cent 20 look for il. But the
Mexican did not return in due tine.
so Shores volunteered 10 search To-
him. After looking 10 all the place
where be would likely be found, Doc
finally located him, apparently head
way much or the beaten trail and
he would soon have been out of the
country. when ! came up, said Mr.
Shorcs, 'he pulled his gun, as any
one would have done. but when he
20 ~ WIZ ! - anu hlAAs 4 iAsAAA NM
he put IL up. I'm lost, pleaded the
AeEicau.' Here, you 20 this way
was the command. and Doc ksp,
him ahead all the way to camp.
Al, the way, Mexican John PLEADED
you know | was lost" When the
two reached camp, Shores explained
things. "Of cour5e, they ali wanted
10 lynch HIM but We had to hava him
and made the boys see il that way. .
Tho duty Of Mexican John was To {
keep watch over the cattle az night, (
therefore he was compelled 10 get his
sleep in the daytime when the train
was on the move. Fording the Ar
kansas River took all day, and
mighty hard day at that. Pull
whaekers would keep the air filed
with their yelling and all was hustle
Had TO wade right thru the water,
shoes and all, some times having to
unload the big Murphy wagons OF
corn. oats and bfnn. Chains would
break, wagon tongues would snap or
be pulled out, and even the front
wheels would be pulled of from under
the wagon bed and let the whole busi-
ness into the water" We had TO
double the teams on the fords, the
pulling was so heavy. All this COM
motion allowed Mexican John to get
very little sleep the day we crossed
the Arkansas. When we made camp
that night on the wide bottom, there
was no danger of the cattle straying /
Or getting lost, so Buddeeke let the
Mexican sleep that night. / told him
It would spoil him. It's very easy to
spoil Mexican, you know.
The next morning we pushed on and
that night made dry camp on the
divide between Mulberry and Bluff
creek. When next morning came.
everyone was up and ready for the
corralling of the steers, but the Mexi-
ian had not called roll out One big
wagon, loaded heavily with
corn, was not taken out of the road to
form the corral, and Shores strolled
over to it. There under the wagon
was the recently vacated sleeping
place of Mexican John. The cattle
we're gone. Buddecke was near sight
ed, so Shores had to head the search
ing party. 81 spent some mighty
hard days and nights away from camp
looking for those cattle" said Mr..
Shores. ..The only difference between /
their tracks and those of the buffalo
was the calk print Of the shoes we
had on the older animals. There was
no difference between buffalo tracks
and those made by the young cattle
and they were damned hard to trail.
We found SO head the first day and
a few scattered ones afterward. Some
were found the next spring at Wichita
and some on Wild Horse Greek, Colo
RADIO. Some were never found. There
we were in dry camp and no teams
to haul US. Some of the boys took
one of the poor ponies we had and
got 4 key of water at the river TO
cook with. It's hard to tell of the
awfulness of that trip. II rained all
the time. l saw big, strong men sit
down and cry. We were horrible
sight. Our shoes were worn out or
lost in the creeks and we wrapped buff
falo skins around our feet Our
clothes were rags and we hadn't had