, 1923-08-19

After rs years of trapping. Indian
fighting and roaming. Jim built a
'rading post in the southwest corner
OF Wyoming on Blacks Fork OF the
Green river. in 1s43. Being located
on the Oregon Trail. over which a
large number Of emigrants were now
starting to a1s Jim did a thriving
business between furnishing supplies
and doing smith work for the travel
ers. Later this pace, which now
serves as tho headquarters for a few
score of people in the surrounding
country. and Includes a few stores
and garages. became the headquar-
ters for Johnston's army before It
came on to Utah to put down tho
socalled rebellion" among the Nor
mons. Later Fort Bridger became a
pony express station when the means
OF carrying tho mall from st. Joseph
Mo-. to the Pacific coast was estab-
lished. The pony express station still
stands. being in remarkable shape for
having stood in all kin0s Ct weather
for nearly three-quarters OF a CEN
tury. The chimney OF the Cd te'e-
graph station yet remains. and It will
no recalled that It was the telegraph
that caused the pony express to pass
away, the electric spark flashed
across the Same distance in an In.
slant that required eleven days on
he part of the best horse flesh. hui
man skill. daring and endurance
available. At one time Fort Bridger
Is said to have had the largest store
west te the Mississippi river. A part
II this structure still exists but It
Is in the process OF decay. with the
roof gone and part Of the walls fallen
own.
From the time Of It's establishment
the old post did a good business with
the emigrants. being looated or the
Oregon Trai'. which started at indie
~osndcnce. Mo. followed the Santa Fe
Trail for about forty mi'es, then
branched off following the Platte
r'ver, touched Fort Laramie. crossed
the Platte by Fort Casper NOV Cas-
per) then by dependence Rock.
Tnrts Bridgcr, Hall and Boise, and
down the Columbia a journey Of 1000
mil9s, By time h average emigrant
cached n point as far west as Bird
yer, he was badly in need of sup
plies ann repairs to his travelling out
ut. The mountainous nnture of the
country. the fordin@ Of vers and
he overcoming OF other physical OBJ
ltac,es often played havoc with the
wagons. while the Indians very often
= IA the Same with the cattle. As many
OF the e%Inigrants were fair wei sun-
piled with money. Jim did a good
business by selling horses, proviflons
and by doing smith work
However. the emigrant was not the
only source Of income at Fort Brdger
in the carly days. Although the beav-
err and other fur bearing animals
were not as plentiful as they were be-
fore the coming OF the Hudson Bay.
I Rocky mountain and American Fur
companies, in add ton to many in
dependent trappers. yet a certain
number of these fur bearing animals
Itill existed. in this section Of the
country. Although BridEer did not do
a great deal Of trapping in his later
years. he bought a large number Of
furs from the Indians. After a few
years Bridger had 5000 beaver skins
in his possession in addition to a
small number of other pelts. He took
them east, where the beaver sldns
brought him seven dollars apiece. or
s35. 900. while the other pelts swelled
the total up to $4,000.
In 1s47. the Mormon pioneers be-