The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-09-18
BY Martha Edgerton Plassmann

0AAANA0O S1fSo 4Al11& S4O90
ing the Plains WASH it terribly
monotonous?" And to this, / has
ten to reply, 1T was monotonous
and for that very reason, those who
took the overland journey, provid-
ed their own amusement"
Our mode of travel was so ex-
ceedingly slow that one noticed but
little change in the scenery from
day to day, or even from week to
week. We bumped and ratified
along at the leisurely rate of ter
miles a day. Our springless wa
CONS were not intended for greater
speed if the comfort of those who
rode in them was taken into CON
%sideration.
Because of the slow gait of the
oxen that drew the wagons, ample
opportunity was afforded for
walking, and this was one of our
amusements. Strict orders were.
given never to go out of sight of
the train, but on the winding roads
through the mountains, this order
was often disregarded, although
there we ere in greatest danger
from Indians.
When walking, we kept close to
the road, but found entertainment
Of a kind, even there. Many
strange flowers grew by the way
side, to be plucked, admired and
thrown away. Some of these flow
ers were fragrant like the sensi-
tive plant found in Nebraska most
of them, however, were without
odor, but of gorgeous hues.
Someone had told us that beads
could be found in almost any of
the countless ant hills we passed.
We had no use for beads, but we
spent hours hunting for them, and
never found one. Our informant
evidently supposed the Indians
showered beads over the country,
and the ants installing them for a
lew variety of sand, used them in
constructing their hills.
We collected quantities of cur
Gus pebbles, just by way of am
lsement; and on our return Jour
icy east, near Fort Bridger,, we
UP a great number of beau
Iful agates, which did not share ).
he fate of the pebbles, but were !
arried to the end Of the journey. :
The queer little horned toads {,
ere an endless delight to the !
lildren, who liked to stroke their =
eads and see them close their eyes, a
they invariably did when they a
ERE treated in this manner.
Only two or three of the men q,
united, and these generally to no :
urpose except for amusement. :
fishing was a sport in which most
T the party INDUCED, yet few fish :
yere caught.
Almost every day some one of =
he women or children rode our "
sure-footed Mexican pony,
leir being a side saddle provided i
Or the women. No women of that
ay, but squaws, rode astride, and y
ldies wore long riding skirts, =
-hich made riding the more dan y
erous, and walking impossible I'm l.
IS the skirt was carried over the y
nm. 1t was needless to say that a.
IT women wore no such costume p
the Plains, but rode in their or s
mary dresses and protected their "
ICES with sunbonnets. -
Another one of our amusements ~ ~
as the daily reading from Dick - !
IS. My father was the reader,
ID as many as the wagon could ac- "
immediate were willing listeners. III
aster Humphreys Clock was :,
mpleted before we entered the III
ountains, where the roads were n
0 rough to admit of much read vi
g. Now, after the passage of
any years, I cannot open the book Or
thout recalling a sultry July day
the Plains in 1868. [ see what
pears to be an interminable level iD5
-etch of dusty, yellow road, a y
.ng which crawls a small wagon all
lin, the canvas coverings grey An
tn accumulated soil. On either 70
nd are acres of tall sagebrush car
ying off a pungent aromatic odor, sol
der the compelling rays of the ing
t sur Where it encroaches on inf
: road, it reaches out gnarled !
anches that tear the drivers fac
'users, and make them swear. me
'tted over the plain are hillocks, rec
III with a prairie dog on guard. VIII
and soldier-like they the
Sc, and yelp derisively at pass loo