The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-14
Mormon Trains of Early Sixties
Were Comprised Of A Motley
ThrOng of Religious Enthusiasts

one of our number who eve sue
ceeded in securing game.
A Mr.. Everhart likewise travelled
with us from near Fort Laramie to
Bannack. For a few days an elderly
gentleman and his companion &C
cOmpapied us, but as they had a car
riage and drove horses, wished to
make more rapid progress than ten
miles a day. I do not recall this
mans name, but his title was col
Onel, how acquired, we never knew.
On nearing South Pass, it was de-
cided that we should take Lander's
Cutoff, and here our number was
considerably increased by a train my
father consented to have go with US.
It was q Missouri outfit, belonging to
! Osborne and Skinner, and said to be
carrying high wines to be sold at the
mining towns in what is nov Mon
tana. This, of itself was proof posi-
tive that it was not a Mormon train,
as the MOrmOns were strict prOhi-
bitionists, and bOOtlegging was not a
profitable business in their midst. A
Mormon train would not have been
likely to take a route expressly laid
out to avoid Utah settlements. If the
pioneer referred to at the beginning
of this article travelled with us from
South Pass, he was a driver for Os-
borne and Skinner.
The members of this train were
most of them Southern sympathizers,
as were one or both of its owners,
Some of the men had fought on the
Confederate side, but there was one
of the drivers who claimed to have
been in the U. S. navy. It was re-
% ported that the %gentlest, most inOf-
fensiVe man of the lOt-a tall, gang
ling fellow, with an extremely long
neck, owed the latter to his having
been strung up three times by UniOI
t soldiers.
It wa fortunate for us that Oul
, number was augmented while on this
comparatively new road, which wa
= much rOugher than the Mormon
D trail, and, had we known it, we were
there in the greatest danger from In
dams, the eros Ventres Of the Prairil
generally passing through the Wine
River mountains when on their wa.
to visit their relatives, the ArapahOes
and returning. The affection mani
tested by these tribes seemed to b
all on the side Of the eros Ventres
as the ArapahOes never went nOrtl
= to visit them. It was the eros Ven
tres who attacked the fur traders a
Pierre's Hole, and made it Impossible
to maintain a trading post at the de
o sirable point Of the Three Forks. Blu
d of all this we were blissfully .uncOn
l. sciOus. Our main concern vas Z
o haul our wagons over the noun
tains, and to keep them from over
r turning at siding places, when it wa
necessary to stand on the hubs Of tn
wheels on the uphill side. Often tn
road was in the bed Of a mOuntai
stream, and while passable in sum
mers must have been dangerous earl
in the season.
ISL While on Lander's Cut-Off, we sa7
but one Indian. He was sWathed
1t his blanket, and laid to rest in th
IT branches Of a pine tree, and SUI
~ rounded with whatever he needed
expedite, and make comfortable hi
journey to the spirit land. He cOul
not have been long dead, and this, {
n itself, had we been wiser, would hay
4 caused apprehension; but we neVs
gave it a thought.
a. Every night in the mountains, "
gathered about a huge campfiI
IT which would have advertised on
M whereabouts to any Indians ga Oh
IA neighb6rho0d, and there. hemmed
to By the forest, we passed the most ca
rs Joyable evenings Of d Journey. W
le sang; told stories, and agreed % al
"a agree in the most amicable mann.
~ (Coniinped on Agricultural page)