The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-23
A RISING YOUNG
MAN SAYS OLD
TIMER OF FORD
ezra Meeker, Veteran Of Ore
gon Trail, Visits Bismarck
En- Route Home

Henry Ford 10 = rising young man,
Tho probably has his greatest
mount Of good yet to do.
When 4 man who leads caravans
I Ok carts, crowded together for
rejection against the Indians of the
rairie, and the leader of present.
~ transportation methods come to-
ether, it might be expected that
,mfhiscences would be in order,
1t they were not.
The leader of many years ago,
IRA Meeker, veteran Of Oregon
all fame, although nearing. the
sntury mark, is planning years Of
'ork to dedicate the trail followed
y thousands Of pioneers, while the
'ork Of Ford is just beginning.
Meeker passed through Bismarck
rom Detroit, where he has been en-
aged in the dedication work. Speak
nc Of Ford, he said the automobile
nagnate 10 zone Of the truly great
nen Of this country" and described
he achievements Of Thomas Edison,
lao his personal friend.
Questioned about rumors of his
ossible retirement, the veteran en-
'hatically denied he was contemplate
ngsany such step.
To Open Office
no, sirl I should say not. / am
merely going home to rest for .
hort time in order to recuperate
rom my recent illness. An office
going to be established in Seattle
md from that point ! will actively
.nkage in this work.
II have no idea Of quitting or re-
.iring. When the time comes, ]
want to be in the harness..
He went on to enumerate and
Explain various phases Of the work
n which he is engaged. His en-
husiasm in the project certainly be-
led the adage that time dims all.
lis manner indicated that he is
italy interested in the Memorial
md intends to spend his time at this
work until it is completed, because
10 Aaively confided, he expects to
celebrate the century mark of his
firth and several more birthdays as
veil.
In 1852, this intrepid adventurer,
IS a youth Of 81 with a wife and
even-weeks-old baby, helped blaze
he way from what is now known
Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Portland,
oregon. His OK team was among
he vanguard that made this haz-
rdous journey successfully. The
QUITE over which they passed became
nown as the Oregon trail, trail
wo thousand miles long over which
$4,000 pioneers travelled to reach
lew homes in the west and a trail
hat is marked by 10000 dead that
lie buried in unknown graves along
Is route.
Trailed Again in 1906
In 1906, Meeker in commemora-
ion Of the original caravan started
nut from Portland in = replica of
he old OK cart built from three of
hose that had actually made the
Quincy and with oxen, he retraced
he original trail. His journey took
Tim even farther than the starting
,oint at Kanesville Council Bluffs,
Is he continued on to Washington in
order that he might interest the
rational government in reestablish-
ng the trail as q memorial and that
appropriate markers and monuments
,e placed for this purpose. As
great deal Of time was consumed
With this object in view, the journey
;ook % months. Thus Ezra Meeker
vas to become one Of the first to
ross the continent with oxen and
he last to accomplish the feat.
In 1924 he crossed the continent
n ap aeroplane in q hours actual
flyf time, . journey that had taken
aim 20 months with the primitive
means of transportation in use at
The time of his youth. When asked
what he thought Of aviation, he re-
,lied that he believed it rs safe as
automobiles and that in proportion
figures would bear out this state
ment.