The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-02-08

MUSE VINO nave Tedu hHeISo
Hough's novel, 1.-THE Covered
- Wagon" may get reminiscent
thrill on reading the lines with which
Alonzo Delano begins his main mar
rative. The principal distinction was
this: HOugh dealt with the first great
stream of homeseekers over the Ore
gon trail. so that il his chapters wom-
en- and brO0ds of children played their
parts: his pioneers, starting on a
tourney twO-thirds the breath oil
this continent. took with them their
families, their portable household
equipment, their most valued posses
siOns.
But DelanO in his journal is telling
US of gold rush made up almost ex'
clusiveiy of fuII-grown men. The do
nestle side was altogether lacking,
His companions were sturdy adeen-
turers inspired by the Oldest lure next
only to love of warfare that SET the
feet of mankind on paths far and
strange and perilous-the quest for
treasure. But the country through
gers and discomforts they encountered.
the sufferings they underwent-these
largely were identical in both cases.
Only the PERSONALS and the goals
were different.
For the emigrants there was the
hope of new hOmesteads in the vast
free fertile lands of the newly-Opened
Northwest for the argonauts the
chance to dig for those precious grains
of yellow ore on craggy California
hilIsides sterile of every valued pros
pect save the metal hidden in them.
DelanOs diary gives graphic idea
of the departure from what then was
the farther fringe of the civilized set
Elements:
"Our general rendevOuZ The says)
was to be at st. Joseph, on the Mis-
souri,, from which we intended to take
our departure. My wagon | shipped
by water to st. Joseph and sent my
cattle across the country about the
middle of March (1S49) to meet me al
the place of rendevOuz in April. Our
desire to be upon the road induced us
to be stirring early and we were NOV
ing as soon as our cattle had eaten
their fill, when a drive of mile placed
US upon the great thoroughfare of the
gold seekers.
For miles. to the extent of vision.
an animated mass of beings broke
upon our view Long trains Of wagons
with their white covers were moving
slowly along, multitude of horsemen
were prancing on the road, companies
of men were travelling on foot, and al
though the scene was not a gorgeous
one, yet the display of banners from
many wagons and the multitude -;Ot
armed men looked as If 90 mighty
army was on its march; and in few
moments we took our station in the
line. component part of the motley
thrOng of gOld-seekers who were leav-
ing home and friends far behind to
encounter the peril of mountain and
plain"
The Price of Westward Travel.
Within month, though, this
had disintegrated. What made 1t fall
apart into separate trickling units was
that certain harder spirits. growing
impatient over the slow movement of
The unwieldy mass. broke away with
their trains. preferring to risk the
danger of Indian attacks from which
the main body might have been free.
in order to reach the diggings the
sooner. The face of the earth was
streaked with toiling strings of
wagons. teams and foot-travelers. each
of these lines marking independent
and helter-skelter route of a little
group hurrying toward the Sierras
and the diggings. Thus ii befell that
instead of chrOnicling the march of
an army DelanO. from this time on.
told of the experiences of the individ
uaI outfit which he led. sA..a ~.--. .
"(August H. There were a great
many men daily passing. who having
worn down their cattle and mules had
abandoned their wagons and were try
ing to get through as they might but
their woe-begOne cOuntenanceS and
meager accnutrements for such a jour
ney, with want and excessive labor
staring them in the face. excited our
pity, ,wretched as we felt ourselves.
Our own cattle had been prudently
driven and were still in good condition
to perform the journey. Although our
stock of provisions was getting low,
we felt that under any circumstances
we could get through. and notwith-
standing we felt anxious, we were not
discouraged
"(August 16.) Beyond US,
far as we could see, was barren
waste without blade of grass or
drop Of water for thirty miles at least.
Instead of avoiding the desert. instead
of the promised water, grass. and a
better road we were in fact upon a
more dreary and wider waste without
ID.