Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-12-28

4 MARKER is to be placed at
u ingalls,, Kan, by the Santa Ft
( lTrail association as q memorial
to Jebediah Smith, one OF the
early pioneers OF Americas West
The Santa Fe Trail. q hard hoof-
worn highway. often 100 feet wide, 50
beaten and packed that ii couldn't be
pl9wed. and with not q white settle
ment on Its whole savagehaunted
length. stretched across virgin land
On buffalo meat alone the pIainsman
often lived. and from green hide he
made clumsy. sacklike boots Il save
0xen's feet from stones and hot sand.
4 good days march was Ii miles
Over this amazing pathway OF the
plains drove the longest wagon trains
The world ever saw. trains often miles
long, with four and even eight creak
Ing wagons rumbling abreast What
4 colossal traffic It was. pushing out to
win the West. At its peak. 1900 wag-
ons and 5000 OF yokes used la one
spasonf
Franklin, Mo-. In Kit Carson's youth.
was the outpost OF civilization ST
Louis. with 4.O00 people. was the only
other large town In Missouri From
there clumsy boats. battling sand hars-
snags. and muddy whiripnoIs. their
passengers often firing at deer or wild
turkeys on the wooded river banks.
beat upstream TO Franklin. where the
Santa Fe Trail then started
Franklin doomed with the fur trade.
1T fairly seethed with excited men.
Oxen hawled . mules kicked and grunf-
ed. Through mud and dust of the
crnde towns crowded streets creaked
heavily loaded wagons Of Conestoga
type, canvast0pped. sch0onerlike wag
ons. loaded with bolts Of calico. ging-
hams. velvefs. cotton goods. cutlery.
firearms. tools, and light hardware.
and drawn by four or five pairs or OK
en- or mules: and. breasting this west
bound stream. up from Santa Fe. from
FL Paso. even from far Chihuahua.
pack trains came drifting In. laden
with Mexican silver, with beaver pelts
ard buffalo robes. BIg-hatted. swarthy
spanish" men In red blankets and
tight trousers-men who fought with
knives and spoke a purring tongue
strange TO Missouri folk-mingled with
returning caravans.
Little Left or Franklin.
Far outpost Of empire Franklin was
In those exciting days. 1t saw the
cheering legions pass. But now Its
symphony Of life is IGlled- Long ago
tire hungry river claimed most OF ii.
FEES. indeed. OF the Fastening host who
pause now for hot dogs or cigarettes
even dream what stirring scenes were
staged here when the Mexican nag still
wnved from western Kansas to Cali
fOrnia~
Yet It's name. like Daniel Boone's
and Kit Carson's, endnres In the m
nails OF the West
As for the trail itself, sweeping on
from The Big Muddy to ancient Santa
Fe. TO- II is buster and better than
eyar- Railroads and motor Highways,
pGrallelinE Its course handle today.s
vast commerce. Now millions ride In
speed and safety where pioneers beat
their stubborn way against thirst and
hunger. daring torture and death In
the fOrays and ambuscades OF Paw
nees. kiowas, C~heyennes. Comanchez.
Osages. and ArapahoeA.
Where millions OF buffalo rocked the
plains with the thunder OF stampedinx
hOofs and died from arrows. spears
and rifle balls. now millions vi meat
bearing animals lift bovine faces to
stare at passing trains and motor cars
-sl0w-moving. safe In fenced fields.
chased by no wolves. Indians. or hun
Cry white men on horseback
Windmills, wells. and city water sys-
tems--lots of winter now where men
Wild with thirst once vainiy dug With
bleeding fingers In dry rtream beds.
or walked put on parched plains to Lie
down quietly and die
Kit Carson would find lots Of
changes. could he come back Lifting
h1ir.r N he called Indian scalping. h
practIced now only In the beauty
shops Of towns along the trail 1t Is
not easy now To trade beads or cheap
firearms for hunks n virgin silver In
Santa re. nor wculd the town cheer
i mule driver arriving from Missouri
~ cAn ! holiday shOuId : dry goods
peddler arrtvA-