The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-09

Back at Fort Laramie Miner became a hunter
for the American Fur company for a year or
50. Then he accompanied q party OF trappers
10 Fort BvidEer where he became acquainted
with It's famous owner. Jim Bridger. and entered
bis employ as a livestock herder. Returning TO
Fort Laramie In the spring OF 1876 Miner found
there letter from his parents telling OF their
move 10 Missouri and asking him TO come home.
So he Joined a party OF mountain men bound
for 81. Louis
At Fort Leavenworth Gen. stephen W. Kearney
was mobIllxing his Army OF the West" for serv-
Ice In the war which had been declared against
MEXICO and when Doniphan's Missouri Mounted
Volunteers arrived there In June 1916. young
Aillner forgot about returning 70 his home. With
two other trappers he Joined the army as pack.
ers and ieamsters After serving with DonIphan
In Mexico. Milner returned 10 Missouri and
sought out his family in Warren county But
after his experiences IN the Far West life In
the states seemed tame and be soon set out
again on trading and trapping expedition up
the Platte.
Late In November. 1s4s. he was back In Mis-
souri, 20 spend the winter with his parents. but
expecting TO start out again the following spring.
However. when the Watts family from east Ten
nessee moved 10 an adjoining farm and young
Milner saw fourteen-year.old Nancy Emma
Watts. his plans were changed. They we're mar.
ried on May S. 1880 his twenty-irst birthday.
and the next day they set out for a honeymoon
trip across the plains 10 California lured there.
as were so many thousands In 1880. by the
hope OF making their fortune 10 the gold fields
Because OF his experience on the plains the
youthful bridegroom was elected guide OF the
wagon train which they Joined and after jour
ney OF six months they reached the Sacramento
valley safely.
Leaving his bride at Sacramento. MIlner went
az once 10 the gold fields and during the next
two years he accumulated a considerable for
tune. Then reports OF the fertility OF the Oregon
country drifted down into California and Milner
decided TO emigrate there. In 1852 he took up
homestead In what Is now Benton county and
prepared 10 settle down as a farmer and stock
raiser In the new country
But again the wanderlust seized the young
frontiersman and within a year he was faring
forth upon his career OF wandering footloose
through all parts OF the West which ended only
with his death at Fort Robinson In 1876. During
these years Nancy Emma Milner, the patient
Penelope" OF this American Ulysses. remained
on the Oregon ranch. directing its activities and
rearing the four sons that had beer born TO
them.
News OF gold strikes in eastern Washington
and northern Idaho took him there In the sum-
meE oI 1893 ana three years later he was pur-
suing the golden wil-o-the-wisp In Virginia City.
Mont II was in the latter gold camp that he
won the sobrlquet which he was to make so
famous Asked by party of miners what his
name was he replied that IL was Joe and when
they asked him where he from he jokingly
answered From California, where you find the
real gold" Then and there he was dubbed Cali
fornia Joe" and that name stuck TO him through
the remainder OF his life.
From Montana Miner drifted down into Wyo-
ming again, then on into Colorado, and In 1855