Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-11-06
EARLY TRAVELLERS
FOILED BY RUMOR
PREPARED FOR AN INDIAN ar
TACK ON FORT WHICH
NEVER OCCURRED

During the Civil war, along The
Oregon tran as intervals were
small military pests for the uro-
lection of Immigrants. At enc Of
these near the Sweefw1ter, an
Arapah0e girl appeared when A.
}. Dlcks0n's train and others were
in camp, TO announce that the sta
ton and trains would be attacked
at daybFeak, the time generally
chosen for such h0stiIities by the
Indians.
At once preparations began for the
reception Of the foe, the first thing
/ being to corral the wagons. This was
/ done in the usual manner, by placing
them close together in a circle, with
the tongue Of each inside.
! For further security, these wagons
at Sweetwater were fastened together
by four chains apiece, and breastwurks
arranged within by piling goods around
the outside. Thus fortified, they
awaited the attack, which failed to
materialize. They waited for 10 a
reasonable length of time. and then.
unclaimed the wagons; yoked the oxen
to them, and moved on, but not with
out apprehension that the danger was
not over.
As they were moving along at the
snail's pace set by the oxen, they des-
cried In the distance a body of APP
preaching horsemen. At once there was
a furry Of preparation for their recep-
ton, and indications that most of the
immigrants were badly frightened.
Those who remained calm throughout
this trying experience, were two Mis-
souri, girls OF the party, who refused
to be alarmed.
The horsemen rapidly neared the
train, when they were discovered to be
soldiers, and not the dreaded Indians
Not long after this incident, the
cattle Of Dickson's train were badly
alkalied. In many places along the
route the ground was covered with
alkah and the streams strongly i'm
pregnated. It was customary then to
keep up the cattle, and not permit them
to drink or Craze. In the morning an
early start was made, that a better
camping place might be found. It was
because of the party taking such q
precaution, they CHANGED to gather !
salt at Salt creek The ground was
covered with white incrustation they (
nistook for alkali. On the early morn /
ing start two Of the travellers, walking |
ahead Of the train, found out it was |
salt, and not alkah, through their {
which led them to taste it. /
The oxen Of the train with which |
Mr.. Dickson travelled, drank alkah |
water, and were in a bad condition.
Someone suggested that they be fed i
bacon. This remedy was tried and the I
bacon proved to be an antidote. The
;attle recovered and the train moved
N.
Dickson tells of the ice reported to
,e at South pass. The party reached
here in August, and heard the same
tory of ice that could be obtained
they were willing to dig for it. It
lid not sound credible, but they were
IsSured of its truth.
However, they were in too much of
. hurry to reach the end Of their
Quincy to do any prospecting for ice.
Then, too, 1t was unnecessary. The
treams ran ice cold, and the air was
COL and bracing- almost too much as
or comfortable nights and mornings.
Finds An Ice Mine
Dickson, on the contrary, went in
earch Of ice, and found it at the
ottom of holes evacuated five or six
eet deep. There it was absolutely