Told by the Pioneer's - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pioneers
cine, I was pulled through. It was a common thing to see covered
wagons standing by the roadside deserted, and many others burned.
Ox yokes, chains, bedding, cooking' utensils and tons of miscellaneous
articles lay scattered along that desolate route. Of the many large
families that the cholera attacked that summer, but a few of them
reached the promised land of the west entire. I have talked with a
great many emigrants that came to this country as early as 1845 and
as late as 1860, but can't find any account of such a fearful death rate
as there was on the plains in the summer of 1852.
The only redeeming feature of the Platte Valley that I can remem·
bel' was Chimney Rock. It could be seen plainly for one hundred miles.
As near as I can recollect, we were some weeks in sight of that won·
derful rock. Independence Rock I call the "bulletin board of the
Sweet "'Vater Valley."
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Thousands of names were to be seen on that
rock. It seemed that every emigrant that had a tar bucket left his
name and date there.
There were many beautiful sights to be seen on the route through
the Black Hills, as well as oYer the Rockies, for a person that was comfortably
provided and traveling for pleasure. It was different with
the emigrant as he tramped alongside of his teams day after day,
nearly choked ,dth dust. His object was to get to the end of the road
as soon as possible. The long, tedious trip had soured his disposition
so much that the least provocation would cause trouble. Friends that
had left the states together, through the slightest cause would separate,
perhaps never to meet again. I think it was when we were camped
on Snake River that Lou Russell and myself got into a little scratching
match and the consequence was that the Russels pulled out and
left us and we did not see them again until we met in Portland.
V\re followed down on the south side of Snake River, but a great
many crossed the river and proceeded down on the north side. It was
the most treacherous river I ever saw. I have seen the emigrants
swimming their horses and cattle across to islands in the stream in order
to get better feed, and some of the stock would sink, apparently
without a struggle, and a great many men were lost the same way. The
under current was fatal in many places and it required a man with
nerve to undertake it. We never attempted to cross the river in order
to better our condition. As we had been on the trip a long time, our
stock of provisions was getting low, and buying anything on the route
was simply out of the question. Those that had a quantity of provisions
would not sell for fear they would run short themselves. There
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was nothing to be had at Fort Hall, and that was the only place on the
route that we could reach without crossing Snake River. Fort Boise
was also on the wrong side of the river for us. At any rate, we nen!!'
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