Echoes from the Rocky Mountains. Reminiscences ... of the ... golden age of the Great West ... Illustrated

Front matter

ECHOES FROM THE Rocky Mountains Reminiscences and Thrilling Incidents of the Romantic and Golden Age of the Great West, with a Graphic Account of its Discovery, Settlement and Grand Development BY JOHN W. CLAMPITT Counselor at Law ELABORATELY ILLUSTRATED BRENTANO'S Chicago New York LONDON 430 Strand Paris AA'ashington CorYRIGHT 1888, BY J O II N AV. CLAMPITT. donohue and henneberrv, PRINTERS AND BINDERS, Chicago. To The Pioneers of the Pacific, Men who Nobly Braved the Waves of Perilous Fortune AND Laid Down their Lives in Founding the Great Commonwealths of the Pacific Coast. ■THIS WORK IS DEDICATED. "What lives they lived ! What deaths they died 1 A thousand canons dark'ning wide Below Sierra's slopes of pride Receive them now. And they who died Along the dim, far desert route — Their ghosts are many.

Let them keep Their vast possession. The Piute, The tawny warrior, will dispute No boundary with these. And I — ■ Who saw them live, who felt them die — Say, let their unplowed ashes sleep." INTEODUCTIOK The pages of this book record many scenes, events and perils clustering about the life of the writer during a residence of several years as an officer of the Federal Government in the far West, in the territory embracing the Missouri Eiver and the Pacific Ocean. It likewise relates the earlier voyages of discovery in its trackless depths. First by that known as the Lewis and Clarke expedition at the instigation of President Jefferson, who sought a highway to the Pacific Ocean, through our neAvly acquired territory, known as the Louisiana Purchase ; and by that of the path-finder, John C. Fremont, who later on verified the dream of Jefferson and opened up a highway to myriads of gold seekers.

It tells of the early settlement of California, the Pacific coast and Northwestern Territories consequent upon the discovery of the precious metal in Sutters' Mill race on the Sacramento, by Marshall the Mormon, and the swift settlement and de ATelopment of that land of Avealth and Avonders. Of the establishment of the Pony Express, and the great Over land Mail Express lines that speedily followed. Of the vast system of electric wires connecting the Orient and the Occident. Of the building of the three great lines of transcontinental rail roads that pour the mineral and agricultural wealth of that region into the lap of the Avorld, and of the national legislation promoting the vast labor. It describes much of the wild scenery, glowing landscape, majestic waterfalls, mighty lakes, mysterious mountain vales, lost rivers and natural Avonders of the far West.

Chapter I

The Romantic Age of the Western Frontier — The Adventurous Settlements of the Pacific Coast — Discovery of Gold, 1848 — The Lewis and Clarke Expedition — Fremont's Expedition — Fremont's Early Life and Marriage — Terrible Sufferings in the Sierras — Compelled to Eat as Food the Bodies of Their Dead Companions— Gen. John 8. Sutter — Marshall, the Mormon — General Sutter's Ranch on the Sacramento — The Pathway to the Pacific 19

Chapter II

The Pony Express— From River to Ocean— The Story of Its Establishment— The Wager between the Ocean Express and the Overland Firm of Russell, Majors, Waddell & Company— The Continent to be Crossed in Fifteen Days— Fifty Thousand Dollars the Wager— Story of the First Ride— The Lost Rider— The Drowned Horse in the Platte River— The Wager Won by Twenty Minutes— The Pony Express Assured— The Pony Express Riders, Sui Generis— -Fae Simile Copy of Pony Express Envelope Which Carried the News of the First Election of Abraham Lincoln to Denver, then the Territory of Jefferson- Other Letters— The Pony Express and the Fast British Mail from China to London— The Pike's Peak Gold Excitement

Chapter III

The Electric Telegraph — Early Experiments— Charles Morrison, of Renfrew, Scotland The First Experiment Contemplated a Circuit of but Forty Yards — A Century Passes, and Telegraphic Engineering sends a Circuit Forty Hundred Miles across the Continent — The Mountainous Republic of Switzerland, the Sire of European Telegraphy — The Great Republic of America- Its Pioneers Lay the Transcontinental Wires — San Francisco Prints Daily News of London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Calcutta and China— The Missouri & Western Telegraph Company— The First Office in Omaha— The Pacific Telegraph Company Chartered by Congress — The Overland Telegraph Company Organized in California — Sketch of the Country through which it Passed — Exciting Incidents and Adventures Connected with its Construction _ Mode of Testing the Wires by Ranchmen — Discovering the Breaks — The Dream of Inspired Shakespeare Planting the Forces of Instantaneous Transit and Marshaling Time's Moments Realized by the World-girdling Telegraph — The Grants Made by Congress 61 CONTENTS.

Chapter IV

The Overland Mail, and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express — Sketch of Country and Mining Camps where the Mail Facilities were Supplied by Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Mail Express — The Frontier Postoffice — The Postmaster Who Was a Mail Carrier — The Notice He Posted in a Trading Store — His Correspondence with the Postmaster-General — The Drivers of the Mail Coaches and Their Pay — The Way Beset by Indians, Robbers and Road Agents — Robbers as Drivers — The Murder and Robbery ofa Coach Load of Passengers in Port Neuf Canon, Idaho Territory — Battle between Passengers and Robbers — The Founding of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express — Its System of Letter Carrying — A Great Financial Earthquake on the Pacific Coast — Fall of Noted Houses — Wells, Fargo & Co. again on Its Feet — History of Pacific Express Companies — Louis McLane — The Various Routes to the Pacific. . . 73

Chapter V

The Pacific Railroads — Surveys andJ_xplorations by the Government — Acts of Congress — The Granting of Subsidies — A Minute Description of the Building of each Road — Their Plans and Methods — The Initial Point Established by Abraham Lincoln — His Appointment of Commissioners — The Commencement of the Work — The Immensity of the -Undertaking — Hardships and Privation Endured — Completion of the Two Great Transcontinental Lines — Incidents Connected with Their Construction — Driving of the Two Gold Spikes — The Cost of Each Road — The "Credit Mobilier" — Its Mysterious Methods — The Vast Sums of Money it Captured — Oakes Ames — The Fabulous Earnings of the Roads — Their Great Benefits to the Country 91

Chapter VI

The Southern Pacific — The Route Marked Out — Infantile Efforts to Construct it — The Southern Commercial Convention — Resolutions Adopted — The Road Begun — Work Suspended — The Texas Pacific — Acts of Congress Relating Thereto — Description of the Route — Thomas A. Scott — Other Connecting Railroad Lines — The Land Grant by Texas — Earnings of the Road — Events Connected with its Construction 115

Chapter VII

The Building of the Northern Pacific — The First Projected Road across the Continent — The Expedition of 1853 — Josiah Perham's Labors — Proposition to Raise One Hundred Millions of Dollars by Subscription — The Firm of J. Cooke & Co. — Its Connection with the Road — Placing of Eighty Millions of Bonds on the American Market — Some Methods that were used in Placing the War Loans of the Government — The Memorable Panic of 1873 The Failure of Jay Cooke & Co. — The Widespread Financial Ruin that Followed — Henry Villard — The Oregon Transportation Company — The Final Completion of the Northern Pacific over the Route Marked Out hy Thomas Jefferson CONTENTS. IX

Chapter VIII

The Robbers of the Overland Routes— My Mission from the Government to Capture and Prosecute the Depredators— Sketch of the Country— Exciting Scenes— Description of Frontier Towns— The vast Army of Men thatwere Scattered over the Country after the Close of the War— Murders and Assassinations— Depredations upon Overland Mail by Organized Bands of Mail Robbers— Railroad Towns by Night— Punishment of the Robbers— A Desperado's Innocent Amusement — Commissioned by the Government— Journey to the far West, via New York, Niagara and St. Louis— The Hudson, the Rhine of America— West Point— Other Cities 132

Chapter IX

A Glimpse of Horace Greeley at Albany— Niagara Described — From the Falls to Chicago— St. Louis— Turkish Bath in the top Room of the Southern Hotel. 142

Chapter X

On the Missouri — Story of the Gentle Missionary on the Missouri River Steamboat — The Baptist Elder and the Captain of the Ocean Steamer in a Storm — "Well, just swear a little." #. 151

Chapter XI

Journeying toward Julesburg — The Broad Nebraska Plains — "Spotted Tail" — Race on the Iron Road between an Antelope and the "Mighty Engine'' — Julesburg by Gaslight — The Coach Ride to Denver — Th. Perilous Road — Indian Signs — Indians Circling around Us — Coaches Halted and Horses Corraled — Waiting for the Sundown Attack — The City of Denver by Daylight — Col. James T . Tracy — Tall Church Spires and Closed Stores on Sunday, in the place of the "Hurdy Gurdy " and the " War Cry" of the Auctioneers 159

Chapter XII

The City of Denver — Pike's Peak — Garden of the Gods — Williams Canon — The Gun-Barrel Road — Snowy Range — Long's, Gray 'sand Pike's Peaks — Bowlder City and Bowlder Canon— The Wonderful South Park— The Valley of the Arkansas — Fossil Footprints — The Science of Ichnology — The Road to Cheyenne — Scenes of Indian Violence— The Black Embers of the House and the Story of the Murder by Indians of a Pioneer's Family 17*

Chapter XIII

The Midnight Supper and Dance at La Porte — The Prairie on Fire — Riding Through the " Wave of Flame" — Arrival at Cheyenne — Primitive Postoffice — The Story of the "Lawyer's Offer and the Justice's Jurisdiction" — Sudden Illness and the Doctor's Interview — Ordered to be Bled — Dale Creek and Dale Valley in Summer and Winter — Change — Magnificent Panorma of Mountain and Valley — Morning Dawn in the Mountains 18T X CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV

The Journey over the Plains — The Spirits of Medicine Bow Valley — Medicine Bow Station — The Subterranean Fort — The Land of Antelopes — Rock Springs— The Lone Station in the Wilderness — The Ice Waters of the Alkali — The Frontier Traders who Left Their Goods to Gaze upon the Beauty of Two Lady Passengers in the Overland Coach — Washakie, the Good Chief of the Bannocks — South Pass City— "Miner's Delight — Battle between Sioux and Bannocks — Miners Aid Washakie to Repel the Sioux — The Sioux's Revenge — Massacre of Settlers in Wyoming 201

Chapter XV

The Grand Canon of the Colorado — Review of Major Powell's Explorations — Stories and Legends of the Mystic Stream — Perils Passed — Battling with the Waters — Going Down the Falls — Sublime Courage and Heroism 214

Chapter XVI

Midnight Adventures upon Green River — Crossing the Turbid Stream in a Skiff — Almost Lost — Loaded to the Gunwales — Miraculously Saved — The Mayor of Cheyenne and two Others Lost at the same Spot a few Weeks Afterward — The Famous Beauty at Green River Station, and her Voice of Thunder— The Murder of a Trader by a Green River Desperado — Arrest of the Murderer by the Civil Authorities of Green River City — Seizure of the Prisoner by Colonel Knight, Commanding the United States Camp, on the Banks of Green River at the Railroad Crossing — Uprising of the Citizens — Conflict between the Citizens and the Military — Two Thousand Citizens Meet and Arm — Great Meeting on the Public Street — The Citizens Demand to be Led against the United States Troops — Colonel Knight Loads his Cannon and Holds the Prisoner — Interview between Colonel Knight and a Deputation of Citizens of Green River — The Matter Compromised by Referring it to General Morrow, Commanding the Forces at Fort Bridger — General Morrow Telegraphs Colonel Knight, to Hold the Prisoner at all Hazards — General Augur Countermands General Morrow's Order, and Restores the Prisoner to the Civil Authorities at Green River — The Escape of the Prisoner through the Treachery of the Deputy Sheriff — The Power of Money — The Inquest upon the Body of the Victim— The Masonic Burial of the Murdered Man in the Old Burial Ground of Fremont's Party 234

Chapter XVII

From Green River to Salt Lake — Fort Bridger and its Command — Stories of the Indians — Old "Judge" Carter — The Indian Scout, "Jim Bridger," who never saw any bad Whisky ; some of it might be better than another, but all of it was good — Cobble-Stone Hill — Through Echo and Weber Canons — The wonders of the Canons — The "Devil's Gate" and Pulpit Rock — " Rattle-Snake Hills"— The Great Dead Seaof the West — Zion's City— The Mighty Wahsatch — Description of Public and Private Buildings — The Tithing House and Temple — Brigham Young's Abode — The Lion House — The House with many Gables — Endowment House — Description of Scenery in the Valley — Brigham YXmg — His Wives — The Favorite Amelia— The Romance of her Early Courtship — The Homes and Avocations of Brigham's Wives — Habits and Business Life of the Mormons — Salt Lake Theater — John McCullough CONTENTS. XI 311 323

Chapter XVIII

Utah Judges — Interview Between Brigham Young and Judge Titus — The Mormon Officials and Judge Drake— United States Judges of Utah and Other Officials— The Morrisites — Murder of Their Prophet by Brigham's Direction — Other Murders — Great Excitement Among the People — System of Trade Among the Mormons —Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution — Brigham's Autocracy 273

Chapter XIX

Camp Douglas — Conflict between United States Troops and Mormon Officials — Assassinations by Mormons- — The Danites — Origin of Their Order — Its Mission and Its Murders in the Name of the Church and Religion — ' ' Bill " Hickman, the Chief of the Danite's — History of His Life — "Bill "Hickman's Confession to the United States District Attorney — Eighteen Persons Assassinated by His Hands — He Kills His Own Brother-in-Law in the Presence of His Sister, in the Name of the Lord 288

Chapter XX

The Persecution of the Gentiles — The Life of the Editor of the Gentile Paper in Salt Lake City Threatened by Mormon Leaders — The Bold Attitude of the Paper — The Mormon Convention — Brigham's Speech Enrages the Multitude — Threatened Destruction of the Gentile Press — Armed Citizens Barricade the Entrance to the Editor's Sanctum and Await the Attack — Word Secretly Conveyed to Brigham YToung by Colonel Lewis, Commanding the Post at Camp Douglas that He would Hold Him Personally Responsible for any Attack upon the Lives and Property of the Gentiles — Brigham Alarmed and Calls off in Haste His " Dogs of War " — The Good Bishop Wooley, the Friend of the Gentiles — His Sunday Evening Discourses — His Quaint Speeches 300

Chapter XXI

The Mormon Religion — Tenets of the Mormon Faith — The Power of Brigham Young, Their Seer — His " Communion with God" — The Blood Atonement — The Murder of a Wife by Her Husband — The Order of Enoch — Brigham's Great Wealth — George Peabody's Statement of His Deposits in The Bank of England

Chapter XXII

Utah, Continued — The New Movement — A Church Convulsion — Disfellowship of Leading Mormons by Brigham Young — Establishment of a Liberal Mormon Journal — The Sons of Joseph Smith, the Founder of the Mormon Faith, Appear in Salt Lake City — Brigham's Wrath — The Mormon Endowment House — Graphic Exposure of the Institution where Polygamous Marriages are Solemnized — Confession of a Woman Who had Taken all the Degrees — The Garden of Eden — Many Eves in the Garden — Brigham Appears as God and Drives Them from the Garden — The Words and Vows Uttered by the Candidates — The Oaths They Take to SustaiD the Power of Their Prophet above that of the Government CONTENTS.

Chapter XXIII

The Winter Ride from Salt Lake City — Description of Scenery — Mormon Settlements — Three Days' Rain — The Mormon Bible — Our Blooded Horses — Monroe Salisbury, the Mail Contractor — The " Sleep " at Chicken Creek — Our Pre-empted Ranch on the Sevier River 337

Chapter XXIV

Christmas Eve in Round Valley — No Bed to Sleep On— Beating of Drums and Firing of Guns in Honor of Christmas Morning — The Terrible Storm in the Mountains — The Mormon Fort in the Wilderness, the City of Refuge — The Hospitality of its Kind-hearted Keeper — His Beautiful Daughter — The Ride to Fillmore City — To Beaver — To St. George — The Business Bishop of Beaver— The Mormon Ball at Fillmore City — The Belles of Fillmore City— Our Dance — Narrow Escape — The River Forded — Return to Salt Lake — Spies on our Track 351

Chapter XXV

The Mountain Meadows Massacre — A Complete Account of the Murder of over One Hundred Rich Emigrants from Arkansas on Their way to California, by a Band of Mormon Militia and Indians — Believed to have been Murdered at the Command of Brigham Young — Young's Positive Knowledge of the Crime — His Report as Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Territory Attributes the Bloody Deed to the Indians, when he Knows that the Dark Crime was Committed by Mormons at his Bidding — The Emigrants, Unsuspecting, Betrayed, Murdered and Plundered — Their Mangled Bodies Permitted to lie Unburied, to be Devoured by Wolves and Vultures — Destruction of the Women and Children First, and the Men Afterward — The Confession and Affidavit of Bishop Klingsn Smith — The Confession of John D. Lee — His Trial and Execution Twenty-five Years after the Commission of the , Heinous Crime — Thrilling Scenes Described 368

Chapter XXVI

The Grasshoppers — Graphic Description of the Descent upon the Valley of Salt Lake of a vast Army of Grasshoppers, and the Destruction of Every Living Green Thing in the Valley — The Patience and Resignation of the Mormons — The Tales Told by the Mormons of Strange Miracles for their Preservation in Early Days — The Stories of the Stork and the Crickets — The Sea-Gulls and the Grasshoppers 390

Chapter XXVII

The Mail Robers of Echo Canon — Graphic Description of Their Arrest and Punishment — Drivers in League with Robbers— Narrow Escape from Death — Trial and Conviction of Robbers 399

Chapter XXVIII

Bear River City — Murder Committed during the Construction of the "Grade" — Vigilance Committee Executes Outlaws — The Town Fired by Armed Bands of Desperadoes — Arming of the Citizens — Battle and Repulsion of the Robbers — Driven to the Mountains — The " Dead Line "—Arrival of United States Troops from Fort Bridger — Peace Restored — Midnight Ride from Bear River to Salt Lake City — The Upset of the Coach and Death of the Driver, Sage Collyer — Lost — Tramping Through the Deep Snows to Find the Wagon Ruts— The Big Baptist Elder and His Little Wife—' ' Hold Down the Coach " — The Perilous Ride Through Echo Canon CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter XXIX

Shoshone Falls— Snake River near Fort Hall— Fishing for Trout— The Wondering Ducks upon the Waters, Who had Never before Seen the Face of a White Man— Bell's Landing above Shoshone Falls— Story of the Lone Miner on the Banks of tie Great Falls— Dashed to Ruin over the Falls 429

Chapter XXX

Lost in the Mountains of Montana— Wanderings— The Miner's Camp — My Guide— The Wild Beast in the Jungle— The "Pard's Regret "—The Governor's Search Party— The Telegram to Salt Lake City— Rescue 438

Chapter XXXI

Wonderful Escape from Massacre by Indians in Arizona — Colonel Stone— Delegate McCormick of Arizona — Meeting in Washington City — On My Way to Join Them — Arrival at Sacramento — Telegraphic Order from Washington Directing Me to Return and Proceed to Montana on Important Government Busi ness — Colonel Stone and Whole Party Murdered by Indians 461 CHAPTER XXXU. Description of the Yosemite Valley 474

Chapter XXXIII

The First Vigilance Committee in California and the Great Vigilance Committee in 1851 — The Tolling of the Fire Bells — The Hanging of the Proscribed on Sunday from the Windows of the Vigilantes' Headquarters — Scenes and Events — Names and Dates 483

Chapter XXXIV

The Vigilantes of Montana — Thrilling Description of the Acts of Violence on the Part of " Road Agents," or Robbers that led to the Formation of the Committee — The Executions Ordered by its Decrees 493

Chapter XXXV

The Execution of Slade— The Story of His Life and Death— His Wife— A New and Correct Account of His Early Life in Illinois — His Difficulty with Jules Beni — The Subsequent Killing of Beni by Slade's Direction— Slade Connected with the Overland Express — His Removal to Montana — Freighting on Milk River — Earns Large Sums of Money Which is Spent in Riotous Dissipation — He Stamps Upon the Writ of a Court and Points His Pistol in the Face of the Judge — His Arrest at Virginia City, Montana — His Execution 502

Chapter XXXVI

Vigilance Committees in Montana, Continued — Names and Dates of Executions by its Decrees — Story of the Snow-Drifts on the Columbia — The Heroic Soul of the Robber Chief— Joaquin Miller's Story of Their Escape from Freezing 510

Chapter XXXVII

Indian Dances — Legendery Lore of Their Song and Dance — Baby Songs of Indian Mothers — The Young Warrior's Ordeal — Dance of the Calumet — Indian Rites— The Scalp Dance— Origin of Scalping— Not Always Fatal— Experience of this Indian Pastime CONTENTS.

Chapter Xxxviii

Sun Dance of Sioux— Its Religious Character— The Wolf Dance of the Tonkawas — The Snake Dance of the Moquis — Their Discovery by the Spanish Missionaries — Diagram Illustrating Ceremonies of the Dance — Story of " Night on the Plains"— The Sleeping Sentinel— Midnight— The Stake, Human Lives— The Blackfoot Indian Scout— The Avenging Fang of the Rattlesnake — The Family Saved 53©

Chapter XXXIX

The Wonders of the Yellowstone — A Full Description of their First Discovery and Publication to the World by an Exploring Party from Montana 554

Chapter XL

Thirty-Seven Days of Peril— Review of the Story of Thuman C. Everts, One of the Party of Explorers from Montana Who Became Separated from His Party, and Who Wandered for Thirty-Seven Days in the Unknown Depths of the Yellowstone 574

Mines and Mining on the Pacific and in the Territories — Laws Relating to Mining — Character of Miners — The Vast Mineral Productions — Quicksilver Mining in California 619'

Chapter XLIV

Mines and Mining, Continued — Nevada, the Silver Land of the World — The Wonderful Productions of Its Great Mines — The Big Bonanza Companies — Discovery of Gold in Colorado — The Vast Silver and Lead Deposits — The Rise of Denver — Leadville — The Mineral Wealth of Dakota — The Black Hills — Gold and Silver Mining in Wyoming — Bad Lands — Bones of Great Animals — Mining in Montana — Its Vast Mineral Deposits — Virginia City — The Mineral Resources of Idaho — Washington Territory — Silver Mining — Its Minerals — Oregon — Utah — Its Mineral Wealth — The Mines of New Mexico and Arizona — Ancient Races — The Pathway of Civilization — The Upbuilding of Empire 629