Rocky Mountain adventures

Chapter I 9

On my way to the Rocky Mountains. Stop over at Nashville, Louisville, St. Louis and Kansas City. Fight with the Indians while crossing the "Great American Desert." Reach Denver City in perfect safety.

Chapter II 33

Arrived in Georgetown. Went to work next day. Learning how to mine. First discovery. Beautiful mineral but low grade ore. Work on "Terrible" mine. Nearly a mining accident. Bought half interest in "King David" mine. Valuable ore but "petered out."

Chapter III 61

Could have owned a third interest in "Dives" mine. Formed partnership, preferable. Found an iceberg a million years old. Origin of "Boom Ditch" idea. Mountain lion, bear and black squirrel in chaparral district. Broke another one of my seven "dont's" for a short time. Spent the winter months merchandising.

Chapter IV 85

Allow two old men to move into my cabin with me. Investigation of Spiritualism. Arrival of brother Daniel. We build a flue around a high cliff. Judge Harmon pays us a visit. Mc- Murty owns the "Dives" mine. David Hersha dies. Visit of U. S. Grant. Commence tunnel on the "King David" mine. Arrival of brother Shepard.

Chapter V 113

Lease on Summit mine. Worked on a mine discovered by a mineral bob. Work on tunnel. A case of lung fever. The big "Pulaska" mine. Visited a dance house. Discovered "R. E. Lee" and other mines. Sold Shelton tunnel. Decided to leave the country. Selling the "Pulaska." A new enterprise on tap.

Chapter VI 144

Prospecting in the San Juan country. Large mineral veins but low grade ore. A long trip of 250 miles. Failed to reach Gunnison mines. Indian trouble. Discouraged return to Georgetown. Agreed with my partners to make another trip into the mines. Return to my native home to stay.

Foreword

Only a few words are needed as an introduction to this little volume. It was my good fortune to return home at the close of the Civil War, sound in limb and body, without a scratch or scar ; but like others of my age without fame or fortune, even a little bit. I gave up an easy position with a small salary on January first 1867. With a sack full of "wild oats" it was my purpose to go into the mining regions of the Rocky Mountains, discover a big mine, and "get rich quick." To my mind this seemed plausible, and maybe an easy thing to do.

My plans and hopes in this direction were simply visionary dreams which never materialized. A continued series of failures met every effort from beginning to end. At every turn of the wheel the Fates were against me, with nothing left but the memory of past events, which I am now recalling after nearly half a century. As I look back, the past seems to rise before me more like a dream than something real.

The nine years spent in searching for the hidden treasures, with many hardships and adventures, had all the alluring features of a romance, though short of a fortunate hero, always found in fictitious writings. The one enduring thing left, was "a heart for any fate," and ever ready to sing with the poet :

"Thus humbly let me live and die Nor long for Midas' golden touch, If heaven more generous gifts deny I shall not miss them much, But grateful for blessings lent Of simple taste and mind content."

Chapter I

ON MY WAY TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. STOP OVER AT NASHVILLE, LOUISVILLE, ST. LOUIS AND KANSAS CITY. FIGHT WITH THE INDIANS WHILE CROSSING "THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT." REACH DEN- VER CITY IN PERFECT SAFETY

At the close of the war in 1865 I returned to my native village in Northern Alabama. Like a great many young men of my age, after this great conflict had ended, I was bankrupt in everything of value except hope and a willing hand to do things. Heaps of ashes could be seen in place of happy homes that once existed. The solitary, and now useless, chimney stems were pointing to the blue sky above like silent sentries guarding some desolate coast. We may mention with complacency the ravages of war, but we have no right to complain, for that was part of the programme from the beginning, and nothing more than might be expected, when victory went to the other side.

Only one store building was left which was occupied by a sutler. By permission he was allowed to sell a certain line of goods to the Federal army, a part of which was still encamped around our village. He offered me a position as clerk, which I gladly accepted, on the principle that a drowning man will grab at a straw. All my former aspirations of obtaining a still higher education had been cast aside and lost in the maelstrom of "Secession." But to my mind a clerkship, and by no means a large salary, was a very slow way to retrieve my fallen fortune, so I was thinking and dreaming of something more active.

Gold had been discovered in California in 1849. Men went wild if not crazy over the excitement. Large fortunes were made by men, whether they were worthy of them or not. Of course glowing descriptions of the country, and the great wealth men were accumulating, were published in all the leading papers and magazines, but they failed to tell that for every success there were at least one hundred failures. These auriferous products of Nature were discovered in liberal quantities in 1859 on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado. The old excitement had partly subsided, but the world was set on fire a second time. The war between the States covered the blaze, so to speak, for four years, but the embers were there waiting to be uncovered, when the time was ripe.

In the early part of 1867 with a few hundred dollars and several of those "sparks of Hope" still alive and ready for duty, I decided to "beard the lion" in his den. As it was then too early in the year, the season not being suitable to cross the plains or prospect for gold in the mountains, I accepted for the time a position in a wholesale dry goods store in Nashville, Tenn., to terminate at my own option.

In a very quiet manner, and agreeable to all parties, my contract as salesman was canceled, which left me entirely free to continue my contemplated trip to the mountains in quest of gold and silver, one or both. I left Nashville about May 20th without any definite idea of how I would reach my destination. As seeing things was one object in view I concluded to visit Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, but it would require too much space to describe this greatest cavern in all the earth. It took three days to get back to the railroad, but the sights were worth the trip.

A few days were spent in Louisville, Ky., and while there I visited the old prison barracks, where as a prisoner of war I was an inmate of the hospital department for nearly two months, with some uncertainty about getting well, but the building had been removed and I failed to recognize the place. One object I had in taking this route was to travel as much as possible by water. To me this was the most pleasant mode of traveling. Further down the river I stopped off a few days at Henderson, Ky. Here the people had been very kind to me just after I had been released from Camp Chase prison. I had the pleasure of meeting many warm friends.

While there Mr. Soaper asked me why I failed to answer his letter, some ten months previous. He said that on learning Mr. Watterman could not comply with his contract, in which I was to assist him as teacher in the high school, that he had written me to return and resume my former position in his store. If I had received that letter in all probability Henderson would have been my future home, for I liked the city, and liked the people. But the time had passed and the current had drifted into another channel. It often happens that a very small matter, if taking place at a certain time, may change the whole trend of life.

From that place I went all the way to Kansas City, Mo., by water, changing boats at Paducha and at St. Louis, remaining in the latter place nearly a week to see the city and the sights. They were playing Black Crook, a spectacular production, at the theater, and had been for a hundred and sixty nights consecutively, and expected to continue. It was a mixture of the grand and the beautiful. I took passage on a boat three days before it left on purpose so I would have a nice place to stay without additional cost of a board bill. The pilot of the boat having nothing to do, showed me the attractive features of the city.

It took six days on the boat from St. Louis to Kansas City. From this place a stage line made three trips each week to Denver, Col. They offered to sell me a ticket from Kansas to Denver for $100.00, but I paid my own way to Salina nearly 100 miles, and the agent there asked me $110.00 for a ticket to Denver. This was the Western idea of doing business, or maybe there was a little "graft" in this price. Late in the evening, while sitting in front of the hotel (it pased for such) the stage all the way from Denver drove up, and five or six passengers got out and off the coach.

This was the first conveyance of that character I had ever seen, and with a little "cheek" asked the driver to let me ride with him around to the barn. I told the driver my intention of going to Denver and he remarked, "All right we can put you there in five or six days and maybe less time." It was over 500 miles, and the stage went day and night after it started. The passengers were supposed to sleep on their seats, or if in the summer time, out on top. On examining the coach I noticed in the boot, which is attached to the rear part and used for carrying baggage and other parcels, that there was a good deal of blood. In answer to my question about it the driver replied that the stage on the way had been "held up" by robbers. One of the passengers not willing to give up his money was killed and his body was put in the boot and carried to the next station for burial.

At first I thought it was only a joke to frighten a "tenderfoot," but returning to the hotel and interviewing one of the passengers I found he had made a correct report. This same party said: "if you expect to cross the plains I would advise you to see the banker here and leave your money with him, and he will fix every thing so you can get your money from a banker in Denver. About fifteen or twenty dollars is all you will need. They charge one dollar for a good meal along the road. I have been in several "hold ups" but have made it a point not to have much they want. These desperados certainly mean business every time, and there is no use losing your life and money too. By keeping quiet and offering no resistance they will not hurt you or anyone."

This was one of the ways the "Great American Desert," as called in former times, was crossed in 1867. Of course numerous emigrant trains had passed over this route in former years, carrying their own supplies, and in such numbers as to secure their mutual protection. There was still another, perhaps more heroic, way of crossing, at least it required muscle and endurance. The adventures and hardships of this latter way I will try to call to mind as they occurred.

Early next morning while walking down the street I passed a gentleman standing on the sidewalk, gazing at a crowd on the other side. He appeared to me, as pictured in my mind, an ideal frontier-man. He wore high-top boots, a broadbrim hat, a heavy mustache and rather long hair. As an introduction is unnecessary in the Western country I proceeded to tell him I was a stranger here and would be glad to receive any information in regard to the best way to reach the Rocky Mountains out beyond the plains.

fie replied: "Well judging from your appearance, perhaps the best way for you will be to go by stage. It will put you there quickest, and in an ordinary way safe enough. However, there is another way. I happen to be the owner of a wagon train now encamped three or four miles out on the way, and nearly ready to start. I need two more drivers and am here today looking for them."

This was all new to me for I had never seen a wagon train, except those used in the army but felt myself ready for nearly anything. I said to him : "Captain, it strikes me that I would like to go with you. What will I be required to do and how much do you pay?"

"It may not suit you," he replied. "There are sixty-six wagons and each one is pulled by ten oxen. You will be expected to drive one of these teams, and yoke up as well as unyoke the oxen you drive twice each day. I pay one dollar per day and furnish something to eat."

"In my opinion, Captain, if that is all, you can count me already on the job," I replied. "In my early days we used nothing on the farm but oxen, except for plowing and riding, so I understand their nature and how to handle them. When you are ready to start for camp give the motion, and I will go with you. I can get ready in a few minutes."

"Just wait a minute," he said, "let me tell you something. The first thing to do is to get those fine duds off and put away. They will be no use to you on the plains. Here, I will go and show you exactly what to get. A pair of heavy overalls, and four or five dark colored cotton work shirts ; you may need a change, and there will be no time to wash clothes after we begin to move. And this hat like mine you will need to protect you from the hot sun, also from the sand-storms we may have to go through. A pair of boots, neither coarse or fine, you will have special use for them. It may take us six weeks to reach Denver."

With these purchases I made my way back to the hotel, and when I emerged, clothed in my new frontier suit it is doubtful if my former associates would have known, or been willing to recognize, me. Of course it is not the clothing that makes the man, but they are a fairly good index to his occupation and ideas about society.

Meeting the Captain later, in the early afternoon, he said : "You are all right now. I have found another man and we are nearly ready to start. Get your grip (which was a regular leather valise) and carry it down to the stable, and I will carry it out in front of me. But before we start step over to the harness shop and get a black-snake whip which you will need as a driver of oxen. Get a good one; it will cost you $1.50, but you can't do without it." We took a kind of turkey-trot walk and reached camp in good shape.

This day was really the beginning- of my Western life, and is one reason why I have described the events a little more in detail than usual. Although I have commenced the records of my Western life from the time I left Nashville, yet traveling on steam-boats with absolutely nothing to do is more like taking a pleasure trip. Living like a regular Nabob, and going to theatres in big cities is really no part of a Western life, such as I experienced for many years. The real beginning should date from the time I met Captain Carlile on the sidewalk in the street of Salina, Mo.

Our encampment, so-called, consisted of a corral made by all the wagons, so arranged when driven into position as to form an oblong circle and nearly closed at each end, and containing about an acre of land. The rainy season, for this section, had not yet subsided. Mr. Carlile, the owner of the train, told me there was not much use of starting before the tenth or fifteenth of June, which was nearly at hand That he had made twelve or fifteen trips across the plains, often loading at Kansas City. That he knew the road all the way by heart, especially the bad places, and for many miles this was one of them.

With this information I began to feel a greater degree of safety in crossing this long stretch of desolate country. As the wagons were already loaded and their tongues pointing to the west, a courier was sent out to tell the herders to bring in the cattle. In about two hours here they came, 660 oxen; it looked like a thousand or more, but they were all driven into the corral, and chains stretched across each end to keep them there.

It was the duty of each driver to pick out ten oxen that would be his to drive on the entire trip. The oxen all had big wide horns except two mulies, and before they went into the corral, I claimed them as mine. With a bow in my hand I went into the corral, as did others, and picked out a large ox for my right or off wheeler, and took him to my wagon and put him under yoke. When each one of the drivers did this, then we all took an even start with bow in hand and brought out an ox to match the other, as a near wheeler, and put him under yoke. This was repeated until the ten oxen stood ready to drive.

When everything was complete Mr. Carlile passed around the train to notice the selections made by the different drivers. When he reached my team he said: "Pard, you have picked out the best team in the "outfit"; perhaps he said that to others. It was the custom in the Western country to call everything an "outfit" from a pin to a steam engine. He said putting the mulies in the swing, that is in the center of the team, was a good idea. This was my second day on duty and my first "stunt." (The last word is of course slang with a different meaning from the word found in the dictionary. The man out West that could not use slang had better take down his sign.)

When the order was given to "pull out" it meant that the front wagon of the right wing, driven by White Jim, was to start, and all the other wagons of that wing followed in regular file. In this way the right wing led the van in the forenoon. In the afternoon the front wagon of the left wing, driven by Black Jim, the only colored man in the train, took the front lead, all of the right wing in the rear. My place was in the center of the right wing, each one having his special place. This plan was continued across the Great American Desert, at the rate of ten or fifteen miles per day.

On the fourth day out we "hung up" at one of those bad places where the land was low and there seemed to be no way to go around some other way. The stage went by in a gallop and hardly left a print on the turf, but the heavy-loaded wagons moving much slower cut through, that is a number of them did. I managed to guy my team a little to one side, as did others, and by keeping the wheels moving easily went across ; however, ten or fifteen were down with their axles on the turf, which meant lots of work to get them out.

A corral was formed out about a half mile on higher ground, and we remained there five days before getting ready to start. It was the duty of the night herders to bring in the cattle, when we were on the move, at barely good daylight, but when detained in camp they were relieved by a detail of three men, who remained on duty until past 9 A. M. when another relief was sent, which on this occasion fell to my lot. The duty of a herder is to keep the cattle together as much as possible, and try to keep them not more than two miles from camp, which is sometimes hard to do.

This was the third day of our encampment, and my first duty of this character. About 11 o'clock I noticed a dark cloud looming up above the southern horizon. By noon it began to look very threatening and I was wishing for the third relief due at 1 P. M. The lightning in vivid streaks reached clear down to the ground and the thunder seemed to shake the earth, such earth as it was. The rumbling sounds of the upper deep failed to cause a cheerful feeling. But all this grandeur of the elements was cut short for me by the timely arrival of the third relief.

In the distance the white sheets over the wagons were plainly in view, tho not less than one and a half miles away. Under the circumstances I asked my legs to take me there as quickly as possible. This electrical display no longer had any charms for me. The race was not of the "turkey-trot" kind. It was gratifying to feel that my legs were "on the job" all the time and succeeded in making precisely an even race. I have read graphic descriptions of great storms upon the ocean, where ships and sailors go down in the sea. None the less terrible are the great cyclonic disturbances upon these treeless plains. In fact, the rolling undulations of the land reminds me of the waves seen upon the ocean.

Our wagons were loaded with 7,000 pounds of freight and locked together in corral shape, making us safe against hurricanes and whirling winds. The rain may and doubtless did fall in sheets of water, but my business now was strictly on the inside, and I had no time to look out. The lirst thing was to tighten the guy strings of the wagon sheet, and even with this precaution a mist came through enough to wet a man in a short time, but with several ply of blankets I kept in a manner dry. A sense of security, and the thought of barely missing the pelting rain mixed with hail, rather prepared me to enjoy the fury of the outside torrent, made glorious by heaven's finest artillery.

In about two hours the rain subsided, the clouds passed away and the sun came out and shone as beautifully as ever, and even more so, leaving a quiet impression that nothing had happened. Some of the boys were surprised to see me as they thought we were still on the high commons. Mr. Carlile and his two assistants rode out north five or six miles and found the herders trying to bring the cattle back. It was after night before they returned to camp, and hearing them tell of their adventures and hardships made me feel like shaking hands with myself for being lucky enough to miss that drive "by the skin of my teeth."

After leaving Salina I noticed all along for twenty or thirty miles out that some one had plowed deep furrows around plots of land, which may have been future settlers marking off their claims. The soil was dark and had the appearance of being fertile. The land was level, and without trees, shrubs or rocks, making a farmer's regular Paradise with nothing lacking but wood. This continued all the way out to the place where we were then camping some fifty or sixty miles. Just a short distance south of us the U. P. R. R. was laying track at the rate of one or two miles each day. In all probability this entire section is producing corn and wheat in large quantities, as there was plenty of rain for agricultural purposes. Mr. Carlile remarked that no doubt this was his last time to cross these bad places that had given him so much trouble.

We were now in the central part of the great state of Kansas, and from this point further on the ground was higher and we moved more rapidly. From this time it was the same all the way across the prairie. Every morning, while a big star was still twinkling in the East, some one made heavy raps on the side of the wagon and called out witha lusty voice ; "Roll out, roll out, the cattle 's in the cavey yard." Often it seemed that I would have given "half my kingdom" for another hour of sleep.

If anyone said anything about breakfast he was simply "talking thru his hat." Not any — not even a crumb. No time to eat now. We usually drove from five to eight miles in four to six hours, the distance depending upon a suitable camping place where both water and grass could be found, two things absolutely necessary. The further we went, it seemed the more barren and desolate the country. If some one should be curious enough to ask where we got wood to do our cooking, the answer would be easy by telling him that we used "buffalo chips" which we found along the side of the road, and it was easy to put them in a sack hung on the wagon for that purpose. Some of them were nearly two feet in diameter and made a splendid fire. In the afternoon we always started out about 3 P. M. and continued to move until we reached the next good camping place, sometimes 8 o'clock.

My time to go on herd duty was about once each week, and after the first one hundred miles further out, I found a special use for boots. It was not convenient to watch the foot-step while watching the cattle, but unless careful I might step on a rattlesnake. They seem to congregate in colonies or at least they were more numerous in some places than others. In certain localities it was no unusual thing to see hundreds of acres infested with these reptiles. They seemed to be a little careless about getting out of the way, but if given a little time would glide out of the way to one side. If I was to make a reckless statement of seeing ten thousand snakes in one day someone might want me to "fall a snake or two," but they were there to be seen all the same. While the "rattler" showed signs of anger by the singing of his tail, yet in his behalf I can say he bit no one, not even an ox.

Two other denizens of the prairie occupied the same territory, noted more as objects of curiosity than otherwise. One of these, the prairie dog, which in size and color resembled a fox squirrel, though with tail and head like a dog. He was conspicuous along the route, especially when passing through his "city." He stands erect upon the threshold of his burrow, erect like a soldier at "present arms," but on the approach of danger seeks refuge in the windings of his subterranean home. The other little creature alluded to is the prairie owl, about the size of a pigeon, and singular, as it seems it too claims an ownership in this hole in the ground as a protection from wind and weather. But still more curious it the fact that the rattlesnake makes this burrow his home also. Whether the little dog invites his guest to share the benefits of his home, and built apartments convenient for their use, or they occupied his home by force of invasion, is not a matter for me to decide. In the science of zoonomy we are not able to find a similar instance where three distinct species of creation dwell together in peace and harmony.

Traveling days and weeks without seeing a tree or even a bush was growing monotonous. The country in the main was level, though undulating, with sage bushes between higher places. Off in the distance small herds of buffalo and antelope could be seen nearly every day. One of the drivers with a long range rifle, side stepped, so to speak, and by a lucky shot killed a young buffalo. That night and next day seventy men had something good to eat. This occurred in the Smoky Hill River section. That night several of the drivers reported seeing groups of Indians off on the higher points.

The assistant "boss" took upon himself next day to vedette for the train and keep us from falling in ambush by the Indians, which was all right for us but not for him. Late that evening, nearly sundown, in plain view of the train, and about a mile away we saw three of the "red-skins" make a rushing covert attack upon him. Evidently, from some cause, he had not seen them, for we saw the smoke from his gun, and saw him fall at the same time, and by this we knew his earthly career was over and his doom was sealed.