Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1907)
rtMi-r--iri i inriihiiflrir ii -nmiii i irWiMlft'ilWWjijjQ foorton'e Mietor of Itebraeha Hutbentto-1400 to 1906 Complete (Oajrisated 1WM. All rif Ma resorrU.) By courteay of E4ltore an4 Publisberi ( Mortoa'a Hiaioty, the Publlihin Newspaper Ualea e LtMt, Nebraska, la pKwlttU Ha raprodncttea ai aaaaraaf (hear Ibmm 4 5 it t , y . chapter hi continued (0) "Tho distance from St Joseph, Ma, to tho Independence trail, striking It ten miles west of Blue rlvor, Is about 100 miles; from the forks of these roads to tho nig Sandy, striking it sear Us Junction with tho Republican river, forty-two miles; from tho Dig andy to tho Republican fork of Blue river, eighteen miles; up the Repub lican rivor, fifty-three miles; from tho Republican to tho Platte, twenty miles; up the Platto to tho crossing of the south fork, 120 miles; from tho lower to tho uppor crossing of the ssuth fork, forty-flvo miles." Mr. Palmer horo observes that there la a road on each sido of the river and but little choico in them. From tho south to tho north fork at ah Hollow, twenty miles; thenco to a point opposlto Solitary Towor, on little crook, forty-two miles; thence to a point opposito Chimney Rock, sixteen miles; thenco to a point where the road crosses tho rlvor, fifteen lies; thenco to Scotts Bluff, ten miles; thence to Horso creok, twelve miles; thence to Ft. Laramie, twenty four miles. Palmer followed tho Little Blue, which he evidently miscalled tho Re publican fork of tho Bluo, and then went over to tho Big Platte, tho usual twenty miles, and thence to tho cross ing of tho south fork, ono hundred and twenty milos. While all of theso travolors followed substantially tho same routo through Nebraska, yet, either through their wn carelessness or because the Barnes of the streams, In the earlier fait of tho course especially, were mot certain or fixed, they greatly con fused thorn. The schedule distance between the Vermilion and the Big Blue was about fourteen miles, ana yet Kelly traveled several days and crossed two other streams, each of which he felt certain was the impor tant one In question, before, he came te the fine river which he definitely decided was worthy of the name of ltf Blue. The length of the route up the Little Blue valley for all was about twenty miles, though it left the stream where Important bends or eas ier going required. If Bryant is ac curate In his statement, ho traveled twenty-seven miles frem the Little Blue to the Platte river, which he reached about twelve miles below the mead of Grand Island. Palmer, Kelly ami Stansbury reached the Platte only a few miles belew the head of the island; but Oaptain Bonneville reached St twenty-live miles below. The old California crossing, which was substantially identical with the "utter ford," was twenty-aeven miles east of the upper California crossing at Old Julosburg, opposite the mouth ef Lodge Pole creek. In the year 1859 a Frenchman from St Louis, called Beeuvals, established a trading post at the oil California crossing, which as that account came to be called Baauvals' ranch. There was very lit tie travel by the upper California rente until the dally mall was estab lished In 1181, and which crossed at eld Julesburg. After crossing the Platte, this route followed Lodge Pole creek as far as Thirty-mile Ridge which ram toward the north fork. It continued along this ridge by way of Mud Springs, reaching the North Platte near Court House Reck. The earlier and great crossing was on the main Oregon trail, and was commonly known as the Ash Hollow route. The Mormon trail, which was established by the Mermen exodus, followed the merth side ef the Platte all the way from Fleremee te the creasing beyond Ft Laramie. At least before Ft Kearney was established, Ash Hollow was the most hvpertant and interesting point on the hvall, this side of Ft Laramie, after It stack the Platte river. Owing to tvlng's vagueness we can not be sure that he was describing that delectable place In recording Captain Bonne Yule's progress: "They reached a small bst beautiful grove from which kerned the confused notes of singing .birds, the first they had heard since Brassing the boundary of Missouri;" sat circumstances almost warrant that conclusion. Palmer relates that "the read then turns down Ash Hoi tow te the river; a quarter of a mile irem the latter is a fine spring, and around it weed and grass In abun dance." Stansbury, seeing with the scientific eye and writing with the trained hand, has left us an Invaluable description ef the crossing betweon the two forks and of Ash Hollow itself: "Today we crossed the ridge be tween the North and South forks of the Platte, a distance of eighteen and a half miles. As we expected to find mo water for the whole of this dis tance, the India-rubber bags were lied with a small supply. The road struck directly up the bluff, rising hit ramifliv mt ntar rn n ma,. ' : . ' .'J ,tv, vmmuy ior iweive mues, wnen we 1 roaonea the summit, and a most ma .. -. suiceat view saluted the eye. Before and below us was the North Fork of tl AY t Nebraska, winding Its way rengh broken hills and green mead- Behind us the undulating prairie genuy from the South Fork. waicn we mac just passed; on wr right, the gradual convergence of oho two valleys was distinctly per- II.. i , " uuBHwwf mi our were the heads of Jan Creek. fdhtoh fell 0 suddenly Into deef p re IsHswi chasms em either side. leav. bat only a high marrow ridge or back So which gradually descended, um- til, toward its weBtorn termination, It fell oft proclpltatoly Into tho bottom of tho creek. Hero wo wero obliged, from tho steepness of tho road, to lot the wagons down by ropes, but the labor of a dozen men for a few days would make tho descent easy and safo. Tho bottom of -Ash Crook Ib tolerably well wooded, principally with ash and somo dwarf cedars. Tho bed of tho stream was entirely dry, but toward tho mouth several springs of delightfully cold and refreshing water wero found, altogether the best that has been mot with since leaving the Missouri. We encamped at the mouth of tho valley, hero called ABh Hollow. The traces of tho great tide of emigration that had preceded us were plainly vlsjblo In remains of camp-fires, in . blazed, trees covered with innumerable names carved and written on them; but, more than all, in the total absence of all herbage. . . . On the slopo towards the South Fork the valleys aro wido and long, with gracefully curved lines, gentle slopes, and broad hollows. . Almost immediately after crossing the point of 'divide,' we s(rlko upon the head-waters of Ash creek, whence the descent is abrupt and precipitous. Immediately at your feet is tho prin cipal ravine, with sides four or fivo hundred feet in depth, clothed with cedar. Into this numerous other ra vines run, meeting it at different an gles, and so completely cutting up the earth that scarcely a foot of level ground could bo seen. The whole sur face consisted of morely narrow ridges dividing the ravines from each other, and running up to so sharp a crest that it would be difficult for anything but a mountain-goat to traverse their summits with Impunity. Never before had I seen the wonderful effects of the action of water on a grand scale more strikingly exemplified." In his return itinerary this traveler observes that, "Ash Hollow has abun dance ef ash and poplar wood, a small stream in tho bottom;", there were "cedars .In the hills for camping pur poses." Kelly, who wrote with more literary spirit than any of the others of these travelers, was yet possessed of a de gree of English surliness which, how ever, the oharms of tho Hollow over came entirely for the nonce, and he "Two more moderate descents brought us Into a lovely wooded dell, bo watered and sheltered that vege tation of every description appeared as if stimulated by a hot house com pared with that on the open prairie. The modest wild rose, forgetting its coyness in the leafy arbors, opened out its velvet bosom, adding Its frag rant bouquet to that of the various scented flowers and shrubs that formed the underwood of the majestic asm-trees, which confer a name upon the spot, producing a perfectly aro- atic atmosphere. Cool streams, fil tered through the adjoining hills, prattled about until they merged their murmurs In a translucent pond, reposing in the center ef a verdant meadow, a perfect parterre, the be spangled carpet of which looked the congenial area for the games and gam bols for the light-tripping beings of airyiani." But three years before Bryant saw only these presy commonplaces; "We descended Into the valley of the North fork of the Platte, through a pass Known as 'Ash Hollow.' This name s derived from a few scattering ash- trees In the dry ravine, through which we wind our way to the river1 bottom. There Is but one steep or difficult place for wagons In the pass. I saw wild currants and gooseberries near the mouth of Ash Hollow. There Is here also a spring of pure cold water." Bryant found a small log cabin, near the mouth of the Hollow, which had been erected during the last winter by some trappers en their way to the East This cabin had been turned by ine emigrants into a sort of volun tary general postoAce. Many adver tisements in manuscript were posted on the walls outside. These included descriptions of lost horses, cattle, etc.; and inside, in a recess, there were a large number of letters addressed to persons in every part of the world. with requests that those who nassed would convey them to the nearest postofflce in the states. "The place naa something or an air of a cross roads settlement, and we lingered arouna it some time, reading the ad vertisements and looking over the let lers." The reader will be inclined in nrAit Bryant's description with orthodoxy in the knowledge that the susceptible unsiiBnman was also thrown Into a fit of esthetlo hysteria at the sight of a party of Sioux squaws whom he had seen a few days before: "The women warn AxtrAmalv Im. tlful, with finely-chiselled features, dark lustrous eyes, raven locks and pearly teeth, which they disclosed in gracious smiles tnat lit up their lovely faces with a most bewitching radiance. They wore no head dress: their lux- urlant tresses, divided with the most scrupulous accuracy flowing in an confined freedom over their shoulders. Their attire consisted of a tanned buckskin bodice, not over tight . . to which was appended a short full skirt of the' same material which did not reach the knees. The legs were concealed by close leathern hose Which revealed the meet exquisite symmetry, embroidered on the sides with beads, meeting above the taper ankles a laced moccasin, worked up tho instep in the same manner; and over all was thrown with a, most graceful negligence a blanket of snowy whiteness so arranged as to form a hood In an inBtant They also woro largo ear drops and had the fin gers up to the Joints covered with rings. . . . There was one dear girl amongst the group that I was fairly smitten with, to whom I pre sented a small looking-glass, taking leavo to kiss the tips of her delicate fingers as she graciously dccepted.lt, at which she smiled, as If understand ing this silent but expressive mode of admiration; and taking off a ring, caught hold of my hand to put It on; an operation I playfully protracted by cramping my fingers, that I might pro long tho pleasure of contact with so charming a creature." The next notable landmark on tho trail was Court House Rock, which Stansbury describes as "two bald ele vations to which the voyageurs, most of whom aro originally from St. Louis, had given this name, from a fancied resemblance to a well known structure In their Own city." It was some distance south of the road and the river. When Samuel Parker, the mission ary, passed Court House Rock in 1835, traveling on the opposite, or north side of the river, it was evidently without a name that was at all fa miliar, for ho spoko of it as "a great natural curiosity, which, for the sake of a namo, I shall call the old castle." Its situation was on a plain some miles distant from any elevated land, and by his estimate covered more than ,an acre of ground and was more than fifty feet high. It Is tolerably certain from his description that this curiosity was what Bryant, in 1846, knew and described as Court House Rock. This traveler went a distance, which he estimated at seven miles from the trail, toward the rock with out reaching It and It appeared to him to be from three hundred to five hundred feet lm height and about a mile in circumference. Parker describes the remarkable formations In this neighborhood lm general: "We passed many uncommonly lm- teres ting bluffs composed of Indurated clay; many of them very high, with perpendicular sides, and of almost every Imaginable form. Some ap peared like strong fortifications with high citadels, some like stately edi fices with lofty towers. I had never before seen anything like them ef clay formation. And what adds to their beauty, Is that the clay of which they are composed Is nearly white. Such Is the smoothness, and whiteness of the perpendicular sides and off sets; and such the regularity of their straight and curved lines that one can hardly believe that they are net the work of art" At the time of Palmer's trip In 1846. however, the rock was called Solitary Tower, and that traveler tells us that It was "a stupendous pile of sand and clay, so cemented as to -resemble stone but which crumbles away at the slightest touch." According to this author It was situated about seven miles from the river, and was six hun dred to eight hundred feet above the level of the stream. A stream ef water ran along the northeast side some twenty rods from the rock. Kelly, we may surmise, was still too much possessed with the charms of the Sioux squaws to have any eye for this Inanimate object; and he dis misses the tradition that the rock was named "from its' supposed resemblance to a large public building of that de scription," with the remark that "there was nothing about it of that striking character to seduce me from my path" so far aside to visit it" Its location, according to this traveler, was six miles from the river. Captain Bonneville describes the next wonder of this mountain region of Nebraska thus: "It Is called the Chimney. The lower part is a conical mound, rising out of the naked plain; from the summit shoots up a shaft or column, about 120 feet In height from which it derives it name. . . . It is a compound of Indurated clay. with alternato layers of red and white sandstone, and may be seen at a dis tance of upwards of 30 miles." Ac cording to this authority the total height of this formation was then one hundred and seventy-five yards. Fre mont records that, "It consists ef marl and earthy limestone and the weather' Is rapidly diminishing Its height which Is now not more than 200 feet above the river. Travelers who visited it some years since placed its height at upwards of five hundred feet" It looked to him from a dis tance of about thirty miles like the llong chimney of a steam factory en- W . . . a .in uaDiisnmem or a snot tower in uaiu- more. Palmer describes it as "a sharp- pointed rock of much the same ma terial of the solitary tower standing at the base of the bluff and four or five miles from the road." As Stans bury saw it this Nebraska wonder "consists of a conical elevation of about llOffeet high, Its sides forming an angle of about 45 degrees wits tne horizon; from the apex rises a nearly circular and perpendicular shaft of clay, now from thirty-five to forty feet in height" This author remarks here that young pines were taking the place of red cedars, the latter dying off. This Is in accordance with the present tendency ef the fine growth te extend from that part of the state eastward, as observed, by our botan ists. Parker observes that "It has been called the Chimney; but I should say It ought to be called Bea con Hill, from its resemblance to what was Beacon Hill in Boston." He found tho base of the rock three miles from the river. "This Beacon Hill has a conical formed base of about half a mile in circumference, and one hun dred and fifty feet in height and above this is a perpendicular column, twelve feet square, and eighty feet high, making the whole height about two hundred and thirty feet. W left our horses at the base, and ascended to the perpendicular. It is formed of indurated clay or marl, and in some parts is petrified. It is of a light chocolate or rufous color, in some parts white. Near the top were some handsome stalactites, at which my as sistant shot, and broke off some pieces of which I have taken a small specimen." Kelly is a sceptic In his view of Chimney Rock also: "To my eye there is not a single lineament in Its outline to warrant the christening. The Wellington tes timonial in the Phoenix Park, ele vated on a Danish fort, would give a much more correct, idea of its config uration, though not of its proportions. It Is, I should say, 500 feet high, com posed of soft red sandstone, standing out from tho adjoining cliffs, not so much the result of a violent spasm of nature, as If from the wearing and wasting effects of the watery storms that prevail In those forlorn regions. It appears to be fast chipping and crumbling away, and I have no doubt that ere half a century elapses TroJa fulf will apply to the Chimney Rock." Bryant places Chimney Rock three miles from the Platte river, and says that It Is several hundred feet In height from base to apex and can be seen in a clear atmosphere at a dis tance of forty miles. "The column which represents the chimney will soon crumble away and disappear en tirely. The scenery to the right of the rock as we face It from the river is singularly picturesque and Interest ing. There are four high elevations of architectural, configuration, one of which would represent a distant view of the ruins ef the Athenian Acropolis; another the crumbling remains of an Egyptian temple; a third a Mexican pyramid; the fourth the mausoleum ef-ono of the Titans. Im the back ground -the bluffs are worm Into such figures as to represent ranges of cas tles and palaces." Captain Bonneville observed that Scotts Bluff was composed of Indu rated clay, with alternate layers of red and white sandstone, and might be seen at a distance ef upwards of thirty miles; and Irving calls atten tion to "the high and beetling cliffs of indurated clay and sandstone 'bear ing the semblance of towers, castles, churches and fortified cities." Palmer found a good spring and abundance ef wood and grass at Scotts Bluff. Parker describes these bluffs as "the termination ef a high range of land running from south to north. They are very near the river, high and abrupt, and what Is worthy ef notice, there is a pass through the range a short distance back from the river, the width of a common road with perpendicular sides two or three hundred feet high. It appears as theugh a part of the bluffs had been cut off, and moved a few rods to the north." Kelly relates that his party cried out, "Mount Ararat; Mount Ararat, at last!" at first sight of the bluff. "As we got on the elevated ground we could see that the bluffs took a curve like the tall of a shepherd's crook; a prominent eminence forming the curl at the end. This Is called Scotts Bluff, frem the body ef an enterpris ing trapper of that name being found upon It" Stansbury recerds that "these bluffs are about five miles south of the river. The road up the bluffs steep, but on good, hard, gravelly ground. A small spring at the top of the first hill." One Robldoux had a trading post and blacksmith's shop there; and when the smith was not inclined to work he rented the shop at 76 cents an hour to emigrants who might do their own. work. He pointed out to Stansbury a goed wagon which he had bought from discouraged emi grants for 75 cents. He kept a con siderable stock-in-trade of this sort, which he had acquired through the misfortunes and discouragements of travelers. In his return Itinerary Stansbury records .that he found on Scotts Bluff a small 'rivulet, a row of old deserted houses, a spring at the foot of Sand stone Bluffs, where the road crosses the ridge, cedars on the bluffs and good grass on the plains. Bryant describes this remarkable formation as follows t "The bluff is a large and isolated pile of sand-cliffs and soft sandstone. It exhibits all the architectural shapes of arch, jplllar, dome, spire, minaret, temple, gothlc castle and modern for tification. These, of course, are upon a scale far surpassing the construct ing efforts of human strength and en ergy. The tower of Babel, If Its build ers had been permitted to proceed in their ambitious undertaking, would be but a feeble Imitation of these stu pendous structures of nature. While surveying this scenery, which is con tinuous for twenty or thirty miles, the traveler Involuntarily imagines him- in the midst of the desolate ami deserted reus of vast dtlee, to Nineveh, Thebes and Babylon pigmies in grandeur ana The trail leaves the river as we a proacn bcotx s mini an rums ores a smooth valley In the rear of the bluff seven or eight miles. From this level plain we ascended some dis tance, and found a faint spring of water near the summit of the rMsje, as cold as melted ice." From the extreme height of this ridge the travelers were able to see1 ysso fuano vi mr; AWVA. Mil HI 1 1 1 WW 1 and Laramie's peak, ome hundred ami fifty miles distant, was distinctly vls- mie. this author gives perhaps as nearly authentic a story of the tragedy which gave the name to .the bluff as can now be told: "A party of some five or six trao- pers, in the employment of the Amer ican Fur Company, were returning to the 'settlements,' under the command of a man a noted mountaineer named Scott. They attempted to per form the Journey in boats, down the Fiatte. The current of the river be came so shallow that they could not navigate it Scott was seized with a disease which rendered him helpless. me men with him left him In the boat, and when they returned to their employers, reported that Scott had died on the Journey, and that they had burled him on the banks of the Platte. The next year t a party of hunters traversing this region discov ered a human skeleton wrapped in blankets, which from the clothing and papers found upon It, was immedi ately recognized as being the remains of Scott He had been deserted by his men, but afterwards recovering his strength sufficiently to leave the boat, he had wandered Into the bluffs where he died, where his bones were found, and which now bears his name." As Captain Bonneville learned the story In 1832, Scott traveled sixty miles eastward before he succumbed' at the bluffs. While those early travelers were keen and Intelligent observers of the remarkable mountain region oft Ne braska, it was left to the recent work of scientific mem to furnish accurate Information and speclflo data concern ing It . Court House Rock Is now about five miles from the river, Its height above the sea level Is 4,100 feet; and above the level of the river. 449 feet. Its upper part of about 16 feet Is of sandstone and the rest, of pink Bad Lauds clay. Chimney Reck Is somewhat le3s than two miles from the river; its height above sea level Is 4,242 feet, and above the river, 84 feet The chimney proper Is about 5t feet In diameter at the base, 14S tfmit sminrn. nvnss m iir HatniiT niriiiAUUii w, A. part of the upper forty feet of tho chimney has been chipped off. Tne rest of the rock is of pink clay or marl, interbedded with volcanic ash. Ono y- of these beds Is five feet In thickness. The varying 'colors of white and red attributed to these elevations by tho early travelers were owing to the light to which they were exposed when they saw them. In the clear sunlight the color- was white. Geologists suppose that the volcanic ash was blown across the plains from the far distant mountain regions of Arizona. Wind and rain tint the whole surface of these remarkable rocks with this whit lsh ash. Scotts Bluff Is about three-quarters of a mile from the river; 4,662 feet In height above sea level, and nearly 800 feet above the river. The upper 282 feet Is of sandy and concretionary formation, below which are pink Bad Lands clay or marls, with two beds of white volcanic ash. This bluff Is la Scotts Bluff county, and Court House , Reek and Chimney Rock are In Chey--emne county. The highest peak In the range is Wild Cat mountain 6,984 feet in Banner county. The highest elevation of these mountains, In Ne braska, is in the extreme northwest ef Kimball county, where, they reach the height of 5,300 feet It is sald.ithat the Oregon trail lm Nebraska Is entirely obliterated. Im September, 1873, the writer of this history crossed it near Steele City. M and it was then a gorgeous band or sunflowers, stretching on a direct line northwestwardly as far as the vision could reach a most Impressive scene. But the route may always be described generally by the principal rivers as follows: The Kansas, the Little Bide, the Platte, tho Sweetwater, the Bis; Sandy, the Green, the Boar, the Snake, the Boise, the Grande Rondo, the Uma tilla, the Columbia. The northern trail from old Council Bluff kept to the north of the Platte, crossing Just beyond the mouth of the Laramie river. This northern route probably came to be considerably used about 1840. When Fremont crossed the Platte on his return, twenty-one miles below the Junction of the north and south forks, he found on the north side "an excellent, plainly beaten road." Fremont crossed the Loup river below Its forks, while the earlier Oregon trail crossed the forks above the Junction. Subsequently there were branches from Florence, Omaha, Belle vue, Plattsmouth, Nebraska City, and Brownville, and from St Joseph, and Ft Leavenworth below the Nebraska line. They flourished most from the time of the gold discoveries In the fp,f rises reaic region until the Pacific roads were built 41 r