Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Reminiscences of a trip to Pike’s Peak and down the Rio Grande in the year 1859, at the time of the Pikes Peak gold craze (Peter Westerlund)
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Having passed Port Kearney, we were nearing
the fork of the North Platte, where we had to cross
the river and follow the South Porlc if we were to
go to Pike’s Peak. But having heard discouraging
news from those returning, we were undecided what
to do. One of our party who in 1849 went to
California and traveled this same route then said he
wanted to continue along the North Platte till we
got to Sweet Water River and the Devil’s Gate, as
he felt sure there would he better prospects of
finding gold there from what he remembered seeing ten
years ago. We discussed the matter and finally
decided to continue on the North Platte to said
Sweet Water River. This, of course, concerned us,
the original seven, but there were seven others that
had been with us almost from the start and others
from Skunk River in Iowa, They were asked what
they intended to do. “We go where you go,” they
said, and so we started.
But before we go further, T wish here to state or
try to give you an idea of the number of people on
the way West. One Sunday, when our company was
resting in camp, I thought I would keep tab of the
■
number of wagons that passed that day. I counted
.150 rigs. Taking into consideration that about 50
per cent, rested on Sundays, it would mean that
there were 300 rigs on the twenty miles -the average
day’s travel.
The next noted place we came to was Port
Laramie, located on the south side of North Platte, and
from there we went into the Black Hills. The roads
were very heavy with sand in places and the water
was more or less alkalied. We dared not drink it
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