Chapfer 3 the Thousand Mile Walk

36 The Children Sang a- JI Chapfer 3 The Thousand Mile Walk After passing through customs, the emigrant party from the Arkwright boarded a steamerthe followingmorning to takethem to New Haven, Connecticut. Evan Stephens described the boat as a "fairy palace" which was a welcome change after the crowded, low-ceilinged decks and sparse fumishings of the Arkwright. The group then transferred to a freight train which took two weeks to reach Chicago via Montreal, Canada. The coaches were little more than cattle cars with a few benches put in and no comforts for the sick and weary emigrants. At night the only heat was their own body warmth, and they huddled together on the floor of the cafs. David Stephens wrote, "The reason we had to go through Canada was that the Mormon church had contracted with the railroad to bring all the emigrants and they had to go there to connect up with the Grand Trunk Railroad. From Chicago to St. Joe [Joseph], Missouri we took the Illinois Central Railroad . .1 The train ride from Chicago was a delight for Evan Stephens. The cars had padded, plush-covered seats, which bore them to St. Joseph. From there they transferred to athree-deckedriver steamer which carried them up the Missouri River to Wyoming, Nebraska, which was not really a town, but a small center of scattered farms seven miles north of Nebraska City. 38 The Children Sang Chapter 3 39 Evan's recollections of the river boat trip were vivid. The During the long days while waiting for wagons and teams, the emigrants had been insffucted to take provisions for one day, but took advantage of fresh milk and food which were the boat took extra time, resulting in most of them going hungry company to strengthen them for the coming trek. the second day. Evan and his brother, David, were so famished available they the various decks and found a barrel where the explored Most attractive of all, to Evan Bach, were the cooks emptied bacon rinds and other waste from the kitchen. merry smiling teamsters from the 'Valley'. They They ate a large quantity and soon after, Evan became deathly looked so jaunty, hardy and good-natured as well ill, growing worse in the night until his parents despaired of his as manly in their valley tan boots, jean trousers, life. Additional trouble arose when the boat hit a sand bank and broad, shapely shirt waists, with loose colored one man was thrown overboard. He was rescued from the shoals, kerchiefs around their necks, and broad-brimmed but Evan was nearly trampled under the feet of the excited crew hats crowning their tousled heads-a veritable who came through the family's position on the lowerdeck nearthe army of Dustin Farnums. boilers.2 When darkness set in, and the stars or moon Stephens was limp baggage when his father carried him from turned on their lights, a clearing in a flat space was the river steamer to shore at Wyoming about midnight. No shelter selected and the man with the 'fiddle' or was available for the company so they bedded down in the grass 'concertina' was called for to fumish dance music. under the stars. The next day resilient young Evan was recovered, Duly seated on boxes, or a box, if only one was and he climbed the low hills to see the open country beyond the available, he struck his tune while the boys settlement. the Welsh members the company Unfortunately, of laughingly urged the timid young ladies to join did not have places reserved in the wagons which arrived shortly with them as partners for a 'cotillion' four couples to carry the emigrants west, and they were forced to camp at to a 'set.' Several sets at times could be mustered Wyoming for ten days awaiting the next group, a company of and with the experienced teamsters not actually Danes. dancing, to help guide the newcomers through the Foodstuff minimal, and equipment for the travelers were mazes of the figures called out by the 'caller' or following Erastus the advice of Snow, who had written: prompter, all were soon in full swing as the command of 'Balance all', 'Swing your partners', etc. derived journeys My experience, from six was called out loudly and above the music.a over the plains, enables me to know what kind of plains. teams and outfits are wanted for the One Late in July the wagons and oxen finally arrived in Woming wagon, two yoke oxen, and two cows will be to transport the Welsh saints to Utah. They depar"ted the banks of sufficient (if that is the extent of their means) for the Missouri on August 1 under the leadership of Joseph S. a family of eight or ten persons, with the addition Rawlins with a company of 400 souls in 65 wagons. of a tent for every two or three families. Of course In the year 1866, some 3.126 settlers crossed the plains to Salt with that amount of teams, only the necessary Lake City. Church teams numbering 10 captains, 456 teamsters, baggage, provisions, and utensils can be taken, 49 mounted guards, 89 horses, 134 mules, 3,042 oxen and 397 and then the persons ride but little.3 wagons met many of the travelers in Wyoming, Nebraska. An additional 62 wagons,50 oxen and 61 mules as well as provisions 40 The Children Sang Chapter 3 41 were also sent to support the later companies.5 heritage, his life among a people steeped in old Stephens's Welsh The Rawlins company, among whom nine souls died on the every peasant was a poet, came to the fore in his iru"jtitonr where trip, was more fortunate than two other groups which left Wyo- American prairie' He described: nbr"ruutio.t of the ming on August 8. The Andrew H. Scott train lost about thirty of journey, its members on the while Abner Lowry's company lost How he would lift his face to the prevailing many members from a cholera epidemic.6 westem breeze and romp along with the ever- Early pioneer companies were organized in a structure similar distant, ever-nearing viewpoints looming up away to the military, officers in charge of each and every with section off where the sun at sunset would drop out of sight able-bodied person assigned specific responsibilities. Scouts to as suddenly as if the string which for a moment riding horses went ahead of the main group, while the others held it at the very edge of the world was cut walked and worked side by side of their double strings of oxen. At asunder. He would wonder and wonder where the nightly camps the teams formed semi-circles with the trail running Rocky Mountains could be of which he had heard; through the center; or sometimes they formed a complete circle to the air and sky seemed as clear as crystal, and he the side of the trail, inside of which all activities took place. fancied that he could see the other end of the At noon they stopped for lunch and rest and the oxen were seemingly flat earth, but there was nowhere a sign taken to water. Then the great beasts were led into the center of the of them in the far distance.8 circle and would go automatically to their places to be yoked up. "Nothing could illustrate the peaceable, and more vividly kindly In a talk shortly before his death, Stephens said, "The Pioneeer religious character of this entire patient, contented, happy com- trip across the plains, the emigrating trip from the old country here pany of humans and animals than this orderly action that could so forms sort of a background for my life, as it interested me easily, without proper resfraint, and kindliness, have been a immensely." He said that he did his part in the pioneering work terrible bedlam."7 and walked all the way except across the Green and Platte rivers, Except in emergency situations or where there were steep which were too deep for him to ford. mountain passes to traverse or broad rivers to ford, the marching I{e told his listeners, "The journey across the plains was such order of the camp remained the same each day. While the oxen an experience of pleasure to me, that I found it difficult to were being yoked and hitched to their wagons, the able-bodied sympathize with the pioneers who thought it a hardship. I find my men, women, and children would start walking ahead of the mind wandering off now, and I can see myself . the first day I wagons to escape the great clouds of dust which were stirred up started across the rolling country. I was too elated to walk, so I on thetrailby wagons andhoofs. Typical of late summerconditions would run ahead and then would stop and wait for the crowd. Of on the prairie, there was little rain, and dust was always ahazard course I was a very young man."e for all. Ahead of the walking company, the scouts searched for any The image of this frail young boy of twelve, enduring with dangers which might lie in store. enthusiasm the heat of the prairie in heavy black woolen panta- Evan Stephens stated that the company in which his family loons with their row of buttons paralleling the waist (known as traveled was made up of many Scandinavians, and rather than front-flap or railroad trousers), white drop-shouldered shirt and gaining a better command of English on the trek, he acquired a visored shako cap is truly heartwarming.

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