Transcript

In the spring of 1869 I was called to go after emigrants to the terminal of the railroad which was at Larimy [Laramie] City. I drove the head team down and back. Horton D. Hight [Haight] was the captain. I drove four mules. In our wagons we had about one thousand pounds of flour that was to be left at different places for the people that we were to bring to the valley. We also drove beef cattle that were to be left along the road to be killed for the emigrants. Then we got to Greens River we tried to swim our stock but we could not get them to cross. The wind was blowing very hard. We started to ferry them. We put a load of beef cattle on the boat. Another man and I went on the boat to keep them quiet. We tried to drive them back but we could not. The boat was nearly filled with water and about to sink. We got behind them and ran them out of the boat. They went back to the bank where we started. Then the boat righted up and we went back where we started from. The ferry man would not cross any more that day while the wind was as bad. At another ferry that day a boat sank and two men were drowned.

The next day we ferried and went to North Platte, where we laid over several weeks waiting for orders. When we got them we were to go to Larimy City. While fording North Platte on a riffle, the next team to me, the bridle came off one of his leaders and they turned down stream, the wagon tipping over. The next teamster was a little careless and his team turned down and his wagon tipped over, the flour in both floating down stream.

The rest of us rushed in and floated the wagons and horses to shore, then went in and took the flour out. We then went on to Larime where some more teams were sent to us, some from San Pete, some from Springville and some from St. George. We had a large train going back. The most of the wagons were loaded with things belonging to the emigrants. There were about twenty teams loaded with freight for Eldrige & Co. My team was one of them. We started back. Nothing unusual happened on the road. There was one child died on the road. This ends this part.