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Show ee kG Sed rhea gig a web oe ATR ER ot BE OL LEE 112 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY trained so they would run a stampede, after which the Some of the most famous were Diamond Spring, Lost among the traders’ animals and cause decoys would lead them to their camp.® camping stations west of Council Grove Spring, Cottonwood and Turkey creeks, and Cow creek, at the mouth of IMPORTANT STATIONS ON TRAIL which now stands the city of Hutchinson, Kansas. Beyond Hutchinson the first place of real historic interest is Pawnee Rock. This locality was common groun d for the Indians in buffalo hunting. The rock was of sandstone, about twenty feet high; for a long time it was consi dered one of the most dangerous points on the trail, as the Indians were in the habit of lying in wait here for the caravans. The rock has almost entire ly disappeared, the railroad company and the earlier settlers in the vicinity having used it for foundations for water-tanks, in the case of the railroad company, and for houses and barns by the Settlers. The rock was originally surmounted by ss a pyramidal pile of stones. It was a great place for Inscriptions both by Americans and the Indians. ‘‘Here was a confused medley of Spanish, German, cognomens,’’ says Sage, ‘‘Engl ish, French, Trish, Scotch — all entered upon the register of 80 Early in the fifties, Alexa nder Majors, a trader over the old trail for with his train at the point known as Hundred and early of dawn, , at herd g arisen, he rode around 0 be hisTning entire cattle havin or ‘“bul ls,’’ but in rounding a number of them were missing. He then made He had not ra ue his horse at & gallop, , follo was very plain. He wing itissing for about which a mile when Se discovered the tracks of Indian ponie He was unarmed, having left expecting to go far and nots. havin his wagons not ® would meet with hostile India g reached the territory where it was likely ns, Thinking that the tracks were of friendly had driven his oxen away for the purpose of claiming a fee for findin g ng them back, he took a course ahead of the trail, expecting to oT one besecti lon oY Passi of ng through a skirt of timber that Ged of the mome open nt.prair_ ie from ane an Testing from their travel the other, he overtook thirty-four 7 . sikiaae aa fae painted Indian warriors, About sixty yards to the east of the who had dismounted, each one leaning a : 18 horse, his right hand upon the saddl e, his gun in i sol i ndians very Suddenly, the timber preve the left. Major nting the ha ma son a 1 until he was within a very few rods. Throwing up his oe ; |a me ee Nee re a ews cee eM a ae 3 oe ee ea rae net. r heed z (oie pete oar Ta | ey -eth ery Et eae ie eee oh Nelly Sag Ta ili While ‘‘g 2 waisotie “— . . gallop aroun his ing’ ’ to the cattled and oxen, giving telling them some hideous yells, all . they could go back to t : surprised eas at once heeded him and started. Six meaner and more apparent fe ae ’’ were never Seen. Put off their guard by me th hie sce ariessness,bucks and believing that he had ar, the noble req man quickly mounted hisan armed party immediate fleet-footed pony and fled. SS Officers 1. Gov, William x in the Gilpin. 4. Dr. David 2 Col Waldo. Army of the je Reid. Ww: 5. Major West, oy H. L. yeneral 1846 Sterling Kendrick Price. |
