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Show OLD SANTA FE TRAIL 137 Some conception of the growth and magnitude of the business over the Santa Fé Trail in later years may be had when we consider that with 230 wagons coming from the Missouri ITS VOLUME IN river in 1843, in 1865 there came into New MexLATER YEARS ico from the States three thousand wagons belonging to traders alone, exclusive of the government transportation. ‘In the year 1866,’’ says Meline, in his Two Thousand Miles on Horseback, ‘‘there will be from five to six thousand wagons, two hundred and fifty of which are now between Fort Union and Santa Fé, coming in. Most of the large trains return empty. Some of them occasionally get a freight of copper or other mineral and a still greater number take in wool. The exports of both those articles should, and will be, indefinitely increased. The yield of wool could be made enormous, and in proportion to extent of territory, not even California is richer in mineral wealth. But one condition is needed for all of this, which stands for prosperity and civilization — it is a condition precedent: — Get rid of the Indian!’ One of the most charming features of the business was the long journey over the plains. In the early days, no permanent abode of civilized men greeted the trader’s eye from the time he left the frontier settlements until he came to San Miguel. The very dangers made the trip attractive. The entire journey, with the exception of trifling distances at either end, was infested with some of the most treacherous Indians ever known upon the continent, and the perils of the trip made it extremely dangerous for small par- ties to undertake the journey alone. the large caravans Manuel Alvarez, were It was on this account that organized. of, when Diary American consul at Santa Fé, New Mexico, gives the stations on the Old Santa Fé Trail, as follows: From Independence to M. Total Round Grove Narrows 35 30 30 65 95 Turkey Creek Little Arkansas Bridge Creek 8 103 Arkansas River 40 143 110-Mile Creek Big John Spring (cross- Ing several Crs) Council Grove Diamond Spring Lost Spring Cottonwood Creek 2 145 Creek Ark. r.) Total 29 17 16 212 229 249 265 8 273 20 Cow Creek Walnut M. (Up. Ash Creek 19 292 6 298 33 36 331 367 15 160 Pawnee 15 175 187 Coon Creek Caches Fork |