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Tramp Diary Transcript
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Title
Tramp Diary Transcript
Description
Transcription of Jack London's Tramp Diary, 1894
[Jack London's Tramp Diary. 1894. Cannot be printed wi t hout permission of Utah
State University Library, Special Collections]
Friday pr o 6.1
Left Oakland Hole at 4:30 .H. & arrived at Sacrament o at a P.M. Went
up to the Mississippi Kitchen & had supper . Learning t hat the Industrial
rmy had arrived at noon & departed for Ogden a t 4. ' ent down & caught the
10 P •• Overland bound East.
Saturday Apr. 7.2
We held her down all night till we arrived in Truckee at 7 A.M. As it
was broad day light it Wa S impossible to proceed further . Tho' they were
f orced to stop the train twice before they succeeded in ditching us . Fr ank
& I then decided to send our valises back to Oakland by Jells Fargo. ·ve
traded the patent simple file for 4 square meals. We tried t o take the 8 P.M.
Overland east , but by a mistake Frank caught her & I was left . But we had
agreed that in case of separation we would meet in ~4adsworth . bout eleven
o'clock I caught a freight out, but slept so sound despite the cold tha t I
was side tracked a t Reno without waking up . Staid in Reno all day but did
not hear of r ank.
Sunday pro 8 . 3
Woke up at 3: 30 A.M. half froze to death . I climbed out & walked about
t ill my circulation was res t ored when I sought shelter in the Restaurant.
The deaf mute the l adies edifying conversation . Morning ablutions by
the banks of the Truckee River. 10urns the loss of the clothes brush &
comb with Frank, but still have the t ov/el & s oap . 1,vent down the road &
l(~ ritten in the ma r gin of t his paragr aph] : Sacramento 90 mi. S. F.
End Division
2Truckee 259 2/10 mi. End Division
3Reno 294 2/10 mi.
p. 2
watched them loading cattle & pigs. Met a Swede on the road & went off &
got dinner with him. Watched the Indians gambling & listened to the
salvation army & unemployed congregated on the corner. They are making up
an army & expect to start east to morrow. All along the line from Oakland
on, we have met hundreds chasing the first detachment of the industrial
army. A great many lost it by the unexpected departure so early Friday
morning. Took a freight in the evening & made Wadsworth but di d not find
Frank. I slept in an engine cab down in the yards & was routed out about
4 in the morning when the wipers took possession.
4 Monday Apr. 9.
Went down to the Post Office & received a postal from Frank who has
gone on to Winnemuca. Gen. Kelly passed through on the morning overland.
Met a Doctor who gave me unasked a quarter of a dollar & invited me to
breakfast. He said my face was familiar, but we could not scrape up any
recollections. Am waiting to catch a train across the desert to Winnemuca,
where if I arrive on time Frank & I will join the Reno detachment of the
Industrial Army & then On to Washington!
All along this part of the road the wipers a r e Chinese & the section
hands, Italian. I saw the biggest Newfoundland in my lif e here to day. He
looks more like a bear than anything else. It is impossible to take a train
out till night for all the crews are on to me. I could catch any of them &
ride them to the next stop, but I want to catch one clean through. This is
the last stop before enter ing the desert, & I dont wish to be ditched at
some lone water tank where I may pass days waiting for a train to stop. I
never saw such weather. The days are burning hot & the nights freezing cold.
4 Wadsworth 555 2/10 from Ogden. End Division
p. 3
The sky is so clear & the atmosphere so thin that you can see objects at
a long distance & are deceived into believing them very close. I thought my
face was sea tanned but it is nothing to this. The sun has peeled t he skin
off my face till I look as though I had fell into a fire. 5
All along I have met swarms of people going east, & but one going west.
I met the curiosity here this afternoon. He is walking all the way from
Colorado to Frisco, where he is going to ship to sea. Then I met a French-man
who has walked all the way from Minnesota to Sacramento & has walked
this far back. Now his shoes have given out & he proposes to ride the rest
of the way. I took the 10:45 train out this evening & made her across the
desert to Humbolt where I got ditched. No sooner had the Overland pulled
out t han an orange special pulled in. I took her out & she ran clean
through to Winnemuca a distance of fifty miles without a stop. A spark
caught fire in my overcoat & smoldering away suddenly burst into flames.
The train was going about 40 miles an hour and it was quite a job to put
it out. My overcoat & coat are ruined. I rode the bumpers the rest of
the way.
Tuesday Apr. 10.6
Arrived at four o'clock & waited till daylight in the European res-taurant.
Frank's po stal said if no t in sight to call at the La Fayette
Hotel. Did so but no one knew him. Then examined the post mark on the
postal card & made out San Francisco. It look[s] bad for some body. I f
I had not delayed at Wadsworth & here I would have been almost to Ogden.
About 9 o'clock went down to Post Office & wrote a letter home. As I was
returni ng met Frank. Great rejoicing & congratulations. The post mark
5Wadsworth = Shortest division on the road.
6Winnemuca 475 4/10 mi. S.F. End Division. [At top of this pageJ:
Sand Storm.
p. 4
inexplicable. Frank & I decided to wait this night out in the hopes of
joining the Reno detachment. But two trains came through.
Wednesday Apr. 11.
It snowed l ast night . We have decided to let the Reno crowd rip &
start on as fast as possible for Ogden.
This after noon Frank & I had an understanding. The road has no more
charms for him. The romance & adventure is gone & nothing remains but the
stern reality of the hardships to be endured. Though he has dicided[sic]
to turn West again I am sure the experience has done him good, broadened
his thoughts, given a better understanding of the low strata of society &
surely will have made him more charitable to the trrunps he will meet hereafter
when he is in better circumstances.
He starts West & I start East to night. He is safe to go through
because he has money enough to tip the brakemen on the line at the rate of
50 cts. a division & have money left to eat on. Shook hands & said good
bye at 9 P.M.
Caught a freight out. Am going to brake coal on the engine from here
to Carlin 131 miles.
Thursday Apr. 12. 7
Arrived in Carlin at 3:30 this morning. A little railroad town
situated in the midst of the great American Deser t, through which I am now
traveling . Up to two o'clock no train has passed east except the Overland.
I met a Chinaman here & played cards with him while he was waiting to
register. There was not a game he did not understand. I took the overland
out about 7:30 riding the blind with two other fellows I picked up with.
7Carlin. 535 mi. S. F. End of Division
p. 5
We made a 45 mile run to Elko & a 23 mile run to Peko where they tried to
di tch us. vie went out ahead but the brakeman rode the blind out. We
waited till the train had almost run by when two of us jumped the palace
cars & decked them while the third went underneath on the rods. I climbed
forward two cars to the other fellow & told him to come on along the decks
to the blind but he said it was too risky. I went forward about five
cars & as the brakeman was on tha t platform I could proceed no further
& escape observation. I waited & when the train stopped I climbed down
& ran ahead to the blind. The brakeman again rode her out but I took the
next one behind him, & when he jumped off to catch me I ran ahead & took
the platform he had vacated. The fellow on the roof with me got ditched,
but I made her into Wells, the end of the division where they put on a
double header. The brakeman was after us like a blood hound so I climbed
on the engine & passed coal through to Terrace , the end of that division.
I arrived at two o'clock, & as the snow was all round, I did no[t] care
to proceed further so I went to the round house & slept in the cab of an
engine till morning.
Friday Apr. 13.8
At five this morning t he wipers took possess ion of my bed room & I
was obliged to vacate. While looking for another warm spot I found that
two knights of the road, arriving during my sleep had most obligingly
built a roaring fire in one of the huge stoves. One of them had a big
handerchif[sic] full of fresh buttered, home made biscuits. I sat down,
ate a few of them & then slumbered peacefully till seven o'clock. The
further I got east in Nevada the more miserable the towns are, & Terrace
is commencing to the upward scale I guess, for at last I am in Utah. At
8 Terrace 123 Og. End division
p. 6
hlo this aft er noon I got one of the west bound tourists to lock me in a
car bound east. Just b fore the train started the door was thrown open &
a brakeman asked me how much I could "shake Up." "Fifteen cents" was my
response. I had two dollars & fifteen cents on me and as the two dollars
were unbroken I did not pro pose to give them to him. He said he would
carry me down the road a ways, but did not take the money. When we had
traveled about 50 miles, according to my calcul a t i ons, the door was again
t hrown open, & the conductor & brakeman both appeared. fter a long
consultation theCYJ took my gold ring & left me the fifteen cents. The
ring was good gold with a fine cameo setting . I got it from Lizzie Conneley.9
Saturday Apr. 14.10
Arrived hereCOgden] at 12:50 this morning . Took a s troll up town,
& got supper, then another stroll & a t half past two wandered into the
Cent ral Hotel where I took a stiff drink and sat , by the night clerk's
permission , in a chair till daylight.
Ogden is a pretty litt le town of 18000 inhabitants. It has all the
latest improvements. Electr ic cars , & lights, & bituminous rock. It is
situated at a good elevation among the Rocky, or r ather the \..Jasatch Mts.
which are outlying spurs or ranges of the rockies. One surprising t hing
is the cheapness of everything. Strolling through the town I noticed
several log houses which mus t have been built during t he early days.
Another peculiarity is t hat so many of the living houses or cottages are
built of brick & stone. Perhaps it is becaus e of the deep snows during
the winter. It began snowing to day in the morning but cleared up in a
9In t his car had a horrible dream.
10
Ogden 833 miles from Sacramento. End of Divis ion. End of S. P.'s
line & Railroad center of U. P./S. P./ & Denver & Rio Gr ande
p. 7
few hours. I have give[n] up my proposed trip to Salt Lake City & intend
to start to night for Omaha on the Union Pacific. I received 3 letters.
Two from home & one from Applegarth. I expected more & made arrangements
with the Post Office to forward them to Omaha.
After spending a pleasant afternoon in the reading rooms I went down
to the U.P. Depot & caught the blind baggage on the 8:15 Express. Just as
she was pulling out I met an old friend. We first met in Reno when he &
I spent the day together. He is a Swede. We next met in Winnemuca. He
arriving jus t as I was leaving. And now for the third time we met while
catching the blind baggage. We rode her 75 miles tha t night to Evanston,
a pretty little town just across the line in Wyoming. After we had run a
few miles he pushed coal on the engine. About this time the brakeman
began to stir us up. There were quite a crowd on the blind. But gradually,
station by station they began to drop off. HO\·/ever I made up my mind to
hold her down & a pretty time I had of it. I rode the bl ind, the tender
of the engine, the cow catchers & pilots of the double header, the decks
& even in an emergency once stood on the platform in t he middle of the
train. We arrived in Evanston at 12 P.H.
Sunday Apr. 15. 11
The train stopped at Evanston for half &[sic] hour, then ran back to
Ogden & came around by the Oregon Short Line. The cause was a bad wreck,
11 miles ahead. Coming round a bend through a cut the engine ran into a
huge bolder[sic] which had fallen on the track. The engine jumped the
track on one side killing the fireman & engineer. A tramp was riding the
blind & he jumped of f & was not even injured. The baggage & mail cars
llEvanston 75 mi. Ogden. 958 mi. Omaha. End of divisio~.
p. 8
fell on the opposite side. The rest of the train was prett y badly shaken
up. About 1: 30 an engine brought in the two bodies. The Swede & I went
over to t he electric light works, & going down into t he f ire room cr awled
up on top of the boilers & slept till morning , though the heat was intol-erable.
The snow covers t he ground walks & houses yet though it is rapidly
melting. I t took but a few hours to patch up the track & by ten o'clock
the Swede & me, (By a queer coincidence his name is also Frank) captured an
Orange Special 'rhrough Freight. We rode her the best part of the day &
when she stopped at Green River the end of the division, & III miles east
of here we left the train for a few minutes to get a lunch. I returned
with a loaf of bread and chunk of bologna saugage & made her out, but
Frank did not arr ive on time. They carried me but one station 15 miles,
where I got ditched.
Ro ck Spr~· ngs. 12
It seemes[sic] to be a mining town. I went up to a Saloon, got a glass of
bear, & had a fine wash in warm water . I am writing t his in the saloon.
It seems to be t he wil d & ,·/Ooly west with a vengeance. The soldiers ,
miner s & cowboys all seem to be on the r ampage . At the present moment a
coupl e of cowboys or cat t le punchers are r aising cain generally. One is
about 6 foot 4, ',vhile the ot her is a little shorty. I guess I will s tay
here tonight & to morrow & take a look a t the town & mines. This i s the
town \-/her e rock s pring coal comes f rom.
Monday Apr. 16 .
I had the hardest job in t he \vorld t hi s mor ning s earchi ng for t he
depot. Ther e are t housands of ca r s laying on t he side tra cks waiting for
124000 inhabitants
p. 9
coal, & trains run north , south, east & west of here . I saw a pretty sight
here at school time this morning . All the gi rls going to s chool wore
fascinators & knitted hoods. There was but one exception, & that little
girl wore a white sun bonnet.
11 o'clock A.M. A heavy snow is now f alling .
I waited all afternoon, but as the trains were late I did not get out
till 5 : 30. I caught t he f lyer & held her down to the next division , where
I got ditched at 9:40. I s t ayed i n awl ins t ill 12 : 30. It was bl owing a
blizzard by thi s time & freezing cold. The saloons were all f ull, & poker ,
stud horse , faro, craps & roulette were all in full blast . At 12:30 I
caught an Orange pecial & climbed into the ice box of a r efrigera t or car,
& you bet it was cold before morning . I arrived at Lar amie the end of
division at seven o'clock . It was so cold on the train that ni ght tha[t]
the brakemen did not care to bother me . I cover ed 257 miles that night .
Tuesday Apr. 17. Laramie . 13
hen I left t he train a t Laramie t he snow was so t hi ck t ha t one could
not see over a rod ahead . My feet were so cold tha t it t ook a half an
hours brisk walking t o r estore t he circulation . Had a good breakfast at
the r estaurant , & at twelve o'cl ock , as the blizzar d was at about it's [sic]
worst, I caught the blind of the flyer , intending to make t hrough to Cheyenne
& in the evening make on again . But when I r eached Ame 's[ sic] Monument,
the highest point on t his line, I overtook t he Reno Deta chment of the Industrial
r my , 80 strong & camped in a r efrigerator car, attached to a
through frei ght . I climbed aboard & made mys elf a t home . Tha t night we
crossed the l ine; but it was no t till we were well int o Nebraska tha t we
ran clear of the blizzard.
13Cheyenne 57 mi les . 576 mi. Omaha . ' nd of Division
Wednesday Apr . 18 . 14 Gra.nd Is .
p . 10
Our fare for supper & breakfast was boneless ham, cheese bologna sausage,
bread & crackers . At Grand Island \'Ie vJere taken to the Restaurants & given
a fine dinner, t hough we were guarded by the loca l police, so tha t none would
escape. ~ e traveled all a f ternoon & night & arrived at Omaha at 1 next morn.
Thursday Apr . 19. Omaha, Council Bluffs, Camp Kelly , Neston .
'vIe arrived in Omaha at 1 A 1, & were met by a s pecial platoon of
policemen who guarded us till we were shipped over the Missouri river, into
Council Bluf fs & the state of I owa. I made up my mind not to march five miles
before daylight in the heavy rain out to Camp Kelly situated at Chata qua
park . !,ofhen we left the cars I deserted in company \'lith the Swede who I had
lost in Green River but picked up about 40 miles to the eastward of Grand
Island . We went to sleep in a bar room whi ch was being moved, while the
army marched through the mud & storm 5 miles over the country road to Camp
Kelly, where they arrived at 5 .M. I arose at five, said good bye to the
Swede , & ca tching a f r eight train, \'las eating breakfast in Omaha at 6. I
strolled about the town, wat ched the new post of fice in process of erection,
and on attempting to cross the to l l bridge was stopped & sent ba ck . I met a
sympathiser who r aised a quarter for me & a ride all the way to camp , where
I arrived at 10:30, & joined my company. at[sic] about 11 the Army was under
\'lay & countermarching before General Kelly proceeded to march 7 miles to
Weston, &[sic] little town situated on the lines of the Chicago Millvaukee[sic]
& St . Paul , & the Rock Island railroads. The first Regiment of the Reno In-dustrial
Army is the Combination I march in, and am in the last rank of the
rear guard. The Army made qu i te an imposing array., with flags & banners &
14En d 0 f d·~ v~. s~. on. 156 mi. Omaha.
p. 11
Gen. Kelly at their head astride of a fine black horse presented by an
enthusiastic Council Bluffs citizen. After we had marched about a mile I
dropt out & helped a sick man along . He had been in the hospital at Camp
Kelly & being convalascent[sic] had overest[i]mated his strength. I carried
his blankets & assisted him over the trestles. The army took the road ~ith
about 12 wagons loaded with food & camp traps. We t ook the short cut by
the R. R. track, and he was so weak that he got dizzy & nearly fell into
every trestle we crossed. Leaving him seated in a comfortable place sheltered
from the rain which was coming down in torrents, I went up to the
only store, country store in the town[sicJ . Never did the store keeper
do such a rushing business. In 10 minutes he was out of cheese, crackers,
ginger snaps and all such eatables.
In ten minutes after the army had arrived the camps were formed, fires
built & dinner under way. Each company's lieutenant goes to t he commissary
& get[s] t he rations. Though t he rain & sleet & hail was coming down in
torrents we made quite a meal on stew[,] bread & coffee. As the night
came on t he wind increased & grew bitter cold, blowing from t he north. The
men soon scattered in search of l odgings . The owner of an el evator gave
permission to occupy it & in less time than it takes to write it, it was
occupied by 300 men. I soon f ound a hay loft in a barn, & gradually, the
men began to straggle in till it was full. By that time Kelly & off icers
had been out rustling & lodgings were found sufficient for all, though
they were quite surprised when they found our barn full. Just as I was
settled comfortably, the muffled crys[sic] of a cat aroused me, & on digging,
in the hay beneath my head, found a cat with a litter of kittens. A big
Irishman & I pretty near had a fight. He wanted to throw them out in the
storm, but I told him when he threw them out he threw me. The cat &
kittens stayed. We passed a pretty comf ortable night, though the Mick
p. 12
arose with t he cold every two hours & woke me up in his efforts to get
warmer.
Friday Apr. 20. Weston.
We had a breakfast of fish, beans, sour craut[sic], coffee & bread. Then
I went to the commissary to get a pair of shoes, but they had none. My
feet are on the ground. One sole is entirely off & I am walking on my
socks. A special train with R. R. officials came down yesterday, & again to
day. The Chicago Millwauke[sic] & St. Paul commenced to send all of its
rolling stock east & train after train of empties , cabo[o] ses & extra engines
flew past us, without stopping. A rig occupied by Mr. Lemon of some im-portance
in the Christian Home, drove out and arrived covered with mud, &
with steaming horses telling us that the people of Omaha & Council Bluffs
had risen en masse & were on their way to demand transportation for the
army, of the railroad[sic). Now and again mud covered vehicles would arrive
with later news, till at last they came telling us we were to go out to
night on a train obtained by the citizens & which was even then making up.
Then when it was authentically aff irmed the Army was ordered to obtain
rations, make a hurried meal & be r eady to take the train. We are the last
to obtain rations as we were the last to join the army. At about 8 o'clock
a headlight was seen running down the C.M. & S.P. road. In an instant all
the reserve fuel was stacked on the fires, & a grand shout of rejoicing
went up to the heavens. About a mile from town the train stopped. The
foreman of the section and one of his men were caught in the act ,of tearing ,
up the track & the man was captured, then the train slowly proceeded into town
with men in advance to see that the tracks were all right. The train had
been stolen. Three Young[sic] ladies induced an engineer's son to take his
father's engine. A train of box cars had been picked up & loaded with Omaha &
p. 13
Council Bluff's[sic) citizens. However it was too small to accomadate[sic]
the army & after the citizens & Kelly held a consultation it was decided to
march back early next day to Council Bluffs when the people would get us
another train. The train stopped about &[sic] hour or two & several songs
were sung by the girls & boys on the engine, Mr. Lemon, wife & ladies, &
the citizens & soldiers of the Industrial Army. With tootings of the
engines[sic] whistle, & amid the shouts of the army the train pulled out,
carrying our promise to meet them next day. A few of the boys tried to
take the train in preference to walking, but were soon persuaded to rejoin
their companies. I went up to the commissary where I spent the night. The
commissary ducks have a fat time of it, but of course they have to work
pretty hard. I obtained a blanket and as there were no shoes and it was
impossible for me to walk back I arranged so as to ride back on one of the
commissary wagons. It was quite a comparison to my quarters of the night
before in the hay loft.
Saturday Apr. 21. Weston
At day break all were awake & up. The lieutenants & men from the
different companies were momentarily arriving to obtain their morning's
rations. Coffee[,) sugar, bread, beans[,) pork & jelly was served out &
soon a hundred different fires were brightly burning and as many breakfasts
in the different stages of completion. After breakfast a few men from the
different companies started to walk back to Council Bluffs but they were
overtaken and a detail placed to prevent the rest from following. After
breakfast we had quite a commotion in our camp. The captain was no rustler
for his men, & they took offense at a board he had had painted in which his
name Capt. Gorman was conspicusly[sic] displayed. After quite an excited
consultation everything was arranged satisfactorily, & the banner is to be
p. 14
destroyed. Then he took me up to the Com[m]issary with 4 others & tried
to get shoes but there were none. While there a private of Company B,
San Francisco was tried by a drum head court martial, & on being found
guilty was drummed out of camp. He was supposed to be a railroad detective,
reporter or Pinkerton. The evidence was strong & he was convicted
by a vote of 9 to 4. In the after noon we were visited by citizens of
Leola & Underwood who begged us to march on to their town where we would
receive a hearty welcome. After we had speaking & singing we were dismissed
to our camps with orders to get the mornings[sic] rations at once.
The cooks to be up & commence breakfast at four; all hands to be ready at
six for breakfast & camp to be broke a t seven o'clock sharp. The young
ladies that stole the train were present & they could not escape without
speaking . We had a pleasant time at our camp fire Singing song after song
& it was not till after elev.en that we began to think of sleep.
Weston, Underwood, Leola. Sunday Apr. 22 .
As soon as breakfast was over I was up to the com[m]issary but could
not obtain shoe Every thing was in an orderly confusion. The town was
turning out to see us off. Companies were marching here to there to gain
their positions[;] teamsters & wagons were on the go; the com[m]issary
officers all life & motion; aids[sic] flying in all directions, while the
wires were working and on all sides stragglers hurrying to rejoin their
companies. As usual we were last in line. 6 or 7 men deserted from
Company A, San Francisco & remained around their fire. Col. Baker led us
back on Gen. Kelly's big black horse & we took their blankets away. We
had hardly got underway when I threw away my shoes & walked barefooted into
Underwood 6 miles distant, where after a dinner presented by the citizens,
I got a pair from the com[m]issary. All along the route inthusiastic[sic]
p. 15
crowds on foot, on horses & in double rigs turned out to meet us. fter a
couple of hours stop we proceeded to Leola the county seat. They sent the
militia out to meet us, and it was an apt comparison with the Ogden & Council
Bluffs militia. troop of little children & ladies. We marched through t he
town with hundreds of citizens joining in our rear to march. It was more
like Fourth of July than a peaceful Sunday in a quiet little country town •
• e marched through the town & down a steep bluff to a picturesque spot
alongside of t he railroad known as Butler's oods, where we pitched our camp.
Before we broke ranks there was speaking & a welcome by the mayor of the
city. We were assured of transportation by 150 farmers[sic] wagons on the
next morning . As we broke ranks there was a grand scramble up the steep
bluffs to a pile of wood, & in less time than it takes to write it every cord
had vanished. All afternoon the ladies & gentlemen of the town thronged
the camp, mingling with t he boys, & in the evening there was a general
rejoicing . In all the camps singing & speaking was going one,] the ladies
mingling their sweet voices with those of the boys all hoarse from the
cold weather & sleeping out nights. The ladies of Omaha & Council Bluffs
were still with us with their escorts. In one portion of the camp church
was held & a local minister officiated. In another about 2 score of
germans[sic] sent their old country songs echoing throughout the camp. We
had our own little time, the principal feature of which was songs & dances
by the cook . At 10 o'clock we started to march to a stable in the town
which our second lieutenant had procured for us. e were stopped by the
pickets, but Col . Baker came along with quite a jag & a woman on his arm &
passed us through. He will most likely be court martialed tomorrow.
Monday Apr. 23. Leola, llenden, Avoca
We had an early breakfast, but were prevented from making as early a
p. 16
departure by an attempt to break up t he Army by Col. Baker. He was ignominiously
cast out. About half of us took wagons & the other half walked.
Of course our company walked. My feet were so tender I could not walk.
They tried to get me into a wagon but it was no go. When Kel ly came along
I spoke to him. But he, not realizing my condition, & thinking I was trying
to shirk told me a wagon could take my shoes for me. As I could not walk
I l ay down & the Army pulled through without me. By & by the city Marshall
came along I[sic] tried to send me on but I tol d him I was going to stay
in town till my feet got well. Then he hurr ied on to overtake the army.
In a few minutes he returned with a couple of off icers of the army who
proceeded to bundle me into a passing wagon, & I was on my way to overtake
the surgeon's wagon. Just as I climbed aboard about 30 citizen's[sic]
headed by the Marshall hailed Baker & told him to take the track & head out.
I rode in the doctor's wagon 8 miles to where dinner was served. We passed
at 5 miles through the pretty town of Menden. All along the line it resembled
a rout or retreat. The S.F. were riding in advance & all along the
line the men were scattered in companies[,] squads[,) groups, pairs &
singles. Our company had no coffee for dinner. That Afternoon[sic) we
arrived in Avoca where we were taken just beyond the town to our camp.
Though we looked & were tired when a cottontail was scared up hundreds joined
in the chase. The rabbit had no show & was soon captured. Another &
Another[sic] & still another was scared out & captured. None escaped the
boys. That night we slept in a barn, where the whole company was treated to
a stiff drink of whiskey before retiring.
Tuesday Apr. 24. Avoca, Walnut, Marno, Atlantic
We were up early & underway by 9 o'clock. As usual our company was
walking while the S. F.' s rode. I walked 6 miles to the town of Walnut
p. 17
enduring the severest of tortures & I arrived in a mos t horr ible condition.
I resolved to go no further on foot . As usual our company had no coffee for
dinner. Then Col. Speed & Kelly had a row & for awhile it looked as though
there would be a general fight. But it was all peacably[ sic] settled. Col.
Baker withdrawing with about 150 men but when they marched out both crowds
were together. As usual our company walked. ve had jus t had a row &
elected as Captain our second lieutenant in preference to Gorman. I dropt
out & with about ten others lay in wait to catch the f irst train. But
the marshall gett ing alarmed raised the necessary wagons & bundled us into
them. They carr ied us 8 miles to Marne the next town. All along the line
it resembled a grand retreat. Pots , Kettles[,] frying pans[,] coats, clothes,
blankets, broken down men, & in the town a commissary wagon was stopped &
the cook & doctor were unable to proceed with it till the town raised 2
for the driver. They then provided another team, but about 20 were left.
At las t after dark 7 of them started to walk, & as the trains went through
at full speed, we still stayed. Finally an old soldier provided us with
supper & teams to go on to Atlantic, 8 miles distant. ve arrived between
9 & 10 & were taken to the com[m]issary, where we had supper again. I
rejoined my company & went off to bed.
io/ednesday Apr . 25. Atlantic
We are to spend the day here. We are all camped in the fair grounds
near the race track. Kelly has gone on to Desmoines[sic]. No He did not
go. The camp was thronged with citizens all day, & in the after noon the
late troubles were all made up & Baker & Speed rejoined the army. r.
Lemon was the prime factor in causing this r econciliation. Speed[,] Baker[,]
Lemon, Goodspeed, the Associated Press & other reporters & a noted lawer[sic]
addressed the army. A Game[sic] of base ball was also in progress between
p. 18
the Army & Town Boys. The Atlantic boy's[sic] won with a score of 16 to 12.
But the Army boys were not in condition. In the evening I ran the pickets
& strolled around town. Just after I returned a brass band marched down &
the camp was soon listening to addresses by camp orators & townspeople. Every
body expresses a good opinion of t he army, & a great many were surprised at the
gentlemanly bearing & honest appearance of t he boys.
Thursday April 26. Atlantic, Wyota, Anita, Adair.
We had a slight delay in breakfast by the want of bread but that was
soon supplied & by ten o'clock we were under way. Pretty near all our company
rode, & I did all day. At 7 miles we passed the town of Wyota , at 14 Anita
where we had a dinner furnished by the townspeople, & at 22 arrived at Adair
where we camped. All the trains are running , with a force of Pinkertons on
& the railroad has issued circulors[sic] against the seizing of trains. As
usual I ran the pickets, & in company wi t h one Lee saw the town & visited
the hobby horses. When we returned we had quite a job to enter. All citizens
had been requested to leave the camp & if any were to remain they would be
arrested & sent t o headquarters. If any Pinkertons or dectives[sic] are
caught it will go hard with them.
Friday Apr. 27. Adair , Casey, Stuart.
~e were under way bright & early, & capturing two wagons started out
ahead of t he whole gang. We had a fine rustler driving our team. The old
farmer & the food, sack of potatoes, & chickens. "You'd better ask the
wimmen folks. Here they be." We were left by both wagons in Casey , & after
quite a wait succeeded in capturing 1 wagon for luggage . I nto which a
great many of us also piled . We raised some coffee on the road & cooked a
dinner i n preference to driving a couple of miles out of our way to Menlow
where a dinner was prepare[dJ by the townspeople. With a great deal of
p . 19
joking & fun we arr ived at Stuart, having covered a distance of 23 miles. We
rested outside the town waiting f or the stragglers t o come in before we marched
through the town. Then marched thr ough the town t o camp. A double line of
pickets are on duty to night . He expect to make a forced march of 40 miles
to Des Moines to morrow. As usual the camp is thronged with visitors from
the town. A great many ladies are present & a few have brought baby buggies.
Saturday Apr. 28 . Stuart, Dexter, Earlham, Des Soto[sic] , Van Meter.
Were under way bright & early. Walked 11 miles through the town of
Dexter to Earlham where we had dinner . My feet are i n such bad condition
that I am not going on any further, unless I can ride . I will go to jail
first. It was impossible to get a ride , & I went down to the station. A
train left at t hree o'clock, & playing on the sympathies of the people I
raised a ticket, & was soon in Van Met er , three miles beyond De Soto. The
Army is straggling in but it will be hours before the last ar rives . Gen.
Kelly intends to push on to Des oines twenty mi les distant. At nine o'clock
in the mi ds t of driving rain, t hunder & lightening the Army received orders
t o march. About half started out in the pitchy darkness . We stormed the
pickets stationed on the bridge & gained the town. Three of our company &
about a dozen others slept in t he mayors[sic] off ice .
Sunday Apr. 29 . Van Meter, Booneville.
At four o'clock we were awakened by a deputy sherif f. Al l the rest
including my t hree companions walked out the rail road track . I have 8
blis ters on my feet & more a 'coming so I could no t walk . I went down t o
t he Coon River[,] washed & then went to camp where I found three more of our
company. About 400 were assembled & as their a ppetites increased they
proceeded to the com[m]issar y . They had no orders to issue rations , but
p. 20
when we all came up in a body , they saw they had no show & we all soon ha d a
good breakfast underway . As I can't walk I intend to stay here t i l l transportation
is furnished. te dinner with the Com[mJissary Cook , & afterwards
went down to the river & took a swim. At supper there were about ten of us
left besides the Com[m)issary. We were given sausage & coffee but no bread.
I was sent up town to raise the bread. I went to the Committee of Safety
who were going to give it to me, when two of the head com[ mJis sary fellows
came along . They began to growl at me & I hauled them over the coals in
great shape . ~ e got bread. After supper I walked 4 miles to Cooneville[sic]
the next town where I slept.
Monday Apr . 30. Booneville, Commerce, Val. Junc., Des Moines
I walked 15 miles into Des Moines, arriving in camp in time for supper.
The Army is encamped at the stove works situated about a mile & a half east
of the state capital. In Val. Junc tion I met a detective belongi ng to my
society. Also a fine lady. We all slept inside of the works . A great
many intended to sleep by the fire but a fierce thunder storm arose & there
was a grand scramble for shelter.
Tuesday May 1. Des Moines
Stayed in camp at the stove works, though the mayor has ordered us to
move on. A perfect throng of visitors, fill the camp,[sic] while there are
quite a lot of policemen on duty . In the afternoon the Salvation Army held
services on the ground floor. Kelly, Baker, Speed & citizens spoke out side
while the Des Moines boys & Soldier lads played ball. The Army won with a
score of 27 to 19.
\ve spent t he evening round the fire singing & joking till 11 when we
went to bed. It was awful cold.
p. 21
Nednesday was spent in camp. No Transportation.
Thursday the Des Moines Stars defeated the army's nine in a game of
baseball with a score of 7 to 5.
Fri day they were defeated by the Army boys with a score of 5 to 4.
Saturday morning we had two court martials. In the afternoon it was
decided by the vote of the Army tha t we build flatboats, 150 in Number, to be
16[or 461) feet long & 6 wide. With these we are to go on down the Des Moines
river to the Mississippi then on down to Cairo where we start up the Ohio to
Wheeling W. Va. within 300 miles of our ultimate destination.
Sunday May 6.
Part of the Army went down to the Junction of the Coon & Des Hoines
Rivers where by night fall 70 boats were near finished.
Monday we worked all day & at night till 12.
Tuesday the stove works were abandoned & a camp established at the ship
yards.
\vednesday May 9.
we[sic) got under way, & ran down past & over a dam 2 miles to a bridge
where we waited for orders, till 11:30, by which time over a hundred boats
had passed us bound,[sic) God knows where. Then as no body appeared we got
under way & by seven that night passed every boat & were the first to arrive
at Runnels where about twenty of the foremost camped in the midst of a
driving rain. 'Ie raised a few provisions & by 10:30 next morning after
drying ourselves we got under way. We passed a few boats which had run by
us & camped at Red Rock for the night. We are living without the com[m)issary.
p. 22
Friday May 11.
Had an early breakfast & were soon passing boats . There were two 8
hours ahead which were impossible to overtake. Living fine. At 6 o'clock
when 3 miles from Harvey where Col. Speed is stationed to stop lead boats,
we were overtaken by a round bottomed boat manned by two commiGsary bucks
captained by the Captain of the day guards. They had orders to take possession
of us but it was no go so they ordered us to wait for the main bunch
while they proceeded to Harvey. I guess we will have to run past the town
to night.
Saturday May 12 .
After getting underway we soon f ound we were too lazy to paddle, so we
drifted. As we reached Harvey the fleet overtook us, but bending to the
paddles we soon left them tangled up & trying to run a dam. After awhile we
went in swimming & when the boats over took us we pulled in to the bridge
where provisions were to meet us . But by some mistake they were still at
Oskaloosa a town of 16000 people 7 miles distant. Hundreds of teams were
waiting to see us, & I guess on Sunday they went up into the thousands. From
Des Moines & all along, the banks have been lined with the natives, & we
would have to go for miles to find a secluded spot in which to bathe, . or make
our toilet. The boat containing our Capt. would not recognize us. And late
that night when provisions arrived & the first meal for the majority of the
boats was about to be cooked, we f ound we were not in it. The Lieutenant
with his boat took our part, & we cooked a pretty good meal out of our
private commissary. We are going to hold an election to-morrow & as we are
the majority we will oust the Captain.
Sunday May 13.
Held an election & the lieutenant was made captain. Then our two boats
p. 23
pulled across the river where we was hed them out . Our old Captain went to
Kelly & raised a roar & s oon Kelly[ , ] Speed & Baker came across & told us
they were going t o take our boat away & divide us into different companies,
for our going ahead. We told them we would leave in a body & as all stood
firm after a tally we were forgiven. So its[sic] all O.K. At 1 P. M. we got
underway and by evening arrived first boat at Eddyville. We held a vote &
instead of sailing all night wqited till morning when we pulled on empty
stomachs . The r est of the boats have averaged one meal a day since leaving
Desmoines[si c] & went one stretch of 48 hours.
Monday May 14.
As usual with our two boats lashed together we arrived first at Ottumwa
& went over the dam on an improvised chute. We were taken a couple of miles
below the town, which numbers 18000, to camp. That night the different boats
started an opposition f er ry & the cries of their rustlers reminded one of
other days . We charged nothing , for payment was opti onal on their part .
Tuesday. May 15.
We were underway at 12 o'clock when t he bugle sounded with three police
boats & about 50 others ahead of us. We soon passed them all but were stopped
by the police boats & ordered astern. In a few min~tes as we struck the bad
part of the river, which extends for 30 or forty miles, t he police boats ran
aground, one after the other. We r an past, scraping the bars showing big
rocks round which the water boiled & foamed, over others with such force as
to almost stove us in till we were way ahead of the fleet which was t angled
up & stranded in an astounding manner . We r an this 25 miles & then almost
t wo more below the t own of Eldon t o camp . The rest of the boats soon began
to string in, but by sun down they stopped arr iving , & soon the news came
p . 24
tha t a couple of men had been hurt by Pinkertons at the bridge and all boats
were stopping . Two of the detectives were arrest ed but the R.R. off icials
instantly bailed them out. By nine o'clock the boats came in all in a lump,
& they were all greatly excit ed . If any Pi nkertons are captured Woe[ sic] unt o
them for the men are getting desperate.
Wednesday. May 16.
Early in the morning one of our boats crossed the r i ver but 25 Pinkertons
refused them l anding . In an instant every boa t was full of excited men
crossing the river, while others disdaining such slow travel were wading
the ford never stopping to even pull off their shoes & socks or roll up t heir
pants. When the p IS saw t his wil d array approaching t hey all took to their
heels but two who maintained thei r ground. But they were surrounded, & the
jam s aved them to a great extent though they were still severely punished, &
their pi stols taken away. By that time Kelly gained cont rol of his men, &
they returned to camp for breakfas t while he gave the p IS a good talking to.
We left at 12 with Col. Speed aboard & passing every boat were soon in t he
lead. Col. Baker overtook us in a buggy & came aboard. The Omaha Bee, & 9
others of Co. K's boats lashed together gave us a hard pul l but strength &
endurance won the day & when we camped alongside t he bridge at Pittsburg
they were out of sight. The army could not overtake & but 5 boats camped
with us.
Thursday May 17.
We started early but the army had already passed. By the t ime we reached
Keosochwa we had overtaken them, & running the rapids wi t h safety found half
a dozen stove in & on the beach getting repaired while the pop corn man lost
five hundred cigars & swamped his boat with wife[,] child & entire outfit on
board. We rec eived our morning rations & with a fair wind soon passed the
p . 25
fleet. They are getting tired but once in a while some crack crew gives us
a spin to t heir disgust & our delight. We were the first to go over the dam
on a chute pr epared by the citizen's[ sic] of Bonaparte . We t hen went into
camp.
Friday May 18 .
We passed a miserable day on the water with a chilling wind & &[sic]
driving r ain. In the after noon we camped in Missouri where we passed a
miserable night .
Saturday May 19.
Pul l ed out without breakfast with Col . Speed aboa r d. With sai l & oar
we passed Gen. Kelly & t hen Col . Baker & wer e the first in to the bridge a
mile & a half from Keonkuk. Are all busy lashing the boats together into a
raft .
Sunday May 20.
The raft was completed but the wind was to[sic] high to venture out on
the Miss issi ppi . We ha d a slim breakfast at six & that lasted all day.
We pulled out Monday May 21 & arrived at Quincy a t 2 P.M. covering a
distance of 40 miles . ve had nothing to eat from six the day befor e till
five to day .
Tuesday May 22.
We changed our camp t o Goose I sland.
Wednesday in camp, busy decking t he boats in groups of f ours.
Thursday May 24.
Left Quincy at 4: 30 P.M. & floated down to Hannibal Mo . a dis t ance of
p. 26
22 miles, arriving at 10. e had quite a time in finding our camp on an Is .
on the Ill. side . We went supperless to bed. Am goin to pull out in the
morning . I can't stand starvation.
Friday May 25.
Charley Veiting, known as the "boiler maker" & I left the camp on t he
island. We went ashore on t he Ill. side in a skiff, & walked six miles on
the C. B. & Q. to Fell Creek. We had gone six miles out of our way. But we
got on a hand car & rode six miles to Hulls, on the abash. While there we
met cAvoy, Fish, Scotty, & Davy who had also quit the army.
Saturday May 26.
At 2 :11 A.M. we caught the "Cannon ball [sic] as she slowed up at the
crossing. Scotty & Davy, who is sick, were ditched. The four of us were
ditched at the Bluffs, 40 miles farther. In the afternoon Fish & McAvoy
caught a freight while Charley & I were away eating dinner .
Sunday May 27.
At 3:21 A.M. We[ sic] caught the "Cannon ball" & found Scotty & Davey[sic]
on the blind. We were all ditched at dayl i ght at Jacksonville . The C. & A.
runs through here & we are going to take that . Charley went off, but didnot[sic]
return. Guess he caught a train.
Monday Hay 28,
Charley did not return. Scotty & Davey went off to sleep somewhere &
did not return in time to catch the K. C. Passenger at 3: 30. I caught her &
rode her till after sun rise to ~ason City, 25000 inhabitants, 45 miles from
Jacksonville . Caught a cattle train & rode all night.
p. 27
Tuesday May 29 .
Arrived in Chicago at 7 A.M. Strolled down to the Post Office & found
9 letters, one r egistered awaiting me. Received 4 in Gr eenbacks . After
mailing a letter I went down amongest the Jews of South Cl ark st. where after
a great deal of wrangling & talking I bought shoes, over coat , hat, pants &
s hirt. Then with a shave & a good dinner I started out to see the sights.
Went to the theatre in the evening , & then to bed. The first bed I had lain
in since leaving home.
Wednesday May 30. Decoration Day
I spent the better part of the day at the World's Fair grounds . In the
evening went to the Salvation Army & then to another 15 cent Bed[sicJ .
Thursday May 31.
ent out in the morning t o Lincoln Park & at 12 took the steamer City of
Chicago for St. Joseph, Mich. It is a 60 mile run across Lake Michigan. I
found Aunt Mary lived a mile & a half from town, but I was soon there receiving
a hearty welcome.
Character Studies .
Stew. His manner of beating trains. Sleeping with one eye open. How
he missed the Industrial Army, & lost his stew at Roseville Junction.
The English Lad.
How he had the gi ggles. How he worked in the res turaunt[sic] at Truckee
chasing chickens in t he yard & only catching one. Swipe[sic] 6 tenderloin
stakes[sic] & his pockets full of potatoes. Rolling cigar s for all hands .
The Irish boy from Dublin. His good advice & evil tendencies.
The long lean Yankee from Cairo. "Nay as well have the game as the
name . " If the old folks would only know how to treat a fellow when he comes
home & not give him any guff it would be all right . " Going home to feed up,
pass the winter & be in good condition for next summer .
The Irishman in Terrace & his intelligence & t ravels .
~he lad from Minneapolis Minnesota, & his postal order.
The swede from Chicago.
The Turk & the Greek .
Incidents & Adventures
The brakeman coming over the Hill. "Dig uplt Dig up"[ sic] How much stuff
have you got. Dig up." No I \'JQuldnot take a man ' s l ast cent. If I take
your tobacco what are you going to do? No. What not even the price of the
whiskey. Well seeing as you fellows aint going to treat I 'll have to do it
my self. Produces bottle & drinks while "the jeweler" holds t he lantern
on high . Then treats all ha nds to a swig except Stew who only gets a smell
of the cork. Gives us warning & tips as to our line of action at the
diff erent stations. Bids us good bye jus t before entering the snowsheds.
How we got ditched at Truckee .
Falling asleep in the chairs at the Hotel & getting the bounce.
The burning overcoat & flying cinders as I was crossing the desert on
a through freight going f i fty miles an hour.
Breaking & passing coal for a division.
The great preponderance of Swedes & Germans.
Honesty of a grea t majority of hobos , & good heartedness. Good Counsel .
The majority willing & eager for work . Gathering in groups & discussing t he
chances in different parts of t h€ country.
The depot deserted during the day. Only perhaps a couple of . hobos to be
seen . As the shades of night draw on they begin to issue from their retreats
& soon t here is a crowd congregated of from 12 or 15 to 50.
p. 30
Sl eeping i n the round house by the stove. An everchanging crowd. Coming
& going as every train pulls in or out.
Sleeping in t he Electric Li ght Works in Evanston. The horrible heat . My
restles sness . Searching for wa t er. Kindly directed t o go down through the
s now to the river. Sitt ing in the snow till I fro ze then back t o the boilers
where I baked.
The two cattle punchers. Long & Shorty & their carouse in Rock Springs.
Scraps & drinks between.
The red hot cinder striking in the hollow of the neck .
madman.
cting l ike a
The difference of speed on the road. The quiet easy going , the slow
pokes & the comets. Strange meetings , by series of accidents & dit ches an
,e~sy goer overtakes a comet but i s left in the end. The ease the kids have
in beating their wa y . Good crews & bad crews. Sometimes met in streaks.
The Kangaroo Court. With 50 & 25 cops . Recreat ion Song or dance the
J udge .
Grumbling before dinner, happy after dinner .
Breaking camp in Van Meter in t he midst of the thunder s torm. Storming
the com[m]issary next morning .
S. P.
C.P.
U.P.
U. T. L.
C. F.T.
C.F. X.
Southern Pacific
Central Pacific
Union Pacific
Union Tank Line
California Fruit Transportation
" " Express
stiff.
push.
batter.
set down
hound out
poke out
privates
mooching
kip
shiv.
floater .
chuck
smondge[?]
scoffs
Java
Jerryhorse
Jerry gang
wipe
floppins
mulligan.
rollin a stiff
Alke stiff
Alke gang
lum
light piece
dynamiter.
glam .
swiped.
State University Library, Special Collections]
Friday pr o 6.1
Left Oakland Hole at 4:30 .H. & arrived at Sacrament o at a P.M. Went
up to the Mississippi Kitchen & had supper . Learning t hat the Industrial
rmy had arrived at noon & departed for Ogden a t 4. ' ent down & caught the
10 P •• Overland bound East.
Saturday Apr. 7.2
We held her down all night till we arrived in Truckee at 7 A.M. As it
was broad day light it Wa S impossible to proceed further . Tho' they were
f orced to stop the train twice before they succeeded in ditching us . Fr ank
& I then decided to send our valises back to Oakland by Jells Fargo. ·ve
traded the patent simple file for 4 square meals. We tried t o take the 8 P.M.
Overland east , but by a mistake Frank caught her & I was left . But we had
agreed that in case of separation we would meet in ~4adsworth . bout eleven
o'clock I caught a freight out, but slept so sound despite the cold tha t I
was side tracked a t Reno without waking up . Staid in Reno all day but did
not hear of r ank.
Sunday pro 8 . 3
Woke up at 3: 30 A.M. half froze to death . I climbed out & walked about
t ill my circulation was res t ored when I sought shelter in the Restaurant.
The deaf mute the l adies edifying conversation . Morning ablutions by
the banks of the Truckee River. 10urns the loss of the clothes brush &
comb with Frank, but still have the t ov/el & s oap . 1,vent down the road &
l(~ ritten in the ma r gin of t his paragr aph] : Sacramento 90 mi. S. F.
End Division
2Truckee 259 2/10 mi. End Division
3Reno 294 2/10 mi.
p. 2
watched them loading cattle & pigs. Met a Swede on the road & went off &
got dinner with him. Watched the Indians gambling & listened to the
salvation army & unemployed congregated on the corner. They are making up
an army & expect to start east to morrow. All along the line from Oakland
on, we have met hundreds chasing the first detachment of the industrial
army. A great many lost it by the unexpected departure so early Friday
morning. Took a freight in the evening & made Wadsworth but di d not find
Frank. I slept in an engine cab down in the yards & was routed out about
4 in the morning when the wipers took possession.
4 Monday Apr. 9.
Went down to the Post Office & received a postal from Frank who has
gone on to Winnemuca. Gen. Kelly passed through on the morning overland.
Met a Doctor who gave me unasked a quarter of a dollar & invited me to
breakfast. He said my face was familiar, but we could not scrape up any
recollections. Am waiting to catch a train across the desert to Winnemuca,
where if I arrive on time Frank & I will join the Reno detachment of the
Industrial Army & then On to Washington!
All along this part of the road the wipers a r e Chinese & the section
hands, Italian. I saw the biggest Newfoundland in my lif e here to day. He
looks more like a bear than anything else. It is impossible to take a train
out till night for all the crews are on to me. I could catch any of them &
ride them to the next stop, but I want to catch one clean through. This is
the last stop before enter ing the desert, & I dont wish to be ditched at
some lone water tank where I may pass days waiting for a train to stop. I
never saw such weather. The days are burning hot & the nights freezing cold.
4 Wadsworth 555 2/10 from Ogden. End Division
p. 3
The sky is so clear & the atmosphere so thin that you can see objects at
a long distance & are deceived into believing them very close. I thought my
face was sea tanned but it is nothing to this. The sun has peeled t he skin
off my face till I look as though I had fell into a fire. 5
All along I have met swarms of people going east, & but one going west.
I met the curiosity here this afternoon. He is walking all the way from
Colorado to Frisco, where he is going to ship to sea. Then I met a French-man
who has walked all the way from Minnesota to Sacramento & has walked
this far back. Now his shoes have given out & he proposes to ride the rest
of the way. I took the 10:45 train out this evening & made her across the
desert to Humbolt where I got ditched. No sooner had the Overland pulled
out t han an orange special pulled in. I took her out & she ran clean
through to Winnemuca a distance of fifty miles without a stop. A spark
caught fire in my overcoat & smoldering away suddenly burst into flames.
The train was going about 40 miles an hour and it was quite a job to put
it out. My overcoat & coat are ruined. I rode the bumpers the rest of
the way.
Tuesday Apr. 10.6
Arrived at four o'clock & waited till daylight in the European res-taurant.
Frank's po stal said if no t in sight to call at the La Fayette
Hotel. Did so but no one knew him. Then examined the post mark on the
postal card & made out San Francisco. It look[s] bad for some body. I f
I had not delayed at Wadsworth & here I would have been almost to Ogden.
About 9 o'clock went down to Post Office & wrote a letter home. As I was
returni ng met Frank. Great rejoicing & congratulations. The post mark
5Wadsworth = Shortest division on the road.
6Winnemuca 475 4/10 mi. S.F. End Division. [At top of this pageJ:
Sand Storm.
p. 4
inexplicable. Frank & I decided to wait this night out in the hopes of
joining the Reno detachment. But two trains came through.
Wednesday Apr. 11.
It snowed l ast night . We have decided to let the Reno crowd rip &
start on as fast as possible for Ogden.
This after noon Frank & I had an understanding. The road has no more
charms for him. The romance & adventure is gone & nothing remains but the
stern reality of the hardships to be endured. Though he has dicided[sic]
to turn West again I am sure the experience has done him good, broadened
his thoughts, given a better understanding of the low strata of society &
surely will have made him more charitable to the trrunps he will meet hereafter
when he is in better circumstances.
He starts West & I start East to night. He is safe to go through
because he has money enough to tip the brakemen on the line at the rate of
50 cts. a division & have money left to eat on. Shook hands & said good
bye at 9 P.M.
Caught a freight out. Am going to brake coal on the engine from here
to Carlin 131 miles.
Thursday Apr. 12. 7
Arrived in Carlin at 3:30 this morning. A little railroad town
situated in the midst of the great American Deser t, through which I am now
traveling . Up to two o'clock no train has passed east except the Overland.
I met a Chinaman here & played cards with him while he was waiting to
register. There was not a game he did not understand. I took the overland
out about 7:30 riding the blind with two other fellows I picked up with.
7Carlin. 535 mi. S. F. End of Division
p. 5
We made a 45 mile run to Elko & a 23 mile run to Peko where they tried to
di tch us. vie went out ahead but the brakeman rode the blind out. We
waited till the train had almost run by when two of us jumped the palace
cars & decked them while the third went underneath on the rods. I climbed
forward two cars to the other fellow & told him to come on along the decks
to the blind but he said it was too risky. I went forward about five
cars & as the brakeman was on tha t platform I could proceed no further
& escape observation. I waited & when the train stopped I climbed down
& ran ahead to the blind. The brakeman again rode her out but I took the
next one behind him, & when he jumped off to catch me I ran ahead & took
the platform he had vacated. The fellow on the roof with me got ditched,
but I made her into Wells, the end of the division where they put on a
double header. The brakeman was after us like a blood hound so I climbed
on the engine & passed coal through to Terrace , the end of that division.
I arrived at two o'clock, & as the snow was all round, I did no[t] care
to proceed further so I went to the round house & slept in the cab of an
engine till morning.
Friday Apr. 13.8
At five this morning t he wipers took possess ion of my bed room & I
was obliged to vacate. While looking for another warm spot I found that
two knights of the road, arriving during my sleep had most obligingly
built a roaring fire in one of the huge stoves. One of them had a big
handerchif[sic] full of fresh buttered, home made biscuits. I sat down,
ate a few of them & then slumbered peacefully till seven o'clock. The
further I got east in Nevada the more miserable the towns are, & Terrace
is commencing to the upward scale I guess, for at last I am in Utah. At
8 Terrace 123 Og. End division
p. 6
hlo this aft er noon I got one of the west bound tourists to lock me in a
car bound east. Just b fore the train started the door was thrown open &
a brakeman asked me how much I could "shake Up." "Fifteen cents" was my
response. I had two dollars & fifteen cents on me and as the two dollars
were unbroken I did not pro pose to give them to him. He said he would
carry me down the road a ways, but did not take the money. When we had
traveled about 50 miles, according to my calcul a t i ons, the door was again
t hrown open, & the conductor & brakeman both appeared. fter a long
consultation theCYJ took my gold ring & left me the fifteen cents. The
ring was good gold with a fine cameo setting . I got it from Lizzie Conneley.9
Saturday Apr. 14.10
Arrived hereCOgden] at 12:50 this morning . Took a s troll up town,
& got supper, then another stroll & a t half past two wandered into the
Cent ral Hotel where I took a stiff drink and sat , by the night clerk's
permission , in a chair till daylight.
Ogden is a pretty litt le town of 18000 inhabitants. It has all the
latest improvements. Electr ic cars , & lights, & bituminous rock. It is
situated at a good elevation among the Rocky, or r ather the \..Jasatch Mts.
which are outlying spurs or ranges of the rockies. One surprising t hing
is the cheapness of everything. Strolling through the town I noticed
several log houses which mus t have been built during t he early days.
Another peculiarity is t hat so many of the living houses or cottages are
built of brick & stone. Perhaps it is becaus e of the deep snows during
the winter. It began snowing to day in the morning but cleared up in a
9In t his car had a horrible dream.
10
Ogden 833 miles from Sacramento. End of Divis ion. End of S. P.'s
line & Railroad center of U. P./S. P./ & Denver & Rio Gr ande
p. 7
few hours. I have give[n] up my proposed trip to Salt Lake City & intend
to start to night for Omaha on the Union Pacific. I received 3 letters.
Two from home & one from Applegarth. I expected more & made arrangements
with the Post Office to forward them to Omaha.
After spending a pleasant afternoon in the reading rooms I went down
to the U.P. Depot & caught the blind baggage on the 8:15 Express. Just as
she was pulling out I met an old friend. We first met in Reno when he &
I spent the day together. He is a Swede. We next met in Winnemuca. He
arriving jus t as I was leaving. And now for the third time we met while
catching the blind baggage. We rode her 75 miles tha t night to Evanston,
a pretty little town just across the line in Wyoming. After we had run a
few miles he pushed coal on the engine. About this time the brakeman
began to stir us up. There were quite a crowd on the blind. But gradually,
station by station they began to drop off. HO\·/ever I made up my mind to
hold her down & a pretty time I had of it. I rode the bl ind, the tender
of the engine, the cow catchers & pilots of the double header, the decks
& even in an emergency once stood on the platform in t he middle of the
train. We arrived in Evanston at 12 P.H.
Sunday Apr. 15. 11
The train stopped at Evanston for half &[sic] hour, then ran back to
Ogden & came around by the Oregon Short Line. The cause was a bad wreck,
11 miles ahead. Coming round a bend through a cut the engine ran into a
huge bolder[sic] which had fallen on the track. The engine jumped the
track on one side killing the fireman & engineer. A tramp was riding the
blind & he jumped of f & was not even injured. The baggage & mail cars
llEvanston 75 mi. Ogden. 958 mi. Omaha. End of divisio~.
p. 8
fell on the opposite side. The rest of the train was prett y badly shaken
up. About 1: 30 an engine brought in the two bodies. The Swede & I went
over to t he electric light works, & going down into t he f ire room cr awled
up on top of the boilers & slept till morning , though the heat was intol-erable.
The snow covers t he ground walks & houses yet though it is rapidly
melting. I t took but a few hours to patch up the track & by ten o'clock
the Swede & me, (By a queer coincidence his name is also Frank) captured an
Orange Special 'rhrough Freight. We rode her the best part of the day &
when she stopped at Green River the end of the division, & III miles east
of here we left the train for a few minutes to get a lunch. I returned
with a loaf of bread and chunk of bologna saugage & made her out, but
Frank did not arr ive on time. They carried me but one station 15 miles,
where I got ditched.
Ro ck Spr~· ngs. 12
It seemes[sic] to be a mining town. I went up to a Saloon, got a glass of
bear, & had a fine wash in warm water . I am writing t his in the saloon.
It seems to be t he wil d & ,·/Ooly west with a vengeance. The soldiers ,
miner s & cowboys all seem to be on the r ampage . At the present moment a
coupl e of cowboys or cat t le punchers are r aising cain generally. One is
about 6 foot 4, ',vhile the ot her is a little shorty. I guess I will s tay
here tonight & to morrow & take a look a t the town & mines. This i s the
town \-/her e rock s pring coal comes f rom.
Monday Apr. 16 .
I had the hardest job in t he \vorld t hi s mor ning s earchi ng for t he
depot. Ther e are t housands of ca r s laying on t he side tra cks waiting for
124000 inhabitants
p. 9
coal, & trains run north , south, east & west of here . I saw a pretty sight
here at school time this morning . All the gi rls going to s chool wore
fascinators & knitted hoods. There was but one exception, & that little
girl wore a white sun bonnet.
11 o'clock A.M. A heavy snow is now f alling .
I waited all afternoon, but as the trains were late I did not get out
till 5 : 30. I caught t he f lyer & held her down to the next division , where
I got ditched at 9:40. I s t ayed i n awl ins t ill 12 : 30. It was bl owing a
blizzard by thi s time & freezing cold. The saloons were all f ull, & poker ,
stud horse , faro, craps & roulette were all in full blast . At 12:30 I
caught an Orange pecial & climbed into the ice box of a r efrigera t or car,
& you bet it was cold before morning . I arrived at Lar amie the end of
division at seven o'clock . It was so cold on the train that ni ght tha[t]
the brakemen did not care to bother me . I cover ed 257 miles that night .
Tuesday Apr. 17. Laramie . 13
hen I left t he train a t Laramie t he snow was so t hi ck t ha t one could
not see over a rod ahead . My feet were so cold tha t it t ook a half an
hours brisk walking t o r estore t he circulation . Had a good breakfast at
the r estaurant , & at twelve o'cl ock , as the blizzar d was at about it's [sic]
worst, I caught the blind of the flyer , intending to make t hrough to Cheyenne
& in the evening make on again . But when I r eached Ame 's[ sic] Monument,
the highest point on t his line, I overtook t he Reno Deta chment of the Industrial
r my , 80 strong & camped in a r efrigerator car, attached to a
through frei ght . I climbed aboard & made mys elf a t home . Tha t night we
crossed the l ine; but it was no t till we were well int o Nebraska tha t we
ran clear of the blizzard.
13Cheyenne 57 mi les . 576 mi. Omaha . ' nd of Division
Wednesday Apr . 18 . 14 Gra.nd Is .
p . 10
Our fare for supper & breakfast was boneless ham, cheese bologna sausage,
bread & crackers . At Grand Island \'Ie vJere taken to the Restaurants & given
a fine dinner, t hough we were guarded by the loca l police, so tha t none would
escape. ~ e traveled all a f ternoon & night & arrived at Omaha at 1 next morn.
Thursday Apr . 19. Omaha, Council Bluffs, Camp Kelly , Neston .
'vIe arrived in Omaha at 1 A 1, & were met by a s pecial platoon of
policemen who guarded us till we were shipped over the Missouri river, into
Council Bluf fs & the state of I owa. I made up my mind not to march five miles
before daylight in the heavy rain out to Camp Kelly situated at Chata qua
park . !,ofhen we left the cars I deserted in company \'lith the Swede who I had
lost in Green River but picked up about 40 miles to the eastward of Grand
Island . We went to sleep in a bar room whi ch was being moved, while the
army marched through the mud & storm 5 miles over the country road to Camp
Kelly, where they arrived at 5 .M. I arose at five, said good bye to the
Swede , & ca tching a f r eight train, \'las eating breakfast in Omaha at 6. I
strolled about the town, wat ched the new post of fice in process of erection,
and on attempting to cross the to l l bridge was stopped & sent ba ck . I met a
sympathiser who r aised a quarter for me & a ride all the way to camp , where
I arrived at 10:30, & joined my company. at[sic] about 11 the Army was under
\'lay & countermarching before General Kelly proceeded to march 7 miles to
Weston, &[sic] little town situated on the lines of the Chicago Millvaukee[sic]
& St . Paul , & the Rock Island railroads. The first Regiment of the Reno In-dustrial
Army is the Combination I march in, and am in the last rank of the
rear guard. The Army made qu i te an imposing array., with flags & banners &
14En d 0 f d·~ v~. s~. on. 156 mi. Omaha.
p. 11
Gen. Kelly at their head astride of a fine black horse presented by an
enthusiastic Council Bluffs citizen. After we had marched about a mile I
dropt out & helped a sick man along . He had been in the hospital at Camp
Kelly & being convalascent[sic] had overest[i]mated his strength. I carried
his blankets & assisted him over the trestles. The army took the road ~ith
about 12 wagons loaded with food & camp traps. We t ook the short cut by
the R. R. track, and he was so weak that he got dizzy & nearly fell into
every trestle we crossed. Leaving him seated in a comfortable place sheltered
from the rain which was coming down in torrents, I went up to the
only store, country store in the town[sicJ . Never did the store keeper
do such a rushing business. In 10 minutes he was out of cheese, crackers,
ginger snaps and all such eatables.
In ten minutes after the army had arrived the camps were formed, fires
built & dinner under way. Each company's lieutenant goes to t he commissary
& get[s] t he rations. Though t he rain & sleet & hail was coming down in
torrents we made quite a meal on stew[,] bread & coffee. As the night
came on t he wind increased & grew bitter cold, blowing from t he north. The
men soon scattered in search of l odgings . The owner of an el evator gave
permission to occupy it & in less time than it takes to write it, it was
occupied by 300 men. I soon f ound a hay loft in a barn, & gradually, the
men began to straggle in till it was full. By that time Kelly & off icers
had been out rustling & lodgings were found sufficient for all, though
they were quite surprised when they found our barn full. Just as I was
settled comfortably, the muffled crys[sic] of a cat aroused me, & on digging,
in the hay beneath my head, found a cat with a litter of kittens. A big
Irishman & I pretty near had a fight. He wanted to throw them out in the
storm, but I told him when he threw them out he threw me. The cat &
kittens stayed. We passed a pretty comf ortable night, though the Mick
p. 12
arose with t he cold every two hours & woke me up in his efforts to get
warmer.
Friday Apr. 20. Weston.
We had a breakfast of fish, beans, sour craut[sic], coffee & bread. Then
I went to the commissary to get a pair of shoes, but they had none. My
feet are on the ground. One sole is entirely off & I am walking on my
socks. A special train with R. R. officials came down yesterday, & again to
day. The Chicago Millwauke[sic] & St. Paul commenced to send all of its
rolling stock east & train after train of empties , cabo[o] ses & extra engines
flew past us, without stopping. A rig occupied by Mr. Lemon of some im-portance
in the Christian Home, drove out and arrived covered with mud, &
with steaming horses telling us that the people of Omaha & Council Bluffs
had risen en masse & were on their way to demand transportation for the
army, of the railroad[sic). Now and again mud covered vehicles would arrive
with later news, till at last they came telling us we were to go out to
night on a train obtained by the citizens & which was even then making up.
Then when it was authentically aff irmed the Army was ordered to obtain
rations, make a hurried meal & be r eady to take the train. We are the last
to obtain rations as we were the last to join the army. At about 8 o'clock
a headlight was seen running down the C.M. & S.P. road. In an instant all
the reserve fuel was stacked on the fires, & a grand shout of rejoicing
went up to the heavens. About a mile from town the train stopped. The
foreman of the section and one of his men were caught in the act ,of tearing ,
up the track & the man was captured, then the train slowly proceeded into town
with men in advance to see that the tracks were all right. The train had
been stolen. Three Young[sic] ladies induced an engineer's son to take his
father's engine. A train of box cars had been picked up & loaded with Omaha &
p. 13
Council Bluff's[sic) citizens. However it was too small to accomadate[sic]
the army & after the citizens & Kelly held a consultation it was decided to
march back early next day to Council Bluffs when the people would get us
another train. The train stopped about &[sic] hour or two & several songs
were sung by the girls & boys on the engine, Mr. Lemon, wife & ladies, &
the citizens & soldiers of the Industrial Army. With tootings of the
engines[sic] whistle, & amid the shouts of the army the train pulled out,
carrying our promise to meet them next day. A few of the boys tried to
take the train in preference to walking, but were soon persuaded to rejoin
their companies. I went up to the commissary where I spent the night. The
commissary ducks have a fat time of it, but of course they have to work
pretty hard. I obtained a blanket and as there were no shoes and it was
impossible for me to walk back I arranged so as to ride back on one of the
commissary wagons. It was quite a comparison to my quarters of the night
before in the hay loft.
Saturday Apr. 21. Weston
At day break all were awake & up. The lieutenants & men from the
different companies were momentarily arriving to obtain their morning's
rations. Coffee[,) sugar, bread, beans[,) pork & jelly was served out &
soon a hundred different fires were brightly burning and as many breakfasts
in the different stages of completion. After breakfast a few men from the
different companies started to walk back to Council Bluffs but they were
overtaken and a detail placed to prevent the rest from following. After
breakfast we had quite a commotion in our camp. The captain was no rustler
for his men, & they took offense at a board he had had painted in which his
name Capt. Gorman was conspicusly[sic] displayed. After quite an excited
consultation everything was arranged satisfactorily, & the banner is to be
p. 14
destroyed. Then he took me up to the Com[m]issary with 4 others & tried
to get shoes but there were none. While there a private of Company B,
San Francisco was tried by a drum head court martial, & on being found
guilty was drummed out of camp. He was supposed to be a railroad detective,
reporter or Pinkerton. The evidence was strong & he was convicted
by a vote of 9 to 4. In the after noon we were visited by citizens of
Leola & Underwood who begged us to march on to their town where we would
receive a hearty welcome. After we had speaking & singing we were dismissed
to our camps with orders to get the mornings[sic] rations at once.
The cooks to be up & commence breakfast at four; all hands to be ready at
six for breakfast & camp to be broke a t seven o'clock sharp. The young
ladies that stole the train were present & they could not escape without
speaking . We had a pleasant time at our camp fire Singing song after song
& it was not till after elev.en that we began to think of sleep.
Weston, Underwood, Leola. Sunday Apr. 22 .
As soon as breakfast was over I was up to the com[m]issary but could
not obtain shoe Every thing was in an orderly confusion. The town was
turning out to see us off. Companies were marching here to there to gain
their positions[;] teamsters & wagons were on the go; the com[m]issary
officers all life & motion; aids[sic] flying in all directions, while the
wires were working and on all sides stragglers hurrying to rejoin their
companies. As usual we were last in line. 6 or 7 men deserted from
Company A, San Francisco & remained around their fire. Col. Baker led us
back on Gen. Kelly's big black horse & we took their blankets away. We
had hardly got underway when I threw away my shoes & walked barefooted into
Underwood 6 miles distant, where after a dinner presented by the citizens,
I got a pair from the com[m]issary. All along the route inthusiastic[sic]
p. 15
crowds on foot, on horses & in double rigs turned out to meet us. fter a
couple of hours stop we proceeded to Leola the county seat. They sent the
militia out to meet us, and it was an apt comparison with the Ogden & Council
Bluffs militia. troop of little children & ladies. We marched through t he
town with hundreds of citizens joining in our rear to march. It was more
like Fourth of July than a peaceful Sunday in a quiet little country town •
• e marched through the town & down a steep bluff to a picturesque spot
alongside of t he railroad known as Butler's oods, where we pitched our camp.
Before we broke ranks there was speaking & a welcome by the mayor of the
city. We were assured of transportation by 150 farmers[sic] wagons on the
next morning . As we broke ranks there was a grand scramble up the steep
bluffs to a pile of wood, & in less time than it takes to write it every cord
had vanished. All afternoon the ladies & gentlemen of the town thronged
the camp, mingling with t he boys, & in the evening there was a general
rejoicing . In all the camps singing & speaking was going one,] the ladies
mingling their sweet voices with those of the boys all hoarse from the
cold weather & sleeping out nights. The ladies of Omaha & Council Bluffs
were still with us with their escorts. In one portion of the camp church
was held & a local minister officiated. In another about 2 score of
germans[sic] sent their old country songs echoing throughout the camp. We
had our own little time, the principal feature of which was songs & dances
by the cook . At 10 o'clock we started to march to a stable in the town
which our second lieutenant had procured for us. e were stopped by the
pickets, but Col . Baker came along with quite a jag & a woman on his arm &
passed us through. He will most likely be court martialed tomorrow.
Monday Apr. 23. Leola, llenden, Avoca
We had an early breakfast, but were prevented from making as early a
p. 16
departure by an attempt to break up t he Army by Col. Baker. He was ignominiously
cast out. About half of us took wagons & the other half walked.
Of course our company walked. My feet were so tender I could not walk.
They tried to get me into a wagon but it was no go. When Kel ly came along
I spoke to him. But he, not realizing my condition, & thinking I was trying
to shirk told me a wagon could take my shoes for me. As I could not walk
I l ay down & the Army pulled through without me. By & by the city Marshall
came along I[sic] tried to send me on but I tol d him I was going to stay
in town till my feet got well. Then he hurr ied on to overtake the army.
In a few minutes he returned with a couple of off icers of the army who
proceeded to bundle me into a passing wagon, & I was on my way to overtake
the surgeon's wagon. Just as I climbed aboard about 30 citizen's[sic]
headed by the Marshall hailed Baker & told him to take the track & head out.
I rode in the doctor's wagon 8 miles to where dinner was served. We passed
at 5 miles through the pretty town of Menden. All along the line it resembled
a rout or retreat. The S.F. were riding in advance & all along the
line the men were scattered in companies[,] squads[,) groups, pairs &
singles. Our company had no coffee for dinner. That Afternoon[sic) we
arrived in Avoca where we were taken just beyond the town to our camp.
Though we looked & were tired when a cottontail was scared up hundreds joined
in the chase. The rabbit had no show & was soon captured. Another &
Another[sic] & still another was scared out & captured. None escaped the
boys. That night we slept in a barn, where the whole company was treated to
a stiff drink of whiskey before retiring.
Tuesday Apr. 24. Avoca, Walnut, Marno, Atlantic
We were up early & underway by 9 o'clock. As usual our company was
walking while the S. F.' s rode. I walked 6 miles to the town of Walnut
p. 17
enduring the severest of tortures & I arrived in a mos t horr ible condition.
I resolved to go no further on foot . As usual our company had no coffee for
dinner. Then Col. Speed & Kelly had a row & for awhile it looked as though
there would be a general fight. But it was all peacably[ sic] settled. Col.
Baker withdrawing with about 150 men but when they marched out both crowds
were together. As usual our company walked. ve had jus t had a row &
elected as Captain our second lieutenant in preference to Gorman. I dropt
out & with about ten others lay in wait to catch the f irst train. But
the marshall gett ing alarmed raised the necessary wagons & bundled us into
them. They carr ied us 8 miles to Marne the next town. All along the line
it resembled a grand retreat. Pots , Kettles[,] frying pans[,] coats, clothes,
blankets, broken down men, & in the town a commissary wagon was stopped &
the cook & doctor were unable to proceed with it till the town raised 2
for the driver. They then provided another team, but about 20 were left.
At las t after dark 7 of them started to walk, & as the trains went through
at full speed, we still stayed. Finally an old soldier provided us with
supper & teams to go on to Atlantic, 8 miles distant. ve arrived between
9 & 10 & were taken to the com[m]issary, where we had supper again. I
rejoined my company & went off to bed.
io/ednesday Apr . 25. Atlantic
We are to spend the day here. We are all camped in the fair grounds
near the race track. Kelly has gone on to Desmoines[sic]. No He did not
go. The camp was thronged with citizens all day, & in the after noon the
late troubles were all made up & Baker & Speed rejoined the army. r.
Lemon was the prime factor in causing this r econciliation. Speed[,] Baker[,]
Lemon, Goodspeed, the Associated Press & other reporters & a noted lawer[sic]
addressed the army. A Game[sic] of base ball was also in progress between
p. 18
the Army & Town Boys. The Atlantic boy's[sic] won with a score of 16 to 12.
But the Army boys were not in condition. In the evening I ran the pickets
& strolled around town. Just after I returned a brass band marched down &
the camp was soon listening to addresses by camp orators & townspeople. Every
body expresses a good opinion of t he army, & a great many were surprised at the
gentlemanly bearing & honest appearance of t he boys.
Thursday April 26. Atlantic, Wyota, Anita, Adair.
We had a slight delay in breakfast by the want of bread but that was
soon supplied & by ten o'clock we were under way. Pretty near all our company
rode, & I did all day. At 7 miles we passed the town of Wyota , at 14 Anita
where we had a dinner furnished by the townspeople, & at 22 arrived at Adair
where we camped. All the trains are running , with a force of Pinkertons on
& the railroad has issued circulors[sic] against the seizing of trains. As
usual I ran the pickets, & in company wi t h one Lee saw the town & visited
the hobby horses. When we returned we had quite a job to enter. All citizens
had been requested to leave the camp & if any were to remain they would be
arrested & sent t o headquarters. If any Pinkertons or dectives[sic] are
caught it will go hard with them.
Friday Apr. 27. Adair , Casey, Stuart.
~e were under way bright & early, & capturing two wagons started out
ahead of t he whole gang. We had a fine rustler driving our team. The old
farmer & the food, sack of potatoes, & chickens. "You'd better ask the
wimmen folks. Here they be." We were left by both wagons in Casey , & after
quite a wait succeeded in capturing 1 wagon for luggage . I nto which a
great many of us also piled . We raised some coffee on the road & cooked a
dinner i n preference to driving a couple of miles out of our way to Menlow
where a dinner was prepare[dJ by the townspeople. With a great deal of
p . 19
joking & fun we arr ived at Stuart, having covered a distance of 23 miles. We
rested outside the town waiting f or the stragglers t o come in before we marched
through the town. Then marched thr ough the town t o camp. A double line of
pickets are on duty to night . He expect to make a forced march of 40 miles
to Des Moines to morrow. As usual the camp is thronged with visitors from
the town. A great many ladies are present & a few have brought baby buggies.
Saturday Apr. 28 . Stuart, Dexter, Earlham, Des Soto[sic] , Van Meter.
Were under way bright & early. Walked 11 miles through the town of
Dexter to Earlham where we had dinner . My feet are i n such bad condition
that I am not going on any further, unless I can ride . I will go to jail
first. It was impossible to get a ride , & I went down to the station. A
train left at t hree o'clock, & playing on the sympathies of the people I
raised a ticket, & was soon in Van Met er , three miles beyond De Soto. The
Army is straggling in but it will be hours before the last ar rives . Gen.
Kelly intends to push on to Des oines twenty mi les distant. At nine o'clock
in the mi ds t of driving rain, t hunder & lightening the Army received orders
t o march. About half started out in the pitchy darkness . We stormed the
pickets stationed on the bridge & gained the town. Three of our company &
about a dozen others slept in t he mayors[sic] off ice .
Sunday Apr. 29 . Van Meter, Booneville.
At four o'clock we were awakened by a deputy sherif f. Al l the rest
including my t hree companions walked out the rail road track . I have 8
blis ters on my feet & more a 'coming so I could no t walk . I went down t o
t he Coon River[,] washed & then went to camp where I found three more of our
company. About 400 were assembled & as their a ppetites increased they
proceeded to the com[m]issar y . They had no orders to issue rations , but
p. 20
when we all came up in a body , they saw they had no show & we all soon ha d a
good breakfast underway . As I can't walk I intend to stay here t i l l transportation
is furnished. te dinner with the Com[mJissary Cook , & afterwards
went down to the river & took a swim. At supper there were about ten of us
left besides the Com[m)issary. We were given sausage & coffee but no bread.
I was sent up town to raise the bread. I went to the Committee of Safety
who were going to give it to me, when two of the head com[ mJis sary fellows
came along . They began to growl at me & I hauled them over the coals in
great shape . ~ e got bread. After supper I walked 4 miles to Cooneville[sic]
the next town where I slept.
Monday Apr . 30. Booneville, Commerce, Val. Junc., Des Moines
I walked 15 miles into Des Moines, arriving in camp in time for supper.
The Army is encamped at the stove works situated about a mile & a half east
of the state capital. In Val. Junc tion I met a detective belongi ng to my
society. Also a fine lady. We all slept inside of the works . A great
many intended to sleep by the fire but a fierce thunder storm arose & there
was a grand scramble for shelter.
Tuesday May 1. Des Moines
Stayed in camp at the stove works, though the mayor has ordered us to
move on. A perfect throng of visitors, fill the camp,[sic] while there are
quite a lot of policemen on duty . In the afternoon the Salvation Army held
services on the ground floor. Kelly, Baker, Speed & citizens spoke out side
while the Des Moines boys & Soldier lads played ball. The Army won with a
score of 27 to 19.
\ve spent t he evening round the fire singing & joking till 11 when we
went to bed. It was awful cold.
p. 21
Nednesday was spent in camp. No Transportation.
Thursday the Des Moines Stars defeated the army's nine in a game of
baseball with a score of 7 to 5.
Fri day they were defeated by the Army boys with a score of 5 to 4.
Saturday morning we had two court martials. In the afternoon it was
decided by the vote of the Army tha t we build flatboats, 150 in Number, to be
16[or 461) feet long & 6 wide. With these we are to go on down the Des Moines
river to the Mississippi then on down to Cairo where we start up the Ohio to
Wheeling W. Va. within 300 miles of our ultimate destination.
Sunday May 6.
Part of the Army went down to the Junction of the Coon & Des Hoines
Rivers where by night fall 70 boats were near finished.
Monday we worked all day & at night till 12.
Tuesday the stove works were abandoned & a camp established at the ship
yards.
\vednesday May 9.
we[sic) got under way, & ran down past & over a dam 2 miles to a bridge
where we waited for orders, till 11:30, by which time over a hundred boats
had passed us bound,[sic) God knows where. Then as no body appeared we got
under way & by seven that night passed every boat & were the first to arrive
at Runnels where about twenty of the foremost camped in the midst of a
driving rain. 'Ie raised a few provisions & by 10:30 next morning after
drying ourselves we got under way. We passed a few boats which had run by
us & camped at Red Rock for the night. We are living without the com[m)issary.
p. 22
Friday May 11.
Had an early breakfast & were soon passing boats . There were two 8
hours ahead which were impossible to overtake. Living fine. At 6 o'clock
when 3 miles from Harvey where Col. Speed is stationed to stop lead boats,
we were overtaken by a round bottomed boat manned by two commiGsary bucks
captained by the Captain of the day guards. They had orders to take possession
of us but it was no go so they ordered us to wait for the main bunch
while they proceeded to Harvey. I guess we will have to run past the town
to night.
Saturday May 12 .
After getting underway we soon f ound we were too lazy to paddle, so we
drifted. As we reached Harvey the fleet overtook us, but bending to the
paddles we soon left them tangled up & trying to run a dam. After awhile we
went in swimming & when the boats over took us we pulled in to the bridge
where provisions were to meet us . But by some mistake they were still at
Oskaloosa a town of 16000 people 7 miles distant. Hundreds of teams were
waiting to see us, & I guess on Sunday they went up into the thousands. From
Des Moines & all along, the banks have been lined with the natives, & we
would have to go for miles to find a secluded spot in which to bathe, . or make
our toilet. The boat containing our Capt. would not recognize us. And late
that night when provisions arrived & the first meal for the majority of the
boats was about to be cooked, we f ound we were not in it. The Lieutenant
with his boat took our part, & we cooked a pretty good meal out of our
private commissary. We are going to hold an election to-morrow & as we are
the majority we will oust the Captain.
Sunday May 13.
Held an election & the lieutenant was made captain. Then our two boats
p. 23
pulled across the river where we was hed them out . Our old Captain went to
Kelly & raised a roar & s oon Kelly[ , ] Speed & Baker came across & told us
they were going t o take our boat away & divide us into different companies,
for our going ahead. We told them we would leave in a body & as all stood
firm after a tally we were forgiven. So its[sic] all O.K. At 1 P. M. we got
underway and by evening arrived first boat at Eddyville. We held a vote &
instead of sailing all night wqited till morning when we pulled on empty
stomachs . The r est of the boats have averaged one meal a day since leaving
Desmoines[si c] & went one stretch of 48 hours.
Monday May 14.
As usual with our two boats lashed together we arrived first at Ottumwa
& went over the dam on an improvised chute. We were taken a couple of miles
below the town, which numbers 18000, to camp. That night the different boats
started an opposition f er ry & the cries of their rustlers reminded one of
other days . We charged nothing , for payment was opti onal on their part .
Tuesday. May 15.
We were underway at 12 o'clock when t he bugle sounded with three police
boats & about 50 others ahead of us. We soon passed them all but were stopped
by the police boats & ordered astern. In a few min~tes as we struck the bad
part of the river, which extends for 30 or forty miles, t he police boats ran
aground, one after the other. We r an past, scraping the bars showing big
rocks round which the water boiled & foamed, over others with such force as
to almost stove us in till we were way ahead of the fleet which was t angled
up & stranded in an astounding manner . We r an this 25 miles & then almost
t wo more below the t own of Eldon t o camp . The rest of the boats soon began
to string in, but by sun down they stopped arr iving , & soon the news came
p . 24
tha t a couple of men had been hurt by Pinkertons at the bridge and all boats
were stopping . Two of the detectives were arrest ed but the R.R. off icials
instantly bailed them out. By nine o'clock the boats came in all in a lump,
& they were all greatly excit ed . If any Pi nkertons are captured Woe[ sic] unt o
them for the men are getting desperate.
Wednesday. May 16.
Early in the morning one of our boats crossed the r i ver but 25 Pinkertons
refused them l anding . In an instant every boa t was full of excited men
crossing the river, while others disdaining such slow travel were wading
the ford never stopping to even pull off their shoes & socks or roll up t heir
pants. When the p IS saw t his wil d array approaching t hey all took to their
heels but two who maintained thei r ground. But they were surrounded, & the
jam s aved them to a great extent though they were still severely punished, &
their pi stols taken away. By that time Kelly gained cont rol of his men, &
they returned to camp for breakfas t while he gave the p IS a good talking to.
We left at 12 with Col. Speed aboard & passing every boat were soon in t he
lead. Col. Baker overtook us in a buggy & came aboard. The Omaha Bee, & 9
others of Co. K's boats lashed together gave us a hard pul l but strength &
endurance won the day & when we camped alongside t he bridge at Pittsburg
they were out of sight. The army could not overtake & but 5 boats camped
with us.
Thursday May 17.
We started early but the army had already passed. By the t ime we reached
Keosochwa we had overtaken them, & running the rapids wi t h safety found half
a dozen stove in & on the beach getting repaired while the pop corn man lost
five hundred cigars & swamped his boat with wife[,] child & entire outfit on
board. We rec eived our morning rations & with a fair wind soon passed the
p . 25
fleet. They are getting tired but once in a while some crack crew gives us
a spin to t heir disgust & our delight. We were the first to go over the dam
on a chute pr epared by the citizen's[ sic] of Bonaparte . We t hen went into
camp.
Friday May 18 .
We passed a miserable day on the water with a chilling wind & &[sic]
driving r ain. In the after noon we camped in Missouri where we passed a
miserable night .
Saturday May 19.
Pul l ed out without breakfast with Col . Speed aboa r d. With sai l & oar
we passed Gen. Kelly & t hen Col . Baker & wer e the first in to the bridge a
mile & a half from Keonkuk. Are all busy lashing the boats together into a
raft .
Sunday May 20.
The raft was completed but the wind was to[sic] high to venture out on
the Miss issi ppi . We ha d a slim breakfast at six & that lasted all day.
We pulled out Monday May 21 & arrived at Quincy a t 2 P.M. covering a
distance of 40 miles . ve had nothing to eat from six the day befor e till
five to day .
Tuesday May 22.
We changed our camp t o Goose I sland.
Wednesday in camp, busy decking t he boats in groups of f ours.
Thursday May 24.
Left Quincy at 4: 30 P.M. & floated down to Hannibal Mo . a dis t ance of
p. 26
22 miles, arriving at 10. e had quite a time in finding our camp on an Is .
on the Ill. side . We went supperless to bed. Am goin to pull out in the
morning . I can't stand starvation.
Friday May 25.
Charley Veiting, known as the "boiler maker" & I left the camp on t he
island. We went ashore on t he Ill. side in a skiff, & walked six miles on
the C. B. & Q. to Fell Creek. We had gone six miles out of our way. But we
got on a hand car & rode six miles to Hulls, on the abash. While there we
met cAvoy, Fish, Scotty, & Davy who had also quit the army.
Saturday May 26.
At 2 :11 A.M. we caught the "Cannon ball [sic] as she slowed up at the
crossing. Scotty & Davy, who is sick, were ditched. The four of us were
ditched at the Bluffs, 40 miles farther. In the afternoon Fish & McAvoy
caught a freight while Charley & I were away eating dinner .
Sunday May 27.
At 3:21 A.M. We[ sic] caught the "Cannon ball" & found Scotty & Davey[sic]
on the blind. We were all ditched at dayl i ght at Jacksonville . The C. & A.
runs through here & we are going to take that . Charley went off, but didnot[sic]
return. Guess he caught a train.
Monday Hay 28,
Charley did not return. Scotty & Davey went off to sleep somewhere &
did not return in time to catch the K. C. Passenger at 3: 30. I caught her &
rode her till after sun rise to ~ason City, 25000 inhabitants, 45 miles from
Jacksonville . Caught a cattle train & rode all night.
p. 27
Tuesday May 29 .
Arrived in Chicago at 7 A.M. Strolled down to the Post Office & found
9 letters, one r egistered awaiting me. Received 4 in Gr eenbacks . After
mailing a letter I went down amongest the Jews of South Cl ark st. where after
a great deal of wrangling & talking I bought shoes, over coat , hat, pants &
s hirt. Then with a shave & a good dinner I started out to see the sights.
Went to the theatre in the evening , & then to bed. The first bed I had lain
in since leaving home.
Wednesday May 30. Decoration Day
I spent the better part of the day at the World's Fair grounds . In the
evening went to the Salvation Army & then to another 15 cent Bed[sicJ .
Thursday May 31.
ent out in the morning t o Lincoln Park & at 12 took the steamer City of
Chicago for St. Joseph, Mich. It is a 60 mile run across Lake Michigan. I
found Aunt Mary lived a mile & a half from town, but I was soon there receiving
a hearty welcome.
Character Studies .
Stew. His manner of beating trains. Sleeping with one eye open. How
he missed the Industrial Army, & lost his stew at Roseville Junction.
The English Lad.
How he had the gi ggles. How he worked in the res turaunt[sic] at Truckee
chasing chickens in t he yard & only catching one. Swipe[sic] 6 tenderloin
stakes[sic] & his pockets full of potatoes. Rolling cigar s for all hands .
The Irish boy from Dublin. His good advice & evil tendencies.
The long lean Yankee from Cairo. "Nay as well have the game as the
name . " If the old folks would only know how to treat a fellow when he comes
home & not give him any guff it would be all right . " Going home to feed up,
pass the winter & be in good condition for next summer .
The Irishman in Terrace & his intelligence & t ravels .
~he lad from Minneapolis Minnesota, & his postal order.
The swede from Chicago.
The Turk & the Greek .
Incidents & Adventures
The brakeman coming over the Hill. "Dig uplt Dig up"[ sic] How much stuff
have you got. Dig up." No I \'JQuldnot take a man ' s l ast cent. If I take
your tobacco what are you going to do? No. What not even the price of the
whiskey. Well seeing as you fellows aint going to treat I 'll have to do it
my self. Produces bottle & drinks while "the jeweler" holds t he lantern
on high . Then treats all ha nds to a swig except Stew who only gets a smell
of the cork. Gives us warning & tips as to our line of action at the
diff erent stations. Bids us good bye jus t before entering the snowsheds.
How we got ditched at Truckee .
Falling asleep in the chairs at the Hotel & getting the bounce.
The burning overcoat & flying cinders as I was crossing the desert on
a through freight going f i fty miles an hour.
Breaking & passing coal for a division.
The great preponderance of Swedes & Germans.
Honesty of a grea t majority of hobos , & good heartedness. Good Counsel .
The majority willing & eager for work . Gathering in groups & discussing t he
chances in different parts of t h€ country.
The depot deserted during the day. Only perhaps a couple of . hobos to be
seen . As the shades of night draw on they begin to issue from their retreats
& soon t here is a crowd congregated of from 12 or 15 to 50.
p. 30
Sl eeping i n the round house by the stove. An everchanging crowd. Coming
& going as every train pulls in or out.
Sleeping in t he Electric Li ght Works in Evanston. The horrible heat . My
restles sness . Searching for wa t er. Kindly directed t o go down through the
s now to the river. Sitt ing in the snow till I fro ze then back t o the boilers
where I baked.
The two cattle punchers. Long & Shorty & their carouse in Rock Springs.
Scraps & drinks between.
The red hot cinder striking in the hollow of the neck .
madman.
cting l ike a
The difference of speed on the road. The quiet easy going , the slow
pokes & the comets. Strange meetings , by series of accidents & dit ches an
,e~sy goer overtakes a comet but i s left in the end. The ease the kids have
in beating their wa y . Good crews & bad crews. Sometimes met in streaks.
The Kangaroo Court. With 50 & 25 cops . Recreat ion Song or dance the
J udge .
Grumbling before dinner, happy after dinner .
Breaking camp in Van Meter in t he midst of the thunder s torm. Storming
the com[m]issary next morning .
S. P.
C.P.
U.P.
U. T. L.
C. F.T.
C.F. X.
Southern Pacific
Central Pacific
Union Pacific
Union Tank Line
California Fruit Transportation
" " Express
stiff.
push.
batter.
set down
hound out
poke out
privates
mooching
kip
shiv.
floater .
chuck
smondge[?]
scoffs
Java
Jerryhorse
Jerry gang
wipe
floppins
mulligan.
rollin a stiff
Alke stiff
Alke gang
lum
light piece
dynamiter.
glam .
swiped.
Creator
Source
The original of this item is located at Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, COLL MSS 10 Box 20 Folder 9.
Publisher
Date
1894
Rights
Reproduction for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of the USU Libraries Manuscript Curator, phone (435) 797-0891.
Relation
Jack and Charmian London Correspondence and Papers, 1894-1953
For more information about this collection, please see the finding aid at : http://uda-db.orbiscascade.org/findaid/ark:/80444/xv27206
Jack London Digital Collection
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