Читать книгу The Overland Trail онлайн

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Still graver was the danger to lonely outpost cabins along the Trail from white man thugs perpetrating outrages on the Pawnees and the Pawnees’ demand for blood atonement falling on these unprotected families. So great was the danger, Colonel Dodge moved his family across to Council Bluffs. Buffalo Bill at this time scout, sometimes Pony Express rider to Fort Kearney, moved his family to Fort Leavenworth. When six thousand Mormons moved across to Florence (Omaha) to begin their long trek, this suburb of the city was named after Brigham Young’s favorite wife, a relative of President Cleveland’s wife. Mormon trade was worth two million dollars a year to the little shops of what is now a beautiful suburb. Purchases by Overlanders ran at two thousand dollars a day in Omaha. Lots were selling at twenty-five dollars each or nothing to people who would build and improve. Omaha had numbered only five hundred before the Mormons came. As emigrants passed westward, the first post-office was a man’s hat. He would come from his shop and yell the name of the emigrant and hand the letter out of his hat. Farther along the Trail, a buffalo skull was marked Post-Office and letters of advance parties were picked out by following relatives. Later still, a wagon-box was rigged up with pigeonholes and set behind the counters of outfitters’ shops in whose care letters were left. It was all very primitive, but it answered.