7th. There are several stations here, at which they sell flour at $1.50
per lb.; meals at $2.00 a head, and liquor at $1.00 a drink, and
measure it themselves. There are great complaints of stock stealing
here, some of the station keepers having a hand in it. About 20 men
went down the river to-day to take some stock away from the Indians,
which they had stolen. Among them, I saw Mountaineer Jack. He was
riding a pony upon the full gallop, his hair, which would reach over
his shoulders, streaming in the wind; he was dressed in buckskin from
head to foot, sunburnt and bearded, his head guiltless of any other
covering but that of nature's; he presented the most perfect specimen
of a wild man, conveying to the beholder a feeling not unmixed with
dread as he approached, rifle in hand, and his belt stuck full of
revolvers and bowie knives. But Jack is always the poor man's friend,
and shabby as he looks, his pockets are always lined with the yellow
boys. He is now here at the station, ever ready to take part in
whatever comes up, whether it be a game of French monte, a frolic, or
to make a foray upon the Indian villages in the mountains, or recover
the emigrants horses. A good story is told of him, of an incident which
transpired a few days ago. He was then over the desert on the Humboldt.
A couple of starved foot packers came across him, and taking Jim from
his wild appearance to be some destitute emigrant as bad off as
themselves, and as misery loves company, hailed him with, "Halloo,
friend, we had better travel in company; you look as if you had seen as
hard times as ourselves." Jack stopped and looked at them until they
came up, when he asked them what they meant. They told him that they
were starving, and had neither provision nor money--"What!" said Jack,
"are you going to starve in this fine country? You are a couple of
d----d fools if you do." They replied that they had no money, and if
they had it would not buy food here. Jack put his hand in his pocket
and pulled out a 10 dollar piece and gave them, telling them to go and
buy some flour. They then started for the river to where there were
some trains in sight, and Jack along with them. They found on the river
a large train, the men of which were feeding flour to their mules.--One
of them walked up to the captain of the train, and stating their
condition and circumstances asked him to _sell_ them some flour. He
refused to do it, telling them he wanted it for his mules. They told
him they were starving, but he replied that he must look out for
himself before he did for other folks, and that they might as well be
off. Jack stood a silent listener to the conversation, but when he
found that the captain would not let them have any flour, he walked up
to him and asked him if he would let the men starve. In reply the
captain made an insulting response, when Jack raised his fist and gave
the captain a blow in the teeth, sprawling him on the ground, and
telling him that he was worse than a d----d digger to refuse starving
men flour, when he could feed it to mules; he left him and went with
the packers to where they succeeded in buying some flour.
Moved our camp up the river six miles to better grass. Saw Bagwell
again; he said that he never came so near perishing as he did in
crossing the desert; that having nothing to eat but the piece of dried
meat, which being somewhat salt, made him thirsty, and having no water,
his tortures became almost insupportable, and that when he reached the
first water camp, his tongue was swollen so that he could not keep it
in his mouth, and had turned black; that he expended his half dollar,
(which was all the money that he had) for water, which enabled him to
reach the river, where he got a meal of victuals on credit, and went to
work cutting grass and getting it across the river at sixpence a
bundle, and was making five dollars a day at the business. He left the
road where we struck the river for us to come up to where he was, and
he would have all the grass ready for us that we should want gratis,
but finding grass, we were not compelled to tax him.
We had a California court in camp to-day. A couple of Irishmen got a
man drunk, and after getting him to lie down, laid themselves down one
on each side of him. Presently a man from Pike co. Ill., came along,
and said that they were picking his pockets. Seeing that nobody else
would interfere, I went to him, tumbled him over and took the money
away from him, when the bystanders, a crowd of whom had gathered
around, picked him up and kicked him out of the camp. When this was
settled some men came forward and stated that the other one had picked
another man's pocket who was then drunk in a gully near bye, then
tumbled him over, and found as drunk as he pretended to be, he got over
it very easily when his turn came. He jumped upon his feet and denied
the charge so vehemently, and with such brazen impudence, that many
thought I was mistaken and wrong in holding him to it. I insisted on
taking him to the man who was robbed, which was done, when he admitted
that he picked his pocket, but said the man was his brother, which we
found to be true; this so enraged those who had spoken in his favor,
that they whirled him around and commenced kicking him out of the camp.
In the affray he drew a revolver, which was instantly knocked out of
his hand. A man on the bank of the river seeing the revolver ran for
it, which led to another scuffle, those who were kicking him supposing
him to be a friend to Barney, but the man succeeded in getting the
pistol, which he instantly threw into the river.
A man was found dead in a wagon on the desert this morning; he probably
died of hunger and thirst. The Carson River is about 12 yards wide at
this place, and three feet deep. Its banks are composed of ridges with
narrow bottoms covered with willows and scattering cottonwood trees,
with some grass.