the passing of the frontier-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



If　on　the　south　the　valley　of　the　Arkansas　led　outward　to　New　Spain；　yet　other　pathways　made　out　from　the　Mississippi　River　into　the　unknown　lands。　The　Missouri　was　the　first　and　last　of　our　great　natural　frontier　roads。　Its　lower　course　swept　along　the　eastern　edge　of　the　Plains；　far　to　the　south；　down　to　the　very　doors　of　the　most　adventurous　settlements　in　the　Mississippi　Valley。　Those　who　dared　its　stained　and　turbulent　current　had　to　push　up；　onward；　northward；　past　the　mouth　of　the　Platte；　far　to　the　north　across　degrees　of　latitude；　steadily　forward　through　a　vast　virgin　land。　Then　the　river　bent　boldly　and　strongly　off　to　the　west；　across　another　empire。　Its　great　falls　indicated　that　it　headed　high；　beyond　the　great　falls　its　steady　sweep　westward　and　at　last　southward；　led　into　yet　other　kingdoms。

When　we　travel　by　horse　or　by　modern　motor　car　in　that　now　accessible　region　and　look　about　us；　we　should　not　fail　to　reflect　on　the　long　trail　of　the　upbound　boats　which　Manuel　Lisa　and　other　traders　sent　out　almost　immediately　upon　the　return　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition。　We　should　see　them　struggling　up　against　that　tremendous　current　before　steam　was　known；　driven　by　their　lust　for　new　lands。　We　may　then　understand　fully　what　we　have　read　of　the　enterprises　of　the　old　American　Fur　Company；　and　bring　to　mind　the　forgotten　names　of　Campbell　and　Sublette；　of　General　Ashley　and　of　Wyethnames　to　be　followed　by　others　really　of　less　importance；　as　those　of　Bonneville　and　Fremont。　That　there　could　be　farms；　that　there　ever　might　be　homes；　in　this　strange　wild　country；　was；　to　these　early　adventurers；　unthinkable。

Then　we　should　picture　the　millions　of　buffalo　which　once　covered　these　plains　and　think　of　the　waste　and　folly　of　their　slaughtering。　We　should　see　the　long　streams　of　the　Mackinaw　boats　swimming　down　the　Missouri；　bound　for　St。　Louis；　laden　with　bales　of　buffalo　and　beaver　peltry；　every　pound　of　which　would　be　worth　ten　dollars　at　the　capital　of　the　fur　trade；　and　we　should　restore　to　our　minds　the　old　pictures　of　savage　tribesmen；　decked　in　fur…trimmed　war…shirts　and　plumed　bonnets；　armed　with　lance　and　sinewed　bow　and　bull…neck　shield；　not　forgetting　whence　they　got　their　horses　and　how　they　got　their　food。

The　great　early　mid…continental　highway；　known　as　the　Oregon　Trail　or　the　Overland　Trail；　was　by　way　of　the　Missouri　up　the　Platte　Valley；　thence　across　the　mountains。　We　know　more　of　this　route　because　it　was　not　discontinued；　but　came　steadily　more　and　more　into　use；　for　one　reason　after　another。　The　fur　traders　used　it；　the　Forty…Niners　used　it；　the　cattlemen　used　it　in　part；　the　railroads　used　it；　and；　lastly；　the　settlers　and　farmers　used　it　most　of　all。

In　physical　features　the　Platte　River　route　was　similar　to　that　of　the　Arkansas　Valley。　Each　at　its　eastern　extremity；　for　a　few　days'　travel；　passed　over　the　rolling　grass…covered　and　flower…besprinkled　prairies　ere　it　broke　into　the　high　and　dry　lands　of　the　Plains；　with　their　green　or　grey　or　brown　covering　of　practically　flowerless　short　grasses。　But　between　the　two　trails　of　the　Arkansas　and　the　Platte　there　existed　certain　wide　differences。　At　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　two　trails　were　quite　distinct　in　personnel；　if　that　word　may　be　used。　The　Santa　Fe　Trail　showed　Spanish　influences；　that　of　the　Platte　Valley　remained　far　more　nearly　American。

Thus　far　the　frontier　had　always　been　altering　the　man　who　came　to　it；　and；　indirectly；　always　altering　those　who　dwelt　back　of　the　frontier；　nearer　to　the　Appalachians　or　the　Atlantic。　A　new　people　now　was　in　process　of　formationa　people　born　of　a　new　environment。　America　and　the　American　were　conceiving。　There　was　soon　to　be　born；　soon　swiftly　to　grow；　a　new　and　lasting　type　of　man。　Man　changes　an　environment　only　by　bringing　into　it　new　or　better　transportation。　Environment　changes　man。　Here　in　the　midcontinent；　at　the　mid…century；　the　frontier　and　the　ways　of　the　frontier　were　writing　their　imprint　on　the　human　product　of　our　land。

The　first　great　caravans　of　the　Platte　Valley；　when　the　wagon…trains　went　out　hundreds　strong；　were　not　the　same　as　the　scattering　cavalcade　of　the　fur　hunters；　not　the　same　as　the　ox…trains　and　mule…trains　of　the　Santa　Fe　traffic。　The　men　who　wore　deepest　the　wheel　marks　of　the　Oregon　Trail　were　neither　trading　nor　trapping　men；　but　homebuilding　menthe　first　real　emigrants　to　go　West　with　the　intent　of　making　homes　beyond　the　Rockies。

The　Oregon　Trail　had　been　laid　out　by　the　explorers　of　the　fur　trade。　Zealous　missionaries　had　made　their　way　over　the　trail　in　the　thirties。　The　Argonauts　of　'49　passed　over　it　and　left　it　only　after　crossing　the　Rockies。　But；　before　gold　in　California　was　dreamed　of；　there　had　come　back　to　the　States　reports　of　lands　rich　in　resources　other　than　gold；　lying　in　the　far　Northwest；　beyond　the　great　mountain　ranges　and；　before　the　Forty…Niners　were　heard　of；　farmers；　homebuilders；　emigrants；　men　with　their　families；　men　with　their　household　goods；　were　steadily　passing　out　for　the　far…off　and　unknown　country　of　Oregon。

The　Oregon　Trail　was　the　pathway　for　Fremont　in　1842；　perhaps　the　most　overvalued　explorer　of　all　the　West；　albeit　this　comment　may　to　some　seem　harsh。　Kit　Carson　and　Bill　Williams　led　Fremont　across　the　Rockies　almost　by　the　hand。　Carson　and　Williams　themselves　had　been　taken　across　by　the　Indian　tribes。　But　Fremont　could　write；　and　the　story　which　he　set　down　of　his　first　expedition　inflamed　the　zeal　of　all。　Men　began　to　head　out　for　that　far…away　country　beyond　the　Rockies。　Not　a　few　scattered　bands；　but　very　many；　passed　up　the　valley　of　the　Platte。　There　began　a　tremendous　trek　of　thousands　of　men　who　wanted　homes　somewhere　out　beyond　the　frontier。　And　that　was　more　than　ten　years　before　the　Civil　War。　The　cow　trade　was　not　dreamed　of；　the　coming　cow　country　was　overleaped　and　ignored。

Our　national　horizon　extended　immeasurably　along　that　dusty　way。　In　the　use　of　the　Oregon　Trail　we　first　began　to　be　great。　The　chief　figure　of　the　American　West；　the　figure　of　the　ages；　is　not　the　long…haired；　fringed…legging　man　riding　a　raw…boned　pony；　but　the　gaunt　and　sadfaced　woman　sitting　on　the　front　seat　of　the　wagon；　following　her　lord　where　he　might　lead；　her　face　hidden　in　the　same　ragged　sunbonnet　which　had　crossed　the　Appalachians　and　the　Missouri　long　before。　That　was　America；　my　brethren！　There　was　the　seed　of　America's　wealth。　There　was　the　great　romance　of　all　Americathe　woman　in　the　sunbonnet；　and　not；　after　all；　the　hero　with　the　rifle　across　his　saddle　horn。　Who　has　written　her　story？　Who　has　painted　her　picture？

They　were　large　days；　those　of　the　great　Oregon　Trail；　not　always　pleasingly　dramatic；　but　oftentimes　tragic　and　terrible。　We　speak　of　the　Oregon　Trail；　but　it　means　little　to　us　today；　nor　will　any　mere　generalities　ever　make　it　mean　much　to　us。　But　what　did　it　mean　to　the　men　and　women　of　that　day？　What　and　who　were　those　men　and　women？　What　did　it　mean　to　take　the　Overland　Trail　in　the　great　adventure　of　abandoning　forever　the　known　and　the　safe　and　setting　out　for　Oregon　or　California　at　a　time　when　everything　in　the　far　West　was　new　and　unknown？　How　did　those　good　folk　travel？　Why　and　whither　did　they　travel？

There　is　a　book　done　by　C。　F。　McGlashan；　a　resident　of　Truckee；　California；　known　as　〃The　History　of　the　Donner　Party；〃　holding　a　great　deal　of　actual　history。　McGlashan；　living　close　to　Donner　Lake；　wrote　in　1879；　describing　scenes　with　which　he　was　perfectly　familiar；　and　recounting　facts　which　he　had　from　direct　association　with　participants　in　the　ill…fated　Donner　Party。　He　chronicles　events　which　happened　in　1846a　date　before　the　discovery　of　gold　in　California。　The　Donner　Party　was　one　of　the　typical　American　caravans　of　homeseekers　who　started　for　the　Pacific　Slope　with　no　other　purpose　than　that　of　founding　homes　there；　and　with　no　expectation　of　sudden　wealth　to　be　gained　in　the　mines。　I　desire　therefore　to　quote　largely　from　the　pages　of　this　book；　believing　that；　in　this　fashion；　we　shall　come　upon　history　of　a　fundamental　sort；　which　shall　make　us　acquainted　with　the　men　and　women　of　that　day；　with　the　purposes　and　the　ambitions　which　animated　them；　and　with　the　hardships　which　they　encountered。

〃The　States　along　the　Mississippi　were　but　sparsely　settled　in　1846；　yet　the　fame　of　the　fruitfulness；　the　healthfulness；　and　the　almost　tropical　beauty　of　the　land　bordering　the　Pacific；　tempted　the　members　of　the　Donner　Party　to　leave　their　homes。　These　homes　were　situated　in　Illinois；　Iowa；　Tennessee；　Missouri；　and　Ohio。　Families　from　each　of　these　States　joined　the　train　and　participated　in　its　terrible　fate；　yet　the　party　proper　was　organized　in　Sangamon　County；　Illinois；　by　George　and　Jacob　Donner　and　James　F。　Reed。　Early　in　April；　1846；　the　party　set　out　from　Springfield；　Illinois；　and　by　the　first　week　in　May　reached　Independence；　Missouri。　Here　the　party　was　increased　by　additional　members；　and　the　train　comprised　about　one　hundred　persons。。。。　〃In　the　party　were　aged　fathers　with　their　trusting　families　about　them；　mothers　whose　very　lives　were　wrapped　up　in　their　children；　men　in　the　prime　and　vigor　of　manhood；　maidens　in　all　the　sweetness　and　freshnes