the paths of inland commerce-第23部分

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ouri；　and　the　Arkansas；　had　its　headquarters　at　St。　Louis；　whence　the　notable　band　of　men　engaged　in　that　trade　were　reaching　out　to　the　Rockies。　The　roll　includes　Ashley；　Campbell；　Sublette；　Manuel　Lisa；　Perkins；　Hempstead；　William　Clark；　Labadie；　the　Chouteaus；　and　Menardmen　of　different　races　and　colors　and　alike　only　in　their　energy；　bravery；　and　initiative。　Through　them　the　village　of　St。　Louis　had　grown　to　a　population　of　four　thousand　in　1819；　when　Major　Long's　expedition　passed　up　the　Missouri　in　the　first　steamboat　to　ascend　that　river。　This　boat；　the　Western　Engineer；　was　built　at　Pittsburgh　and　was　modeled　cunningly　for　its　work。　It　was　one　of　the　first　stern　wheelers　built　in　the　West；　and　the　saving　in　width　meant　much　on　streams　having　such　narrow　channels　as　the　Missouri　and　the　Platte；　especially　when　barges　were　to　be　towed。　Then；　too；　its　machinery；　which　was　covered　over　or　boarded　up；　was　shrouded　in　mystery。　A　fantastic　figure　representing　a　serpent's　open　mouth　contained　the　exhaust　pipe。　If　the　New　Orleans　alarmed　the　population　of　the　Ohio　Valley；　the　sensation　caused　among　the　red　children　of　the　Missouri　at　the　sight　of　this　gigantic　snake　belching　fire　and　smoke　must　have　thoroughly　satisfied　the　whim　of　its　designer。

The　admission　of　Missouri　to　statehood　and　the　independence　of　Mexico　mark　the　beginning　of　real　commercial　relations　between　St。　Louis　and　Santa　Fe。　In　1822　Captain　William　Becknell　organized　the　first　wagon　train　which　left　the　Missouri　（at　Franklin；　near　Independence）　for　the　long　dangerous　journey　to　the　Arkansas　and　on　to　Santa　Fe。　In　the　following　year　two　expeditions　set　forth；　carrying　out　cottons　and　other　drygoods　to　exchange　for　horses；　mules；　furs；　and　silver。

Despite　the　handicaps　of　Indian　opposition　and　Mexican　tariffs；　the　Santa　Fe　trade　became　an　important　factor　in　the　growth　of　St。　Louis　and　the　Missouri　River　steamboat　lines。　In　1825　the　pathway　was　〃surveyed〃　from　Franklin　to　San　Fernando；　then　in　Mexico。　This　Santa　Fe　trade　grew　from　fifteen　thousand　pounds　of　freight　in　1822　to　nearly　half　a　million　pounds　twenty　years　later。

By　1826　steamboat　traffic　up　the　Missouri　began　to　assume　regularity。　The　navigation　was　dangerous　and　difficult　because　the　Missouri　never　kept　even　an　approximately　constant　head　of　water。　In　times　of　drought　it　became　very　shallow；　and　in　times　of　flood　it　tore　its　wayward　course　open　in　any　direction　it　chose。　〃Of　all　variable　things　in　creation；〃　wrote　a　Western　editor；　〃the　most　uncertain　are　the　action　of　a　jury；　the　state　of　a　woman's　mind；　and　the　condition　of　the　Missouri　River。〃　A　further　handicap；　and　one　which　was　unknown　on　the　Ohio　and　rare　on　the　Mississippi；　was　the　lack　of　forests　to　supply　the　necessary　fuel。　The　Missouri；　it　is　true；　had　its　cottonwoods；　but　in　a　green　state　they　were　poor　fuel；　and　along　vast　stretches　they　were　not　obtainable　in　any　quantity。

The　steamboat　linked　St。　Louis　with　that　vital　stretch　of　the　river　lying　between　the　mouth　of　the　Kansas　and　the　mouth　of　the　Nebraska。　From　this　region　the　great　Western　trail　ran　on　to　California　and　Oregon。　In　the　early　thirties　Bonneville；　Walker；　Kelley；　and　Wyeth　successively　essayed　this　Overland　Trail　by　way　of　the　Platte　through　the　South　Pass　of　the　Rockies　to　the　Humboldt；　Snake；　and　Columbia　rivers。　From　Independence　on　the　Missouri　this　famous　pathway　led　to　Fort　Laramie；　a　distance　of　672　miles；　another　800…mile　climb　brought　the　traveler　through　South　Pass；　and　so；　by　way　of　Fort　Bridger；　Salt　Lake；　and　Sutter's　Fort；　to　San　Francisco。　The　route；　well　known　by　hundreds　of　Oregon　pioneers　in　the　early　forties；　became　a　thoroughfare　in　the　eager　days　of　the　Forty…Niners。*

*　For　map　see　〃The　Passing　of　the　Frontier；〃　by　Emerson　Hough　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


The　earliest　overland　stage　line　to　Great　Salt　Lake　was　established　by　Hockaday　and　Liggett。　After　the　founding　of　the　famous　Overland　Stage　Company　by　Russell；　Majors；　and　Waddell　in　1858；　stages　were　soon　ascending　the　Platte　from　the　steamboat　terminals　on　the　Missouri　and　making　the　twelve　hundred　miles　from　St。　Joseph　to　Salt　Lake　City　in　ten　days。　Stations　were　established　from　ten　to　fifteen　miles　apart；　and　the　line　was　soon　extended　on　to　Sacramento。　The　nineteen　hundred　miles　from　St。　Joseph　to　Sacramento　were　made　in　fifteen　days　although　the　government　contract　with　the　company　for　handling　United　States　mail　allowed　nineteen　days。　A　host　of　employees　was　engaged　in　this　exciting　but　not　very　remunerative　enterprisestation…agents　and　helpers；　drivers；　conductors　who　had　charge　of　passengers；　in　addition　to　mail　and　express　and　road　agents　who　acted　as　　division　superintendents。　In　1862　the　Overland　Route　was　taken　　over　by　the　renowned　Ben　Holliday；　who　operated　it　until　the　　railway　was　constructed　seven　years　later。　Freight　was　hauled　by　　the　same　company　in　wagons　known　as　the　〃J。　Murphy　wagons；〃　which

were　made　in　St。　Louis。　These　wagons　went　out　from　Leavenworth　　loaded　with　six　thousand　pounds　of　freight　each。　A　train　usually　　consisted　of　twenty…five　wagons　and　was　known；　in　the　vernacular　　of　the　plains；　as　a　〃bull…outfit〃；　the　drivers　were　　〃bull…whackers〃；　and　the　wagon　master　was　the　〃bull…wagon　boss。〃

The　old　story；　however；　was　repeated　again　here　on　the　boundless　plains　of　the　West。　The　Western　trails　streaming　out　from　the　terminus　of　steamboat　traffic　between　Kansas　City　and　Omaha　had　scarcely　time　to　become　well　known　before　the　railway　conquerors　of　the　Atlantic　and　Great　Lakes　regions　were　planning　the　conquest　of　the　greater　plains　and　the　Rockies　beyond。　The　opening　of　the　Chinese　ports　in　1844　turned　men's　minds　as　never　before　to　the　Pacific　coast。　The　acquisition　of　Oregon　within　a　few　years　and　of　California　at　the　close　of　the　Mexican　War　opened　the　way　for　a　newspaper　and　congressional　discussion　as　to　whether　the　first　railway　to　parallel　the　Santa　Fe　or　the　Overland　Trail　should　run　from　Memphis；　St。　Louis；　or　Chicago。　The　building　of　the　Union　Pacific　from　Omaha　westward　assured　the　future　of　that　city；　and　it　was　soon　joined　to　Chicago　and　the　East　by　several　lines　which　were　building　toward　Clinton；　Rock　Island；　and　Burlington。

But　the　construction　of　a　few　main　lines　of　railway　across　the　continent　could　only　partially　satisfy　the　commercial　needs　of　the　West。　True；　the　overland　trade　was　at　once　transferred　to　the　railroad；　but　the　enormous　equipment　of　stage　and　express　companies　previously　employed　in　westward　overland　trade　was　now　devoted　to　joining　the　railway　lines　with　the　vast　regions　to　the　north　and　the　south。　The　rivers　of　the　West　could　not　alone　take　care　of　this　commerce　and　for　many　years　these　great　transportation　companies　went　with　their　stages　and　their　wagons　into　the　growing　Dakota　and　Montana　trade　and　opened　up　direct　lines　of　communication　to　the　nearest　railway。　On　the　south　the　cattle　industry　of　Texas　came　northward　into　touch　with　the　railways　of　Kansas。　Eventually　lateral　and　trunk　lines　covered　the　West　with　their　network　of　lines　and　thus　obliterated　all　rivalry　and　competition　by　providing　unmatched　facilities　for　quick　transportation。

In　the　last　days　previous　to　the　opening　of　the　first　transcontinental　railway　line　a　unique　method　of　rapid　transportation　for　mail　and　light　parcels　was　established　when　the　famous　〃Pony　Express〃　line　was　put　into　operation　between　St。　Joseph　and　San　Francisco　in　1860。　By　relays　of　horsemen；　who　carried　pouches　not　exceeding　twenty　pounds　in　weight；　the　time　was　cut　to　nine　days。　The　innovation　was　the　new　wonder　of　the　world　for　the　time　being　and　led　to　an　outburst　on　the　part　of　the　enthusiastic　editor　of　the　St。　Joseph　Free　Democrat　that　deserves　reading　because　it　breathes　so　fully　the　Western　spirit　of　exultant　conquest：

〃Take　down　your　map　and　trace　the　footprints　of　our　quadrupedantic　animal：　From　St。　Joseph；　on　the　Missouri；　to　San　Francisco；　on　the　Golden　Horn　two　thousand　milesmore　than　half　the　distance　across　our　boundless　continent；　through　Kansas；　through　Nebraska；　by　Fort　Kearney；　along　the　Platte；　by　Fort　Laramie；　past　the　Buttes；　over　the　Mountains；　through　the　narrow　passes　and　along　the　steep　defiles；　Utah；　Fort　Bridger；　Salt　Lake　City；　he　witches　Brigham　with　his　swift　pony…ship　through　the　valleys；　along　the　grassy　slopes；　into　the　snow；　into　the　sand；　faster　than　Thor's　Thialfi；　away　they　go；　rider　and　horsedid　you　see　them？　They　are　in　California；　leaping　over　its　golden　sands；　treading　its　busy　streets。　The　courser　has　unrolled　to　us　the　great　American　panorama；　allowed　us　to　glance　at　the　home　of　one　million　people；　and　has　put　a　girdle　around　the　earth　in　forty　minutes。　Verily　the　riding　is　like　the　riding　of　Jehu；　the　son　of　Nimshi　for　he　rideth　furiously。　Take　out　your　watch。　We　are　eight　days　from　New　York；　eighteen　from　London。　The　race　is　to　the　swift。〃*　

*　Quoted　in　Inman's　〃The　Great　Salt　Lake　Trail；〃　p。　171。


The　lifetime　of　many　and　many　a　man　has　covered　a　period　longer　than　that　interval　of　eighty…six　years　between　1783；　when　George　Washington　had　his　vision　of　〃the　vast　inland　navigation　of　these　United　States；〃　and　the　year　1869；　when　the　two　divisions　of　the　Union　Pacific　were　joined　by　a　golden　spike　at　Promontory　Point　in　Utah。　In　point　of　time；　those　eighty…six　years　are　as　nothing；　in　point　of　accomplishment；　they　stand　unparalleled。　When　Washington's　horse　splashed　across　the　Youghiogheny　in　October；　1784；　the　boundary　lines　of　the　United　States　were　guarded　with　all　the　jealousy　and　provincial　selfishness　of　European　kingdoms。　But　overnight；　so　to　sneak　these　limitations　became　no　more　than　mere　geometrical　expressions。　〃Pennamite；〃　〃Erie；〃　and　〃Toledo〃　wars　between　the　States；　suggesting　a　world　of　bitterness　and　recrimination；　are　remembered　today；　if　at　all；　only　by　the　cartoonist　and　the　playwright。　The　ancient　false　pride　in　mock　values；　so　cherished　in　Europe；　has　quite　departed　from　the　provincial　areas　of　the　United　States；　and　Americans　can　fly　in　a　day；　unwittingly；　through　many　States。　Problems　that　would　have　cost　Europe　blood　are　settled　without　turmoil　in　the　solemn　cloisters　of　that　American　〃international　tribunal；〃　the　Supreme　Court；　and　they　appear　only　as　items　of　passing　interest　in　our　ne