Illinois to the California Goldfields in ’49
The year 1849 stands as a pivotal moment in American history, etched in collective memory as the peak of the California Gold Rush. The allure of instant wealth drew hopefuls from every corner of the nation, transforming sleepy settlements into bustling boomtowns and forever altering the landscape and demographics of the West. This is the story of one such journey, a testament to the ambition, hardship, and resilience of those who dared to chase the golden dream.
Our narrative centers on Lorenzo Dow Stephens, a 21-year-old from Illinois, who, like countless others, succumbed to the siren call of fortune. On March 28, 1849, Stephens joined a company of fellow Illinoisans, embarking on the arduous trek to the California goldfields. His personal account, penned in 1916, offers a vivid and intimate glimpse into the realities of this transformative era.
Stephens’ story, detailed in his book Life Sketches of a Jayhawker of ’49, isn’t just a chronicle of geographical movement; it’s a deep dive into the emotional and physical challenges faced by those who sought their fortunes in the West. From the bittersweet goodbyes to loved ones to the relentless demands of the trail, his words paint a picture of a journey fraught with peril and uncertainty. His journey to the California goldfields is one of many that shape the history of the west.
The initial preparations for the journey to the California goldfields were significant. Stephens describes the typical outfit as consisting of three to four yokes of oxen, pulling sturdy wagons laden with provisions, bedding, and clothing. He later noted, with the benefit of hindsight, that they were initially far too heavily loaded. The departure itself was a wrenching experience, a stark realization of the sacrifices involved in leaving behind home, family, and familiar surroundings. It was a moment of profound doubt, a powerful urge to turn back. Yet, fueled by pride and the fear of ridicule, Stephens pressed on, steeling himself for the unknown. This journey to the California goldfields was a life-changing experience.
The spring of 1849 proved to be exceptionally wet, turning roads into quagmires and streams into raging torrents. The emigrants faced the constant challenge of washed-out bridges, necessitating time-consuming repairs or the construction of makeshift replacements. Larger streams demanded the creation of log rafts to ferry wagons across, while the livestock were forced to swim, battling the powerful currents. The prairie sloughs of Iowa proved particularly treacherous, seemingly bottomless pits that required layers of cut sod to create a passable surface. The early start to the season also meant that the available grass was insufficient to sustain the livestock, forcing the travelers to purchase feed until they reached the Missouri River.
Iowa, at this time, was sparsely populated, with farmhouses often spaced twenty miles or more apart. Small, unpainted villages dotted the landscape. However, the region was abundant in game, providing opportunities to supplement their dwindling supplies with deer, wild turkeys, and prairie chickens. Upon reaching Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the Missouri River, the company traveled south to Traders’ Point, a distance of ten to twelve miles. This marked the edge of settled territory and the beginning of Indian country. Realizing the increased safety of traveling in larger numbers, they waited a week for others to join them, but the unwieldy size of the resulting group hindered progress. To improve their speed, they divided into smaller companies.
Crossing the Missouri River presented its own set of challenges. The ferry consisted of a small scow, capable of carrying only one empty wagon at a time, propelled by two oarsmen against the swift current. Transporting fifty wagons and their loads was a laborious and time-consuming process. The cattle initially resisted swimming, circling aimlessly for hours, seemingly disoriented by the sun’s reflection on the water. The solution came with an early morning start, towing a steer in a small boat, which the rest of the cattle instinctively followed to the opposite shore.
The first encounter with Native Americans occurred shortly after crossing the river. As the emigrants prepared supper around their campfires, they were startled by volleys of gunfire. Moments later, a group of 200-300 Pawnee Indians charged toward the camp at full speed. The emigrants quickly readied their rifles, but the Pawnee raised a white flag and were permitted to enter. It turned out they were fleeing from a battle with the Sioux tribe, seeking protection within the emigrant camp. The travelers, wary of becoming embroiled in intertribal conflict, ordered the Pawnee away, emphasizing their desire to avoid trouble with the Sioux, whose territory they would soon be traversing. The incident prompted the emigrants to organize themselves in a military fashion, establishing picket guards and enforcing strict rules against firing weapons to prevent false alarms.
Despite these precautions, the emigrants gradually grew complacent, venturing further from camp to hunt and explore the surrounding terrain. On one such occasion, Stephens and a companion were ambushed by a group of Sioux Indians while walking along the riverbank. After exchanging a few words with one of the Sioux, a hail of arrows rained down upon them. Realizing they were out of range for accurate shots, the Indians seemed to be targeting Stephens’ rifle, which was adorned with twenty-seven pieces of silver mounting. The two men fled back to the train, ten miles away, and were initially met with skepticism and teasing about their lack of scalps.
Further west in Iowa, the company passed the grave of the renowned Indian Chief Black Hawk, a figure of the Black Hawk War. The grave was situated near a small, unnamed stream. While rafting across this stream, a mishap occurred, causing a wagon to sink to the bottom. Fortunately, the load had been transferred to another wagon, and the sunken wagon was retrieved without much difficulty. However, on another occasion, a wagon overturned while crossing a stream, resulting in the loss of three barrels of hard bread, a significant setback for their dwindling supplies.
Approximately twenty miles from the Missouri River, they came upon the winter quarters of the Mormon excursion of 1846 and 1847. Although deserted, they found a Mormon Guide Book, which proved invaluable for its detailed measurements of roads and distances between campsites. The book indicated that the entire distance from the winter quarters to Salt Lake City was 1,031 miles, with only two settlements along the way: Fort Laramie and Fort Bridger in Wyoming.
Fort Laramie was garrisoned by twenty soldiers, while Fort Bridger was inhabited by James Bridger and some Indians. While visiting Fort Bridger, several of the emigrants, including Stephens, were engaged in conversation with Bridger when a sudden alarm erupted. Indians began pouring in, shouting about an approaching Indian attack. The doors were quickly barred, and rifles were prepared for a fight. However, the perceived threat turned out to be an emigrant train from Arkansas, the first from that direction, mistaken for Indians at a distance.
Shortly after passing Wood River, the company entered buffalo country. They witnessed vast herds of buffalo, their massive heads pointed north as they grazed across the plains. The buffalo seemed relatively tame, allowing the emigrants to approach them with ease. Some of the travelers shot them for sport, a practice that Stephens found wasteful and sinful. Little did they know that in a few years, these magnificent creatures would be slaughtered in the thousands for their hides, pushing them to the brink of extinction.
The prairies were also home to various types of wolves, including the common prairie wolf, gray wolves, black wolves, and a large, long-legged wolf known as the "Buffalo Ranger." These wolves were typically found near the buffalo herds, preying on the calves. The buffalo instinctively protected their young by keeping the cows and calves in the center of the herd, with the bulls forming an outer defensive ring. These Buffalo Rangers were ferocious and would attack men if driven by hunger.
On one occasion, a group of boys were caught in a severe rainstorm at nightfall while away from the train. They sought shelter under a high bank, laden with buffalo meat, including tongues and humps. During the night, they were attacked by a pack of wolves. The bank provided some protection on one side, but the wolves attacked from every other angle, forcing the boys to fend them off with their guns. For five boys, it was a long, harrowing night of fighting off the wolves. The boys were relieved to return to camp at daylight, hungry and exhausted after their night’s fight.
Despite the hardships and dangers, the emigrants found ways to entertain themselves. They had talented musicians in their company, and almost every night, they held dances around the campfire. To distinguish the "girls" from the boys, half of the participants wore handkerchiefs on their heads. Out of the fifty wagons, there wasn’t a single woman in the group, making the prospects of finding a wife slim. Stephens himself remained a bachelor for twenty years before finding his mate.
The cholera epidemic of 1849 was devastating, with many trains forced to stop due to outbreaks. Death was a frequent companion along the Platte River. After passing Fort Laramie, Stephens himself contracted cholera, but managed to continue the journey with only a day and a half of delay. The slightest jolt of the wagon caused intense suffering, but Stephens remained determined to reach California. He believed that many people died from fever as well as cholera, as death seemed almost inevitable once attacked.
Amusing incidents also occurred, providing moments of levity amidst the hardships. Friendly Indians often visited the camp in the evenings, sometimes bringing items to trade, but more often begging for food. One evening, a man with false teeth entertained the Indians by smiling broadly, displaying his teeth, then turning around and grinning toothlessly. The Indians, believing him to be an evil spirit, quickly backed away and fled.
Along the Platte River, the emigrants encountered the bodies of Indians, wrapped in bark and tied to the limbs of trees, a custom of the Pawnee tribe. However, further west on the plains, there were no trees for hundreds of miles. This scarcity of fuel forced them to rely on buffalo chips, which, when dry, made a hot fire. Before camping, each person would gather a sack full of these chips, providing a generous supply for cooking supper and breakfast. However, if it rained, the chips would become unusable, forcing them to subsist on hardtack and raw bacon.
The vastness of the landscape made it difficult to judge distances. Objects that appeared to be close often proved to be days away. A group of emigrants attempted to reach Chimney Rock, which seemed nearby, but after walking all day, they realized it was no closer and turned back, arriving at camp tired and hungry. The clear atmosphere allowed them to see Pikes Peak, over 200 miles away, creating the illusion that it was just beyond their reach.
In the Black Hills, they entered Crow Indian country, but never encountered any members of the tribe. The Crow were known to be unfriendly to whites, and when an Indian is unfriendly, they are rarely seen in their own country. However, they did encounter the Shoshone tribe, also known as the Snake Indians, who were friendly to the emigrants. Stephens and a friend visited their camp and were treated with great hospitality. The chief’s wife spoke English fluently and showed them around the camp, which consisted of over 500 people. They were invited to join a buffalo hunt, but declined due to the need to stay with the train. Their absence caused concern among the older members of the party, who feared they had been murdered by the Indians.
Several weeks later, while walking in Salt Lake City, Stephens was surprised to encounter the same Shoshone chief, who greeted him with great enthusiasm. The chief’s wife, who had been educated at a mission, was equally pleased to see him.
Thunderstorms were frequent along the Platte River and into the Black Hills, with lightning striking all around them. On one occasion, they came across a team of four yokes of oxen, hitched to a wagon, all dead, having been struck by lightning.
Disagreements and quarrels were common over trivial matters, often leading to the division of property. Wagons would be cut in half, with each party taking a portion and dividing the team and provisions.
They reached the Sweetwater River, a small but swift stream, and forded it without difficulty. They also visited Independence Rock, a prominent landmark covering an acre of ground and rising 200 feet high. It was named after its discovery on the Fourth of July. A short distance further on, they came to Devil’s Gate, a narrow gorge through the mountains. A group of emigrants attempted to pass through it, but only Stephens and another man succeeded, navigating treacherous terrain and near-vertical cliffs.
After traveling up the Sweetwater River, they turned right and ascended a long, gentle grade for twenty miles, reaching the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains. They camped on a large flat with numerous springs. The water from these springs flowed in opposite directions, some toward the Atlantic and others toward the Pacific Ocean. They experienced heavy frosts and ice, even in late July.
Continuing their journey, they reached the Little and Big Sandy Rivers, where the road forked, one leading to Fort Hall and the other to Salt Lake City. This sparked a debate about the best route to take, resulting in a division of the company. Each man chose his preferred company.
The next significant stream was the Green River, where they had to ferry again. The Mormons operated the ferry, charging five dollars per wagon, a lucrative business due to the heavy traffic. They swam the cattle across as before, fortunately without any losses. After many days of uneventful travel, they reached Emigrant Canyon, a canyon that had required six weeks of labor from the Mormons two years prior. They crossed the stream twenty-six times, a small stream that eventually flowed into Salt Lake Valley.
As they approached Salt Lake City, Stephens and two others decided to press ahead of the train. From the first bench or tableland, they saw the city and the Great Salt Lake spread out before them. They were immediately drawn to a garden full of vegetables, a welcome sight after months of meager rations. They approached a farmhouse and asked for accommodations. While they couldn’t offer sleeping quarters, they were more than happy to provide a meal. They eagerly helped prepare the vegetables, devouring green corn, peas, and other fresh produce. It was the best meal they had ever tasted, and they ate until they could eat no more. The bill was only fifty cents each, a bargain considering the value of the meal.
The city was four miles away, and they quickly walked into town, seeking a suitable camping place for the rest of the train. They found a spot near water and grass, the two most essential requirements. They camped between the city and the Jordan River, as all emigrants were required to camp on that side of the city.
The rest of the train arrived the same day, and they were soon surrounded by Mormons, primarily women, eager to trade for tea. Tea was scarce and highly valued, as were groceries and clothing. Many of the women were barefoot and poorly dressed, having worn out their clothes with no access to new supplies. However, they had seeds and cattle, providing them with the essentials of life, including gardens, beef, milk, and butter.
They grew wheat and ground their own flour, but lacked the means to bolt it, forcing them to live on unbolted flour. The women performed men’s work in the fields, harvesting wheat and threshing it with flails, lacking harvesting implements. Some women even drove teams of oxen into the canyon to haul wood. The emigrant saw how the women were doing men’s work and wondered that they advocated the plurality of wives.
After a few days, Stephens grew tired of camp life and sought a change of scenery. He boarded with a family named Smithson. The old gentleman of the house wanted another wife, causing conflict with his current wife, who threatened to leave if he brought another woman home. The old man justified his desire by claiming that "more wives meant more stars in his crown of glory." Stephens also boarded with an elder of the church, who already had two wives and was pursuing a third.
The Mormon Church was structured with a Prophet, twelve Apostles, and seventy elders, followed by teachers and laymen. They practiced baptism of the dead, baptizing living individuals on behalf of deceased relatives. One old woman nearly drowned while attempting to save seventy souls. Stephens boarded with the elder to learn more about the Mormon people, finding that the women were more forthcoming than the men. He learned that many of them were unhappy and longed to escape, but were unable to do so. He also learned about the "destroying Angels," whose duty was to eliminate undesirable individuals, and wondered if they were involved in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Salt Lake City was situated in a valley with gently rising ground toward the foothills. The streets were wide, with ditches of running water. The buildings were mostly made of logs, and the center of town featured a fort, consisting of log cabins built in a hollow square, enclosing two acres of ground. This fort was intended for defense against Indian attacks. However, the Mormons eventually established friendly relations with most of the Indians in the area, who would often say, "Mormonee, Mormonee, heaps good Mormon."
They hired teams to take them to the Great Salt Lake, about twenty miles away. The water was so salty that one could float effortlessly. The water was clear, allowing them to see the pebbles on the bottom at twenty feet. Along the shore were tons of salt, piled in rows two or three feet deep. They spent the day at the lake and returned to camp the next morning.
On Sundays, they listened to Brigham Young preach in the Tabernacle, a structure made of posts, poles, and brush, with rough-hewn lumber for seats. Young’s sermons often involved rebuking his followers for various transgressions and asserting his authority. He claimed he was not swearing, since he was swearing in the name of the Lord.
A group of them decided to prospect in the Wasatch Mountains. They left quietly at night, not wanting the Mormons to know their intentions. They were followed and watched, running out of food and eating chipmunks. They saw no elk and had a snowstorm. They found nothing.
Stephens was invited to several Mormon parties, where Brigham Young always led the dancing with the fairest woman in the room, an honor to be chosen by him. Stephens described Young as being built like Theodore Roosevelt. He was a good speaker but no orator, a great leader. When people asked how many wives he had, Stephens told them that it was indicated by how many covered wagon bodies were in the yard.
The warm springs were a popular bathing spot. On one occasion, a wagon arrived and the driver told them that they were bathing on the ladies’ bath day.
Many Mormons had returned from California with gold, which they coined in Salt Lake City into five-dollar gold pieces, imprinted with the All-Seeing Eye and the Bee Hive. However, most of the currency consisted of shinplasters, paper notes signed by Brigham Young, which circulated only among themselves. They purchased goods from the emigrants with gold coin.
As they prepared to leave, the Mormons advised them to take the Southern Route because the Donner Party was snowed in. However, the Mormons had another motive. The Southern Route went to the Old Spanish Trail, and it was their policy to have a traveled trail to the coast rather than go back to the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers for supplies.
In late September, they organized a company, and on October 1, they had gathered 105 wagons and a Mormon guide named Captain Jefferson Hunt, who claimed to know the road well. The contract was $1000 to Los Angeles, or $10 per wagon.
They were divided into seven divisions, and each division took turns leading. The division that led one day fell to the rear the next day because the leader always had the hardest work. The first part of the journey was through sagebrush. The trail was over low rolling hills covered with scrub cedars and sandy soil. They passed Little Salt Lake, where three Mormons appeared on horseback. The leader said his name was Barney Ward, and he was an old mountaineer and plainsman, and he said that they could cut 400-500 miles off their journey by following him.
The road would terminate at the mines instead of Los Angeles. They then reached what is now known as Iron Mountain. They camped next at Mountain Meadows, where the Mountain Meadow Massacre of 1857 occurred. They reached where the road left the main trail almost a day out from Mountain Meadow. Captain Hunt said those who wished to go with him could do so. Only seven of the 105 wagons accompanied him. Hunt called out to the others, "Boys, if you undertake that route, you will go to hell."
He knew what he was talking about. He had desert experience, and they had none. Brigham and the church wanted a short route to the Pacific Coast, and this was a way of getting that route prospected.
The train moved on. After two days, they came to a bluff, seemingly a thousand feet to the bottom. After a couple of days, most of the train turned back to take Captain Hunt’s trail. But the "Jay Hawkers of ’49" said they would follow the trail or die.
They found that they could get the whole division except two wagons by taking a circuitous route. The "Jay Hawkers" took the lead and followed as direct a western course as possible, turning aside for the low passes in the mountains. There was no solid range of mountains to cross, but a series of broken ranges where they crossed the passes at relatively high altitudes. There was scarce grass, and the oxen became weaker. The distances were so great between water places, and when water was found, it was blackish.
On one occasion, they had gone five days without water. But through a kind Providence on the third night, snow came. It saved many of them.
The cattle became weaker, and provisions were getting low, so they were put on short allowance. Finally, the teams could pull no further, and many had died, so the wagons were abandoned and pack saddles made on the oxen.
On Christmas day, 1849, they made pack-saddles and cooked flour into biscuits or crackers. They were divided into twos, from eight men to two men mess, and each one had his share allotted to him.
California seemed a long way off. The proposition now became a single one, for they had to subsist on the oxen, and they had become so poor there was little or no nourishment in their flesh.
As soon as an ox fell, he was butchered, and everything was saved, especially the blood. They realized that the strictest economy must prevail. They even boiled the hide. When they left Salt Lake City, they had two teams of four yoke of oxen to each and only eight men, with what they considered ample provisions. They cut the meat into strips and dried it over a fire at night. They found patches of greasewood.
Here is where the Reverend J. W. Brier and his family approached them and wanted to travel with them. They joined the "Jay Hawkers," and the little woman proved to be as plucky and brave as any woman who had ever crossed the plains. They had three small boys.
Others came to their camp; one was a company of Georgians. The next day, they saw snow in the mountains and started straight for it. But the Georgians hugged the foot of the mountain, hoping to find water in the canyon. They found no water but did find a silver mine of almost pure silver. They melted it and made a gunsight of. Thousands of dollars have been spent trying to find the gunsight lead.
Captain Townshend, the head of the Georgia company, took the company through on another route. They packed their provisions and were better supplied. They succeeded in getting through Walkers Pass, onto the head of Kern River, then into San Joaquin Valley, and to Chowchilla River, where they were nearly all murdered by the Indians.
Another party of eleven men thought they could make it by packing enough to last them. Out of the eleven, there were but two to finish the trip, the others having died in a pile. These two would have died also had it not been that they disagreed on the route to travel and stole away in the night.
In 1864, Stephens was traveling down Owens River Valley, below Owens Lake, and a man told him that some of his party had come across the remains of nine men all together behind a little barricade of brush.
Speaking of thirst, there is no punishment that compares. Their tongues would be swollen, their lips would crack, and a crust would form on their tongue and roof of the mouth that could not be removed. The body seemed to be dried through and through, and there wouldn’t be a drop of moisture in the mouth.
The Bennett party tried a different route. They sent two of their number, William Lewis Manly and John Rogers, onto the settlements for supplies and pack animals. They thought the trip there and back wouldn’t take more than two weeks, but they were gone five, and those behind gave up all hope. About this time, the boys returned and, found one lying dead. A few minutes later they heard a feeble cry.
It had become a great task to save their oxen. They had used all the iron shoes and had to depend upon moccasins for the oxen and themselves. They made them from the hides, but some of the country was so rough with rock, sharp as flint, that new moccasins had to be put on the oxen every day.
They finally reached Death Valley, where they lost two men, Fish and Isham, of the Brier party. One of their party, Deacon Richards, found a spring just about dusk. They named the spring Providence Spring.
Stephens told the story of Captain Asa Haines. He would say, "Boys, if I only had the corn that my hogs at home are rooting in the mud, I would consider it the greatest luxury imaginable," and then would cry like a baby. A few days later he said, "Boys, I feel that I can’t go any further and I’ll have to leave you." Stephens and Bill Rude gave all of their biscuits and rice to Haines. He said, "Boys, you have saved my life."
Haines remained in California briefly and returned to Illinois, where he lived not more than three miles from Stephens’ father’s house. Father wrote Stephens that Captain Haines often came to the house and told him that his son had saved his life in California.
From Providence Springs, they crossed the range of mountains, and going down the other side, one of the best oxen went over the cliff and broke his back. It seemed only a short distance across to the snow mountains that loomed up in sight, but they traveled to Indian Wells.
William Lewis Manly and John Rogers saw their light at this camp and thought they were Indians until they heard Stephens’ voice. They had found the broad plain trail that led to settlements. The trail was made by the Owen River Indians, or Paiutes, who made raids into the large ranches of California and ran off horses.
The following day, William Manly and John Rogers took the trail and hurried, anxious to return to their company. They traveled two more days, and then the trail ran into an immense desert. After years, Stephens found this was the Mohave Desert. They found bones throughout the trail. They came to a spring right in the middle of the desert.
It was a long way to the mountains. One man named Robinson had become so weak he had to be put on a mule. He fell off and died. A Frenchman became insane and, after wandering away, was captured by the Indians and kept a slave for 14 years. He was finally rescued by a United States surveying party and brought to the settlements.
At this watering place, the trail seemed to be obliterated. They ascended a long hill and saw a brook with running water. This was the headwaters of the Santa Clara River. Here, they found timber and signs of game. Three of them started after a grizzly bear. They followed the tracks till dark and camped on the tracks. In the morning, when they awoke, the snow was four inches deep. This ended the bear hunt, and they found that the oxen had stampeded and had run away beyond all recovery.
The next game they came across was an old mare and two colts. Ed Doty and Bill Rude happened to be ahead and got all three of them. They ate the old mare up that night and made jerky of the colts to pack along. As the Reverend Brier was well supplied with oxen, he permitted them to pack one or two of his oxen.
Two or three days later, some of the boys killed a deer. Among those that stayed was old man Gould, and he and Stephens tried to sleep together. He wouldn’t pull his boots off, saying that if he had to die, he wanted to die with his boots on.
The next day brought them out into the most beautiful valley Stephens ever saw in all his life, Paradise. It was covered with thousands of cattle. The Spaniards heard the shooting and gathered arms and came out to where the boys were.
It just happened that they had a man who had been in the Mexican-American War, Tom Shannon, and he knew little Spanish. When the Spaniards saw the condition of the company, they said, "Buena Mericanas," and told them to come to the ranch. The boys wouldn’t take any chances, and they began to load themselves with beef. The Spaniards told them that was too much hard work. The boys marched to the ranch and found a bullock already slaughtered. They found a bullock already slaughtered and went to eating roasted meat. This came near killing some of them, as it was too rich. Stephens ate sparingly at first, a little at a time. The ranch lies on the Santa Clara River, called San Franciscita, and was owned by Del Vule.
They were well treated and given everything they had. They offered money, but the emigrants couldn’t accept it. Some of the boys had money and offered to pay, but they wouldn’t take a cent. They were the most hospitable people Stephens ever was among where the country was first settled.
After a day or two, Stephens bathed in the water stream. He was frightened and found that he was nothing but a skeleton. After recuperating, they made arrangements to get to the mines.
Stephens went to Los Angeles. There, he accompanied a couple of men buying pack mules. He paid four dollars for a saddle tree. Everything went well until they arrived at Santa Barbara. He had been in the habit of taking the mules out to graze every morning. At Santa Barbara, he did the same thing, but it happened to be a cold, stormy morning, and rain poured down. Stephens had no coat, and the mules wanted to travel with the storm. He waited for relief and got mad. He gave the mules a good scare, and they went flying, and he broke for shelter.
He entered the dining room, where the pair were smoking their pipes by a fire, and the first greeting he got was, "Where are those mules gone to?" Then he let loose on them. A large butcher knife was lying on the table, and he kept his eye on that.
He was left stranded in Santa Barbara with a single dollar. To make it go as far as he could, he would buy himself a piece of beef and a few crackers, and go out to where there was a big log burning. An old Spanish woman saw him and asked why he didn’t come to her place and eat. She made it plain that she wanted him to come every day and for every meal. She seemed to have plenty. He spent most of his time trying to find some work, but there was none. The prospects looked gloomy, and he was 2,000 miles from home with no money. He had suffered everything but death to get there and was still some 500-600 miles from his destination, the mines.
Some emigrant wagons drove in and camped at the old log. The teams all belonged to a man called Dallas, who was one of the parties who turned back and took up Captain Hunt’s trail. They agreed that he should board Stephens at twelve dollars a week and give him the privilege of riding in the wagon. He was supposed to pay for his passage when he got to work in the mines. About two days out, one of the drivers said he had a lame back; Dallas came to Stephens and asked him to take the man’s place, saying he would make it alright with him. For five weeks, Stephens drove the team.
At one place, a tree had fallen across the road. When Stephens attempted to pass, the tree stuck in the end gate of the wagon. While he was busy cutting the tree off, Dallas came up and started his abuse. He ran around the wagon, keeping the wagon between them. Others came up, and quiet was restored. This ended Stephens driving team, for he told Dallas that he wouldn’t drive another step for him.
They reached and passed through San Jose in March 1850. The Legislature was in session. San Jose was nothing but a Mexican settlement of adobe shanties and gambling dens. Santa Clara Street ran to Third, and after that, you ran into the mustard grass.
Going towards San Jose Mission, they passed two houses. The first was occupied by Mr. Vestal, about a mile from town, and Jim Murphy lived in the second house. Just beyond the crossing of Coyote Creek, some Alvisos lived near the foothills on the east side of the valley. On the road where Milpitas now is, there was nothing but a horse corral. In Milpitas, Stephens built the first cabin in 1852.
Passing the Mission, they came into the Livermore Valley, where Livermore himself lived, and offered Stephens work at $200 a month and board. They reached the San Joaquin Plains, and they looked terrific, for at this time, they were covered with wildflowers. There were bands of wild horses and herds of elk and antelope.
They crossed the San Joaquin River at Bounsall’s ferry, where the railroad crosses now. Fifteen miles brought them to Stockton, and on the day they arrived, Stephens had been on the road for just one year, except for six weeks, which he had spent in Salt Lake City. Buildings of all kinds were being rushed, and lumber was selling for three hundred dollars a thousand. Carpenters’ wages were an ounce or sixteen dollars a day. There were many cloth houses, tents of all kinds, and shacks of every description. Some of the better houses cost $150,000 and over. Freighting charges were from six to ten cents a pound to the mines.