Autobiography Of A Pioneer
(William Lewis Manly),
Detailing His Life From A Humble Home In The Green Mountains To The Gold Mines
Of California; And Particularly Reciting The Sufferings Of The Band Of Men,
Women And Children Who Gave "Death Valley" Its Name.
To the pioneers of California, their
children and grandchildren, this book is dedicated, with that high respect and
regard so often expressed in its pages, by the author. Read more...
Early Life in Vermont
Birth, Parentage. Early Life in Vermont. Sucking Cider through a Straw.
The Western Fever
The Western Fever. On the Road to Ohio. The Outfit. The Erie Canal. In the
Maumee Swamp.
At Detroit and Westward
At Detroit and Westward. Government Land. Killing Deer. "Fever 'N Agur."
The Lost Filley Boy
The Lost Filley Boy. Never Was Found.
Leaving the Farm
Sickness. Rather Catch Chipmonks in the Rocky Mountains than Live in Michigan.
Building the Michigan Central R.R. Building a Boat. Floating down Grand River.
Black Bear. Indians Catching Mullet. Across the Lake to Southport. Lead Mining
at Mineral Point. Decides to go Farther West. Return to Michigan.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin. Indian Physic. Dressed for a Winter Hunting Campaign. Hunting and
Trapping in the Woods. Catching Otter and Marten.
Gold Fever
Lead Mining. Hears about Gold in California. Gets the Gold Fever. Nothing will
cure it but California. Mr. Bennett and the Author Prepare to Start. The
Winnebago Pony. Agrees to Meet Bennett at Missouri River. Delayed and Fails to
Find Him. Left with only a Gun and Pony.
South Platte
Goes as a Driver for Charles Dallas. Stopped by a Herd of Buffaloes. Buffalo
Meat. Indians. U.S. Troops. The Captain and the Lieutenant. Arrive at South
Pass. The Waters Run toward the Pacific. They Find a Boat and Seven of them
Decide to Float down the Green River.
Caņons
Floating down the River. It begins to roar. Thirty Miles a Day. Brown's Hole.
Lose the Boat and make two Canoes. Elk. The Caņons get Deeper. Floundering in
the Water.
The Sand Walking Company
The Indian Camp. Chief Walker proves a Friend. Describes the Terrible Caņon
below Them. Advises Them to go no farther down. Decide to go Overland.
Dangerous Route to Salt Lake. Meets Bennett near there. Organize the Sand
Walking Company.
Southern Route
The Southern Route. Off in Fine Style. A Cut-off Proposed.
Most of Them Try it and Fail.
Jayhawkers
The Jayhawkers. A New Organization. Men with Families not Admitted. Capture an
Indian Who Gives Them the Slip. An Indian Woman and Her Children. Grass Begins
to Fail. A High Peak to the West. No Water. An Indian Hut. Reach the Warm
Spring.
Desert Everywhere
Desert Everywhere. Some One Steals Food. The Water Acts Like a Dose of Salts.
Christmas Day. Rev. J.W. Brier Delivers a Lecture to His Sons. Nearly Starving
and Choking. An Indian in a Mound. Indians Shoot the Oxen. Camp at Furnace
Creek.
Crossing Death Valley
A Long, Narrow Valley. Beds and Blocks of Salt. An Ox Killed. Blood, Hide and
Intestines Eaten. Crossing Death Valley. The Wagons can go no farther. Manley
and Rogers Volunteer to go for Assistance.
Mr. Fish and Mr. Isham
They Set out on Foot. Find the Dead Body of Mr. Fish. Mr. Isham Dies.
Eating Crow and Hawk
Bones along the Road. Cabbage Trees. Eating Crow and Hawk.
Fertile Land
After Sore Trials They Reach a Fertile Land. Kindly Treated.
Reaching Their Friends
Returning with Food and Animals. The Little Mule Climbs a Precipice, the
Horses are Left Behind. Finding the Body of Captain Culverwell. They Reach
Their Friends just as all Hope has Left Them.
Good-bye, Death Valley
Leaving the Wagons. Packs on the Oxen. Sacks for the Children. Old Crump. Old
Brigham and Mrs. Arcane. Once more Moving Westward. "Good-bye, Death Valley."
Struggling Along
Struggling Along. Pulling the Oxen Down the Precipice. Making Raw-hide
Moccasins.
Melancholy and Blue
Old Brigham Lost and Found. Dry Camps. Nearly Starving. Melancholy and Blue.
The Feet of the Women Bare and Blistered. "One Cannot form an Idea How Poor an
Ox Will Get." Young Charlie Arcane very Sick. Skulls of Cattle.
Crossing the Snow Belt
Crossing the Snow Belt. Old Dog Cuff. Water Dancing over the Rocks. Drink, Ye
Thirsty Ones. Killing a Yearling. See the Fat. Eating Makes Them Sick. Going
down Soledad Caņon A Beautiful Meadow. Hospitable Spanish People. They Furnish
Shelter and Food. The San Fernando Mission.
Los Angeles
Reaching Los Angeles. They Meet Moody and Skinner. Soap and Water for the
First Time in Months. Clean Dresses for the Women. Real Bread to Eat. A
Picture of Los Angeles. Black-eyed Women. The Author Works in a
Boarding-house. Bennett and Others go up the Coast. Life in Los Angeles. The
Author Prepares to go North.
Dr. McMahon's Story
Dr. McMahon's Story. McMahon and Field, Left behind with Chief Walker,
Determine to go down the River. Change Their Minds and go with the Indians.
Change again and go by themselves. Eating Wolf Meat. After much Suffering they
reach Salt Lake. John Taylor's Pretty Wife. Field falls in Love with her. They
Separate. Incidents of Wonderful Escapes from Death.
Story of the Jayhawkers
Story of the Jayhawkers. Ceremonies of Initiation Rev. J.W. Brier. His Wife
the best Man of the Two. Story of the Road across Death Valley. Burning the
Wagons. Narrow Escape of Tom Shannon. Capt. Ed Doty was Brave and True. They
reach the Sea by way of Santa Clara River. Capt. Haynes before the Alcalde.
List of Jayhawkers.
Alexander Erkson's Statement
Alexander Erkson's Statement. Works for Brigham Young at Salt Lake. Mormon
Gold Coin. Mt. Misery. The Virgin River and Yucca Trees. A Child Born to Mr,
and Mrs. Rynierson. Arrive at Cucamonga. Find some good Wine which is good for
Scurvy. San Francisco and the Mines. Settles in San Jose.
Experience of Edward Coker
Experience of Edward Coker. Death of Culverwell, Fish and Isham. Goes through
Walker's Pass and down Kern River. Living in Fresno in 1892.
California Coast
The Author again takes up the History. Working in a Boarding House, but makes
Arrangements to go North. Mission San Bueno Ventura. First Sight of the
Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara in 1850. Paradise and Desolation. San Miguel,
Santa Ynez and San Luis Obispo.
On the road to the Mines
California Carriages and how they were used. Arrives in San Jose and Camps in
the edge of Town. Description of the place. Meets John Rogers, Bennett, Moody
and Skinner. On the road to the Mines. They find some of the Yellow Stuff and
go Prospecting for more. Experience with Piojos.
Life and Times in the Mines
Life and Times in the Mines.
Leaving Cailfornia, Coming Back Again
Sights and Scenes along the Road, at Sea, on the Isthmus, Cuba, New Orleans,
and up the Mississippi. A few Months Amid Old Scenes, then away to the Golden
State again.
Off to the Mines Again
St. Louis to New Orleans, New Orleans to San Francisco. Off to the Mines
Again.
Life in the Mines
Life in the Mines and Incidents of Mining Times and Men. Vigilance Committee.
Death of Mrs. Bennett.
Mines and Mining
Mines and Mining. Adventures and Incidents of the Early Days. The Pioneers,
their Character and Influence.
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