Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. I Fell Through Chapter 17 September 2, 1847 We have been traveling through the desert area again but with one difference, Like a cheerful blue jay, Willy has been circulating through the train talking the entire time. The boys are fascinated with him and his stories, while their fathers are more leery. One of the Simeroth boys especially seems fascinated with Willy and his stories. He is hanging on every word of his tales of Indians and the areas where he was the first white man to enter. Johan listens to his tales (All true you know!) like they were the Iliad. Claire said she wishes he would pay as much attention in class to her lessons as he does to Willy's stories. The women are without exception charmed by his manner and his compliments. Even Corrie, who views all men with a somewhat jaundiced view, finds him charming. We have been going over rolling hills with outcroppings of rock. The only water to be found is in one of the occasional streams we cross. We will be soon be crossing 15 Mile Creek and then we have around 20 miles further to go before reaching the Tygh Valley. There we will we begin our journey in earnest over the Barlow Road. Willy has offered to supply the train with all the meat we want to pay for his passage. Everyone is willing to accept this as game has been getting harder and harder to find anywhere near the trail. The animals have gone because of over hunting or perhaps they have been driven away by the loud noises coming from the wagons. After bringing in 3 deer for us yesterday, he went out and brought back another this afternoon. None of the men can understand where he is finding them. All we can find when we hunt is rock and dust. Willy seems fond of Elizabeth, possibly because he knew her uncle when he was trapping. When I asked Willy how old he was he looked ashamed and admitted that he had no idea. He must be at least 50 since I remember Elizabeth mentioning that her uncle was 49 and Willy remembers him as a younger man. They banter back and forth like they've known each other for years. We have circled up in a small creek surrounded by bare rock. There is little forage for the oxen and none for the cattle in the immediate area. Again the single men have argued for going ahead with the cattle herd and waiting in the Tygh Valley until we arrive. After consulting with the scouts and the guide the wagon captain gave them permission as long as the guide, Joseph, went with them to provide leadership. We will meet them on the bank of the White River. September 3, 1847 We rose this morning and the single men and older boys began to get ready for the cattle drive to the White River. For most, this was their first taste of responsibility and they looked at it like a vacation. We older men knew that this would soon change when they ran into problems and needed to make decisions on their own. Still this was a rite of passage that all men had to go through. We were not worried too much because this was a quiet area for now. With several tears and hugs the women kissed the young men and let them go. Willy came back just as the young men were getting ready to leave. Behind him he had two mountain sheep on his mule while he carried my Hawken .54 in his arms. He came up to the wagon and handed the gun to Elizabeth, "Thank'ee for the loan of the rifle. It made getting these two a lot easier." He pulled the carcasses off the mule and resumed his monologue as he began skinning the hides. "I remember when I first went off like that on my first trapping expedition. I thought I was man-grown for sure then." He kept quiet for a time then, perhaps remembering his other firsts, first pelt, first woman, first Rendezvous. For a second he looked every year of his age. Then with a grin, he bowed to Louise and offered her a leg of the sheep. Putting the rest of it on the skin he carried the meat to the center fire where the remaining women descended on it with glad cries. We had not had lamb or mutton since we left Fort Boise and everyone was tired of venison or beef. As a reward, Corrie gave him a plate of bacon wrapped deer meat on corn bread with a large cup of strong coffee. Louise brought him the last piece of apple cobbler for his dessert. I felt jealous. We mounted up and began our trip to the White River. We made good time until we came to Butter Creek and began to follow it to the Tygh Valley. The trail wasn't bad except when we had to enter the stream bed. The wagons rolled over the rocks and fell with a crash that rattled everything and everyone inside. Elizabeth and I traded off every hour to keep from taking too much abuse. Louise had finally healed up enough to walk without too many problems and she kept Claire and Elizabeth company when I drove. Elizabeth carried on flirting with Willy when he came by. Willy didn't restrict his flirting only to Elizabeth. I heard the sounds of feminine laughter following his progress though the wagon train. Descending a last steep slope we entered the Tygh Valley. Ahead in the distance we spotted the young men and the cattle herd. Soon we caught up with them and settled down for the day. We found that the young men under Joseph's leadership had gathered a large quantity of firewood and had spent the remaining time spearing salmon in the White River. They had prepared the noon meal by placing the fish on spits and roasting them. The women soon chased the men away and took over the meal. Soon in addition to the smells of roasting salmon, there rose the scent of baking corn bread and several different types of cobblers. Several of the women began making raised bread and others began preparing the mutton for the dinner meal. I don't think there was a dry mouth in the camp by the time the women announced that the noon meal was ready. With a hearty appetite everyone fell to and made a complete wreck of the meal. We decided that we would rest up for the remainder of the day to let the oxen recover before we forded Tygh Creek and began our travels again. I took the time to remind Joseph and Willy about their promise to talk about the Eola Mountains and the Willamette River as a possible destination. The wagon captain called a general meeting and we all talked about what the area had to offer and what we were looking for. Willy and Joseph talked about the difficulties of getting around in the spring and fall on the roads in the valley and the necessity of having a navigable river to ship our produce to markets It was decided that the wagon train would send a party to the area and chose an area big enough for the entire train, describing it by the best means at hand in 640 acre parcels. As no survey had been made in the Oregon Territory, Land was claimed based on it's description based on a local landmark. The land would then be distributed through the wagon train by means of a lottery so the survey party didn't get all the best lands. Those who wished to trade after we took up our claims could do so at that time. A discussion then followed of who would be the best ones to send for this purpose. To my surprise, and also Claire's, she was chosen as the one best able to describe the new land well enough for our claims. I objected to her going by herself with a group of men, especially since she was pregnant. Corrie spoke up and offered to go with her as her son was one of the survey party. Two other women offered to go as well so I dropped my objections. The men wanted me to go but I refused, as I had Louise's pregnancy to worry about. Several other women spoke up about their pregnancies and said that they might need help as well. Next came the discussion of how they were going to get there. Finally it was decided that the party would be mounted entirely on horses and a new wagon purchased for the women when they reached the settlement of Salem. I gave Claire a hundred dollars for the wagon and emergencies while others donated what they could. Finally we wrapped up the meeting and all retired to the wagons. That night Claire and I made love to each other as if we would never see each other again. Elizabeth and Louise made love to us both and burst out in tears as they kissed Claire for the last time until we met in Oregon City. Exhausted by the emotions we finally dropped off to sleep. September 3, 1847 The next day was a sad and happy one. Everyone was happy that we had decided on a destination for our settlement but sad about the pending separation from their loved ones. The survey party took every horse except two of the worst to go with them. This gave them a mount and a remount each with two spare horses if they needed them. After a last breakfast together, they departed for the Eola Hills. My wives and several other women broke out in tears as they left and not a few men had to turn their heads as they went by. We loaded the wagons and headed toward the ford of Butter Creek. The scouts had reported that the ford was shallow and fairly smooth so we quickly crossed and started west along the river. We were amazed at the difference just a few miles had made: going from a dusty desert like climate to a tree filled landscape. We continued moving along side of the river at a good rate crossing three smaller streams until we reached the foothills of the Cascades. We made camp and got ready for the night. The dinner meal was a cheerless affair even though Willy tried to cheer Elizabeth up. Finally he gave up and moved to another fire for the night. That night we lay together, feeling like something was missing. We all missed Claire and felt her absence deeply, but no one as deeply as Louise. We ended up cuddling her until she finally cried herself to sleep. Whispering to each other over Louise's sleeping body, Elizabeth and I talked about the empty feeling we felt since Claire had gone. We cried a few tears together and fell asleep. September 4, 1847 Louise seemed sad this morning but made breakfast for us like normal. Afterward she walked with me for the whole day holding my hand. She talked about her feeling of abandonment when Claire left even though she knew that the separation was only temporary. We talked about how Louise was still an equal member of the family, regardless if Claire was here or not. I assured her that both Elizabeth and I loved her and she would never be alone as long as any of us lived. Reassured, Louise gradually became more cheerful, and when Willy came by smiled at his stories as she did earlier. We arrived at the start of Barlow's Road and were disappointed when we got there. The road was little more than a mere track through the woods going up steep slopes, and crossing rocky ravines. In some places we came to a complete stop while we hacked at the trees in order to get the wagons through the gap. We noticed several other places where similar scarred trees bore witness to the narrowness of the trail. When we crossed one of the many ravines we found them full of large boulders. In some places we found where people before us had placed smaller rocks to fill in the deep spots. By the end of the day we had made six miles and counted them well earned. The oxen were exhausted and so were we. We were exhausted from from the labor of filling up the low spots with rocks and cutting away enough of the trees to allow passage. We set up the fire rings, cooked dinner and went to bed. Soon the only sounds heard were snores and the movement of the tired oxen. September 5, 1847 We got up this morning feeling like we should have stayed in bed. The day was dreary with a drizzling rain that made everything wet and the bare rock slippery. We continued the journey but stopped after only going three miles in four hours. We made camp and rested for the remainder of the day. We'll try again tomorrow if it dries out. Most of the wood is wet which made starting a fire difficult. Willy came to the rescue by finding sufficient dry wood to start the main fire, otherwise we would not have had one. Louise tried to cook raised bread since we had the time but couldn't get it to rise properly. She burst out crying when this happened and Elizabeth and I spent an hour calming her. Too tired to write more. Going to sleep. September 6, 1847 We got up this morning and found the rain coming down harder. It seems to be colder as well. We are going to try and make up the distance we didn't make yesterday. The oxen are looking poorly due to the lack of grass and the labor of pulling the heavy wagons up the steep slopes. Thank god I bought the six oxen at The Dalles. We have begun to trade out the weakest animals in each team to give them a chance to rest. The guide told us that we have another four miles to go to get to the toll gate. The way I'm feeling right now, we should give Barlow a bill for the improvements we made to the road. The trail is slick and we are moving very slowly, but the way is clearer and we haven't had to stop and chop away the trees to pass through. We finally got to the toll gate and were forced to pay the toll for the use of the road. I have never been so reluctant to pay for the privilege of using a toll road in my life. We will be camping at Summit Meadows for the next two days waiting for the rain to stop and making repairs on the wagons. It is too dangerous to try the descent in the rain. One wagon tried to go down Laurel Hill today and fell to the bottom. I can't believe the slope! It must be 60 degrees or more at some spots. There are ruts in some areas that must be three feet or deeper. The wagon master has us cutting trees to place behind the wagons when we go down to act as a brake. We are trying to make sure we have enough rope to use as drags for the wagons. At least the grass is good and the cattle and oxen should be better after they eat their fill. We are hard pressed to keep up our spirits with this weather. The constant rain is getting on everyone's nerves. Willy again came to the rescue with dry wood. When I asked him where he got it he told me there is plenty of dry wood around if you know where to find it. Under pine trees or beneath dead falls were good places to look. We just cooked some meat and ate some of the journey bread we baked earlier for dinner tonight. No one has any energy to do anything else. September 7, 1847 We awoke to snow this morning! It's too early for it to stick but everyone is amazed that it is snowing this early in the year. We stayed around the camp fire and told stories today while we tended to the repairs needed on the harness and getting ropes ready for the descent down Laurel Hill. Willy was a great hit with the train, keeping everyone's spirits up with his tall tales. I have been tasked with helping cut down trees to use as drags for the wagons. We are looking for wide branched trees of some 40 or 50 feet tall. Even then we have been told we'll be using ropes to belay the wagons and the livestock down the worst of the slope. Elizabeth told me I needed another shave.(groan!) You know how they always show these guys sitting in this comfortable chair with a hot towel on their face or lots of creamy soap waiting for the barber to shave him? Let me tell you how it happens on this wagon train. First of all we don't have any nice towels, just whatever thick cloth we have available. The cloths are put in boiling water and taken out. When whoever is shaving the person thinks it is cool enough, it goes on the face where you have to not throw it off. Next comes the soap. The soap here is very variable in quality as it is homemade. Sometimes it will burn your face off from the lye, so when you find a good batch you keep it for a long as you can. Even then it's harsh to the face. We didn't have a hair brush to suds up the soap in the cup so Elizabeth uses one she made from horse tail hair tied to a stick. After that she brings out the razor. This is made of steel but it refuses to keep a good edge and always needs to be sharpened before we use it. She takes out the whetstone and sharpens the razor and then uses the stropping belt to try and knock off any burrs. Then I sit on a convenient rock or stump and try to hold still while she scrapes the usually still stiff beard off. I've yet to be shaved without looking like I've been in a bar fight. I have been been growing a mustache as I refuse to let her shave me near my nose. I've asked about growing a beard but she says people will really believe we're Mormons if I do that. Elizabeth has been trying to get Willy to let her shave him, but the coward has refused. He claimed he needed the beard to keep himself warm and promptly started an outlandish tale of how he used his beard to make a rope that got him out of some deadly situation. I think he remembers how I looked the last time I was shaved. Louise has been cooking meals for Willy as well as the three of us, and he has become a familiar sight around our wagon. He swears that he is going to steal Louise away from me and marry her just so he can keep getting fed such good meals. This seems to inspire Louise as she is constantly cooking special meals for him. If this keeps up I may start gaining weight again. I asked Louise what she feels about Willy and she told me he is a good friend who really enjoys eating. She enjoyed making him meals because he showed so much enjoyment when he ate. She added in a rather wistful voice though, "If only he were 35 years younger." That night I asked my wives if they had ever thought of letting another man in the marriage. They seemed shocked with the idea and wanted to know why I would bring that up. "I just saw how worried you were about anything happening to me and wanted to know if you thought about another man." (I'll be honest, the idea had never entered my head until Louise's remark.) Elizabeth hit me on my shoulder with her fist , "What sort of woman do you think I am? Why would I want or need any other man? " Louise hesitated and then answered, "Sometimes I dream of having a man all my own. I love you and my sister/wives too much to do anything though, so it is only a dream." I looked at Louise, "This is a marriage that is open to new ideas. If you feel that you would be happier in a conventional marriage then talk to us." She started crying, "You want me to leave?" she accused me. "No! I'll do my best to persuade you that you need to stay with us! We love you or we would have never have asked you to join us. I feel that you have the same rights as I do, including finding a place that's right for you!" "Then I can stay with you?" "Until we die or you decide to leave." She threw herself into our arms and held us as if we would run away, "I love you, I love you" she kept repeating that; like a mantra that would keep us together. We cuddled with Louise and felt the baby kick as it moved. All of us were becoming excited about what the baby will be and what it will look like. I'm worried about Louise and Laurel Hill. The slope is dangerous and any other path she could take is almost as bad. I have to ask Willy if he knows of a safer path that the women could take. Tomorrow we start to empty the wagons and carry everything down the hill before we start to lower them . After that it's down to the Sandy River where we float to the Willamette Valley and onward to Oregon City. .