Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 25.djvu/27

THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL 17 that started for California would ever cross the moun- tains, he believed. 76 Many of the emigrants were forced to abandon their wagons after crossing a part of the desert, to drive their stock on to the Carson River for food and water, and then return and take the wagons the remainder of the distance. 77 Langworthy gives an excellent picture of the prop- erty and supplies which were thrown overboard. "The Desert from side to side, is strewn with goods of every name. The following articles, however, are peculiarly abundant: log chains, wagons, and wagon irons, iron bound water casks, cooking implements, all kinds of dishes and hollow ware, cooking stoves and utensils, boots and shoes, and clothing of all kinds, even life pre- servers, trunks and boxes, tin-bakers, books, guns, pistols, gun-locks and barrels. Edged tools, planes, augers and chisels, mill and cross-cut saws, good geese feathers in heaps or blowing over the desert, feather beds, canvass tents, and wagon covers." Speaking of the point where the road first touched the Carson after leaving the desert, he continues, "This point, on the river, bears the classic name of 'Ragtown.' The reason for the appellation is be- cause there are several acres here literally covered with rags, or clothing, either sound or tattered. The wood- work of thousands of wagons have been burnt at this place; the irons covered the soil for a considerable space around." 78 The Indians of the plains were of comparatively little trouble to the emigrants in the period 1849-1854 except for their habits of stealing and begging. The whites brought many of the Indian depredations upon themselves by shooting at the Indians to try their marksmanship or the range of their guns. 79 Some seemed to think no more about shooting an Indian than a wolf or coyote. The most 77 Dutton, op. cit., p. 473. 78 0p. cit., pp. 148-149. 79 Waugh, Autobiography of Lorenzo Waugh, p. 178. I