Matthew Kerns's Blog: The Dime Library, page 26

A Trek Out West - Part 10

Continued from A Trek Out West - Part 9.

[Otto Franc] Wednesday Sept 18 - Not finding any Elk or deer but too many signs of Indians we conclude to go back to the Rattlesnake Mountains. Break camp early ride 9 miles cross bad Water & reach our old camp at the Wind River on the edge of the badlands. During the march we see 3 Elk in the timber on Wind River, I get within 75 yards of them & put a bullet into the largest of them, he was standing at the edge of some thick willow brush into which he jumped without giving me a chance to give him a second one we look for him but do not find him, had I been armed with a heavier rifle he would not have got away so easy. My Winchester is all out of order & I have repeatedly pulled 3 times before it would go off, to add to this misfortune in going along the river where the rocks approach the water quite close one of the pack horses refused to go around a point of rocks where there was only a narrow space between the water I hit him with breaking the stock in two; I tied pieces together with a fishing line, but I had to handle it very carefully after that. During today's march, we passed through grass 5-7 feet high.

[Dr. Ferber] 18th. We started pretty early, and after a tiresome tramp of about 25 miles or more, we arrived at our old camping ground on Wind River. In the evening we saw lightning in the east, a bad sign for the next day; and so it was.

[Otto Franc] Thursday Sept 19 - It is raining & we cannot break camp, we are quite anxious to begin our march through the badlands & reach the Rattle Snake Mountains but we prefer to wait a day here rather than to get all our things wet. Dr. tries fishing in the river but without success.

[Dr. Ferber] 19th. It rained all day, and we could not move on—a nasty day.

[Otto Franc] Friday Sept 20 - It rained all night but clears up in the morning, break camp & enter the badlands. We follow our own track soon see the trail of several small parties of Indians & finally come (on) one which must have consisted of several hundred; we can see where a small party has separated from the main body & followed our trail for several miles; we afterward heard they were a war party of 2-300 Bannock going to camp Brown to fight, had we fallen in their hands we would not have fared very well; after traveling 20 miles & having passed several alkali springs the water of all which we tasted to see if any were fit for drinking we come to a small spring of good water & camp, there is no brush or wood for a fire, we gather Buffalo chips & in doing so I find a deserted Indian camp & some lodgepoles, so we have enough fuel for supper & breakfast; Buffalo chips give very good heat but it requires some wood to get them started.

[Dr. Ferber] 20th. A cloudy morning; doubtful about rain; still we started back through the Bad Lands, hoping to make it in four days. A 20-miles ride brought us to an old Indian encampment, where we found good water. The night was cold and we found ice half an inch thick in the morning

[Otto Franc] Saturday Sept 21 - The weather is clear & warm We still follow our old trail & after going 15 miles we camp at one of our old camps; during, the march I wound an Antelope but do not get him; the only pool of water at the camp is occupied by a flock of Ducks, the Dr. kills 7 of them with his shotgun before they retreat.

[Dr. Ferber] 21st, Was a very hot day; rode only 16 miles, and camped a second time near the duck pond. In the evening I shot seven gray ducks, which were very tender and nice.

[Otto Franc] Sunday Sept 22 - Cloudy cold blowing a gale Break camp early, make 25 miles, walk part of the way to keep us warm, see large herds of Buffalo over 1000, camp 15 miles from rattlesnake mountains, during the march I kill an Antelope.

[Dr. Ferber] 22nd. Cloudy morning, sharp wind, at noon rising to a gale. At three p.m. we camped at a little creek.

[Otto Franc] Monday Sept 23 - Clear cold blowing hard. Leave the badlands to enter the Rattle Snake mountains camp at our old camp where we had stowed away some provisions; a bear has been there in the meantime & created sad havoc among them, we had some cans of fruit & condensed milk & L tied up in a bag & hung up in a tree, he had pulled it down tore the bag open & examined the contents of the cans, the cans of milk must have suited his tastes best as he had perforated (it) with his teeth & sucked out the contents, also the juice of the canned fruit he appropriated in a similar manner, several pair of horns which were hung up in another tree he had also pulled down but without doing any further harm; a package of cartridges done up in a buckskin bag he had carried off about 25 yards & then dropped it without tearing open the bag. We are now most nearly safe from Indians & we al1 go out hunting. I kill a Prairie Wolf soon after leaving camp, then go into the mountains where I see a splendid blacktai1 Buck & 2 does, I attempt to crawl up on them but they get my wind & make off before I can get within shooting distance, in running off they start a band of sheep & they come towards me, they come quite close to me but as there is no ram among them I do not fire carry home my wolf Dr. has killed an Elk. Our flour & coffee is getting short, we have bread only once a day & have to take the coffee very weak.

[Dr. Ferber] 23d. Cold, icy morning, with sunshine; wind blowing up to a gale again. In the afternoon we found ourselves in the old camp of Rattlesnake Mountains. When we left this camp we put several of our canned fruits, condensed milk, and other provisions in a bag and hung it pretty high up in a tree; we did the same with some antelope, elk, and deer horns; but now we found all the things spread on the ground; the bag was torn to pieces, the fruit cans, milk cans and the cans with coffee extracts were all perforated and all almost empty. Uncle grizzly had paid a visit to our camp and sucked the sweet juice. This time we made our camp up a little nearer to the spring. After dinner, everyone on his own hook went out hunting. I killed a very large elk buck that had the largest pair of antlers of all we shot on the trip. Lancken supplied our camp with a fat saddle of a young mule deer, while Frank came in with fur, a coyote around his neck, and covered with lots of little jumpers belonging to the pulex family.

[Otto Franc] Tuesday Sept 24 - cloudy chilly blowing a gale. Kill an enormous Antelope Buck close to camp, then go into the mountains to look for sheep; do 5 hours of hard climbing but see some ewes & rams but cannot approach them, get back to camp very tired & spend the afternoon in taking the hide off the wolf & stretching it out to dry. Dr. & Jack come home empty, they have seen a grizzly & 2 cubs but could not get a shot at them.

[Dr. Ferber] 24th. Windy but not cold. Our grub is going to an end, and meals nearly reduced to meat, very little bread, thin coffee without milk. In the same condition was the quantity of our tobacco. Today Fred killed an antelope. I saw different kinds of game, one of which was an old she-bear with two cubs, but did not get a chance to shoot.

[This story will conclude, following the summer trek of Texas Jack, Otto Franc, and Dr. Ferber in Part 11.]

A New Picture of Texas Jack

This picture of Texas Jack, previously unpublished online, made its way through the hands of some of the finest Old West collectors and historians. It was a part of the collection of Herb Peck Jr, of Nashville Tennessee. Herb was a photographer who worked for Vanderbilt University's Department of Fine Arts and was the foremost collector of Civil War, Old West, and Native American images and artifacts in the world.

In 1978, Mr. Peck's collection, which police called "the largest Civil War Artificial collection ever recorded" was stolen from his home. Peck slowly rebuilt his archive, gathering new images and artifacts like this one of Texas Jack.

Joseph G. Rosa, the eminent Wild Bill Hickok biographer, eventually acquired the photo from Hank Peck, probably while working on his landmark They Called Him Wild Bill. Rosa was a British writer, and when he died this image along with a large portion of his archive was given to Tony Cairns, who generously shares it with all of us now.

Just last year, 42 years after the burglary of Hank Peck Jr.'s home and the theft of his world-class collection, police in Ethridge, Tennessee, recovered a large portion of the stolen items.

Here's the same image, run through the Remini AI algorithm for clarity.

A comparison between the original and the enhanced versions.

Adjusted for tone and contrast, as well as touched up to remove problems with the photo, like white spots on Jack's coat, etc.

And finally, run through the Deep Nostalgia AI for animation.

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Pleasure Hill

Texas Jack's childhood haunts are up for sale.

John Baker Omohundro was born on July 27, 1846, at his family home, called "Pleasure Hill," in Palmyra, Virginia. The home was a stately manor situated on his father's farm on the banks of Cunningham Creek just west of its junction with the Rivanna River. Jack's father, John Burwell Omohundro, and his wife Catherine Baker Omohundro purchased the home just a year earlier. Jack was the fourth child of John and Catherine's twelve children, but the first to be born at Pleasure Hill. Malvern Hill Omohundro, Jack's half-brother by John's second wife Margaret Shores, was also born at the house, and wrote about growing up there, playing in the same creek his big brother Texas Jack.

"In this house I was born and raised. Up and down this Cunningham Creek I spent many of my young days hunting and fishing (as did my big brother "Texas Jack"). In this old mansion I sat by the bright fireside many a night and listened to my father and his many guests talk about many different things, but especially about the Omohundro family, their connections and doings, and so on; and this is at least one of the reasons I learned to love my family so well."

The house that Texas Jack and his brothers and sisters grew up in was sold in the decades following the Civil War. In 1902 the 280-acre estate was purchased by Henry Brougham Appleyard. Three years later, on December 5, 1905, Pleasure Hill burned to the ground.

From the December 7, 1905 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Omohundro Mansion Burned to the Ground

Palmyra, VA, December 6 - One of the old landmarks of Fluvanna, the homestead of that fine old Virginia gentleman John B. Omohundro, was burned to the ground yesterday.

The place passed out of the hands of the Omohundros some years ago and is at present owned by Mr. Henry Appleyard, who recently came to the county from Illinois. Before the war it was a fine old estate, situated on Cunningham Creek, which empties into the Rivanna just below Palmyra, its fertile lowlands and rolling hills were always in fine condition, and it was known far and wide for its old-time Virginia hospitality.

Open-handed, generous to a fault, fond of high living, Mr. Omohundro found himself after the war utterly unable to adapt himself to the new condition of things, and as the old place had to be abandoned and his large family of boys and girls scattered to seek what fortune had in store.

All of them have succeeded in life and are remembered in their native county as a family of sterling worth and exceeding beauty of person.

Mr. and Mrs. Omohundro's two girls and six boys were all remarkably handsome people and possessed of strikingly affable and lovable manners.

One of the sons, John Jr., was the famous "Texas Jack," who won reputation with "Buffalo Bill," and was for many years identified with the "Wild West Show."

Mr. Appleyard carried a small insurance on the house.

Pleasure Hill has recently come up for sale, 260 acres on Cunningham Creek in Palmyra, west of James Madison Highway and north of Haden Martin Road. The property listing describes the land this way:

The Webb Tract (Pleasure Hill) is located off Haden Martin Road (Route 640) in Palmyra, VA with access by deeded right-of-way. Approximately 21 miles southwest from Charlottesville, VA. Property lays rolling to steep with 1.4 miles of frontage on Cunningham Creek making this a terrific recreational tract. This tract has access to power making it a possible home site on this stunningly beautiful historical property. This historical property belonged to the late John Burwell Omohundro’s, “Pleasure Hill”, which contains the grave of his first wife and five of their eleven children. Their famous son, John Baker (“Texas Jack”) Omohundro (1846-1880). After serving in the Civil War, “Texas Jack” went west to Texas, became a cowboy, later a U.S. Government scout, a hunting guide in the Yellowstone area for notables such as the Earl of Dunraven and in 1872 with his good friend William F. (“Buffalo Bill”) Cody started the first wild west shows in America.

Timber consists of:

69 acres of 1925 bottomland mixed hardwood

51.15 acres of 1930 upland mixed hardwood

79.38 acres of 2018 upland cutover

61.01 acres of 2017 upland cutover

https://www.advancelandandtimber.com/property/va/fluvanna/b176-webb-tract-pleasure-hill.html

Below is a slideshow of the property as it exists now.

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A Trek Out West - Part 9

Continued from A Trek Out West - Part 8.

[Dr. Ferber] In the evening and in the morning of the 11th, we had concerts performed by a large band of coyotes, but as they mixed all the time, flat and minor, we did not appreciate it much. The morning was bright, promising fair weather. We had traveled about fifteen miles when we struck the Bad Water Creek; a band of elk driven by an old buck came in sight, and Frank, having a fast, horse, cut them off so that he got within twenty-five yards of the buck, He fired ten en twelve shots at him and at last killed him in the Bad Water Creek, which the elk had tried to cross, but stuck fast in the mud. The finest and most regular pair of elk horns were saved. We were close to the Wind River, and after an hour's ride, we put our camp up on the bank of the stream at last, having crossed the dreaded Bad Lands. Now, being in a country where the Indians, both peaceable and hostile, roam around, we had to be careful and on the lookout; still, we slept through the night quietly.

[Otto Franc] Wednesday Sept 11 - The day breaks clear & cold but gets warmer towards noon enter a line of rocky hills 2 miles in with L then come out after 15 miles travel we strike bad water creek 2-3 miles from its entrance into the Wind River & 5-6 miles from the base of the Big Horn Mountains more indian tracks We left camp quite thirsty but during the march find a little pool of rain water which we almost entirely drain up; Bad Water creek is lined with a beautiful growth of Cotton Wood trees which is quite a relief to the eye after having passed through the barren bad lands; nearing the creek we notice a band of E1k traveling parallel with the creek, they are not a great distance off & have not noticed us, they disappear behind a hill & put spurs to my horse to meet them on the other side of the hill, I arrive there first jump off the horse & find shelter for him & myself behind a wall of rocks, in a few seconds the Elk come along giving a good oppurtunity to shoot there are 10-12 Does & one magnificant specimen of a buck, I aim at the buck & give him a bullet behind the shoulder & before he can recover from his surprise I give him another in almost the same spot, he now runs into the timber which lines the creek, but before he reaches it I give him another bullet which hits his left thigh & knock him down, when I see him fall I think he is dead I turn around & go to my horse to take him up to secure the horns & some meat, when I arrive at the spot where I had seen him fall I find plenty of blood but no Elk, Lanckin who is now coming up shouts to me to run to the creek as he has seen the Elk going towards it, I run following the broad trail of blood & when arriving at the creek which here has very steep bank I hear great splashing in the water but can see nothing on account of the thick bushes which line the bank. Lankin who is as intent as myself to prevent the Elks escape forces his horse through the bushes & leaps down the 10-foot perpendicular high bank into the water, shouting the Elk is 50 yds. farther up the creek in the water trying to climb the bank but cannot do it on account of his broken leg, it does not take me long now to penetrate the bushes & in a minute or two I am abreast of the Elk who is trying in vain to escape up the bank, I give him 2 more bullets but not in vital parts as he keeps moving on & I cannot take good aim on account of the bushes, finally I get quite close to him & give him a bullet in the head which knocks him down & he drowns in the creek ; the water is sufficiently deep to cover him almost entirely with only one or two prongs of the horns above the water; as we intend to camp close by at the Wind River we let lay until after we have made camp & eaten dinner; in the afternoon we return with ropes & an axe & commence the task of pulling him out on the dry ground; we soon give that up as his weight is greater than we expected, we can only move his body close to the bank & then fasten a rope to his horns & after great exertions pull his head above water & make the rope fast to a tree where we cut off his head with the axe; meat we cannot secure as the body is entirely submerged under & we reluctanly leave the whole of the noble animal to the waters. The antlers are without exception the finest & largest I have ever seen & old Elk hunters have assured me that even in their experience they have seen very few to equal or excel them; The Winchester Rifle with which I am armed now, having lost my Sharp through Tip's death, is not heavy enough for large animals like Elk & in this instance, I came near losing a fine buck also I (hit) him twice in a vita1 part, during the remainder of the trip I had occasion several times to mourn the loss of my Sharp & I am certain I would have brought home more trophies if I had had a proper rifle. We camped at Wind River near the mouth of Bad Water Creek; Wind River is here 100 yards wide, the water is thick with mud from - the recent rains & the fishing which is usually quite good here results in a blank for us. The weather gets hot in the afternoon & mosquitoes make their appearance, the thermometer which was yesterday 28 rose to 68. elevation 4400

[Dr. Ferber] 12th - Moved camp ten miles to the head of the Big Horn Canyon, where the stream ceases to carry the name Wind River. Here the Cheyennes killed, sixteen months ago, eight trappers. After dinner, we had a rest and then walked down the canyon one and a half miles.

[Otto Franc] Thursday Sept 12 - Break camp cross Bad Water creek near its mouth follow Wind River to its entrance into the Big Horn Mountains where it forms a grand canyon. We camp in a beautiful grove of Cotton Wood trees in the same place where just a year ago 2 trappers were killed by the Cheyennes, they killed at the same time 5 more in the immediate vicinity; beginning from today two of us always stay in camp while the others are out hunting in order to prevent a surprise by Indians; we have a fine view of the Wind River mountains & Snowy range with their snow-capped giants; the Big Horn Mountains are a very large range & attain their greatest height 50-75 miles north from where we are; they form a large basin, the big Horn basin which is not yet explored & which is said to contain a good deal of game.

[Dr. Ferber] 13th - Started at 8 o'clock a.m.; tried to follow the river, but when we had made about five miles we had to stop; there were on both sides almost perpendicular rocks 800 or 900 feet high. The stream was narrowed by them to about fifty feet and had a considerable fall. Here we found an old camp and two flatboats in good condition, left here, very likely, by an exploring party from Camp Brown. We had to turn to the right and eastward, following a deep canyon, which was about the roughest part of our trip. When we had reached the summit we followed a game trail leading northwest. At three o'clock in the afternoon we stopped for this day near a nice little stream, but without any kind of fish in it. We saw today two herds of buffalo—one band of about sixty elk and two sheep; we tried to kill one or the other, being short of meat but did not get a shot. After dinner, every one of us went on his own hook to bring some game home, but without, any result, except that Frank reported to have killed a buffalo, but did not save any meat or trophies. I saw a large band of sixty-tour elk, but could not get near enough to kill.

[Otto Franc] Friday Sept 13 - clear warm We enter the canyon & try to go through it with our pack train, after going 3-4 miles we come to a place where the river squeezes through perpendicular rocks 1000 feet high & we have to turn off into the mountains, we follow a game trail & after 2 hours hard climb reach the top, we then travel over a high plain where we (see) several herds of Buffalo & a large band of Elk & finally on a little creek. Toward evening I go out hunting & as I see nothing better I kill a large buffalo bull.

[Dr. Ferber] 14th - Had a foggy morning; wind easterly; moved at eight, and riding 12 miles, we arrived at the Big Horn Basin at the foot of the Big Horn Canyon. This canyon, from 16 to 18 miles long, runs from south to north. On both sides, it is lined by rocks from 500 to 1,000 feet high, in some places almost perpendicular. This was the first great canyon I saw, and I must confess that I was astonished at its grandeur. To describe it is an impossibility for me; one must go and see. The fall of the river is only 300 feet from head to foot, therefore I believe it is navigable for small boats. On account of possible Indians, we agreed that only one party would hunt while the others had to remain at camp. Jack and I stayed at home, while Frank and Lancken went out hunting, without killing anything; but they discovered a hot sulfur spring four miles north of our camp. When they saw the smoke they took it for an Indian campfire, but coming near they smelled the sulfur-hydrogenous gas and found the spring. The basin, which appeared to boil, was estimated to be 25 feet in diameter and from 50 to 60 feet deep. The water was so hot that they could not hold their hand in it for over a second. The spring was so powerful that it formed a stream of six feet wide and two feet deep. During their absence, l tried fishing and landed two three-pound catfish, which were delicious.

[Otto Franc] Saturday, Sept 14 - It is foggy & cold travel 12 (miles) & we descend into the basin & camp at the Big horn river, from the entrance of Wind River into the canyon it is called Big Horn river, the canyon is 18 miles long; in the afternoon L & I go hunting but find no game; in the distance we see what we suppose to be the smoke of a camp fire, we conclude to reconnoiter & find out what (it) is whether the camp of Indians or white men; we approach carefully taking good care not to be seen by those in the supposed & get within a 1/2 mile from it when the wind brings us a strong smell of sulfur & the smoke turns out to be steam, on arriving at the place we find it to be a mammoth hot sulfur spring; it comes out at the foot of a hill where it forms a basin 25 feet wide & of great depth; the water is darkened & very clear, the outlet is a swift running stream 6 feet wide & 2 feet deep. It runs 250 yards & falls over a bank 75 feet high into the Wind River, in falling it forms several sulfur pillars of fantastic design, for a great distance around the ground is formed of sulfur sediments showing that the outflow changes its course very often; the water is very hot, so that we could not hold our hands in it, the spring throws out a thousand or more gallons in a minute; on the opposite of the river are the remains of another now-extinct mineral spring it is in the shape of a dome of transparent matter & of yellow & crystal clear icicles. Dr. caught some catfish in the river. We saw several recently deserted Indian camps with arrangements for drying meat & the Bannock Indians have been in here shortly before us securing enough meat to enable them to go on the warpath, that accounts for the remarkable absence of game. Elevation 4100 feet.

[Dr. Ferber] 15th - This was my day, so Jack and I went out together, but soon separated, and I killed two buck antelopes, wounded another, and Jack killed another one. Coming back, we found that the other party had also shot a buck antelope. In the afternoon I fished with grasshoppers and caught several fish that looked like large saltwater herring, but with sharp teeth.

[Otto Franc] Sunday, Sept 15 - Dr. goes hunting kills 2 Antelope Bucks Jack one. L & I stay in camp, I catch some fish & see several Antelope come to the River close to camp I crawl up to see a buck among them & kill him

[Dr. Ferber] 16th - At ten o'clock left this place, where we had such poor shooting, bound homeward. A heavy rain shower of half an hour made our traveling unpleasant. A 16-miles ride was enough for today, and, looking out for a good camping ground, we saw some buck elks at a distance. I shot one of them and Jack wounded another. The horns were not large, but the meat was fine. We saved both tender and sirloins and a good deal of tallow. Frank killed on this day's trip an antelope fawn and buck.

[Otto Franc] Monday, Sept 16 - As we see no Elk & deer in the basin we move camp again into the mountains, before getting there are overtaken by a severe rainstorm which wets us through, I kill 2 Antelope during the march just as we are going into camp we notice 3 Elk bucks close to camp, Dr. Jack & I go after them, they are 2 large ones & a small one, they notice us and make off. Dr. gets a shot at the smallest one & kills him; there are plenty of buffalo around Elevation 7050 feet.

[Dr. Ferber] 17th - F. and L. left camp early. F. shot two antelope bucks. In the afternoon I succeeded in bagging two pairs of antelope horns, and toward evening I jumped a large mule deer buck. I got off my pony and advanced, the buck standing 60 or 70 yards away, broadside toward me. I thought he was mine, but, trying to cock my rifle, it would not go off. I tried it again and again and found that there was something broken inside. The old buck did not move, always looking at the pony. I rested the rifle on my left knee, took sight, pulled the cock, and let go; buck ran only about 50 yards; the same experiment with the same result; never saw him again. When I had climbed the hill I saw a large antelope buck just below me within 80 yards; fixed my rifle between rocks and killed him without the trigger. It was nearly dark when I arrived in camp.

[Otto Franc] Tuesday Sept 17 - L & I go hunting, we have a long ride, ascend a mountain from which we have a beautiful view of the Wind River Mountains, the Snowy Range, the Big Horn basin & the northerly group of the Big Horn Mountains which are covered with snow, we see no game, just before entering camp we start an Antelope buck, he makes off at a trot around a hill, when he is out of sight we clap the spurs to our horses & meet him as he comes out on the other side & I jump off my horse & kill him before he can go far. In the afternoon I go out on foot & kill another Antelope Buck. Dr. & Jack go out on horseback & kill 2 Antelope.

[This story will continue, following the summer trek of Texas Jack, Otto Franc, and Dr. Ferber in Part 10.]

A Trek Out West - Part 8

Continued from A Trek Out West - Part 7.

[Otto Franc] Wednesday, Sept 4 - The cold drizzly rain continues, a strong chilly wind blows. The cold damp atmosphere produces in us quite a desire for fat, we melt deer & antelope tallow & consume great quantities of the same with our meals, we sit and stand around the fire all day & pass the time with telling yarns.

[Dr. Ferber] 4th - Of course, we did not get much sleep, and at 9 a.m. we rose with an unpleasant feeling. A steaming hot cup of fragrant coffee made us all feel very comfortable again. We passed this long rainy day with eating, drinking, smoking, and telling stories, in which latter Jack was very strong. Jack has such a wonderful memory that he very often remembers more than really happens. It rained all day long, and we lay down in our damp coverings again to find it the next morning still raining.

[Otto Franc] Thursday, Sept 5 - Towards morning hear an Elk bellowing close to camp; I get up & can just see his outlines through the rain & fog but it is too dark to shoot. The fog lifts in the afternoon & L & I go out for a short hunt; 1/2 mile from camp we see 2 Elk feeding in a valley, we crawl up & find them to be bucks: a large one & a smaller one, we kill the large one, while we butcher him the small is circling around us looking for his companion, he approaches to 50 yards several times but we spare him on account of his great youth & small horns.

[Dr. Ferber] 5th - In the afternoon it cleared up, and Frank and Lancken took their rifles, and strolling around the camp they killed an elk with a nice little pair of horns. I stayed in camp to have our beddings dried. The night was awful cold, and we felt so chilly that we got up early in the morning of the 6th of September.

[Otto Franc] Friday, Sept 6 - The weather having entirely cleared up, we break camp & enter the Bad Lands; they are a vast plain intersected by deep winding cuts which make traveling very difficult. There is hardly any vegetation except the inevitable sagebrush; springs are few & far between & they are mostly strong by alkali. Around them there is generally a patch of several acres of good grass which affords food for a few Antelope & the traveling herds of Buffaloes; the presence of the latter is generally taken as an indication of good water in the vicinity, while Antelope can either do without water for some time or can subsist on strong alkali water. The two days rain has dissolved the alkali in the ground & has produced a soft sticky mass which is very tiring on the horses, we follow the usually dry bed of a small creek but which is now in running order occasioned by the rains; during the march, I kill a good Antelope, we see a number of Buffaloes but do not hunt them.

Close to the mountains, we start a large grizzly bear. He beats a hasty retreat without giving us a shot, we have an opportunity to notice the great speed & endurance possessed by this apparently clumsy & awkward animal. He is 5-6 miles from the mountains & makes a beeline for the same at the speed of an average running horse & as far as we can see him through our glasses he keeps it up although the ground is very soft & he must sink in deeply with every jump on account of his great weight. We make 15 miles & camp at the creek, the water is composed of equal parts of mud & rainwater for drinking purposes we mix it with a little whiskey, the coffee tastes a 1itt1e muddy.

[Dr. Ferber] 6th - We entered the Bad Lands, and after having traveled about sixteen miles we put camp up near a little creek. Frank had killed an antelope.

[Otto Franc] Saturday, Sept 7 - Thinking the creek to be a tributary of the Wind River we intend to follow it but after going 4-5 miles we find it takes us in a northeasterly direction, while we want to go northwest, we, therefore, leave it & head due west hoping to find a certain creek whose bed we have seen from the top of the mountains & which perhaps will lead us in the desired direction; at noon we reach a low flat with pools of good water & several small bunches of Buffalo feeding around. We stop to water the horses & I having a lively pony embrace the opportunity to have a Buffalo chase. I head for the nearest band of bulls at a slow canter. They let me approach to within a hundred yards before they take to their heels, as I let my horse go faster they also increase their pace until it is a well-contested measuring of speed, the buffalo pounding the ground with great force & making the dirt fly in all directions while I am gaining on them fast. I finally get abreast of them and compel them to change their course. When I give up the chase, not wishing to tire my pony unnecessarily, I stop & dismount being only 25 yds from the Buffalo. When they see me hold back they also lessen their speed & finally come to stop, looking at me not more than 100 yards away. Not wishing to waste powder at such miserable game, I return to our party & the buffalo go off at a slow trot, all my illusions about buffalo hunting formed from books of western adventure are dispelled & I look upon it as the worst kind of sport hunting in which no true sportsman will indulge. I am speaking here only of hunting the Bulls, we have seen no cows or calves yet but we hear they are much more wary and wild. I will also add that while in the Rattlesnake we tried some of the Buffalo hunting which is so often mentioned in the various works of sensational writers, we took pieces of a young Bull which the Dr. had killed we cooked in several styles & found it in all cases almost entirely unfit for food being tough & stringy. At six o'clock we reach the bed of the creek which we are looking for but find it entirely dry; we look around a little while for water but find none. The horses & ourselves 10 hours in the saddle are tired & hungry, a severe hailstorm arises & we conclude to camp without water, consequently, we have not coffee for supper, which seemed quite a privation, as it is very cold.

[Dr. Ferber] 7th. We started early and tried to find another creek in a northwesterly direction. Twenty-five miles off we found it at last, but no water in it: we had to make a dry camp—very hard for our poor ponies. Soon after our arrival it began to rain, and having no tent poles, because there are no trees in the Bad Lands, we had, after a little supper without coffee, to sleep in the open air without a tent. Two or three hours later we found that the rain had turned into snow, and in the morning we found ourselves covered with snow! At midnight we were alarmed by the tramping of the ponies; they were scared by a large number of coyotes who came close to our camp.

[Otto Franc] Sunday, Sept 8 - We could not put up our tents for want of poles, but we find comfortable shelter under some sagebrush, we have not turned in long when a band of prairie wolves comes so close to camp & sets up such a howling that it frightens the horses & we have to get up to fasten them securely. At midnight it beings to snow hard. The snow finds its way under my blankets where it melts producing a very unpleasant moisture which soon drives me out of my bed, I start a huge fire & am joined by the other members of the party which have been befallen by the same misfortune; we gather snow & melt it thus getting enough water for coffee & drinking purposes. After devouring a huge breakfast L & I start on foot amidst a big snowstorm & without our guns down the creek to see if we can find some water for the horses, after going perhaps 1000 yards we see a Buck Elk standing against the bank of the creek seeking shelter from the storm. He does not notice us & we turn back to camp for our guns, on returning we find him in the same place & position a bend of the creek enables us to approach him alone. We fire & he makes off apparently unhurt, but on examining his tracks in the snow we find drops of black blood which indicates that his heart is pierced. The blood gets more plentiful as we advance & we find him dead 500 yards from where we wounded him. He is a powerful animal with a pair of very large abnormal horns, one of the beams being entirely bare of prongs, while the other is more resembling an apple tree than an Elk horn. How does the Elk get here? The storm abates somewhat in the afternoon, but it is very cold, the thermometer being down to 32 degrees. We are clad quite thinly & have to keep up a good fire to keep us somewhat comfortable. Sagebrush being abundant around camp there is, fortunately, no lack of fuel. We have all our vessels full with snow-water & are therefore safe in that respect, but we intend to travel on tomorrow as our horses do not seem to thrive very well on snow but keep looking around for water; With the aid of sagebrush, we erect our tent to prevent a similar occurrence as last night.

[Dr. Ferber] 8th. In the morning it was snowing yet, but we had the satisfaction of making coffee of the melted snow, and the horses need not suffer of thirst. It was an unpleasant day. When it stopped snowing F. and L. took a walk up the dry creek, but soon came back for their guns; they had found a large elk. L. succeeded in killing it; the horns of it were abnormal, having on one side a very heavy beam with eight prongs, while on the other side wore only four short prongs direct out of the. crown. The weight of the animal was estimated at 800 or 900 pounds. Toward evening the snowstorm commenced again, and we passed a most disagreeable night in our wet coverings.

[Otto Franc] Monday, Sept 9 - It snowed very hard during the night, we had to get up several times to knock the snow off the tents as the great weight threatened to break them down; It clears up in the forenoon, the thermometer is at or near 32 degrees all day; at noon we break camp & follow the course of the creek hoping to find water before night, after going 6 miles we see a Buffalo ahead of us quietly grazing & we conclude good water cannot be far off, we march on the buffalo retires & leaves us in possession of a pool of clear slightly sulphuric water & a good piece of pasture for the horses; before we retire we notice the thermometer down to 28 degrees (altitude 5200 feet.)

[Dr. Ferber] 9th. ln the morning of the 9th, the snow stopped. The thermometer showed 33½ deg., elevation was 5000 feet. After dinner, we packed up, and at half-past 2 o’clock p.m. we left this most nasty camp. We did not travel very far when we found good water and grass; here we stopped, dried our blankets and quilts, and slept a sound sleep, although it was so cold that we found one-half inch thick ice in our water pail.

[Otto Franc] Tuesday, Sept 10 - Break camp early & proceed northerly in the direction of the Bighorn mountains which are now in plain sight it is so cold we have to walk most of the time & lead our horses in order to keep the blood in circulation. We find the first indication of the presence of Indians, in the shape of the fresh tracks of a party of 8-10, who's evidently only a few hours old, & a little after find the tracks of a smaller party. The Shoshones, Bannocks, & Cheyennes frequent this part of the country in going & coming from the resorts of the large herds of Buffalo in northeastern Wyoming & also in their hunting excursion to the Big Horn Basin. We cannot find any good water & are compelled to camp at a spring whose water sufficiently impregnated by alkali to make it unfit for drinking but the coffee made out of it does not taste unpleasant; the horses do not seem to object to the alkali but drink it in great quantities. Altitude 4700 feet.

[Dr. Ferber] 10th. At six o'clock we had only 30½ deg Fahr., and after breakfast hurried away from this cold place, following the creek about twenty miles, where we stopped for this day. As Lancken had told us before, we found the water containing a great deal of alkali, soda, and magnesia. The coffee made out of this water did not taste much of alkali, but still, we felt thirsty after it, and I tried to make lemonade of it with citric acid and sugar, but it tasted like citrate of magnesia, and nobody could drink it.

[This story will continue, following the summer trek of Texas Jack, Otto Franc, and Dr. Ferber in Part 9.]

Beyond the Mapped Stars

Beyond the Mapped Stars on Amazon.com

Rosalyn Eves' new book Beyond the Mapped Stars is the story of a young Mormon girl who has spent countless hours lost in contemplation of the celestial dance playing out above her at night. In the summer of 1878, she finds herself at a fork in the road of her life. On the one hand is the path of her faith and the expectations of her mother. On the other is the pursuit of her belief in science and her own ambitions. Can she reconcile what she dreams for herself with the duties and demands of her life? She knows that a solar eclipse is set to occur in just a month's time, but family comes first and she can't attend to both.

Or can she?

When we first meet Elizabeth Bertelsen, she is lost in the pages of a dime novel about Texas Jack. The West of these stories, like later movie and tv westerns, is a far ride from the reality of Elizabeth's life. In Elizabeth's world, there are no "desperate thieves stage daring robberies," no "tyrannical trail bosses misusing their cowboy employees," no "fragile women fainting at an oath" and no "cunning Indians plotting against whites while mangling English." Worst of all in these stories, thinks Elizabeth, are "the Mormons, who are invariably dastardly or foolish dupes . . . my sister Emily and I save the best passages to share, to laugh at how wrong these eastern writers get us."

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, the future of her imagination seems as fictional as the dime novel versions of her present. She is bright and inquisitive in a time and a place that rewards neither.

A series of events sets Elizabeth off towards Wyoming, ostensibly to help her sister with a new baby, but bound by fate to encounter men and women who will both edify and challenge her and her beliefs. The daughter of a polygamic family, Elizabeth experiences prejudice in a way that lends her insight into the struggles faced by her new friends Alice and Will, the African-American children of a mixed-race couple.

In Rawlins, Elizabeth meets scientists who have gathered to witness the eclipse. She also encounters Texas Jack himself, stepped from the pages of her yellowed dime novels and into the halls of her hotel, where he has an encounter with Thomas Edison, the fictional western world of her beloved dime novels in real-life conflict with her scientific aspirations.

Beyond the Mapped Stars is not a story about abandoning the past for the future, or religion for science, or expectations for aspirations. It is a story about reconciliation and coming to terms with an internal conflict between faith and belief, duty and desire, family and future. The west of the dime novels must be reconciled with the west of reality, just as the expectations of Elizabeth's family must be measured against the curiosity that drives her. The Texas Jack that lassoes Sioux braves by the dozens while rescuing aristocratic maidens in her favorite stories has been replaced by the reality of a man waking up an entire hotel floor while drunkenly demonstrating his pistol prowess for Thomas Edison. The path of Elizabeth Bertelsen isn't now the one that was envisioned for her by her parents—the one where she becomes the second wife of a middle-aged farmer in her hometown. It's the path she charts for herself, beyond the mapped stars.

For further reading on Texas Jack's real-life encounter with Thomas Edison, check out our post The Cowboy, The Wizard, and the Eclipse of 1878.

A Trek Out West - Part 7

Continued from A Trek Out West - Part 6.

[Dr. Ferber] 28th. Our pack-horses were well loaded, and then we started at 9 a.m. and camped at Sage Hen Creek, about fifteen miles north. Alter having taken a late dinner, we took our guns and rifles and tried to bring to camp some meat for next morning's breakfast. I bagged two cotton-tails and a sage hen, while Frank lulled two mallard ducks. Our bed was made up among high sage bush, and soon after we lav down a rabbit crossed our bed, running over Frank's face, disturbing him in his soundest sleep.

[Otto Franc] Wednesday Aug 28 - Travel northward, leave the Mountains & enter the open Plains, make 15 miles & camp at Hen Creek; it is here a clear swift-running stream 4 feet in width & 1-2 feet in depth, 1 mile below here it disappears in the Land, a fate which most all small streams in this part of Wyoming share. Dr. kills some sage hens & rabbits with the shotgun, I kill 2 ducks with the rifle.

[Dr. Ferber] 29th. Had an early breakfast, and started at 8. Rode about eight miles, where we put camp up on Horse Creek, a nice little stream running along the foot of Rattlesnake Mountains. The water coming out of the mountains was cold and clear, but no fish. Not a living animal was to be seen in it. The camping ground was first-rate. Very good grass for the ponies, several kinds of ripe berries, as currants, red and black, strawberries, and gooseberries. The creek was lined on both sides with willows and birch, a good hiding-place for deer. Although we had taken a good quantity of preserved fruit with us, we picked in a little while two large cans full of currants and gooseberries, which, with sugar, we boiled into a fine preserve for our evening flap-jacks. At about 3 p.m., every one of us went on his own hook hunting. I strolled down the stream to kill a duck or sage hen. Following a trail along the brook, I found fresh tracks of a pony; and going a little further, I perceived the head and neck of a white horse in the bush, within fifty yards of me. This startled me not a little, thinking of a possible Indian camp. I retreated to our camp and saw Jack at a distance. Gave him a sign, and he came down. After I had told him what I saw we both went there again, to find an old white mare, which, very likely, was left there by a party, being in such a condition that they could not take it along. We drove her to our camp, where she joined our ponies for twenty-four hours, only to run off again. Jack left camp again and came back with a black-tail yearling. This evening we turned in very early, and after a sound and refreshing sleep, we got up in a splendid humor.

[Otto Franc] Thursday Aug 29 - Rabbits were playing in & around the camp at the foot of Rattlesnake Mountains all night, & one actually ran across my face while I was asleep. After a short march through barren hills, we reach Horse creek & make camp in a lovely valley; berries of all kinds abound here we find red & black currants, gooseberries & strawberries, we gather great quantities of gooseberries & steam them which make an excellent sauce. We al1 go out hunting in the afternoon in order to get some meat; I go into the Mountains & after a little wandering see two enormous males of mountain sheep 1000 yards off on a barren hill & no way to approach them, I reluctantly leave them to their fate & proceed farther, in a little while I see some more sheep a great distance off & I try to get within shooting distance they are feeding away from me & travel quite fast. I follow them for about 1 hour through the rocks & mountains & finally get into a gulch with a little stream of water & there I find myself in close vicinity of at least 100 mountain sheep; I have good shelter behind some rocks & can inspect them closely while they cannot see me at all, they have come in here for the evening drink; I now begin to look around for a ram but not one is to be seen, I scrutinize every animal in the herd & find that they are all ewes & kids, not wishing to kill one of those I amuse myself by seeing the young ones play, suddenly a small band comes over to where I laid & almost, runs over me, they catch of me & scamper off, alarming the larger herd which scatters in all directions, close in their wake followed a little band of deer with a fine young buck amongst, I send a bullet after him but do him no harm. Jack killed a doe deer; Dr. went down the creek in search of ducks when a mile from camp he saw a horse standing amongst some willows which did not belong our herd thinking of Indians he quickly returned to camp & finding Jack there the two start out to investigate, they approach the horse very cautiously & find it to be an old animal of little value which perhaps has been left behind footsore by a party of Indians or hunters; they drive him towards camp and he joins our herd.

[Dr. Ferber] 30th. F. and L. went out in the direction where F. had seen two rams the day before. They saw several herds of sheep, but could not get close enough to have a shot. Jack and I took ponies and followed the creek up to the head of it, and came through rough country. At the head of the creek, on an open plain, we saw seven old buffalo bulls. We tied our horses and crept through the grass within about 300 yards. We thought to be close enough to kill one of them and commenced to fire. Perhaps we wounded one or more, but it took no effect, and the buffaloes ran off, the distance being too great. Following the trail of the buffalo, we came within about 150 yards of an antelope herd with two large bucks. I succeeded in killing one of them. He had a fine pair of horns, which I took to camp. Jack butchered the animal and tied the saddle of antelope on his pony. Pretty hungry, we reached camp again at three o'clock, to take a hearty dinner. In the evening F. and L. tried the sheep again, but with the same result as in the morning.

[Otto Franc] Aug 30 - L and I go on foot into the mountains to look for sheep. We soon see with the aid of glasses 9 large rams on the side of a mountain, we crawl on our stomachs over open places, dodge behind rocks, run & jump when under the shelter of the same until we have scraped every bit of skin from our hands & knees & then see the rams disappear behind some other mountain where we cannot follow them. A little while after we see a ewe with a kid & ram come down a mountain in narrow gulch we get to leeward & then run as fast as we can to meet the game at the mouth of the gulch, we make some almost impossible leaps over rocks & sagebrush & see the sheep emerge from the gulch just too far to shoot; now we are exhausted, it being very hot, we find a cold spring where we lay down to drink & rest; while lying there we see 2 sheep & a ram on a high mountain opposite & we think there is enough shelter to warrant an approach, we climb the mountain cautiously but quickly & when we come out from behind the shelter to shoot we find the sheep gone; shortly afterward we see another band we try them with the same result as. above; it is now noon, we are tired & hungry & we make for the camp where we manage to get outside of a great quantity of venison, I find all the stories about the extraordinary wariness of mountain sheep verified but I am not disheartened & will try them again. During our tramp, we saw fresh signs of buffalo on the foot of the mountains & we think we will see some in a day or two. Shortly after us Dr. & Jack arrive in camp, Dr. has killed a large antelope buck & they report having fired into a band of 9 buffalos without killing one. An hour before sundown L & I went to a spring where we had seen a great many signs of game. We waited till after sundown but nothing came.

[Dr. Ferber] 31st. Removed our camp to the headwater of the creek, where we had found the buffaloes. Two hours had passed in riding when we reached this place. Camp was made near a little creek with good water. The little stream divided our dining and bedroom, preventing our tent from catching fire. Alter dinner we took a rest till 4, when Jack and I on horseback followed a buffalo trail, and soon we saw a black-tail doe with two fawns within ten or twelve yards of us. Of course, we did not shoot at them. After an hour's ride, we saw at a great distance a herd of fifteen or twenty sheep, which soon got wind of us and ran. Following them, we crossed a high ridge of rocks and looking down into a valley at the foot of this hill, there was a very large old buffalo bull. We crept along the rocks and tried to get as close as possible to him, but coming not nearer than about 200 yards. I fired and heard the bullet strike him, and while he was looking I gave him another; then he walked off about 100 yards. To get close up to him I had to slide down a steep rock, at least 200 feet, over sharp stones, and when I arrived below I fell as if all the bones of my back were broken. But I did not mind this much and creeping from rock to rock, I came a little nearer and gave him two more bullets, but without killing him. He ran again a hundred yards, and this time I crept up to him within seventy or eighty yards and finished him. He was a monster. I never saw a larger one since. Jumping upon his carcass, I felt proud and thought myself a great hunter, and how easy it is to kill buffalo. Now I think it is very poor sport. All we saved of him was the tongue and the mane and whiskers; the horns were split too much and not worth the while to be saved. Jack estimated his weight close up to two thousand pounds. We rode to camp, and half an hour later F. and L. returned, reporting that they had wounded a buffalo fatally, but getting so dark they left him with the intention to butcher him the next morning.

[Otto Franc] Saturday Aug 31 - We shift camp a few miles to the head of Horse Creek on the northerly edge of Rattlesnake mountains; in the afternoon L & I ascend a hill close to camp to view the surrounding country, on arriving on top we see a large solitaire Buffalo Bull not very far off, we had to return to camp for our guns & then begin to crawl up to the Buffalo; it is a bad place for stalking he being in the open plain & the wind partly in his favor, when we are 250 yds from him he smells us & we have to shoot; we fire simultaneously & he gets both bullets, he only shakes himself & stops long enough to get two more bullets, this time he is hard hit, he swings wildly around & goes off as fast as his legs can carry him, he presents a curious almost comical sight as he goes with his clumsy yet fast cow gallop over sage brush & ditches; he cannot keep up his mad careen long & has to stop to blow this enables me to come up to 150 yds 8. give him another bullet this sends him on again & as it is getting dark & he is severely wounded we do not follow any farther but intend to hunt him up in the morning; when we get to camp we hear the Dr. has killed one.

[Dr. Ferber] Sept. 1. F. and L. left camp early for the bull, sure to bring the tongue and some other meal to camp, but were very much disappointed in not finding him. He was tickled, but not to death, and left this country. Jack and I went in another direction, where we found six buffaloes, of which I killed three) and finally had to kill a fourth that was badly wounded. I felt ashamed of what I had done and made a pledge not to kill any more buffalo, which I kept truly. We saved the tongues, one pair of horns, and whiskers and manes. The largest of these four, which was a great deal smaller than that one I killed the previous day, measured as follows:

Length of this buffalo without tail, 9ft 6½in.; length around the breast (haunch), 8ft. 8in.; length around the body. 9ft 4½iin.; length of head, 2ft 0½in; breadth of the front, 1ft 4in.

The afternoon we rested, but toward evening we took a little ride, and on the return, being close to camp, we saw a large grizzly coming down the hill toward camp. He must have seen us and changed direction when we heard the report of Lancken’s rifle from the camp. He wounded him, but at this great distance could not kill him. F. and L. were eating supper when they saw the ponies rushing around, snorting and excited; they looked around and perceived the grizzly at about 300 yards.

[Otto Franc] Sunday Sept 1 - L & I go on horseback to look for the Buffalo, we ride several miles but do not find him, the ground being broken & hilly; we then see 3 Buffalo 1 mile off & prepare to hunt them, while approaching them we see 3 remarkedly large Antelope Buck & I conclude to take him rather than the Buffalo, he is quietly feeding on the foot of a hill; I slip off my horse & get on the other side of the hill intending to go to the top of the same & to shoot the Antelope from there, L & the horses are perhaps 1000 yds away, while I am going up the hill the Antelope notices the horses & comes running up on the other side unbeknown to me to get a better view of the same. Antelope & I arrive on top at the same time from opposite directions & 10 yards between us; To say who is the most surprised Antelope or I would be difficult to say fortunately we both stopped in a second more there would have been a collision. I have often said when I hear the remarkable stories about buck & people forgetting when in close proximity to game all about their rifle that that could never happen to me & so in this trying instance I had my rifle up in a twinkling fire and - miss him, the buck makes off as fast as only an Antelope can run, I reload my rifle quickly before he is 50 yds off and take him this time & drop him stone dead; the shooting has frightened off the Buffalo so we stay here & rescue the horses & some meat of the Antelope. We then turn toward camp & meet the Dr. & Jack busy cutting out the tongues of 3 Buffaloes which they had just killed; L & I proceed & encounter a large band of Antelopes, by going around a hill I approach them to 200 yds I fire at a large Buck, the bullet went low & only breaks his foreleg, he makes off very fast on his 3 remaining ones & we go after him putting our horses to their best, we get within shooting distance of him after 5 minutes chase I slip off the horse & give him another bullet without slackening his speed any, we put the spurs to our horses & come with him again when I break him down with a bullet through his back; a chase like this is full of excitement & I return to camp with 2 pair of horns & 2 pair of loins hanging on my saddle well satisfied with this mornings sport. Dr. also kills an antelope Buck while on his return to camp. Dr. & Jack go out again in the afternoon, L & I stay home, feeling hungry we do not await their return but cook supper & are just about sitting down to eat when we notice a commotion among the horses which are picketed close by & find the cause of the excitement to be a large grizzly bear he is coming down the hill on the foot of which we are camped in a cluster of trees, we have our rifles ready in an instant & await his approach, he comes along on a slow walk not being able to see us on account of the trees; just then, unfortunately, Dr. & Jack return, the bear sees them, & stops, Lankin shoots at him but the distance being so great 300 yds, the bullet, although it reaches him, does him no harm, it only serves to send him away at the speed of a racehorse; thus we lost the only fair chance toward getting a grizzly which we had during the whole of our trip.

[Dr. Ferber] 2nd. F. and L. started early in the morning, at 5 o'clock, F. very anxious to get in possession of a bighorn. Jack and I thought of hunting after grizzly and repay his visit, but as three of our ponies had run away, Jack came back too late to make an early start, so we did not leave before 8½ o'clock. Riding and walking alternately among these steep and rocky hills, we found quite fresh tracks of sheep, and following them, soon got sight of a herd, but very far off. We tied our ponies and crept, very cautiously, from rock to rock coming within about 300 or 400 yards. We could not come any nearer, so we tired at one of them, what we thought a ram and while they were running through a valley at a distance of about 300 yards, Jack killed one, but a ewe. A young buck took the lead, and at last he stopped. Now was my time to shoot, I rested my rifle on a rock, fired, and saw him tumbling; got up again, and finally laid down, stretching his legs out. We both thought he was dead. I had to cross a deep ditch with high sage bush, and when I came out of it I saw my dead ram disappearing over the hill. The spot where he was lying there was a large pool of blood. I followed his track a short distance, but then I lost it. Sitting down on a rock, I looked up and saw almost above me on a high rock two sheep, one was a ewe and the other, whose head was behind a bush, I thought to be a buck, appearing larger than the other. I fired at this one, and rolling down the precipice came a large—no ram—but ewe, which disappointed me badly. Jack butchered both animals, and we took a good quantity of fine mutton to camp. Here I found Frank very jolly, excited about a large mule deer, with a fine pair of antlers, which he had killed in the morning. Our camp was now well stocked with the choicest meat, as deer, buffalo, mountain sheep, and antelope.

[Otto Franc] Monday Sept. 2 - L & I start before daybreak towards the mountains; come up close to an Antelope Buck & just as I was going to shoot L whispers not to shoot as there is a Buck Elk close by, so we abandon the Antelope & go towards the Elk, he notices us & trots off; we then see another Elk, a perfect giant, he is standing on a little rise & sends forth his calls for Does or for some other big Elk to come on & fight him; it is not quite light yet we stoop low to the ground and approach him cautiously through some bushes, he notices us but cannot make out what or who we are, he comes slowly towards us bellowing and stamping the ground & apparently ready for a fight, he will not come closer than 500 yards & when we try to go to him his courage deserts him & he runs off. A little while after I severely wound a buck Antelope but lose him in the high sagebrush; we now enter the mountains & look around for sheep, while being so engaged a very large Buck Deer comes running out of a canyon & we knock him down; he proves to be the largest Mule Deer Buck I have ever seen & has a beautiful pair of antlers with the velvet just stripping off; his hams are so heavy that we cannot carry them but have to return to camp & get a packhorse in order to bring in the meat; We are going to lay in a stock of meat as we intend to start for the Big Horn mountains in 2 days, our journey will take us through the badlands where we hardly expect to find any game. Dr. and Jack killed 2 female mountain sheep. In the afternoon we ascended the highest point of the Rattlesnake Mountains & found the elevation to be 8500 feet.

[Dr. Ferber] 3d. I went to the same place again, where I wounded and perhaps killed the ram, but, not finding him, I saw several herds of sheep without a buck. We returned to camp without firing a shot; so did Frank. Tomorrow we intend to move through the Bad Lands, in a northerly direction to the Bighorn Mountains; but our plans were crossed by Jupiter Pluvius, At about 8 p.m. it commenced to rain, and toward midnight we had a heavy rainstorm, for which our tent was not tight enough; I, having the weather side, was almost floating in my bedding.

[Otto Franc] Tuesday Sept 3 - L & I do 5 hours of the very worst kind of mountain climbing trying to get a sheep, we get within shooting distance of a little band, we are favored by our usual luck there is no ram among them so we do not disturb them. At noon it begins to rain & grow cold, it keeps it up all day & we cannot do anything but hug the fire.

[This story will continue, following the summer trek of Texas Jack, Otto Franc, and Dr. Ferber in Part 8.]

The Cowboy & The Ballerina

Hollywood has never made a love story better than this one.

He was a cowboy, and she was a ballerina. Jack Omohundro grew up in a fine southern home in Palmyra, Virginia, and Giuseppina Morlacchi was born in Milan, Italy. His education was earned on horseback, hunting in the wilderness along the Rivanna River, and hers was at La Scuola di Ballo del Teatro Alla Scala (the La Scala Theatre Ballet School), one of the most prestigious classical ballet schools in the world, where she endured marathon sessions from the age of five. During the Civil War, he became a man, joining the Army of Northern Virginia and serving as a courier, cavalryman, and spy for General JEB Stuart. She traveled across Europe, playing some of the most demanding ballet roles in Paris, Lisboa, Berlin, and London.

After the war, he traveled west on a barge that overturned in the Gulf, stranding him for a time on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Her passage to America was the fastest a boat had ever crossed the Atlantic. He earned the name "Texas Jack," delivering a herd of cattle from the Lones Star State to drought-stricken and meat-starved Tennessee. The press fawned over her performances and dubbed her "The Peerless" Morlacchi, as no ballerina in the world could match her grace and beauty.

In 1869, he traveled north from Texas towards Nebraska, where he met a young Army scout named William F. Cody. They hunted together, drank together, chased Sioux warriors, and led aristocrats on buffalo hunts across the prairie. She started her own ballet troupe, making headlines in New York and New Orleans, Boston and San Francisco, delighting critics and audiences everywhere she performed.

Newspapers carried stories about the adventures of "Texas Jack" and "Buffalo Bill." Back east, readers devoured dime novel stories of these brave scouts rescuing maidens from fierce braves and renegades. At the same time, newspapers reported on their real-life exploits, like Texas Jack leading the Pawnee tribe on a summer buffalo hunt or lassoing and capturing eight live bison for the Niagara Falls museum. As Morlacchi continued to enchant everywhere she went, newspapers reported that her legs had been insured for the exorbitant sum of $100,000, over $1.5 million today.

In December of 1872, she wrapped up a series of engagements in Chicago at Nixon’s Amphitheatre when she was approached to star in a new kind of play. We will never know why she agreed to act with untrained actors in an untried play with an untested manager. By all accounts, she didn't need the money. There was no time even to rehearse the show, as it was set to premiere just four days later, and her costars were busy capturing a pair of bears that had been released in Lincoln Park. Nevertheless, she took the part of Dove Eye, "the beautiful Indian maiden with an Italian accent and weakness for scouts."By all accounts, the first show was a disaster. Morlacchi was a consummate professional and performed her part to perfection, but Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill, her costars, had forgotten every single one of their lines. The show had only been saved by the fact that, even though they were incredibly bad actors, Jack and Bill were handsome and rugged scouts of the first degree. The show's manager decided to work with Buffalo Bill personally and asked Morlacchi to instruct Texas Jack on the finer points of acting. Buffalo Bill's wife Louisa said, "Many a time I heard Texas Jack call a dance. Many a time, I saw him swing off his horse, tired and dusty from miles in the saddle, worn from days and nights without sleep when perhaps the lives of hundreds depended on his nerve, his skill with the rifle, his knowledge of the prairie." But she had never seen Texas Jack scared—had never seen him unsure until the moment when the brave cowboy was introduced to the beautiful ballerina. “Texas Jack put out his hand in a hesitating, wavering way," she wrote, and "His usually heavy bass voice cracked and broke. There were more difficulties than ever now, for Jack had fallen in love, at sight…And never did a pupil work harder than Texas Jack from that moment!”

When the tour ended, Jack returned to North Platte just long enough to say goodbye to Ena Palmer and end that chapter of his life. He raced to Rochester, New York, where Morlacchi's ballet troupe was performing and asked for her hand in marriage. They were married on August 30, 1873, at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Rochester. I wish I could tell you that they lived happily ever after, but Texas Jack's life was tragically cut short at the age of 33 when he was stricken by pneumonia in the Rocky Mountain town of Leadville, Colorado. Morlacchi retired from performing and passed away of cancer just six years later. But the short time they shared was filled with the kind of love and adventures that Hollywood wishes it could write.

More Image Enhancement

Way back in August of 2020, I walked through the process of enhancing an image of Texas Jack. With modern AI and computer imaging tools, it is really remarkable just how much we can manipulate an image from almost 150 years ago to make it look like it was taken yesterday.

For this one, I took an image from the collection of Robert G. McCubbin. McCubbin's collection was second to none, and this is a great picture of Texas Jack in a white Boss of the Plains style Stetson. Of all of the images we have of Texas Jack, he might look more cowboy in this one than any other.

This is already a pretty good picture, but running it through an AI algorithm (in this case Remini) gives us just a little more clarity.

It might be hard at a glance to tell the difference between the two, but a closer look at the face is revealing.

After that, I cleaned up some of the damage that is inevitably done to a photo over the course of a century and a half, such as the dark spot to the right of Jack's face and the white mark above his mustache on the left. I then adjusted the image for contrast and tone in Photoshop.

This is probably as close as we can come to seeing what Texas Jack would have looked like if we had modern photographic equipment when he was staring alongside his friends Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok. And just for fun, I ran the final product through MyHeritage's Deep Nostalgia algorithm, which animates still images to show us what Texas Jack might have looked like sitting in front of us.

[image error]

A Trek Out West - Part 6

Continued from A Trek Out West - Part 5.

[Otto Franc] Wednesday Aug 21 - Start before 7 a.m. pass a number of alkali lakes with Geese, Ducks, & other water birds on them & after a 20 mile ride reach, Sand Springs where we halt, but there is not enough grass for the horses & after an hour's rest & after having cooked some dinner we start toward Whisky Gap, a small pass in the Seminole Mountains & about 15 miles distant; we have not gone more than a mile when the road enters some sand hills & here our balker cuts up his first capers he positively refuses to go any farther, we intervene him with the whip, club, stones, butt end of rifle & use all devices known to horsemen & every one of which is in the eyes of inventor an infallible cure for a balking horse until finally the horse becomes so disgusted with us & our devices that he takes a sudden start & tears up the first hill stampeding our horses & leaving the driver & all of us who had dismounted to help things along far behind; on top of the hill he & his mate mule stop & kindly wait till we have caught our horses & have gathered our spilled articles & we proceed with renewed hope towards the next hill thinking we have perfectly cured our balker; on reaching the foot of said hill the same maneuver as before is repeated & as we have to go up driving the final tramp perhaps 15 hills the performance is repeated just as many times with the only alteration that very soon the tearing up hills propensities grow less & less until finally the team makes only about 20 yds headway after every start & we should have never reached the much desired Whiskey Gap if not late in the afternoon another hunting party with a good team of mules had overtaken us they very kindly stayed by us & pulled us up very difficult hill, their mules doing the pulling & our horse the holding back & backing; we reach Whiskey Gap after 7 p.m. quite hoarse from yelling at our balker & Jack & myself ride in advance to find a suitable camping ground, we find a desirable spot protected from the strong cold wind that had arisen towards sundown & signal to the Driver where to stop, he is perfectly willing to do so but the balker is not, he will listen to no proposal to stop here but insists upon going farther he plunges & rears & finally persuades the mule to take sides with him & both go at a breakneck speed through the gap & down the hill on the other side & it is a half mile from the selected spot before the driver can stop them it is dark now, blowing hard 8. just commencing to rain, we cannot go back to our shelter spot but must camp right here, exposed to the full fury of the elements, all on account of one single balky horse. We are fortunate enough to find some old blown down trees & erect our tents with the aid of the same, thus having some protection from the fast coming down rain, after a hurriedly cooked half raw supper we turn in & sleep splendidly in spite of storm & rain.

[Dr. Ferber] 21st. Left camp at seven. The first part of the day was pleasant, and we enjoyed, after having made eighteen miles, a lunch at Sand Springs very much. Refreshed, we got in the saddle again, and off we went. But now we came into a sandy country, and Lancken’s team was so poor that they could not pull the wagon with only about 700 pounds on. We were stuck in the sand, and if it had not been for another party that came close behind us we would never have seen the Sweetwater. They helped us at least a dozen times. In consequence of all these delays, we could not get further than Whisky Gap, where we arrived in a rainstorm at 7 o'clock. It was very, unpleasant to cook, eat and put our tent up while it was blowing a gale. Still, after all this we slept pretty sound and left this Whisky or Windy Gap as I should like to call it, early in the morning, hoping to reach the ranch the same day. But Jack, as well as the driver, both pretending to know Lancken's Ranch, got out of their reckoning, and at last had to confess that they did not know it at all, having never been there. At about 3 o'clock we came to the Sweetwater, where we saw some ranchers, but could not tell us where to find L'Ranch. We stopped here while Jack and the driver rode out in different directions to hunt after the place. After three or four hours they returned after having found the ranch only five miles off. The Sweetwater was crossed and we arrived at the place at 7 o'clock. Gus Lancken was not here, he had left the previous day for Rawlins, which we regretted very much; he had taken the shortest road else we would have met him. All of us were glad to get under L's hospitable roof. It is a real nice little place. Around the buildings, and especially along a small creek, there are about twenty or thirty acres of cultivated land where he raises corn, barley, oats, etc. Near the house is a large vegetable garden, with potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.; etc. The yard was lined on one side by the brook and on the other by high, almost perpendicular, rocks. In the center of the yard, you see the dwelling-house, made of logs. The roof of it is ornamented with enormous elkhorns so that it has almost the appearance of a German forester's house; inside you can find the horns of the smaller game in a great number. Besides this building, there were others for horses, cows, hens, etc., and a great haystack, showing that they were well prepared for the winter. Everything looked clean, nice, and neat so that we felt quite at home right away. Adam Apgar, the partner of L., who had charge of the ranch during L.'s absence, invited us very kindly into the house and to lake supper with him. This supper—consisting mostly of fresh eggs, fresh butter and milk, and what we appreciated much, young potatoes, etc.—was about the best supper we had on our trip. Adam did everything to make his home agreeable to us and succeeded perfectly so that we feel much obliged to him. We had to wait here until the return of Gus, to say at least three days. Hunting around the ranch was very poor, as the game was scarce and wild. I killed some jackrabbits and several cottontails. One day we tried the mountain sheep, but only saw some at a great distance without getting a shot.

[Otto Franc] Thursday Aug 22 - The storm has subsided & left the weather clear & cool, we make an early start, kill some rattlesnakes during the march & reach Sweet Water River at noon, we halt for an hours rest & dinner & then cross the river & reach Lancken's ranch at 5 P.M. it is situated in a beautiful narrow valley of the Sweet Water Mountains, the rockiest branch of the Rocky Mountains; there is a roomy Log house, ornamented outside & inside with Elk & deer horns also enclosures or corrals for the horses & cattle & the presence of a swarm of chickens & a dog & cat make me forget that we are hers in the wilderness, a well kept garden furnishes us with potatoes, beans, green corn, tomatoes & c, milk butter eggs are served with no sparing hand & we are received 8. entertained in right hospitable western style without daring to offer a cent of money in pay, in fact the whole ranch is placed at our disposal so that we almost feel like proprietors of the same instead of as guests; the mountains contain deer & mountain sheep & rock rabbits by the thousand so that we shall have something to pass our time with while we are waiting for Tip.

[Otto Franc] Friday, Aug 23 - During the night suffered a good deal from diarrhea & was quite weak in the morning; nevertheless started out alone & on foot at 7 a.m. to find some mountain sheep. I crossed a range of steep & high rocky hills opposite to the ranch & descended into the next valley, followed it up to its head & climbed over another high pass in the mountains with the intention of coming around back again into our valley but when I reached the point in question I saw 5-6 valleys end in a broad plain & I did not know which of the valleys to follow, I was extremely hot, I had been marching some hours, had not found a drop of water & was beginning to suffer from thirst. I now tried to climb a mountain in order to get a view of the surrounding country & if possible at the ranch, when I was 1/3 up my strength gave out I began to stagger & for a few moments lost consciousness; this was on the south side of the mountain which is merely a bare rock, & the sun was burning on it with terrific force; after recovering my senses I came to the conclusion that I had to find water soon or perhaps perish here, as I was several miles from the ranch & it would almost have been an impossibility for the people to find me, on account of the great number of valleys, gulches & pockets; the Sweetwater River was in plain view of me 8 miles distant & I struck out for the same, it was very bad walking through thick & high sagebrush & over the sandy ground, where it was impossible to get a firm foothold & it led me directly away from the ranch. I walked as fast as I could without exhausting my strength too much & I made fair progress; thinking all the time about water & which would be the most enjoyable way to drink it after getting there; my lips & tongue were now getting thick &. almost immovable; I remember when I was about 1 mile from the river & I was thinking that in a half-hour I would be drinking the water; since then I recollect nothing, all at once I was standing at the water's edge & I was wondering how the water came here or how I came to the water, all desire for the same had passed away 8, after a little while it began to dawn before my mind 8. I stopped 8i began to wash out my mouth but it was quite some time before I would drink any, then I revived very quickly I looked at my watch it was ' 2 o'clock, judging from the surrounding country I was 15 miles from the ranch & a very bad, partly sandy, partly rocky country to traverse; in my present condition it was a impossible task & I laid down the bed of river under the shelter of some willow & slept for just one hour, I arose at 3 considerably refreshed & I started on my tramp I kept along the river, making fair progress S. drinking frequently of the water; just at sundown I reached a point opposite of the ranch & 5 miles distance from it; I had not eaten anything since 6 a.m., was very tired & concluded to build a fire, sleep in the bank of the river & make for the ranch the next morning; 1 began to gather dry brush when distant thunder called my attention to the southerly sky - I saw a great thunderstorm approaching, this banished all thoughts of camping out & after filling a small flask I had in my pocket with water which contained just 1 swallow of Whiskey I set out for home, everything went well for the first mile, but after that I began to get more & more tired, I could hard lift my feet any more, but just dragged them through the sand stumbling & falling every now & then, I had to sit down very often & every time would get up quite stiff & almost unable to move; all this time I clung to my rifle dragging it along with the butt on the ground & the muzzle in my hand being unable to carry it on my shoulder but unwilling to abandon it; now & then I would take a swallow out of my flask & that combined with the approaching tempest behind me would give me another impetus; my only aim was now to get within one mile of the ranch so that they could hear the report of my rifle & know of my whereabouts; I had just drank the last of my whiskey & water & intended to go 100 yards farther & then to discharge my rifle when I heard the faint report of a gun in the direction of the ranch, this aroused me as I knew it was 3 signal for me, I answered it with 3 shots in quick succession which is to move; all this time I clung to my rifle dragging it along with the butt on the ground & the muzzle in my hand being unable to carry it on my shoulder but unwilling to abandon it; now & then I would take a swallow out of my flask & that combined with the approaching tempest behind me would give me another impetus; my only aim was now to get within one mile of the ranch so that they could hear the report of my rifle & know of my whereabouts; I had just drank the last of my whiskey & water & intended to go 100 yards farther & then to discharge my rifle when I heard the faint report of a gun in the direction of the ranch, this aroused me as I knew it was 3 signal for me, I answered it with 3 shots in quick succession which is the usual distress signal & then laid full length on the ground feeling confident that help would soon come, I fired again at intervals in order to give them the precise spot where I laid & after 15-20 minutes of anxious listening & waiting I heard the clatter of horses hoofs & looming up through the darkness came a man on horseback with another saddle horse beside on a dead run towards me in a moment he was beside me this gave me new life & I forgetting that I was half dead I jumped in the saddle & keeping in advance of the other man I made a bee line for the ranch as fast as my lively pony could run, on coming in to the ranch I was welcomed with cheers which I gaily responded to, jumped out of the saddle and fell headlong to the ground, a vigorous rubbing of the temples with whiskey brought me to in a few moments & an administration of some milk punch in very smai1 doses soon strengthened & unloosened my tongue so that I was able to give an account of my adventures. They had begun to feel concerned about me when I had not made my appearance at dinner time as they knew I had not been well & as it is very easy to get lost in the labyrinth of the valley & narrow gulches which I traversed, they ascended a hi 11 close by & kept firing guns at intervals all afternoon and evening but I was too far away to hear them; they were glad as myself to see me reach home safely & said I had looked like a ghost.

[Otto Franc] Saturday, Aug 24 - I stayed home all day feeling very ill as a consequence of yesterdays tramp; Dr. and Jack go out to see some sheep but cannot get a shot at them; Dr. kills 3 rabbits for supper; they are so abundant that a person can go out at any time & kill enough for a meal in 15 minutes.

[Otto Franc] Sunday, Aug 25 - I feel somewhat better & go out with Jack to look for mountain sheep; we see a band of about 15 but cannot approach them & come home empty; Dr. kills another mess of rabbits. I see some blacktail does close by but do not shoot at them.

[Otto Franc] Monday, Aug 26 - A man from the ranch & I are out in the forenoon but see no game; Tip not having made his appearance yet but not to wait any longer decide to start tomorrow & persuade Lancken to accompany us; Lancken has an experience of 15 years hunting & trapping in Colorado & Wyoming & is universally known & respected as an honest upright man & excellent shot, thoroughly acquainted with mountain & Plains life & experienced with Indian life having had both pleasant & unpleasant relations with the same; after returning from our six weeks hunt to the ranch we heard of the sad fate which had befallen Tip while we were waiting for him to meet us. He had started out with a party of 8 mounted & well armed men to follow the trail of the train robbers which led directly into the Elk mountains 10-15 miles south of Fort Steele; on arriving at the base of the mountains the party not considering themselves strong enough concluded to return for reinforcements; Tip & another man however intended to follow cautiously & if possible find the location of their camp; They were not heard of for over a week when a party of surveyors arrived at Cheyenne & reported having seen 2 men on horseback riding into a small canyon, shortly after they had entered they heard brisk firing 20-25 shots & they came to the conclusion that these 2 men were hunters & struck a band of Elk; the description of their horses agreed with the ones ridden by Tip & companion & settled the fact that they had fallen into an ambush prepared by the outlaws; a party of 25 men was formed & after a 2 days search the bodies of Tip & companion were found covered up with sand & branches of trees; they were literally riddled with bullets Tip having no less than 12 holes in him; evidently the robbers had seen them come & knowing or suspecting their mission were prepared for them & it is doubtful if the two men had time to fire a shot in return; the bodies were stripped of everything that could be of any service to the murderers; hats, boots, knife, money & c were gone, the coats & pants being perhaps too much perforated with bullets they had left, in place of my fine new Sharps rifle they had left an old wore out Army musket. Tip had proved to be a cheerful pleasant companion on our three week trip to Battle lake & thorough guide & hunter; his murderer will perhaps never be known or punished as the wilds of Wyoming give abundant shelter to that class of men; the Territory abounds with bands of horse thieves but it is very seldom that one of them is brought to justice.

[Dr. Ferber] 26th. Frank, Jack, and Adam went out but did not kill any, and toward evening Lancken returned, having shot an antelope. He agreed to go with us on our trip as a guide. We had a very good supper, consisting of juicy antelope stakes, flapjacks, new potatoes, and sour milk, which latter was highly appreciated by Frank and myself. One day, during our stay here, Frank went out on foot to try the mountain sheep but intended to be back to dinner. He did not come and was not back at three. We felt scared about him, and Adam and Frenchy went out in search of him. They returned without having found a trace of him so that we felt sure he was lost in the mountains. Firing our guns several times had no result. No answer responded, till at about six o'clock we heard the report of a gun, to which I answered with a double shot. An hour was gone, and still, he did not come, when we heard three successive shots. Now, knowing that he was in distress, Adam saddled two ponies, and in half an hour they both returned, but Frank in an awful condition. F. had taken nothing with him but a drop of whisky, and not finding water, he got so exhausted that he could scarcely walk. A milk punch and a good night's rest put him all right again.

[Otto Franc] Tuesday, Aug 27 - We clean our guns & prepare for tomorrow's start.

[Dr. Ferber] 27th, Passed in loading shells and preparing for tomorrow's start. [This story will continue, following the summer trek of Texas Jack, Otto Franc, and Dr. Ferber in Part 6.]