Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/394

 e modesty

aside. Could we but have had the camera (of coui-se not then in existence) on one of those typical camps, what a picture there would be. Elderly matrons dressed almost as like the little sprite miss of tender years of today. The younger women more shy of accepting the inevitable, but finally fell into the procession, and we had a community of women wearing bloomers without invidious comment, or in fact of any comment at all. Some of them soon went barefoot, partly from choice and in other cases from necessity. The same could be said of the men, as shoe leather began to grind out from the sand and dry heat. Of all the fan- tastic costumes it is safe to say the like before was never seen nor equaled. The scene beggars description. Patches became visible upon the clothing of preachers as well as laymen; the situation brooked no respect of persons. The grand- mother's cap was soon displaced by a handkerchief or perhaps a bit of cloth. Grandfather's high crowned hat disappeared as if by magic. Hatless and boot- less men became a common sight. Bonnetless women were to be seen on all sides They wore what they had left or could get without question of the fitness of things. Rich dresses were worn by some ladies because they had no others left ; the gentle- men drew on their wardrobes till scarcely a fine unsoiled suit was left.

HARDSHIPS

' ' The dust has been spoken of as intolerable. The word hardly expresses the situation; in fact, I can not say the English language contains the word to de- fine it. Here was a moving mass of humanity and dumb brutes at times mixed in inextricable confusion a hundred feet wide or more. At times two columns of wagons traveling on parallel lines and near each other served as a barrier to prevent loose stock from crossing, but usually there would be an almost inex- tricable mass of cows, young cattle, horses, and footmen moving along the out- skirts. Here and there would be drivers of loose stock, some on foot and some on horseback; a young girl may be riding astride with a younger child, going here and there after an intractable cow, while the mother could be seen in confusion lending a helping hand. As in a thronged city street, no one seemed to look to the right or to the left, or pay much if any attention to others, bent alone on accomplishment of their task in hand. Over all, in calm weather at times, the dust would settle so thick that the lead team of oxen could not be seen from the wagon ; like a London fog, so thick one might almost cut it. Then again, that steady flow of wind up to and through the South Pass would hurl the dust and sand in one's face sometimes with force enough to sting from the impact upon the face and hands.

THE GREAT CHOLERA PANIC

' ' The scourge of cholera on the Platte in 1852 is far beyond my power of de- scription. In later years I have witnessed panics on shipboard ; have experienced the horrors of the flight of a whole population from the gi-asp of the Indians, but never before nor since such scenes as those in the thickest of the ravages of cholera. It did seem that people lost all control of themselves and of others. Whole trains could be seen contending for the mastery of the road by day, and the power of endurance tested to the utmost both men and beast at night. The