Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/276

216 twenty-three wagons to join the Barlow party. He and Barlow prospected far into the mountains and concluded that the season was too late and the risk too great to take the wagons over that winter. The Barlow party had left The Dalles, September 24, 1845, determined to conquer the impassable mountains.

In the party that finally came through were S. K. Barlow and wife, Albert Gaines, wife and three children, Jane Ellen Barlow, William Caplinger and wife, John M. Bacon, Gesner, Reuben Gant, who drove the first wagon over the road in 1846, William Berry and William Barlow and possibly others. J. L. (Dock) and James Barlow, Joel Palmer, W. G. Buffum and wife, and one other traveled the Indian trail. William Rector and wife returned to The Dalles after Rector returned from one of the perilous reconnoitering trips with Barlow. They had been out two weeks, while the others waited with misgivings for the intrepid prospectors' return. At last, a rifle shot was heard, and caused great rejoicing in the camps. The scouts reported hardships of big timber, swamps, canyons, steep hills, snow and wild animals.

Provisions were getting low and the question now was, "shall we go forward or return to The Dalles?" The majority voted to "go forward!" This confidence made the old captain's heart glad and happy. He repeated what he had said before, "We will succeed in this undertaking or leave our bones in the mountains. But, never fear, we will succeed."

Again the little party started with all their household goods, including wheat, corn and apple seeds. Mr. William Barlow had been persuaded to leave his yearling nursery apples at Fort Hall, as he was told that there were plenty of growing orchards in Oregon. Experience afterwards made him regret leaving them there, as there were only a very few nurseries in the Oregon country, owned principally by the Hudson's Bay Company.