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Sumtimes Mr.Reed sends me ahead with his youngin' Jimmy t'scout out water and good places fer camp. Shore gettin' fond of thet youngin. We spotted a fat buffaler calf yestiday and brought him down with one shot. Showed li'l Jimmy how t'dress out and skin a kill an' took a pile of tender meat back t'the Mrs---mighty good eatin' last night. The girls picked blackberries fer a pie. We all got t'singin' and I pulled out me mouth harp and squeezed out a tune or two. Jus' after dark a couple men catched up with us, ridin' mules. Theys looking to hire on with Mr Reed. Due t'how much trouble we wuz havin' with that there Prairie Palace wagon, Mr Reed hired them fellers on the spot and gave them a plate of vittles. Derned if I don't mind a few more hands, ceptin' these two shore look scruffy and unedjecated. Wonder whare they come from and whut them skinny black mules are carryin' in them heavy saddle bags. Sez their names is Spitz and Mullins. I shore liked listenin' to the sound of them tinkly little bells Spitz tied onto his mule.
(Illegible entries)
SCOTTS BLUFF
June 24, 1846
Yeehaw!! We done got to Scotts Bluff. Chimney Rock with thet skinny spire wuz more intrestin', but Scotts Bluff means a third of the journy is done. We start gittin' into the Rockies now. Shore hates t'leave the plains behind. Been nice havin' all them buffler t'eat.
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We be t'Fort Laramie in one week t'restock and fix up these here wagons. Theys dryin' out, spokes and joints comin' loose. The days are gittin' hot now. I jus' might find me a saloon at the Fort and a bottle of sippin' whiskey. Shore lucky them big storms been missin' us folks. Them tornadies ain't nuthin' to shake a stick at. Hope we don't hang 'round heer too long. It's almost July.
July 4, 1846
This wuz a fine day. We had us a celybrashun for the 4th of July at Beaver Crick. Mr Reed opened a bottle of whiskey he been savin' and past it all around. The Mrs made lemmonade from yeller fruit she done brung all the way from the east. We met up with another wagon train and had us a speech and discharge of all the guns. Then singin' an dancin' t'music made with a fiddle, flute and a drum made outa the skin of a dawg-a pleasur'ble excitement t'be sure.
July 13, 1846
Did reach Indpendance Rock today. Not so big as I was espect'n but a good site t'see none the less. Stop't here t'rest. Kept busy by read'n names of those who done crost these plains before and left me own mark--"DH".
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