“The coach was filled with passengers, but no women were aboard but myself. There were several young men bound for the newly organized territory of Nebraska, and the famous Kit Carson returning to his home in Nebraska. Having heard much of him we eyed him with a good deal of interest and curiosity, but saw nothing remarkable about him except his clothes, which were of buckskin, fringed around the bottom, wrists and collar, a style entirely new to me. One of the young men had come from the far east, Massachusetts, I think, going to Nebraska to seek his fortune. He had run out of money and found himself without means in a land of strangers.
“BEFRIENDS A STRANGER.
“At one of the stations where they changed horses, he approached Mr. Bloomer and asked for a loan, offering his watch as security. Though an entire stranger Mr. Bloomer concluded to befriend him, so gave him the money he asked and took his watch. But when the time came for him to leave us and cross into Nebraska, Mr. Bloomer gave him back his watch. He felt that he could trust him and that he would need his watch. It was not a misplaced confidence, for in due time the money was returned. All of the passengers left us before we reached Glenwood at some point below to cross a ferry into Nebraska, and from there on to Council Bluffs we were the only passengers. It was a real relief to have the coach to ourselves, after riding two days and a night crowded in with six or eight men, and we saw them leave without regret.
“ARRIVES AT GLENWOOD.
“On the afternoon of April 15, 1855, we reached Glenwood; and here, while our driver tarried to change horses, we left the coach and took a survey of our surroundings. The place was small, the hotel uninviting, but the country beautiful. Being tired with our long cooped-up ride, we strolled on in advance of the stage and soon reached a lovely grove. Here we sat down upon a log to enjoy the scenery and eat a light lunch from our basket. The stage soon came along, and we took our seats inside feeling refreshed by our walk and rejoicing that we were nearing the end of our 1,500-mile journey.
“EARLY HARDSHIPS.
“At about five o’clock the second day out from St. Joseph we drew up in front of the Pacific Hotel in this city, which was then the hotel of Council Bluffs and comprised about half of what has since been known as the Inman House. Here we remained two weeks hoping in vain that a rise in the river would float a boat bringing our household goods up from St. Louis; but finally went to housekeeping with a few things kindly lent us by a friend in a home purchased some months before and in which, with some additions, we have continued to reside for thirty-eight years. We had brought with us from our eastern home a trunk full of choice shrubbery and fruit grafts. It was necessary that these should be planted and cared for; so we went into our home under these discouraging conditions, and only planted out our shrubbery to see it sicken and die under the burning sun for want of water.
“SUFFER FROM DROUTH.
“For weeks there was no rain and no water in the well to give the thirsty plants, which had beautifully sprouted in the trunk, and so we lost them all. One morning a great mystery came to us. We had set out a patch about twelve feet square with apple grafts. These were budded and growing about two feet high, when all at once we discovered that every one had been cut off near the ground with a sloping, smooth cut as with a sharp knife. We could come to but one conclusion, and that was that some one envying us the trees had taken off half of them, thinking to root the tops. But why did they not pull them up and take the whole? was our query. It was to us ‘a nine days’ wonder,’ but was finally solved by our learning that rabbits had been the thieves and had cut them off so smoothly with their teeth.