KATE MULHALL

A Romance of the OREGON TRAIL

By EZRA MEEKER

Author of: Ox-Team Days, Pioneer Reminiscences, The Busy Life of 85 Years, Pioneer Stories for Children, Story of the Lost Trail to Oregon

Drawings by Margaret Landers Sanford, Rudolf A. Kauach and Oscar W. Lyons Map of the Oregon Trail, and photographs

Published by EZRA MEEKER 18 OLD SLIP, NEW YORK CITY

THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED AS A TRIBUTE OF DEVOTION TO THE MEMORIES OF PHOEBE BAKER MEEKER MY MOTHER ELIZA SUMNER MEEKER MY WIFE WHO CROSSED THE OREGON TRAIL AS A YOUNG MOTHER IN 1852, AND WAS AFTERWARD THE COMPANION OF MANY YEARS OF MY LIFE THE HEROINES OF THE PLAINS AND 20,000 PIONEERS MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN—BURIED IN UNMARKED GRAVES, ALONG THAT GREAT HIGHWAY OF HISTORY TO THE FAR NORTHWEST

Copyrighted 1926 By EZRA MEEKER

All rights reserved

CONTENTS

FOREWORD: Ezra Meeker, the Author By Robert Bruce.

CHAPTER I

Early Life in Missouri; A Farewell Party; Kate's Suitors

CHAPTER II

Off for Oregon; Crossing the Missouri; Encountering the Buffalo; Troubles with the Indians

CHAPTER III

Trials of the Long Trail; Dangerous River Crossings; the Death of Catherine; West of the Rockies; Separation of the Party; New Homes in the Oregon Country

CHAPTER IV

A Massacre and a War; Kate Mulhall, Deputy Sheriff; A Race for a Wife; The Wedding and Charvaree; A Delayed and Adventurous Honeymoon on Puget Sound

CHAPTER V

An Encounter with Pirates, and a Fortunate Deliverance; Ben Found; His prompt start for Missouri and unexpected arrival; a Son born to the Peltons

CHAPTER VI

The Wedding of Ben and Linda; A second Overland Trip; Massacre of nearly all the Company; Binding up the Wounds; The Trip resumed; Survivors reach the Oregon Country

CHAPTER VII

Linda's hope never realized; Death of David Mulhall; Craig's promise remembered; Lessons from a Trail-marking Outfit; Decision to make the trip

CHAPTER VIII

The Start for the Rockies; Re-discovery of the Old Trail; Recollections of Burnt River; All signs of Ben's grave obliterated; A granite Monument erected near the Lone Pine and wagon tire at the grave of Catherine Mulhall: Closing Scenes

APPENDIX

The Missionary's Story—The Lewis and Clark Expedition; Outline History of the Oregon Missions; Jason Lee's great sermon; Massacre of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman; Destruction of the Mission, &c

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

President and Old Pioneer ...... Frontispiece

Ezra Meeker, the author ...... Frontispiece

Condensed map of the Oregon Trail and National Road

Farewell Party at the Mulhall Homestead in Missouri

A near catastrophe in crossing the Missouri

Typical emigrant outfit on the Oregon Trail

Using a wagon-box as a "boat"

Under the Yoke for the first time

A Corral at an overnight stop on the Trail through the Indian Country

Almost "Down and Out"

Monument along the Clover Creek Highway, near Tacoma, Washington

Reduced to a Hand Cart

The honeymoon party on Puget Sound

"Help Yourself

"Babe in the Woods"

Scene after the Massacre

Tracks on the Oregon Trail made nearly a century ago

The lone pine

Jason Lee's great sermon

Dr. John McLoughlin welcoming Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spalding to Fort Vancouver

Arrival of the Sager orphans at the Whitman Mission

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The front cover design combines a distant view of the majestic mountain of the Pacific Northwest with a pictorial representation of one of the great falls on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains—both landmarks enshrined in the memories of the few surviving Pioneers over the Oregon Trail.