45 



above the forks until about 1875, and onco about 1804 oi- \s{\:, it i-an 

 dry at Fort Kearney. 



John J. Brewer, of Irondale, Colo., stated that he came to Colorado 

 in 1801. He said that he remembers well hearing the freighters who 

 came along the South Platte say that down toward the Colorado line 

 the river sank into the sand and thev were oV>li2:ed to dijr holes to 

 water their horses. He was of the opinion that this was in the years 

 before 1870. 



John Lillie. of Littleton. Colo., stated that the South Phitte was 

 dry in 1803 from a point 10 miles below Denver for 200 or 300 miles 

 anyway, and he did not know how much farther. In some seasons 

 there used to be some water in the South Platte in the neighborhood 

 of the State line, and in other seasons it ran dry and disappeared in 

 the sand for long stages. 



Judge Ames, of Littleton, Colo., says that he came to Colorado in 

 1800. The season of 1803 was unusually dry. Water flowed down 

 the river only a short distance below Denver. He remembered that 

 in that vear in particular the freighters told of having to dig holes 

 in the sand in order to get water for animals. 



Ed. Montgomery, of Littleton, Colo., says that he came "West in 

 1860. In the summers of 1802-1804: he was freighting along the river 

 and found plenty of water. However, in 1803 the river went dry 

 ?nd it was necessary to dig holes to secure water. 



C. C. Hawley. of Fort Collins, Colo., says that he came West in 

 1860. He went along the South Platte River in the summer of 1863 

 and from a short distance below the mouth of the Poudre all the 

 Avay down beyond to the State line the river was entirely dry and 

 they Avere obliged to dig for water. He went down the South Platte 

 to Jvdesburg late in the summer of 1864 in connection with the Indian 

 troubles, as he was in the Army. The river was then completely 

 dry, as before, there being only now and then a hole with a little 

 water in it. 



Mr. Hawley understands from the oldtimers that, as a usual thing, 

 the South Platte went dry every summer from below the mouth of 

 the Poudre for a distance of 200 miles, very nearly to the junction 

 of the North and South forks. 



Bruce Johnson, of Greeley, Colo., came out in 1850. He went up 

 and down the South Platte two different years during the sixties, 

 but did not remember which years. Both of these years the river 

 was drv from Julesburg to the junction, and in one of these years- 

 he thought it was in 1864— the river was dry from the junction to Fort 

 Kearney, and farther down for all he knew. The river in the years 

 mentioned was completely dry. • t. 



Hon. Eufrene F. AYare, formerly Commissioner of Pensums.Topeka. 

 Kans., who\as with the United States troops along the Platte River 



