2U LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



California; but the way being impracticable for wagons, some 

 seventy families proceeded up the Arkansas, and wintered near the 

 mountains, intending to cross to the Platte the ensuing spring, and 

 join the main body of emigrants on their way by the South Pass 

 of the Rocky Mountains. 



In the wide and well-timbered bottom of the Arkansas, the 

 IMormons had erected a street of log shanties, in which to pass the 

 inclement winter. These were built of rough logs of cotton- wood, 

 laid one above the other, the interstices filled with mud, and 

 rendered impervious to wind or v/et. At one end of the row of 

 shanties was built the " church" or temple — a long building of 

 huge logs, in which the prayer-meetings and holdings-forth took 

 place. The band wintering on the Arkansas were a far better 

 class than the generality of Mormons, and comprised many wealthy 

 and respectable farmers from the western states, most of whom 

 were accustomed to the life of woodmen, and were good hunters. 

 Thus they were enabled to support their families upon the produce 

 of their rifles, frequently sallying out to the nearest point of the 

 mountains with a wagon, which they would bring back loaded 

 with buffalo, deer, and elk meat, thereby saving the necessity of 

 killing any of their stock of cattle, of which but few remained. 



The mountain hunters foimd this camp a profitable market for 

 their meat and deer-skins, with which the Mormons were now 

 compelled to clothe themselves, and resorted there for that purpose 

 — to say nothing of the attraction of the many really beautiful 

 Missourian girls who sported their tall, graceful figures at the fre- 

 quent fandangoes. Dancing and preaching go hand in hand in 

 Mormon doctrine, and the " temple" was generally cleared for a 

 hop two or three times during the week, a couple of fiddles doing 

 the duty of orchestra. A party of mountaineers came in one day, 

 bringing some buffalo meat and dressed deer-skins, and were 

 invited to be present at one of these festivals. 



Arrived at the temple, they were rather taken aback by finding 



