520 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Oct. 25, 1913. 
“ The Settlement” 
Fort Laramie 
By WILLIAM K. FENN 
T HIS Army Post, known as Fort Laramie, 
was one of the oldest and best known 
frontier posts in the Western country. It 
stood at the eastern gate-way of the mountains, 
dominating the travel by wagon and pack of all 
who sought the Pacific coast by the northern 
route. Situated in the fork of the junction of 
the Laramie River and the North Platte, all 
expeditions coming up the great Platte River 
were forced to pass in the neighborhood of the 
fort. 
At our urgent invitation the two officers 
agreed to remain and spend the evening in 
camp. A fine supper was served. Fried ham 
and eggs, cold-boiled buffalo beef, hot biscuits 
and corn-bread, cheese, fried potatoes, coffee, 
tea and milk, besides various pickles and 
relishes. The presence of the officers caused the 
cooks to put on a few extra touches, while the 
young women gathered flowers and decorated 
the tables. The supper was a revelation to the 
guests, who were also struck with the smooth¬ 
ness of the preparation and completeness of the 
details of the camp. After a cursory inspection 
they declared it to be the finest outfit that had 
ever passed the fort to their knowledge. They 
earnestly urged us to continue there several days 
longer, so as to permit the ladies to visit the 
fort. We finally decided to stay over a day to 
allow sufficient time for the division to cross the 
North Platte River, which was still running with 
a strong volume of water. 
It was found that both divisions had ar¬ 
rived at that point safely, had crossed the river 
on the sectional ferryboat, taking the new mili¬ 
tary trail to Fort Fetterman along the north 
bank of the river, instead of following the old 
emigrant trail, which led west and north on the 
south side of the Platte toward the foothills of 
the Laramie Mountain range. The ferry, left 
for the divisions following, was in place and 
ready for the crossing. The wisdom of provid¬ 
ing the sectional ferryboat for the expedition 
was now seen. It was practically the only means 
at hand to take the expedition over the Platte. 
It was true that there was a ferry in use at 
that point, but it was a rickety affair and totally 
inadequate for transporting the heavily loaded 
wagons of the expedition. The new Govern¬ 
ment bridge over the Platte was building, but 
not yet finished, and the river was still too high 
to ford. Without the boat the whole expedition 
might have been delayed here from ten days to 
two weeks before being able to ford the Platte. 
Next morning, after a late breakfast, the 
emigrants and camp attendants were provided 
with a lunch, to be eaten wherever the noon hour 
might find them. It was proposed to ferry the 
*Under this head will appear from time to time por¬ 
tions taken from a new publication, by William K. Fenn, 
which will be brought out in two volumes a little later. 
This book is descriptive of the experiences of a 
large company of Pennsylvania settlers in 1875 in their 
overland journey to the Pacific Coast and their sett'e- 
ment there. The far Western traveling and hunting 
scenes given are ren 1 '”'--? with experiences interesting to 
the readers of this day. 
expedition over the river during the day, and 
camp that night on the north bank, taking up the 
journey to Fort Fetterman the next (Friday) 
morning. 
Not trusting to let the horses and mules 
swim the river, they were to be ferried over 
with the cattle and sheep. First the cattle and 
sheep; next the heavy wagons and teams; then 
the emigrant wagons and teams, and lastly the 
balance of the camp and baggage. 
It was found necessary to also use the pub¬ 
lic ferry in addition to that belonging to the 
expedition. Even then it was growing dark 
when the last boat load reached the north bank. 
The work of removing the ferry rope and tackle 
and packing the boats and equipment on their 
wagons was not accomplished until the division 
was about ready to start the next morning. To 
accomplish the crossing of the division, the ferry 
ran uninterruptedly the entire day. 
For those of the readers who do not under¬ 
stand the working power of a ferry of this kind 
it might be said that a pulley runs upon a cable 
crossing the stream. Rove through this pulley 
is a rope fastened at each end of the boat. (One 
end of the rope at one end of the boat, then 
passed through the pulley running on the cable, 
and the other end of the rope fastened to the 
other end of the boat.) From this rope the boat 
is held broadside to the current. If the stream 
is sluggish and without current, the boat is 
poled from bank to bank, the cable and tackle 
thus preventing it from drifting down stream. 
If the current is sufficiently strong, drop- 
boards are let down from the side of the boat, 
which, being caught by the force of the current, 
send the boat on its course. There should be 
four of these drop-blades, two on each side of 
the boat, but it can be operated with only two 
(both being upon the same side). They are 
placed forward of the center of the boat toward 
either end. Dropping the stern board, which is 
caught by the current, carries the stern down 
stream. The rope holding the boat, working 
free at the pulley at the cable, instantly adjusts 
itself to any change of position, and the rush 
of water against the slanting blade of the drop- 
board propels the boat forward. Naturally the 
stronger and faster the current, the faster will 
go the boat. When the opposite side is reached, 
that drop-board is hauled up, and the one at 
the other end of the boat is let down, which re¬ 
verses the motion of the boat, sending it the 
other way back to the shore from which it 
started. Thus by the manipulation of these 
boards the boat passes back and forth across 
the stream like a shuttle-cock. The motion of 
the boat is often regulated to offset eddies or 
changes in the current by the manipulation and 
proper adjustment of both boards, let down and 
held at different depths and angles in the cur¬ 
rent. 
When the stream is swift and deep, and 
both sides of the ferryboat are equipped with 
drop-boards, permitting two boards to be used 
at the stern, one on the upper and one on the 
lower side of the boat, and the angle of the 
boat to the stream held by one of the forward 
