the passing of the frontier-第13章

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　thing　of　vital　importance　to　all　men。　Men　did　not　read　the　stock　markets；　they　read　stories　of　adventure；　tales　of　men　returned　from　lands　out　yonder　in　the　West。　Heretofore　the　swarthy　Mexicans；　folk　of　the　dry　plains　and　hills　around　the　head　of　the　Rio　Grande　and　the　Red；　had　carried　their　cotton　goods　and　many　other　small　and　needful　things　all　the　way　from　Vera　Cruz　on　the　seacoast；　over　trails　that　were　long；　tedious；　uncertain；　and　expensive。　A　far　shorter　and　more　natural　trade　route　went　west　along　the　Arkansas；　which　would　bring　the　American　goods　to　the　doors　of　the　Spanish　settlements。　After　Pike　and　one　or　two　others　had　returned　with　reports　of　the　country；　the　possibilities　of　this　trade　were　clear　to　any　one　with　the　merchant's　imagination。

There　is　rivalry　for　the　title　of　〃Father　of　the　Santa　Fe　Trail。〃　As　early　as　1812；　when　the　United　States　was　at　war　with　England；　a　party　of　men　on　horseback　trading　into　the　West；　commonly　called　the　McKnight；　Baird；　and　Chambers　party；　made　their　way　west　to　Santa　Fe。　There；　however；　they　met　with　disaster。　All　their　goods　were　confiscated　and　they　themselves　lay　in　Mexican　jails　for　nine　years。　Eventually　the　returning　survivors　of　this　party　told　their　stories；　and　those　stories；　far　from　chilling；　only　inflamed　the　ardor　of　other　adventurous　traders。　In　1821　more　than　one　American　trader　reached　Santa　Fe；　and；　now　that　the　Spanish　yoke　had　been　thrown　off　by　the　Mexicans；　the　goods；　instead　of　being　confiscated；　were　purchased　eagerly。

It　is　to　be　remembered；　of　course；　that　trading　of　this　sort　to　Mexico　was　not　altogether　a　new　thing。　Sutlers　of　the　old　fur　traders　and　trappers　already　had　found　the　way　to　New　Spain　from　the　valley　of　the　Platte；　south　along　the　eastern　edge　of　the　Rockies；　through　Wyoming　and　Colorado。　By　some　such　route　as　that　at　least　one　trader；　a　French　creole；　agent　of　the　firm　of　Bryant　&　Morrison　at　Kaskaskia；　had　penetrated　to　the　Spanish　lands　as　early　as　1804；　while　Lewis　and　Clark　were　still　absent　in　the　upper　wilderness。　Each　year　the　great　mountain　rendezvous　of　the　trappersnow　at　Bent's　Fort　on　the　Arkansas；　now　at　Horse　Creek　in　Wyoming；　now　on　Green　River　in　Utah；　or　even　farther　beyond　the　mountainsdemanded　supplies　of　food　and　traps　and　ammunition　to　enable　the　hunters　to　continue　their　work　for　another　year。　Perhaps　many　of　the　pack…trains　which　regularly　supplied　this　shifting　mountain　market　already　had　traded　in　the　Spanish　country。

It　is　not　necessary　to　go　into　further　details　regarding　this　primitive　commerce　of　the　prairies。　It　yielded　a　certain　profit；　it　shaped　the　character　of　the　men　who　carried　it　on。　But　what　is　yet　more　important；　it　greatly　influenced　the　country　which　lay　back　of　the　border　on　the　Missouri　River。　It　called　yet　more　men　from　the　eastern　settlements　to　those　portions　which　lay　upon　the　edge　of　the　Great　Plains。　There　crowded　yet　more　thickly；　up　to　the　line　between　the　certain　and　the　uncertain；　the　restless　westbound　population　of　all　the　country。

If　on　the　south　the　valley　of　the　Arkansas　led　outward　to　New　Spain；　yet　other　pathways　made　out　from　the　Mississippi　River　into　the　unknown　lands。　The　Missouri　was　the　first　and　last　of　our　great　natural　frontier　roads。　Its　lower　course　swept　along　the　eastern　edge　of　the　Plains；　far　to　the　south；　down　to　the　very　doors　of　the　most　adventurous　settlements　in　the　Mississippi　Valley。　Those　who　dared　its　stained　and　turbulent　current　had　to　push　up；　onward；　northward；　past　the　mouth　of　the　Platte；　far　to　the　north　across　degrees　of　latitude；　steadily　forward　through　a　vast　virgin　land。　Then　the　river　bent　boldly　and　strongly　off　to　the　west；　across　another　empire。　Its　great　falls　indicated　that　it　headed　high；　beyond　the　great　falls　its　steady　sweep　westward　and　at　last　southward；　led　into　yet　other　kingdoms。

When　we　travel　by　horse　or　by　modern　motor　car　in　that　now　accessible　region　and　look　about　us；　we　should　not　fail　to　reflect　on　the　long　trail　of　the　upbound　boats　which　Manuel　Lisa　and　other　traders　sent　out　almost　immediately　upon　the　return　of　the　Lewis　and　Clark　expedition。　We　should　see　them　struggling　up　against　that　tremendous　current　before　steam　was　known；　driven　by　their　lust　for　new　lands。　We　may　then　understand　fully　what　we　have　read　of　the　enterprises　of　the　old　American　Fur　Company；　and　bring　to　mind　the　forgotten　names　of　Campbell　and　Sublette；　of　General　Ashley　and　of　Wyethnames　to　be　followed　by　others　really　of　less　importance；　as　those　of　Bonneville　and　Fremont。　That　there　could　be　farms；　that　there　ever　might　be　homes；　in　this　strange　wild　country；　was；　to　these　early　adventurers；　unthinkable。

Then　we　should　picture　the　millions　of　buffalo　which　once　covered　these　plains　and　think　of　the　waste　and　folly　of　their　slaughtering。　We　should　see　the　long　streams　of　the　Mackinaw　boats　swimming　down　the　Missouri；　bound　for　St。　Louis；　laden　with　bales　of　buffalo　and　beaver　peltry；　every　pound　of　which　would　be　worth　ten　dollars　at　the　capital　of　the　fur　trade；　and　we　should　restore　to　our　minds　the　old　pictures　of　savage　tribesmen；　decked　in　fur…trimmed　war…shirts　and　plumed　bonnets；　armed　with　lance　and　sinewed　bow　and　bull…neck　shield；　not　forgetting　whence　they　got　their　horses　and　how　they　got　their　food。

The　great　early　mid…continental　highway；　known　as　the　Oregon　Trail　or　the　Overland　Trail；　was　by　way　of　the　Missouri　up　the　Platte　Valley；　thence　across　the　mountains。　We　know　more　of　this　route　because　it　was　not　discontinued；　but　came　steadily　more　and　more　into　use；　for　one　reason　after　another。　The　fur　traders　used　it；　the　Forty…Niners　used　it；　the　cattlemen　used　it　in　part；　the　railroads　used　it；　and；　lastly；　the　settlers　and　farmers　used　it　most　of　all。

In　physical　features　the　Platte　River　route　was　similar　to　that　of　the　Arkansas　Valley。　Each　at　its　eastern　extremity；　for　a　few　days'　travel；　passed　over　the　rolling　grass…covered　and　flower…besprinkled　prairies　ere　it　broke　into　the　high　and　dry　lands　of　the　Plains；　with　their　green　or　grey　or　brown　covering　of　practically　flowerless　short　grasses。　But　between　the　two　trails　of　the　Arkansas　and　the　Platte　there　existed　certain　wide　differences。　At　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　two　trails　were　quite　distinct　in　personnel；　if　that　word　may　be　used。　The　Santa　Fe　Trail　showed　Spanish　influences；　that　of　the　Platte　Valley　remained　far　more　nearly　American。

Thus　far　the　frontier　had　always　been　altering　the　man　who　came　to　it；　and；　indirectly；　always　altering　those　who　dwelt　back　of　the　frontier；　nearer　to　the　Appalachians　or　the　Atlantic。　A　new　people　now　was　in　process　of　formationa　people　born　of　a　new　environment。　America　and　the　American　were　conceiving。　There　was　soon　to　be　born；　soon　swiftly　to　grow；　a　new　and　lasting　type　of　man。　Man　changes　an　environment　only　by　bringing　into　it　new　or　better　transportation。　Environment　changes　man。　Here　in　the　midcontinent；　at　the　mid…century；　the　frontier　and　the　ways　of　the　frontier　were　writing　their　imprint　on　the　human　product　of　our　land。

The　first　great　caravans　of　the　Platte　Valley；　when　the　wagon…trains　went　out　hundreds　strong；　were　not　the　same　as　the　scattering　cavalcade　of　the　fur　hunters；　not　the　same　as　the　ox…trains　and　mule…trains　of　the　Santa　Fe　traffic。　The　men　who　wore　deepest　the　wheel　marks　of　the　Oregon　Trail　were　neither　trading　nor　trapping　men；　but　homebuilding　menthe　first　real　emigrants　to　go　West　with　the　intent　of　making　homes　beyond　the　Rockies。

The　Oregon　Trail　had　been　laid　out　by　the　explorers　of　the　fur　trade。　Zealous　missionaries　had　made　their　way　over　the　trail　in　the　thirties。　The　Argonauts　of　'49　passed　over　it　and　left　it　only　after　crossing　the　Rockies。　But；　before　gold　in　California　was　dreamed　of；　there　had　come　back　to　the　States　reports　of　lands　rich　in　resources　other　than　gold；　lying　in　the　far　Northwest；　beyond　the　great　mountain　ranges　and；　before　the　Forty…Niners　were　heard　of；　farmers；　homebuilders；　emigrants；　men　with　their　families；　men　with　their　household　goods；　were　steadily　passing　out　for　the　far…off　and　unknown　country　of　Oregon。

The　Oregon　Trail　was　the　pathway　for　Fremont　in　1842；　perhaps　the　most　overvalued　explorer　of　all　the　West；　alb