After reaching the summit of the mountain and starting down on the
other side we found it much easier traveling. We worked hard all
day and made what we thought to be twelve miles, camping that
night in the fir timber. It was a cold, disagreeable night, with
our one pair of blankets each, we consoled ourselves that it was
much pleasanter than to have been here afoot and alone, and no
blankets at all. The second day's travel after crossing the summit
of this mountain we met a freight train on its return to Salt Lake
City. This train was owned by a man named Goddard. It had been
across the mountains with a load of freight and was returning,
like our train on the opposite side and was unable to proceed
farther, having to return to the low lands for the purpose of
wintering the stock. We abandoned our snow shoes and procured
conveyance to Virginia City. Messrs. Boon and Bivian were glad to
know that their train was safe from the hands of the hostiles, but
they said they would lose ten thousand dollars by not getting it
across the mountains that fall. These men having a room at the
rear of their store where they slept and did their cooking, kindly
proposed that I should stop and winter with them, which hospitable
offer I accepted.
At this time a stage ran from here to Bannock and from Bannock to
Boise and from Boise to Salt Lake City, and the news was coming in
every day of both stage and train robberies along this line, and
it actually got so bad that it was not at all safe for a man to
step outside of his own door after dark, if it was known that he
had any money.
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