Daniel Rhoads

“ In about five days travelling on an average five or six miles a day we reached the snow which we found three feet deep. Through this we worried along some five miles when it became too deep for the mules to go any further, it being eight feet deep and falling all the time; a regular storm having set in. Our encountering the snow so deep and so much sooner than we had been led to anticipate utterly disheartened some of the party and six men turned back.
We made a camp and left the mules in charge of one of Sutter's men, a German who went by the sobriquet of Greasy Jim. ”

“ The route we come there is two a day and a night's travel each without water or grass. The first is from big sandy to green river green woods cut-off. The second is from the sink of Mary's river to Truckey's river.
Between Mary's river and Truckey's is boiling springs. There is rocks blown out half as big as a house. These springs is not like other springs. The water does not run from them unless there is a blow-uo. It is boiling like a pot. There is a number of wam and hot springs on the road. ”

“ Each succeeding man would follow in the tracks of the leader. The latter soon became tired, fell to the rear, and the second man took the head of the file. When he became fatigued by breaking the trail he would fall back and so on each one in his turn.
At sunset of the 16th day we crossed the Truckee Lake on the ice and came to the spot where we had been told we should find the emigrants. We looked all around but no living thing except ourselves was in sight and we thought that all must have perished. We raised a loud halloo and then we saw a woman emerge from a hole in the snow. ”

“ We crossed truckey's river 27 times. One day the rocks from the size of a wash bowl. to the size of a kettle. so plenty that neither oxen nor wagon ever touched bottom. The last 300 miles is very near all rocks. The nearer California the worse the road. From the bottom of the cascade to the top is about 4 miles. It took us 3 days to take our waggons and cattle up. the oxen could be trailed from bottom to top by the blood.
Since we crossed their has been a new rout found that is a great deal better. 6 or 8 yoke of oxen can pull up a wagon in 2 hours. ”

“ The sail is as rich in places as the Mo bottom, but not generally so. This country is excellent for wheat, corn and garden vegetables will not grow to do much good without watering. In the sacrament valley on the coast they can raise everything but wheat. ”

“ Of course, many soon commenced dying from exhaustion and starvation and the survivors were compelled to subsist upon the bodies of those who perished. In about three weeks from the time the party left Donner lake some "wild" Indians living in the foothills brought to Johnson's Ranch on Bear River, 40 miles from Sutter's Fort, one of the emigrants named Eddy, half carried and led him a distance of about 30 miles. ”

“ Rhoads is making him a farm. on the cosima river on a tract of land presented to him by 2 sons in law. John R has no stationary place but has a fine crop of wheat. it was the commencement of the rainy season. It was to late to build a house and I was obliged to have a shelter. I hired to a work from the 1st of November til the harvesting is over, which will be about the last of August. I am to get 25 dollars a month, a house to live in, and my family considered. I am to be paid in young cattle cows at the calving at 5 dolllars a head. ”

“ The few miserable oxen saved and the provisions sent by Captain Sutter lasted the party but a short time. Then twenty-four of the emigrants, including Mrs. McCutcheon, Mrs. Graves and two other women, and the white man and Indians sent by Sutter, started without any food, in the desperate hope either of reaching the settlements (a hundred miles distant) or of encountering some relief party. ”

“ It was the awfulest and most horrible sight that ever was seen to go to their cabbins and see the human frames that was theirs. There is now men started to meet the emigrants and hurry them on. There is a large emigration coming from Oregon here this summer. ”

“ So far the survivors had not been compelled to partake of human flesh. I remember seeing but 3 living men. Louis Keeseburg was lying on his back unable to rise. He, Patrick Breen and one other were the only ones left. ”

“ John Rhoads gave out and we divided with him. then the old man finally. we all gave out. we kild cattle and eat alone until we got near the plains. John Rhoads went in a horse back and brought out corn. we boiled corn and eat it until we got in.
the first house we came to they sold wheat bran at 3 dollar a hundred. it was hard times. wheat 2 dollars a fanaker flour, and meal 8 dollars by the hundred. peas 2 dollars per bushel. a good fat cow 10 dollars. evrything is dear. white and yellow domestic 50 cts per yard. calico and apron check 50. tea 2 dollars a pound. Coffee is 50 cts. ”