This is Part 3
Of The Excerpts
May 18 - July 9, 1857
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1
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To Part 4
To Saratoga
in Mr. Bristow's web site,
which contains the Dairy's full text, May 17 - May 25
. . . [Omaha, Nebraska]
Monday, May 18
Commenced the business
of the day by revising Saturday's work, after which went up
to Saratoga. Returned half past eleven. Got a letter from
home, dated May 3d and mailed the 4th. Enclosed was one for
Miss Augusta and one for Me from wife, son, and daughter.
I wish I could receive one every week. I presume my last letter
is received this day. Mr. Tuttle is still absent, which fact
keeps me undecided as to my future course of business. This
evening at about dark, the steamer Spread
Eagle passed up without stopping. She was in employ
of the fur company or the government and her only load was
supplies for the North.
Tuesday, May 19
This morning we have four
boats in, the A.
C. Goddin, Silver
Heels, and Emma
from St. Louis, and the Omaha
on her return from up-country. . . .
. . . Saturday, May
23
. . .
Mr. Brown in his letter still urges me to come to Lawrence,
he says Kansas is the place to make money "Sure as you are
born." If I fail to get into business suited to me here I
shall go to Lawrence. . . .
. . . Had I known all
the facts communicated in Mr. Brown's letter at the time of
my first arrival here this spring, I should undoubtedly have
felt remarkably uneasy when I was complaining of ill health.
The facts are these as it seems from Mr. Brown's letter, from
which I quote: "Mrs. Brown, it seems, had the small pox on
board the steamer as we came up the river. She communicated
it to her sisters who are yet confined with it, one of whom
we consider dangerous. Mrs. B. had it very light, of course,
the Varialoid." If I recollect aright, I wrote while coming
up the river, something of Mrs. Brown's not being well, having
weak eyes and a good deal of fever so that she did not go
to the table at all times. No one, however, thought of it
being the small pox in any form. The disease must have been
communicated to a great number among so many passengers. Had
I known the facts I have no doubt I should have been down
sick on first arrival, as my indisposition at that time would
have been attributed to the symptoms of small pox instead
of a cold which was the case. "All is well that ends well."
. . .
Sunday, May 24
The steamer St.
Mary's stopped about noon and passed up with government
stores. At evening the steamer Mink
painted nearly black and belonging to the Government came
up and stopped for the night. She is bound for Fort Pierre,
some seven hundred miles above this point up the Missouri.
Her loading was Government supplies. Carries no freight or
passengers for outsiders.
To A
Lady , in Mr. Bristow's web site,
which contains the Dairy's full text, May 25 - June 19
. . . Tuesday, May
26
Mr. Brown's clerk being
sick today, I have been in the office until three o'clock,
then went up to Saratoga, found all moving prosperously. During
my walk up to Saratoga, the steamer Minnehaha came in. A bachelor's
dancing party came off this evening on hoard the hotel steamer
Washington
City. The General being absent, Augusta was entrusted
to my care until eleven o'clock at night. And for the first
time in Omaha I went where there was an assemblage of ladies.
Of course I did join the party, but went as a spectator and
guardian of Augusta at the request of the family. A number
of gentlemen came to me to be introduced to my little girl.
She danced every set and when she left had four or five unfulfilled
engagements. She was the best dancer in the room, and many
were almost inclined to use physical force to prevent her
leaving. On our way home her tongue flew very much as I have
heard Sophia's at times.
The attraction of the
party, however, to me, was not Miss Augusta or her dancing.
But as Jonathan Slick says, "it was them grown-up gals all
finefied off with ribbons and laces, sidling and twisting
around, their bare arms and naked necks making them look good
enough to eat." . . .
. . . Thursday, May
28
. . . The steamer Alonzo
Child in.
Friday, May 29
Spent this day with Mr.
Cockett. Had a very pleasant time. Afternoon rainy. Received
papers from Brother Irwin. Steamer Sultan
came in at bedtime.
. . . Sunday, May 31
. . . Three steamers have
come up today. The Hannibal,
Waucassa,
and Asa
Wilgus, all loaded with passengers. You would be surprised
to see the trains of emigrants that come across the country
bound for the interior of this territory, Salt Lake, and California.
Some trains are a mile long. It would seem at this rate that
the entire East would become depopulated.
. . . Tuesday, June
2
. . . The steamer Admiral
in from St. Louis.
. . . Thursday, June
4
. . . The steamer D.
A. January is in, bound up the river. Friday, June
5 Worked on the building same as yesterday. Do not feel well
today in consequence of sore tongue and mouth. Have the steamers
New
Monongahala and John
Warner in from St. Louis.
. . . Saturday, June
6
. . . We have steamers
Omaha and
Edinburgh
in today. The annual June rise of the Missouri has commenced.
Has risen some two feet; will probably continue to rise until
the last of the month, then gradually subside until the fall
rains set in. During the June rise the freights on the river
are the lowest of the season. The June rise is occasioned
by snows from the mountains, which do not commence to melt
before the hot weather sets in in this latitude.
. . . Monday, June
8
. . . The steamer Emma
up from below, bound farther up the river.
To The
Weary Bachelor section of Mr. Bristow's web site,
which contains the Dairy's full text, June 9 - June 25
. . . Wednesday, June
10
Assisted in laying the
floor to my office at Saratoga. Returning to Omaha, found
the steamer Joseph
Oglesby in, one of the largest boats ever coming to
this place. Being her first trip, she gave a free party to
the citizens. It is customary for every boat making its first
trip of the season to come prepared to give a dance, and they
get up some splendid affairs, all free. I had only attended
one and that was as a spectator and company for Miss Augusta.
It was at this time I saw Miss Clark which so much resembles
my wife--since which time I have not had a sight of said lady.
Accordingly, I decided I would saunter down to the boat after
the dance should commence and see what I could see. As I started
out about nine o'clock, I met Br. Cook, who by invitation
accompanied me to the boat. I told him I was going to the
boat to see a lady. Cook laughed and said something about
how good calico looked in Nebraska. Before going on the boat,
I told Cook to take notice of a certain lady I would point
out to him, if she was there, and see if he ever saw any one
that looked like her before. The lady in question was on the
floor in a cotillion about the center of the cabin when we
went in. I pointed in the direction; Cook noticed her at once
and remarked "crackie that is Mate exactly." The more he looked,
the more natural Mate's representative appeared. We stopped
long enough to see two cotillions, then left thinking of home,
and more of the folks at home
Thursday, June 11
. . . We have two boats
in today, the Watassa
and the E.
A. Ogden.
Friday, June 12
. . . The steamers in
today are the Dan
Converse and Moses
Greenwood.
Sunday morning before
breakfast, June 13
. . . The steamers of
yesterday were the Alonzo
Child and Minnehaha.
. . . Tuesday, June
16
. . . The steamer Florence
in tonight.
. . . Thursday, June
18
. . . We have the steamer
Silver Heels
in today.
Friday, June 19
. . . The steamer Watassa
in from St. Joseph.
Saturday, June 20
. . . The steamer Admiral
up from St. Louis.
. . . Monday, June
22
. . . The steamers up
today are the Asa Wilgus,
D.
H. Morton, and Emigrant.
To Dick
Darling in Mr. Bristow's web site,
which contains the Dairy's full text, June 26 - July 9
. . . Friday, June
26
. . . Steamers today:
New Monongehola,
Omaha, and Watassa.
Saturday, June 27
. . . The Edinburgh
and Watassa
are in today.
Sunday, June 28
. . . At our levee, we
found the steamer Council
Bluffs . . .
Monday, June 29
. . . Steamer Alonzo
Child in.
Tuesday, June 30
. . . The furniture for
the Central House came yesterday on the steamer Alonzo
Child and is being arranged in the House preparatory to
the arrival of the landlord, who is expected about the 4th
of July.
. . . The steamer E.
A. Ogden in.
. . . Thursday, July
2
. . . The steamer Minnehaha
is in this evening.
. . . Saturday, July
4
. . . The steamer Ben
Bolt came in this evening.
. . . Monday evening,
July 6
. . . The steamer Emma
came in and passed up.
. . . Wednesday, July
8
. . . Toward tea time,
the steamer Moses
Greenwood came in, freighted mostly for Saratoga.
Went down, found Mr. Killen the Pittsburgh man there. His
buildings and men to put them up was on board the Greenwood.
Having but little loading to put off at Omaha, I had no time
to return for my supper and still go up on the boat to Saratoga.
Accordingly, I took tea aboard. The Saratoga landing is but
a mile or less above the Omaha landing. The captain says the
Saratoga landing is as good as any on the river. He further
says a bar is forming front of Omaha and in a year or two
all boats must land at Saratoga with the Omaha freight. The
Captain was delighted with the place. After tea, we went up
on the table land by Pacific Avenue where we had a fine view
of the town and the improvements. We then went to the Springs,
where a demijohn from the boat was filled with water from
the Sulphur Springs.
The party that went up
to the Spring was about twenty in number, including Captain
Thomas, crew, and passengers. All expressed themselves
delighted with what they saw and will speak of Saratoga as
it is, among their craft.
The Moses Greenwood
is the second steamer that ever landed at Saratoga, and
the first one to break the stillness of the atmosphere by
her steam whistle. She went through all the preliminary signals
and et ceteras of landing at a large city. I claim to be the
first person of the Sulphur Springs Land Co. that ever landed
from a steamer at Saratoga. The freight of the Moses Greenwood
was mostly lumber and building materials. She discharged forty-one
thousand feet of lumber, forty-two thousand shingles, and
doors, windows, and hardware to match. Did not get all off
until eleven o'clock, but the moon was in its full and it
was a delightful evening and the time passed rapidly. During
which I gassed some. Judge Black left on the Moses Greenwood
who stopped only about an hour at the city of Omaha.
Thursday, July 9
Four months this morning
since I left for this place. Got up this morning before the
sun and wrote. Among the peculiarities of the climate of this
country over the East where I have resided is this, notwithstanding
we have hotter weather here, there always is a breeze during
the day to rarify the atmosphere, and the evenings are cool
and delightful beyond description, and one can sleep comfortable
under a sheet and light quilt, awakening in the morning completely
refreshed and invigorated. On the contrary, in the East during
the months of July and August, the nights are as hot as the
days, and one gets up in the morning completely exhausted.
This I consider a great advantage, but is small compared to
some of the natural advantages of this Great Country west
of the "Big Muddy."
We find the steamer
Admiral in this
morning.
After breakfast, went
up as usual to Saratoga. Called on Mr. Tuttle and the Zollars,
who are occupying Mr. Tuttle's house-the old Izard place built
and occupied first by Governor Izard. Tuttle calls the place
"Grandmother Izard's." Stopped and gassed some with Tuttle.
The steamboat landing last evening at Saratoga and what the
Captain said set us to gassing some.
Returning from Saratoga
at noon, found a letter from Brother Frank which was very
interesting to me. Figured during most of the afternoon with
our Pittsburgh man and succeeded in making a trade that pleased
me. Wrote to Frank and spent the evening with Cook. Thus this
day closed. In addition to the Admiral, we have at the landing
the steamers Col.
Crossman and the Watossa.
How soon, if ever, is a wonderment to me, that I shall
be watching the arrivals of the steamers to see my family.
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Part 3 of excerpts.
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Beadle's story
is one of many featured in David L. Bristow's book, A Dirty,
Wicked Town: Tales of 19th Century Omaha (Caxton Press,
2000). Learn more at www.davidbristow.com.
1857 diary of Nebraska pioneer Erastus F. Beadle (1821-1894).
All new material © 2000 by David L. Bristow. mailto:dlb@davidbristow.com.
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