A VISIT TO CALIFORNIA IN EARLY T I M E S
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Extract from "A Visit to California in Early Times" by Col. J. B. Chiles (Bancroft L i b r a r y , 1878) . , . After m u c h p r e p a r a t i o n had been m a d e for t h e journey Mr. B a l d r i d g e w a s detained on a large c o n t r a c t for building mills, and t h e c o m p a n y w a s formed w i t h a m a n by t h e n a m e of Bartleson 1 at t h e head, hence it w a s called the' Bartleson company, w h i c h consisted of t h i r t y - o n e m e n a n d one w o m a n and one child 2 I t w a s considered a l m o s t r a s h for a w o m a n to venture on so perilous a j o u r n e y , b u t M r s . K e l s e y said, " W h e r e my h u s b a n d goes I can go, I can b e t t e r s t a n d the h a r d s h i p s of the j o u r n e y t h a n the anxieties for an a b s e n t h u s b a n d , " so she was received in t h e c o m p a n y a n d her cheerful n a t u r e a n d kind heart b r o u g h t m a n y a r a y of s u n s h i n e t h r o u g h the clouds t h a t gathered r o u n d a c o m p a n y of so m a n y w e a r y t r a v e l e r s . She bore the fatigue of t h e j o u r n e y w i t h so m u c h heroism, patience, and kindness t h a t t h e r e still exists a w a r m t h in every h e a r t for the mother a n d her child, t h a t w e r e a l w a y s forming silvery linings for every d a r k cloud t h a t assailed t h e m . T h u s on they traveled seven l o n g a n d w e a r y m o n t h s , w i t h no guide, no compass, n o t h i n g b u t t h e s u n to direct t h e m . T h e y had learned through Dr. M a r s h ' s l e t t e r s 3 the l a t i t u d e of San F r a n c i s c o Bay, and they . t h o u g h t t h e s u n w a s sufficient to g u i d e t h e m t h e r e . But alas, the j o u r n e y p r o v e d l o n g e r t h a n they had supposed and t h e y w e r e tired a n d h u n g r y . L o n g before t h e y reached that point t h e y had been s u b s i s t i n g on horse flesh a l m o s t entirely and t h a t not of t h e choicest kind. B u t little g a m e could be found in t h a t p a r t of t h e j o u r n e y and o t h e r provision w a s not known. I m a g i n e t h e wild delight of so m a n y h u n g r y men, one m i g h t say s t a r v i n g m e n , w h e n t h e y reached t h e Stanislaus river. . . . 'Col. John Bartleson. T h e number after parting with DeSmet. 'An early settler in California who wrote letters to friends in the east, urging them to emigrate. His reception of the Bartleson party when they arrived in a starving condition from the mountains, was anything but hospitable. See Bidwell's "First Emigrant Train to California," Century Magazine, Vol. 19.
