On the Oregon Trail

18 The Improvement Era For November, 1929 On the Ore Aon Trail By Anne M. McQueen OUT on the desert, barren and wide, Watered alone by immigrant tears, Upon the Oregon trail she died — Rebecca Winters, aged fifty years. Seeking the land of the storied west — Opulent land of gold and fame, Leaving her hearthstone warm, with the rest Trekking far from the east she came. Long she lay by the Oregon Trail, With the sagebrush growing above her head, And coyotes barked in the moonlight pale, And wagon-trains moved on by the dead; Till, bearing compass and line and chain, Men came, marking a way to the West, Daring the desert's drouth and its pain, A dauntless heart in each dauntless breast. Maybe the heart in her bosom died For grief of some little grave back home, Leaving alt for the man at her side — For women must follow where men would roam. 'Twas famine, or fever, or wan despair That hushed the cry of her silent breast; Close by the trail where the wagons fare, Rebecca Winters was laid at rest. Somebody — husband, or son or sire, Roughly wrought, seeing not for tears, This for her grave, on a sunken tire: "Rebecca Winters, aged fifty years." And stumbling into a sagebrush bed, The lineman read, through a mist of tears, On the wagon-tire that marked her head: "Rebecca Winters, aged fifty years." "Boys," said the leader, "we'll turn aside, Here, close by the trail, her grave shall stay. For she came first — in this desert wide Rebecca Winters holds, right of way!" Today the train glides fast to the West, Rounding the curve where the grave appears, A white shaft marking her place of rest — Rebecca Winters, dead fifty years. he toiled on; and with his cold chisel he left for future ages the emblem of his genius and loving forethought — the name 'Rebecca Winters' upon the hard-wrought iron of the wagon-tire, which he placed over the grave. It was adjusted securely and when this crowning effort was com- pleted he exclaimed in prophetic tones, 'This will be the means of identifying this grave in years to come.' "It is not hard to visualize the scene of 70 years ago, when the long train of bearded followers of the Angel Moroni, the hardy 'women who were their wives, the children who took part in the jour- ney, the oxen which hauled the wagons of the pilgrims and the guards who watched for hostile Indians, halted for the funeral of the wife of Hiram Winters. * * * A simple religious service marked the lowering of the body into its grave; the earth was placed again and the iron arch set firmly into place. "And then the caravan moved on. "A hundred years from the time of her birth were to pass before the name of Rebecca Winters again stirred human thought, and then her descendants placed the later headstone. But her brave spirit needed no monument. It is found in the success of all those who have the courage to dare. It is found, one might say, in the spirit of the valley wherein her body lies — a valley that has become the home of a people who have reclaimed the soil from arid nothingness to a fertile land, giving life to thousands." T N the Omaha World-Herald, of A March 5, 1922, the story is told as follows: Plains' Grave is Remembered after Century Passes "The grave of Rebecca Burdick Win- ters, who died a martyr to that faith which led the Mormons across this state on their pilgrimage to the new promised land, is a spot of poignant interest. It is a mon- ument to the spirit of the early pioneers who broke every tie with the past and their old homes to set forth across the Great American Desert in search of a new country where they, even as the Israelites of old, could worship their God as they pleased. "And still more surely it is tribute, not only to Rebecca Winters, but to all the women of her time who endured so much in the drama of the winning of the West. * * * "This shrine of the great plains' pil- grims is beside the Burlington railroad

The Improvement Era For November, 1929 19 track that in the surveying was made to swerve imperceptibly for miles in order that the little plot of ground should not be violated. To the south is the shallow north branch of the Platte, whose broad and winding valley pointed the way of the Latter-day Saints to the West, and still farther is Scott's Bluff, Nebraska's highest peak, a massive, beautiful mountain, domi- nating the valley for miles around and keeping watch over the grave. * * * 'T'HE following, by an unknown * author, expresses very aptly the thought for all our western Pioneers: Dreamers they were, those Pioneers, Of the fifties, three and four; Who braved the unknown of the plains In search of an untried shore. Brave of soul were the women-folk, And the bearded men were strong, They counted not that the trail was rough. Nor cared that the way was long. Week after week, month after month Steadily sure, slow, They pressed on they reached stream Where the waters westward flow. And they could see the mountains where Night drew her curtain blue; Beyond which lay the land they sought — - The land where dreams come true. 'T'HE culminating honors were ■*■ given to this departed Pio- neer when it was discovered by the Daughters of the American Revolution that Rebecca Burdick Winters was a Real daughter of the Revolution, her father, Gid- eon Burdick, having served as a Revolutionary soldier under George Washington. It was then decided that the customary D. A. R. marker should be erect- ed at her grave with suitable ceremonies. The following is an extract taken from a letter written by M. D. Kastrup, Com. Agt. C. B. and Q., Scotts- bluff, to R. F. Neslen, Salt Lake "The D. A. R. are going to dedicate the grave of Mother" Winters -they are very desirous of having the Grants with them. We all have great respect for Moth- er Winters' grave in this territory, and feel S }d So Yr ** . i < ■ «mS, ">-■•' ■ ' ^fe ¥ " J", _ Jus "i. . .<: . «S03 « j Her *«■■- u '%|*i ifi^tfi^j The Monument highly honored that she is lying close to Mr. Neslen replied. "I will be very glad to take the matter up so that all who go will be taken care of." Unveiling of Tablet to Mother Winters. Inserts Augusta Winters Grant.

20 The Improvement Era For November ', 1929 A LETTER was sent to Presi- f1 dent Heber J. Grant by Mrs. G. E. Mark, historian, from which the following is taken: "The Katahdin chapter of the D. A. R. deem it a rare privilege to have the grave of a Real Daughter of the Revolution to care for, and we take advantage of every opportunity to direct the attention of the people to it. We feel that to honor the memory of such a brave Christian woman inspires both Christian and pa- triotic sentiments. The marker we are erecting is furnished by the National As- sociation. It is a simple little memorial, composed of a small block of granite with a regulation-sized bronze tablet bolt- ed to it, with the following words, A Daughter of a Revolutionary Soldier, cast in it. The marker is small, but the spirit, honor and respect that go with it are great. "We are planning the following pro- gram: "Short addresses by a railroad represen- tative, our congressman, President Grant, state Regent, local officers, Dr. Grace R. H^bard, Professor of history in the- Uni- versity of Wyoming and member of the ;State Historical Society; the singing of 'Mormon' hymns, taps, and the unveiling. "The Burlington is planning to have a private car to bring you and your party to the grave, and will furnish a special train to convey the people of Scottsbluff to the grave, free. "To further the friendly relations exist- ing we are having a banquet at the Lincoln Hotel on the evening preceding the un- veiling, at which you and your family will be honored guests." (The "Mormon" missionaries and all members of the Church in the vicinity were invited guests also.) A TELEGRAM to Congressman ■^ E. O. Leatherwood, Salt Lake City, from Robert G. Simmons, M. C.j Nebraska, said: "Am speak- ing Sunday at service over grave of Rebecca Winters, 'Mormon' im- migrant, under auspices D. A. R. Will you have material data about her rushed on to me here." X/TR. E. M. Westervelt, of the ^ ■■ Burlington Railroad, in his speech at the unveiling ceremonies, said: "I consider that I have been highly honored in being permitted to join with you today in this dedicatorial ceremony by the marker at this grave, and it is a great pleasure to have been able to bring with me to this ceremony, the grand- daughter of Rebecca Winters, and her husband, the President of the 'Mormon' Church, Mr. and Mrs. Heber J. Grant. This is our third trip together to this spot, and I can truly say that to know these people is to love them. "In the very early part of 1899 the Burlington Railroad Company decided to construct a line of railroad from its line at Alliance, Nebraska, southward to the Platte River Valley and then westward in the Platte River Valley to Wyoming. An engineering locating party was organ- ized and sent into the field in the dead of winter to locate this railroad. It was a difficult task to fight the bitter cold and storms, but as spring came on they were able to make progress. Mr. F. T. Dar- row, now Assistant Chief Engineer, with headquarters at Lincoln, was in charge The Lonely Grave By Howard R. Driggs THERE'S a lonely grave by a long, long trail, Where a tired mother sleeps. The grasses sigh, As the winds pass by, And the stars their vigil keep. The grave was made years, years ago, When the pioneers went west. One mournful day On that weary way Another was laid at rest. On a wagon tire that had borne her far, They cut the mother's name; And marked the mound, Then with sobbing sound — - Went on, hearts filled with pain. The grasses hid the lonely mound. The stars kept watch o'er the trail, Through the long, long years, Till new pioneers Came to lay the iron rail. The grave was found by these rugged men ; It stood in their right of way; Yet with tender care, They left it there, Changed the grade, that it might stay. This lonely grave by the long, long trail Now does its sacred part To keep through the years Our brave pioneers, And our love of the mother heart. of this party, and among them, as a to- pographer, was Mr. Verne Hedge, for the last two years Mayor of the City of Lin- coln. The duties of a topographer in a locating party are to establish the legal corners of the different subdivisions of the land through which the railroad is being located, and tie the center line to these different corners. In carrying out this duty, Mr. Hedge, in kicking the sage brush aside for a place to set a stake for the center line, discovered a wagon tire. 'This is strange,' he said, 'and must be a relic of some broken-down wagon on the Oregon Trail.' He picked it up and there discovered, chiseled in a crude manner, 'Rebecca Winters, Age 50 years' They were about to set the stake for the center line just at the point above this grave. 'We can not do this', said Mr. Hedge, 'let us go back to the transit man and report that the center of this railroad, if con- structed where now located, would dese- crate the grave of a pioneer mother'. "The line was changed and thrown far enough away so as not to disturb this resting place. The wagon tire was again set up in its proper place and a report made to the General Superintendent, who of course realized at once that this must have been a member of the 'Mormon' party who had left Nauvoo, Illinois, early in 1846. This General Superintendent wrote a letter to our General Agent, Mr. R. F. Neslen, at Salt Lake City, informing him of this discovery, and Mr. Neslen reported to his Church. The result was that the relationship between the pioneer mother, Rebecca Winters, and Mrs. Grant was established at that time. "It is universally taken for granted that the reason for the discovery of this grave being delayed so long, was that shortly after the burial at this point, which is on the north side of the Platte River, the trail was changed to and continued to run on the south side of the river, and therefore rhis burial spot was lost for many years. "Shortly after our railroad was con- structed, we built a fence around this spot, and a little later the relatives erected a monument tc the memory of Rebecca Winters, the base of which is of temple granite. It har been the pleasure of the railroad, th/ough Mr. E. F. Desplain, sec- tion foreman of this district, to see that this plot of ground has been properly cared for. To do that he has put down a well adjoining it, and each day on his trip out or in, water from this well is used to refresh the grass and flowers. This has become a labor of love. And so this story, her legacy, has become a sacred heritage, not only to her immediate fa'.ii- ily, but to the officers and employes of this great corporation." A MONG other speakers was jr* Mrs. York A. Hinman, hon- orary state Regent for Nebraska, who said in part: "I am glad to bring greetings to our honored guests, to the friends, and to the members of the Katahdin Chapter. "To me it is one of these very gather- ings such as we have here today — some- thing for the children to remember lest they forget the hardships, the sacrifices, the toils of these pioneer women. "We have in Washington the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and that is a mecca where all people of all lands go to pay their respects and their love to the sol- diers who gave so much for this land; and I am hoping that this grave here will be a mecca for all the generations to come, where they may come and pay their re spects, their reverence, to these pioneer women who tried to cross the prairies and because perhaps of accident and sickness and death they lay down by the wayside. This is the grave of one we know, Re- becca Winters, but I believe that it will stand for the graves of all the Unknown Mothers that lie under the grasses of our prairies all over this western land."

The Improvement Era For November^ 1929 21 "THEN spoke Dr. Grace R. Heb- ard, who said : "As our grateful nation has placed mausoleums over the graves of unknown soldiers, not to add glory to the departed, but to be a mecca to which members of a thankful and thoughtful nation may make a pilgrimage 'lest we forget', so we today unveil this noble monument over the grave of a pioneer mother who made the supreme sacrifice while assisting in pushing the line of civilization ever to- ward the setting sun. In the name of the Daughters of the American Revolution, for them, and in humility and thankfulness, before this assembly, I thank you, Re- becca Burdi;k Winters, for the courage and faith possessed by you, to journey into this wilderness. For the sacrifice you uncom- plainingly made for oncoming generations may we, of another generation, endeavor to emulate you in your mission. May we transmit to posterity the rare spirit of courage and faith, as did you, a Pioneer mother on the Oregon Trail." V/TRS. Delia I. Booth, oldest daughter of the oldest son of Rebecca B. Winters, then unveiled the marker, with the following words: "We wish to express to you people the thanks and appreciation of the family for the very cordial and friendly reception you have given us. We are very grateful for the opportunity of participating in these ceremonies in honor of our ancestor. Not only we, as descendants of this worthy representative of our pioneers, but all our people will feel honored by this recogni- tion of one of their number. "From the very first day that this grave was discovered, the railroad people have taken such a friendly interest in everything pertaining to it, doing what would be pleasing to us to have done, that we can hardly find words to express our gratitude. The great care that has been taken of this spot, the flowers that have been planted, the labor that has been given, are all deeply appreciated. "And now, this that the living daugh- ters have done in erecting this tablet to a Real Daughter of the Revolution is a fit- ring finale to what has gone before. We sincerely thank them and all of you who have done so much to make this occasion one ever to live in our memories. Rebecca Burdick Winters was a true daughter, loyal to her country, faithful unto death to her religion. "We contrast the first picture of this place sent to us — just the wagon-tire standing alone with the winds waving the prairie grass about it — with this beauti- ful spot, literally buried in flowers of every hue that the kindness of our friends has provided, and we will carry this picture away with us, to be treasured in our minds and in our hearts forever." [" N acknowledgment of a gift presented by President Grant, with the idea of sharing the finan- cial burden of the undertaking, the following letter was sent: "To President and Mrs. Heber J. Grant, "My dear Mr. and Mrs. Grant: "At the June meeting of the Katahdin Chapter of the D. A. R. your generous gift was presented by Mrs. G. E. Mark and I was requested to tender you an ex- pression of our appreciation. The fol- lowing resolution was adopted: "That the gift of President and Mrs. Grant be made a permanent endowment fund, the interest to be used each year for flowers for the grave of Rebecca Burdick Winters, the known mother of the trail, as well as to honor all the un- known mothers that lie under the grasses of prairies of this western country. "It gave me great pleasure to present this resolution with my final report and I feel that it is a fitting climax to the end of my regency. "It was a great pleasure to each mem- ber of our chapter to entertain you and other members of your family and we thank each of you very much for the contributions made to our programs, and we trust that in years to come we may meet again. "Sincerely your friend, "Margaret M. Morrow." The Burial of John Brown <By WENDELL PHILLIPS HOW feeble words seem here! How can I hope to utter what your hearts are full of? I fear to disturb the harmony which his life breathes round his home. One and another of you, his neigh- bors, say, "I have known him five years," "I have known him ten years." It seems to me as if we had none of us known him. How our admiring, loving wonder has grown, day by day, as he has un- folded trait after trait of earnest, brave, tender, Christian life! We see him walking with radiant, serene face to the scaffold, and think, what an iron heart, what devoted faith! We take up his letters, beginning, "My dear wife and children, every one," — see him stoop on the way to the scaffold and kiss that negro child — -and this iron heart seems all tenderness. Marvelous old man! We hardly said it when the loved forms of his sons, in the bloom of young devo- tion, encircle him, and we remem- ber he is not alone, only the ma- jestic center of a group. Your neighbor farmer went, surrounded by his household, to tell the slaves there will still be hearts and right arms ready and nerved for the serv- ice. From this roof four, from a neighboring roof two, to make up that score of heroes. How reso- lutely each looked into the face of Virginia, how loyally each stood at his forlorn post, meeting death cheerfully, till that master voice said, "It is enough." All these weeping children and widow, so lifted up and consecrated by long, singlehearted devotion to his great purpose that we dare, even at this moment, to remind them of how blessed they are in the priv- ilege of thinking that in the last throbs of these brave young hearts, which lie buried on the banks of the Shenandoah, thoughts of them mingled with love to God and hope for the slave. He has abolished slavery in Vir- ginia. You may say this is too much. Our neighbors are the last men we know. The hours that pass us are the ones that we appre- ciate least. Men walked Boston streets when night fell on Bunker's Hill, and pitied Warren, saying, "Foolish man! Threw away his life! Why didn't he measure his means better?" Now we see him standing colos- sal on that bloodstained sod, and severing that day the tie which bound Boston to Great Britain. That night George III ceased to rule in New England. History will date Virginia Emancipation from Harper's Ferry. True, the slave is still there. So, when the tem- pest uproots a pine on your hills, it looks green for months — a year or two. Still it is timber, not a tree. John Brown has loosened the roots of the slavery system; it only breathes — it does not live — hereafter. HTO be strong and true; to be generous in praise and ap- preciation of others; to impute worthy motives even to enemies; to give without expectation of re- turn; to practice humility, toler- ance and self-restraint; to make the best use of time and oppor- tunity; to keep the mind pure and the judgment charitable; to ex- tend intelligent sympathy to those in distress; to cultivate quietness and non-resistance; to seek truth and righteousness; to work, love, pray and serve daily, to aspire greatly, labor cheerfully, and take God at His word — this is to travel heavenward. — Grenville Kleiser.