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10. What use did the white people make of Kansas during this period?

The Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, and Early Lines of Railroad, through Kansas.

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Mexico a Century Ago.

Old Santa Fe.

Origin of the Santa Fe Trail.

Captain Becknell the First Trader.

Scenes in Early Santa Fe.

Left, a street scene. Upper right, an adobe house. Lower right, the old “Palace,” used by the Spanish and Mexican authorities as government headquarters for about two centuries. It was in this building that Pike was held prisoner.

Merchandise Carried on Pack Mules

Wagons Used on the Trail

The Traders and the Indians

An example of the enmity between the Indians and the traders may be seen in an occurrence of 1828. Two young men went to sleep on the bank of a stream a short distance from their caravan, and were fatally shot, it was supposed, with their own guns. When their comrades found them one was dead, and the other died by the time the caravan reached the Cimarron River, about forty miles farther on. During the simple burial ceremonies a party of six or seven Indians appeared on the other side of the river. It is probable that these Indians knew nothing of the crime committed or they would not have approached the white men. Some of the men took this view, but, against their advice, the others fired and killed all of the Indians but one, who escaped to carry the news to his tribe. The Indians of the wronged tribe then followed the caravan to the Arkansas River where they robbed the traders of nearly a thousand head of horses and mules. Other robberies and murders followed until it became necessary for the traders to petition the National Government for troops. The next year soldiers escorted the caravan nearly to the Cimarron River. Government protection was furnished again in 1834, and in 1843. In the other years the traders fought their own way, but the day of small parties was over. For mutual protection, the traders banded together. A single big caravan started out each spring as soon as the grass was sufficient to pasture their animals, and returned in the fall.