[or-roots] Re: Aunt Charlotte's Book ( Fort Bridger)

[DaviesWalt at cs.com]

Everyone was interested in Fort Bridger, but it did not seem to me to be much 
of a place, it was quite deserted looking, in fact, Jim Bridger, himself was 
away and I was terribly disappointed. I had heard him spoken of as a sonny 
man. I did not know what it was and was anxious to see one. We now hear a 
great deal about Jim Bridger and his Indian wives in connection with the 
discovery of gold in California, though his connection with it must have been 
somewhat remote since he was half way  across the continent when it happened. 
He was known then,( in 1843 ) as a trader and a ruffian, not to be classed 
with Kit Carson or Hastings or men of their type.His somewhat doubtful fame 
had traveled eastward and our people hoped to see him. I remember going into 
the fort on the chance that I might see him somewhere about. There was no one 
in sight except a man, who sat at a big table. I suppose, when big folk came 
in, he looked up, but when I was in the room, he sat with a goose quill pen 
in his hand and read from a sheaf of papers. Since he did not notice me, it 
gave me a chance to stare at him all I pleased. I decided that he was a 
Frenchman and the impression has remained with me. He may or may not have 
been, since my opinion was based on the fact that he wore a blue cap with a 
shiny visor. I do not feel justified in saying that he really was a 
Frenchman, neither would I say that it greatly mattered. To me, he was quite 
as interesting as Jim Bridger, but the grown folk were disappointed.

Walt Davies
monmouth, OR
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