Howdy, I suppose this laps a little my prior "24 hours on the Trail" posting.- hope not too much, diferent sources. Let's pick up with some thoughts gleemed from George STEWART's "The California Trail:" Wagon train life was similar to life in a village - under abnormal conditions. Presumably, most of the folks at the trip's start found this new life interesting and challenging. Many lived on isolated farms or tiny settlements. Now, in a big ole train, they sometimes were thrown in contact with a hundred or more people - a new, stimulating experience. Meeting, talking, and exchanging ideas with new men and women created an unprecedented situation. Even though the emigrants probably never heard of vacations, a vacation spirit, as we know it, prevailed. Even as a village, these emigrants didn't have their regular work of plowing, reaping, buying and selling - no building or milling either. But they did work. Under these abnormal conditions, it assumed the role of play - almost:-). The men's main job was to move the wagons a requisite distance each day. In addition, they handled/herded the animals/stock; did the odd repair job; and sometimes hunted and fished. For the women, it was mostly work as usual - like at home. In addition to tending the babies and the older kids, they cooked the meals; washed and mended the clothes; and, on occasion, cleaned the wagon:-)) But on the trail the meals were simple and housekeeping rules relaxed - sorta like at summer camp. This vacation trip was really a spirit of traveling - for many a most pleasant state of mind. While on the trail, life was reduced to a simple daily problem of traveling the required distance. Make their 15 or so miles; and they could sleep peacefully without the slightest worry of what they would do when they got to California. Or, for that matter, why they were going in the first place:-) The die was cast. Tomorrow would take care of tomorrow. Now as a member of a village, these once isolated folks changed. Talk was endless - so was gossip, I suspect:-). One diarist picks up on this new village life: "Our camp this evening presents a most cheerful appearance. The prairie, miles around us, is enlivened.with groups of cattle, numbering six or seven hundred, feeding upon the fresh green grass. The numerous white tents and wagon-covers before which the camp-fires are blazing brightly, represent a rustic VILLAGE; and men. women, and children are talking, playing, and singing around them with all the glee of light and careless hearts. While I am writing, a party at the lower end of the camp is engaged in singing hymns and sacred songs." Unfortunately, this pastoral scene was recorded early in their journey. Later as the trip progressed and the emigrants grew travel-weary, as the song says "There's trouble in River City:-). One serpent in this paradise, as you might guess, came from throwing young men and women together in close proximity. Without suggesting hanky-panky:-), some of the numerous trail marriages, as Stewart says, "may have been, indeed, both 'post hoc' and 'propter hoc[:-))???] And there was sickness. Although during most ot the early years, the emigrant's health as a whole was good. 'But old malarias flared; bouts of diarrhea and dystentery - and then there was cholera. Fortunately, accidents were few. Occasionally a small boy caught himself under the wagon wheels. As Stewart says " you wonder how even a small boy could manage to be run over by a vehicle going TWO miles an hour.":-)) Usually, the emigrants armed to the teeth. But with no broad safety instructions, and their general unfamiliarity with firearms, many were shot accidently. Stories of the unintentional discharge of pistols and rifles fill their diaries and journals. Often the bullets missed; but many found the body of an animal or person. . With the numerous rivers to follow and cross there were numerous drownings. Somewhat surprising since most of the streams/rivers were extremely shallow Generally, the numerous quarrels ended with fistifcuffs. Nearing journey's end - the novelty gone - cabin fever prevailed, and some arguments moved to knifings and an occasional murder. Even in an unrooted village, they did have a govenment of sorts. Space prevents detailing the early emigrant company organizations -previously posted a little on it. The wagon trains had their captain with certain powers/duties/responsibilities. But these were more for routine day to day decision making. As Stewart puts it: "...He[the captain] could settle minor disputes, if any were brought to him. But he could be deposed by a simple majority vote, and often was. "The ultimate power of action remained with the individual - in particular, with the owner of the wagon. The company may thus be compared to an alliance or confederation of sovereign powers, not to a unified nation." Stewart ends our discussion with: "The Great Trek in South Africia supplies the closest parallel. In numbers this exodus of the Boers was probably less than one tenth of its American counterpart, and the distance traveled was generally less than half....There is no evidence that it had any influence upon the American migration. The people of the United States may, therefore, rightly regard the covered wagon as one of their most cherished symbols - and may do so proudly." THE END - at last:-))) I thought this was sorta fun,. Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com> .