The Syracuse Journal, Volume 19, Number 15, Syracuse, Kosciusko County, 12 August 1926 — Page 6

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“Jim Bridger Lies,” Long a Tradition, Disproved by History.

By E

ELMO SCOTT WATSON (JURISTS who visit the Yellowstone National park this summer and see for the first time the wonders of that region no doubt will also make the acquaintance of one of the favorite traditions of the West— that of an American Baron Munchausen. otherwise known as Old Jim Bridger, and the tradition of “Jim Bridger's Lies." For the fame of this

frontlenuuan aeeuu to be Inextricably bound up that of America** Wonderland and the result la a moat amazing combination of myth, misinformation and sheer bunk. Perhaps the survival of the proverbial western fondness for “stuffing the tenderfoot" or “keeping the pilgrim guessing" has something to do with keeping alive this tradition. Perhaps our American falling for accepting “rubber stamp” phrases and incorporating them into our national platform of “popular beliefs" has as much to do with 1L At iny rate, most of us seem willing to accept the terms “American Munchausen," “biggest liar on earth" and "discoverer of the Yellowstone” as synonymous for the name James Bridger without realising that we are thereby doing a grave injustice to one of the bravest and most remarkable frontiersmen who ever trod American soil. Book Debunks Bridger Myths Fortunately, however, some effort to being made to debunk the Bridger myth and to give tardy justice to the memory of this truly great pioneer. Happily for his future fame a historian, whose home Is on the shores of the great Inland sea which Bridger did discover, has set about the task of bringing together all the available information about him. winnowing the fact from the fiction, analyzing, testing, weighing evidence and trying to arrive at the truth as nearly as the truth can be determined. The result Is a book ("James Bridger.” by J. Cecil Alter. Sliepard Book Co.. Salt Lake City] which can almost be regarded as the last word on the subject of James Bridger, which present* him in a truer light than he has ever been presented before and which In itself Is a monumental piece of historical scholarship. Not only does Mr. Alter’s book give a faithful picture of an epic era In Amerh-an history, but it should set at rest once for all the mass of misinformation that has been Idly tossed about and proves that Old Jim Bridger was “more lied against than lying.” So an article such as this, which could not hope to be a condensation of all the thrilling and interesting incidents tn the book, can do no better than to follow the line Indicated in Its title and show the general unfairness of the “American Jlunchausen” tradition. First of all the “discoverer of the Yellowstone" tradition: Jim Bridger was not the “discoverer" and never pretended to be. That honor, if It is limited to “white discoverer” and excludes the first Indian—his Identity unknown, of course—who ever gazed upon Its spouting geysers, belongs tn John Colter, a member of the 1-ewls and Clark expedition, 'nunter trapper, Indian fighter and explorer, who. an far as to known, was the first American to visit what to now the park. This was In IW*T. Naturally, hla account of Its wonders was not believed and “Colter’s Heil" became a term of derision “Bridger Lies!* Byt Does He? It to possible, although it has never been definitely established, that Bridger visited the Yellowstone region In 1R25. The first written description of Its wonders appeared In Niles Register October «, 182 T, in the form of a letter, published without a signature, from a member of a trapping expedition. The Identity of the writer to unknown and. although It has been credited to Bridger. Mr. Alter points out that he could not write, probably was not with this particular party, tjenos the letter was not his. There to good reason to believe that he <fid° visit the park as a member of the Fitzpatrick trapping party tn 1500 and that to the date usually given as the time of his first view of the Yellowstone phenomena. However, the date of what was unquestionably his first visit, according to Mr. Alter, was 1832. while Bridger was still with Fitzpatrick on the expedition which to recorded In Washington Irving's account of the adventures of Captain Bonneville. As to the “Jim Bridger lies" tradition it to not especially strange that such a tradition should spring up. since these so-called Iles were based upon facts which in themselves seemed almost Impossible to believe—the facts about the wonders of the Yellowstone park. Just when the tradition started it to difficult to say. The chronology of It

Call on Minnows to Fight Malaria

Two thousand minnows from the United States bureau of fisheries are «n route for Buenos Aires aboard the Argentinian battleship Moreno, to help atomp out malaria tn the South Amertaan republics. Top minnows are voracious feeders an the larvae of the mosquito carriers of the Rerm cansing malarial few. These larvae breed only in stagnant <water. and being air breathers stay

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to a tantalizing proposition. Bridger’s description which was first officially recorded was during hla term as guide for the Stansbury party In 1849 and 1850 and the recorder was Lieut. J. W. ’Gunnison. In one chapter of the book Mr. Alter nays: Th* atory of Colter's Hell has been told and retold for 36 years with little variation; but in 1837 a newspaper had published a story describing a visit to a part of the park which added some seat to the Colter inferno. Then in 1833 a Mormon newspaper had published another description of •ome of the park features, and still another came to light in 1843; but all these descriptions were antiquated and the stories losing caste. Tells About Park’s Wonders Gunnison s arrival at the settlements was calculated to reawaken interest in th«r~park, for ho had a first-hand description of the park phenomena by Bridger who had visited the park many times from many directions as a trapper. Bridger was therefore interviewed by a newspaper man on the lower -Missouri, and a general description of the geysers, hot water phenomena, and the canyons was given. It was a good story and after setting it in type the publisher confided the news to a friend who unfortunately cautioned against a too great confidence in the tale of a mere trapper. The cold water thus poured broke the faith of the writer and the story was discarded. What a narrow miss from becoming the first to record Bridger's story! That same editor published many stories of th* park in later years and in 1879, when Bridger was decrepit, and very near his demise, a story was run which followed Bridger's description, taken from other sources, together with an explanation and an apology to the old scout. Tbe-gwhor of the book pays particular attention stories In two headed “The Beginning' of Bridger's Stories" and “The Evolution of Bridger's Stories.” In the first he says: The outstanding development of the Raynolds' [Capt. W F Reynold*. V. S. A., who was sent to explore the Yellowstone river] winter at Deer and the presence of many mountain n.en was the incubation of the original brood of reminiscent yarns of the trappers and mountaineers. And James Bridger, personifying all that was peculiarly of the mountains, was to become not only- a central figure in many of these tales by proxy, and foster father of them all In general, but the parent peacock, in fact, of many of the chofvest tales in the limitless flock still flying about In mountain lore. “Is It surprising (writes Reynolds) that men leading such a life <as these trappers), not hearing from civilisation oftener than once a year and then only through the fur companies who sent to them to get their furs and supply them with ammunition and Indian trinket*, but who yet retained a recollection of the outer world they left, should beguile th* monotony of camp life by spinning yarns, in which each tried to exc*l all others, and which were repeated ao often and insisted upon so strenuously that the narrator* came to believe them moat religiously." “All Wild Tales Are Bridger’s” It to interesting to note that Ned Bnntlin* (Col. E. Z. C. Judson), who helped make Buffalo Bill famous, is principally responsible for the “Old Jim Bridger's Ides” tradition. The chapter on “Evolution of Bridger's Stories" tells about Buntltne'a activities as follow*: The flame of Interest that was kindled In th* stories of bygon* trapper days at Reynolds' winter quarters on Deer Creek was slowly tanned Into a

Robert T. Lincoln, ninety-year-old son and sole surviving descendant of the Civil War President, has let it be known that the mysterious trunkful of IJncolnlana which be recently presented to the < on cress! on si library contains nothing for hunters* of unprinted historical matter to get excited about—nothing, in fact, that has not already been published. Mr. Lincoln, who has steadfastly refused to discuss the trunk’s contents, still refuses to talk; but he has whispered enough Into the ears of the Congressional librarian to quiet the heart palpitations of those Lincoln enthusiasts who have known of the trunk and have spent their good time, their good money and the good influence of wealthy and social friends Ln an effort to get’a peep Into the chest. 'There to probably nothing In the material that

alronet entirely on the surface. Pools, too large to have the air supply cut off by a film of oO have in many parts of this country been stocked with top minnows, which have proved efficacious aids In keeping down the numbers of the anopheles mosquito. The minnows now riding In state on the battleship have been sent from the bureau of fisheries at the request of the international health board to

END OF LINCOLN TRUNK MYSTERY

be used for breeding purposes and distributed throughout the malarial i regions of Argentine to help to the i campaign of that organization to rid the Americas of malaria. Tortillcu in Mexico Tortillas are large round cakes of popular consumption In Mexico. They are made by soaking corn grains until soft, then crushing them into a pasta, generally by working them with a roller or similar instrument an a largo

THE SYRACUSE JOURNAL

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cteorzeij JBrictyej-" national conflagration ot entertainment. Unfortunately. however, Bridger's truthful narratives ol experience, and his faithful descriptions of th« natural phenomena of the Yellowstone Park and other regions, wore to be twisted almost beyond recognition In the withering heat of ridicule and disbelief. This came about largely through secondhand narrators, who still attributed the retold, story to Bridger. Soon after arriving at the Westport farm in the late fall of 18S0 Bridger was sought out by Ned Bunt line, a prominent story writer of the day, and "Bridger gave him enough adventures to keep him writing the balance of his life," according to General Dodge. Bridger took a liking to BuntUne and took him across the plains with him on a scouting trip. After a while Buntline returned to the East and not long afterward the Jim Bridger stories commenced to be published. One of these was printed every week, and Bridger's companions used to save them up and read them to him. Buntline made Bridger famous, and carried him through more hairbreadth escapes than any man ever had." Thus through the alchemy of the journalist the flame of Bridger's stories was transformed into chunks of pure gold for Buntline, and Bridger himself soon found that he was not so much of a frontiersman «s a story teller, the author of “Old Jim Bridger's Lies’" to the unfortunate discredit of the truthful old scout. Bridger's stories were greedily seised upon by story tellers everywhere, and tagged with Bridger's name, after countless metamorphoses.

Thus the tradition was carried on endlessly and It seems that Bridger himself. In his later days, helped perpetuate it. William S. Brackett, who was a member of an expedition which Bridger guided .to Utah In 1862. writing in the “Historical Collections of Montana.” declares that: Bridg*r keenly f*lt the suspicions cast upon hi* honesty and truthfulness as to the w/Rders of the Yellowstone. Disgusted at his unmer/ted treatment and angered at the talk about “Old; Jim Bridger's Lies” he retaliated as so many other mountain men have done by stuffing his tenderfoot listener* with the most preposterous stories hl* imaginatior could conjure up. Idle Tales for Idle People The truth is that when Bridger "drew the long bow" he founded his romances on a great deal of fact, if his hearers On y had the wit and sense to sift it out. In this way th* old scout avenged himself for the distrust previously shown for his accurate and truthful accounts of many of th* wonders he had seen In the Rocky Mountains. I have known many an old-timer to do the same thing when an audience of smart tenderfeet laughed or sneered at a truthful recital of something marvelous in the former's experience. The testimony of scores of prominent military commanders and civilians can be produced showing that James Bridger was always to be trusted and believed in as a guide, scout, trader and allround pioneer. His idle tales were told only to idle people in idle hours. At heart he was as truthful as h* was skillful and brave He never betrayed any man and was never untrue to any trust, public or private. High tribute as this is. it is amply stibstan tlated by the ipgny authorities quoted in Mr. Alter’s historical narrative. In the preface he states that “in this work it is hoped that the old scout may find a certain sanctuary from the unjust designations of braggart, drunkard, polygamist or prevaricator, though it is further hoped that he will not be shielded from afiy juat and proper characterization howsoever base.” Undoubtedly he refers to the characterization of Bridger in the movie version of Emerson Hough’s “Covered Wagon” which resulted in a $1,000,000 suit for damages against the producing company by Mrs. Virginia Bridger Hahn, a daughter of the old scout. The suit which was filed two years ago was ended early this year wnen the <-ourt ruled in effect that it was “impossible to defame anyone’s ancestors.” So apparently there has been added to the "Old Jim Bridger’s Iles” tradition this other tradition of Jim Bridger as a roistering blade, and the type of person who gets moat of his ideas from the movies probably will accept it as unquestioningly as he does the other. But for those who recognize the fact that the truth does not usually lie tn extremes, a court decision either way would mean nothing. To them Bridger's shortcomings, whatever they were, were far outbalanced by his good qualities and with them his fame to secure. Thev will rejoice that in the face of tradition, myth and bunk an honest and thoroughly satisfactory attempt has been made to fulfill General Dodge’s hope that “so remarkable a man should not be lost to history and the country and his work allowed to be forgotten.”

has not been used by Nleolay and Hay in their biography." said the aged son of the Great Emancipator. The trunk has been a great mystery. There has been a belief that in particular it contained data having to do- with Lincoln’s ancestry or private family affairs. The son. it has been hinted, was keeping it all quiet for fear of the explosion that might follow its release. Energetic writers have camped on the Robert T. Lincoln doorstep, confident of their ability to gather tn this greatest of all IJncoln scoops. But they have got nowhere. Money, they were told, could not buy the trunk, and the contents were destined to disappear with the last of the Lincolns. There has been nothing much else in the IJncolniana line to unearth, and this quest has been unabatedly pursued.

stone and shaping them into the desired size and cooking on iron or earthen platen. “CoW” Common Ailment Colds are most common in the temperate zone. In this country few persons are immune from them. Not more than fifteen out of every hundred are lucky enough to escape with only one cold a year. The ailment la most frequent in early childhood' and toast frequent after middle life.

%eKITCAm GXBiAHgaa t©. ISIS. Western Newspaper Union.) We measure success by accumulation. The measure is false. Ths true measure is appreciation. He who loves most has most.—Vandyke. A COLLECTION OF CAKES Cakes are always in season and tha farder is never quite complete unless there is a cake for an

emergency. White Fruit Cake.— Cream two-thlrds of« a cupful of butter until creamy and add gradually. beating constantly, seven-eighths of a cupful of pastry flour, sifted with one-fourth of a teaspoonful of soda, then add one-half tablespoon-

ful of lemon juice. Beat the whites of six eggs until stiff, using an egg whip, add gradually one and one-fourth cupfuls of powdered sugar. Combine mixtures and when well blended add twothirds of a cupful of candled cherries, one-third of a cupful of blanched and shredded almonds, one-half cupful of citron and one teaspoonful of lemon extract Bake in a moderate oven one hour. Old-Fashioned Pound Cak«. : —Cream one cupful of butter and add gradually one and two-thlrds cupfuls of granulated sugar, beating until creamy:, add five eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously between the addition of each. When the mixture is foamy fold in two cupfuls of pastry flour sifted with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake in a slow oven. Six Months' Cake.—Mix one-half cupful of butter with one cupful of sugar; when creamy add two wellbeaten eggs and one-half cupful of molasses. Mix and sift two and one-half cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, one-half teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one-fourth teaspoonful of cloves and the same of mace. Add alternately with one-half cupful of milk to the first mixture and beat vigorously, then add one cupful of raisins cut into small pieces and dredged with two tablespoonfuls of flour. Turn into two bread pans and bake in a moderate oven forty-five mliiutes. When baking pie prepare and bake another shell. This if kept in a cold place will be crisp and good for several days. Fill with crushed berries mixed with sugar and top with whipped cream. Such a dessert Is quickly prepared and is especially well liked. Charry lea Cream.—Use a cupful of rich cherry Juice and a pint of cream with a few drops of almond extract Sweeten to taste and freeze as usual. Serve in sherbet cups and garnish with a cherry or a spoonful of the minced cherries and some of the sirup. Inviting Dishes. A most delicious filling for cake Is prepared as follows: Bake two cup-

fuls of sugar with four tablespoonfuls of water until It threads: pour over three wellbeaten egg whites, add onehalf cupful of clt-

ron shredded fine, one-half cupful each of chopped raisins and blanched almonds and the same of figs. Spread between the layers and on top of the cake. Layer Prune Cake. —Take one cupful of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one cupful of finely chopped cooked prunes, one-half cupful of prune juice, one-half teaspoonful of soda dissolved In the prune Juice, two teaspoonfuto of baking powder, one teaspoonfui each of cinnamon and nutmeg and one-half teaspoonful of cloves. Mtx in order given, adding two cupfuls of flour sifted with the dry Ingredients. Bake In two layers about thirty minutes. Ice with one cupful of powdered sugar, three tablespoonfuto of butter and cream to spread. Fruit Salad. —Cut Into small pieces two cupfuls of celery, two oranges, two-thlwis of a cupful of raisins seeded and plumped over steam, one cupful of grated apple and a cupfnl of mayonnaise dressing. < 'over the salad with the apple, then the mayonnaise. One-Piece Dtah.—Arrange a layer of thinly sliced uncooked potatoes In t baking dish, season well, add a layer of thinly siloed onion and cover with lamb chop*. Bake until al! are cooked. Serve from the baking dtoh. Peas may be substituted for the onion if preferred. Fruit Salad Creasing-—Take onefourth of a cupful of pineapple juice, one-fourth of a cupful of orange juice, one teaspoonful of acid phosphate, three teaspoonfuls of water, two eggs, one-half cupful each of whipped cream and sugar. Beat the eggs, add the sugar, heat the fruit juices with the phosphate, add the hot mixture to the eggs, cook over hot water until it coats the spoon. This makes a pint of dressing. Chicken Salad.—Gook a chicken with a lean piece of veal until both are tender. Cut up into small cubes, add twice as much celery as chicken, a half cupful of finely cut blanched almonds and any good highly seasoned salad dressing. A few spoonfuls of leftover oatmeal may be stirred Into the morning griddle cakes or muffins, or it may be fried and served with bacon as a breakfast dish. Hit Indifference “Some folks are everlastingly kicking b’euz laziness haln’t fatal.” remarked Gap Johnson of Rumpus Ridge, “but, as for me. I don’t •specially keer if It—yaw-w-w-wn I—hsln’t—Kansas City Star. Mines C/pset Moantaint in Wales mountains are “on the move” as a result of mining operations beneath them. Serious landslides. due to this cause, have occurred at Ebbw Vale.

DESIGNS FOR LATE SUMMER; ALLURING CHIFFON FROCKS

TH® two-piece mode—youthful and practical as it is, has taken the world of fashion by storm. It is as popular as bobbed hair and almost as varied as millinery. All that designees have to do, to maintain interest in the two-piece frock until the end of summer, is to think up new tricks of decoration or unusual and beautiful color management or novel fabric combinations. In the altogether charming twopiece dress shown here, the note of novelty appears in the combination of printed crepe and cut-out linen. In which the dress portion is made of the figured crepe with bandings of

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plaln crepe. The printed silk adds . one more to the myriad dotted pat- | terns, in dots that vary in shades of >ne color and are arranged in a plaid pattern with some of the dots centered by smaller ones. The skirt has four wide plaits across the front and two at each side, and the plain crepe banding to in the color of the dot. There are many color combinations that would be attractive in this dress, as grey, green, blue or red dots bn a white ground. The banding at the top of the plaits to novel and has the i effect of shortening the skirt. The i linen Jacket to bound nt the bottom with the dotted crepe and has a belt j vs It across the back. The collar and 1

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A Daiaty Frock of Chiffon, cuff* combine dotted and plain crep* and th* novel tie to made of cord covered with the plain crepe. Down each tide of the pockets are small pearl buttons, set close t-»gether and the front of the jacket has a narrow binding of plain crepe. This pretty frock has more than novelty to recommend It “ for it la an elegant affair, in every way chic and dainty. This effect might be ruined by the wrong choice tn footwear, but it to enhanced by white silk hose and white kid slippers

Narrow Belt Buckle* in Back The belts used to mark the waist line of the newer frocks for daytime sure usually narrow, of self material and many have buckles in the back. A buckle of silver and black enamel to one novelty exhibited, while black suede with silver buckle to popular. Exaggerated Size Large silk handkerchiefs are tied about the waistline of some of the smartest sport frocks, usually just below the natursl waistline.

of fashionable cut They make a foofr wear outfit that proves unexcelled with summer frocks. Now that midsummer is here, the fluttering type of frock grows popular. with cape backs, wings, scurfs panels, sashes and tiers coquetting with every little vagrant breeze that blows. In colors green, white and black combinations and all white ars the coolest looking, but even In red the sheer fabrics worn look cool and many chanel red frocks in georgettt rkre shown for late summer. When the talk is of chiffon frocks it is to be taken for granted that it includes those made of geo»

A Novel Fabric Combination.

gette. since these exquisite, twinsister fabrics are so much alike that what to said about one is true of th* other. Midsurntper brings them int* full-bloom In gowns that float through afternoons and evenings and are as decorative as flowers. There to a craze for delicate materials ant dark, plain colors in tailored styles or light colors in sports styles ar* liable to be encountered at any tim* of day when hot weather arrives. Just one more of those pretty printed chiffon frocks that prove se flattering to their wearers has had it» picture made for the benefit of thoM who wish to liven up their wardrobes with something new for ml(>

I summer. One glance shows its fitness for whatever the afternoon or evening may bring to pass tn the way of entertainment These joyous printed patterns in georgette or chiffon rarely employ trimming, -but occasionally • plait eoior. matching some color Id !fce printed pattern, is used in band* Ings and sometimes a little Ince to adroitly Introduced in their construction. Qnite a number of models incorporate the cape and Its modifications, as a part of the ensemble, and often It Is cleverly managed to partly cover the arms. In the gown pictured th* debonaire cavalier cape to detachable and has fiat ties made of the chiffon. The frock has a long bodice qnd a full rippled skirt. Its new featlire to the wide, crushed girdle, also made of the chiffon and fastening at the left side. Comparatively few frocks are shortsleeved, but wing treatments and capes that extend over the arms and terminate at the sides of the bodice are rivals of the long-sleeved modes. Many neck lines are “V” shaped and very new collars are convertible—that is, they are high at the back and form revers when open at the front. But they are edged with a narrow flat fold that to extended into long tie ends, so they may bb turned up about th* throat with the ties wound once about the neck. JULIA BOTTOMLEI. (®. 18N. W«M*rn Newspaper UnJon.) J • —J

■■ —i Necks Are High The smart foulard and taffeta bath* tog suits, worn over wool Jersey tivhta, are nearly all high-necked, at Jsast i» front If they are cut away at any point it is to the back. Evea the ono piece knitted suits fail to reveal any great amount of throat and shoulder epidermis. And in All Colon The fringed negligee, one of the loveliest of this season's comas la houai >tia or brocaded slika