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Uncle John Allen’s Rambles in the Rockies, as Related by Himself

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John J. Allen

Uncle John Allen’s Rambles in the Rockies, as Related by Himself

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"I have a record of every incident happening through my life of thirty-four years in the Rocky Mountains." - John Allen, Mountain ManBorn in 1843, after serving in the Civil War, John Allen left on a trapping expedition for the Rockies in the Fall of 1865. From the day he threw his things into Mr. Wagner’s wagon, he kept a record of every incident happening in his life of 34 years in the Rocky Mountains that he considered worthy of note. In his 1917, 55-page narrative, "Uncle John Allen’s Rambles in the Rockies," Allen covers his life in the Rocky Mountains including attacks by hostile tribes, fur trapping expeditions into Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, bear hunting, archaeological ruins, and prospecting in California.In describing one coordinated attack by bear and hostile tribe, Allen writes:"Now in the hottest part of our engagement with the bears, all at once we heard the 'Indian war whoop,' and looking behind us we saw the Indians coming in our rear, yelling savagely. While all attention was immediately drawn to the Indians coming, a bear sneaked up and jumped on one of our boys while his back was turned to the bear..."In describing how one wounded mountain man would attempt to stand off 125 warriors from a mountaintop fortress, Allen relates:"One of our boys, known as Big Jim, a powerful and brave man, said: 'Boys, it will not do for us all to stop on this mountain. They will surround and starve us out. Give me all your shells and grub and I will stand them off as long as it lasts, and you ride on around the mountain and pull on for headquarters and return as soon as possible with, all the men they can spare. You know my condition; lose no time. When they come I will make them think we are all here....'"In describing another harrowing encounter with a California bear, Allen writes: "One evening coming in from work ... I noticed a large black bear was sitting in the trail about 150 yards from me, looking at me. I walked on up the hill until within about 60 yards of him. He made no effort whatever to give me the trail. ... The next evening as I came in about the same hour there he sat again at the same place. I walked on up as before. Yet there he sat. After looking at each other for some time he seemed to want to give me a more thorough and closer inspection..."Uncle John Allen’s Rambles in the Rockies, although a short read, is an intensely interesting narrative of his harrowing 34 years in the Rocky Mountains, similar to books such as "Wild Life in the Far West," "Four Years in the Rockies," "Rising Wolf," and "Life in the Rockies."
Pages
55

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