Southwest High School - Sachem Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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W .9 5 2 ICO A A Dale Ro George T y

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Twenty-two CENTURY By WILMA GIDEON Ah me! when I stop to think What Shakespeare did with pen and ink I wonder how his ink was made4 If blue or purple was the shade, His pen-broad-nibbed and rather stiff, Like this, or fine? I wonder if He tried a Parker, thirty-nine, Or used a Shaeft'er pen, like mine? Or was it brains? No ink, I know, That really makes ideas flow, Nor can the most ingenious pen Make writers, poets, out of men. He used his pen and ink with brains Or so the teacher now explains. Mine is the harder task, I think, To write with only pen and ink.

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TJ .-K EI db La pg l . m . i at S - 1 - , : f ' iw gfi'qQ.Qf,f 1 't E M llbpuv 4 j?,,Q-gfii1Qi 1 te ., 1 Q ee r ,, ,, . p ., . Jack Haisley PIKE GOES WEST By JANE JACKSON The picturesque Santa Fe Trail, as we know it today, is comparatively the same as the route Don de Onate took in 1598 in his search for Coronado's lost country of Quivira. This is largely suppositional, however, as docu- mentary evidence concerning the trail was destroyed in the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The vivid and romantic adventures of Zebulon Pike, an American soldier and explorer, some two hundred years later, supply the Hrst really authentic account of the founding of the Santa Fe Trail. Pike was sent out by General Wilkinson and Aaron Burr, who, it is believed, were plotting to establish a government independent of that of the United States, and also to conquer Mexico. Unaware of this plan, Pike launched his journey to the city of Santa Pe with the idea of exploring this unknown territory. Wilkinson was able to give Pike a reliable staff of men, consisting of two lieutenants, a surgeon, a sergeant, and sixteen privates. They set out from Belle Fountaine, just outside of St. Louis, on July 15, 1806, and followed the Missouri River up to the Osage villages, crossed into the present state of Kansas, and traversed the plains to the Pawnee towns in what is now Nebraska. Melgares, a Spanish leader, on a previous visit to the Pawnee towns had left a Spanish flag with the Indians. Pike followed Melgares' example and gave them an American flag. Thus, when the Indians spied Spaniards coming, they could wave the Spanish Hag over the settlement: when Americans ap- proached, they could replace it with the Stars and Stripes. The little crew proceeded to the Southwest, and in a few days arrived at the Big Bend of the Arkansas River. After passing Pawnee Fork, Pawnee Rock, and Ash Creek--several of which are now historically important-Pike and his band crossed to the south bank of the Arkansas River. Presently, Pike caught his first glimpse of a mighty, majestic mountain, which in glamor- ous splendor towered above all the others. This peak has since carried the name of this early explorer. It appears unusual that this particular mountain should be named for Pike, since he did not venture to climb it, but merely ascended a neighboring mountain to get the 'ilay of the land. Four weary months dragged by, and Pike and his men were experiencing a bitter winter in the Rockies. They were now in Spanish territory, and had been ever since they had crossed the Arkansas River. Suffering from the cold and on the verge of starvation, several of the troop were unable to go on, so Pike took the few able men and continued the expedition. On January 28, 1507, they broke out of the Rockies at Sand Creek. Viewing the Rio Grande, Pike announced that they had reached the Red River. He believed that he and his party were still in American territory. Now the villain steps forward! Dr. John Robinson had been to Santa Fe earlier with Baptiste La Lande, and had been mysteriously placed in Pike's company. Pike sent him to Santa Fe ahead of the troop. This was unfortu- nate since Robinson proved to be a spy. Pike built a fort while awaiting Robinson's return, and on February 18, a Spanish dragoon caught sight of Twenty-four