Garland in His Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of His Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates

From “On the Trail with Hamlin Garland” (1907)

[79] X From “On the Trail with Hamlin Garland” (1907) C. Watt Brandon C. Watt Brandon (1871–1958) was a journalist who founded the Pinedale Roundup in 1904 before selling it in 1907 and moving to Kemmerer, Wyoming , where he became the publisher of the Kemmerer Camera and later the Kemmerer Gazette. In early August 1907 Garland left Chicago for a trip to Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming to soak up atmosphere for his fiction, and later that month he arrived in Pinedale to explore the high country of what is now the Wind River Wilderness. Brandon served as his guide and wrote the following account for his newspaper. An abridged version appeared in Harper’s Weekly 51 (5 October 1907): 1465. Garland’s own much briefer narrative appears in Companions on the Trail, 366–67. how many of those who have heard of Hamlin Garland, and are familiar with his works, have stopped to think of that brilliant author as a common man in private life. Mr. Garland’s late visit to our midst has developed many of his pleasant traits of character, showing the common-place unassuming gentleman that he is. Mr. Garland arrived in our little village on the stage Monday evening, having left Kemmerer on the Saturday evening preceding, and remaining over Sunday at the McGinnis Midway ranch. His arrival here was of no moment . He passed the evening pleasantly talking with our people, but it was not until next morning after breakfast that the fact dawned upon us that the stranger was none other than Hamlin Garland, and that he was here for the purpose of making a trip back into the unknown hills of the Wind River mountains in search of new material and scenes, and to get a full breath of the Wyoming wild—which we can truly say was grand to him—especially as it was located in the very center of the great nation which is his pride. Mr. Garland spent the day Tuesday very pleasantly, being a great admirer of fresh air, and took two of his long walks, in addition to a ride in the afternoon with Forest Supervisor Zeph Jones. But the object of his visit was not accomplishing. An attempt had been made to secure a guide to go back garland in his own time [80] into the hills with him, but the search was futile—all were busy in the hayfields , and owing to recent resignations of three of the older Forest Rangers , there was not enough of these boys to properly patrol this side. Late that evening, after every plan had been threshed over to get started for the hills, the evident unrest caused by his delay was apparent, and the editor gave in to Mr. Garland’s plan for both of us to take a pack outfit and horses and go back into the forest trails alone for several days—to the very summit. Consequently, bright and early in the morning the horses were wrangled and the pack prepared for the trail. Mr. Garland superintending the packing , and carefully selecting the “grub” to be taken along—only two pounds of bacon, he said, to be used to flavor the grouse with, and it was evidently his intention to feed on the game bird. Plenty of coffee and sugar, with flour and butter, was all that was needed, but hostess Peck of the Pinedale Hotel very thoughtfully passed us three loaves of bread before leaving which we promptly wrapped in a “gunnie” sack and stored in the panniers. The start from Pinedale was made at about 11 a.m., and of course as soon as we were on our way, the gentle drops of rain gathering force, succeeded in making the first part of the journey just a little disagreeable. The route led north from Pinedale, along the Jorgensen and Glover fences by the Binning meadows, until Spring Creek was reached, thence on and up the trail, passing the Lily pond and foothill lakes, and rising to the summit of the divide between the heads of Fremont and Willow lakes, where the first camp was established in Spring Creek Park, from where the blazed trails spread out into the forest. Here it was the understanding of Mr. Garland for camp life first came vividly before me. Much of the first part of the journey was spoiled for myself , wondering how I was to cook the young sage-chicken, killed on the way up and what success...