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Roe, Frances Marie Antoinette Mack

"Army Letters from an Officer's Wife, 1871-1888"

We always
broke the large buttons off with the greatest care and settled the
spawn back in the loose dirt for a future harvest. We often found
large mushrooms above ground, and these were delicious baked with
cream sauce. They would be about the size of an ordinary saucer, but
tender and full of rich flavor--and the buttons would vary in size
from a twenty-five-cent piece to a silver dollar, each one of a
beautiful shell pink underneath. They were so very superior to
mushrooms we had eaten before--with a deliciousness all their own.
We are wondering if the storm passed over the Yellowstone Park, where
just now are many tents and considerable transportation. The party
consists of the general of the Army, the department commander, members
of their staffs, and two justices of the supreme court. From the park
they are to go across country to Fort Missoula, and as there is only a
narrow trail over the mountains they will have to depend entirely upon
pack mules. These were sent up from Fort Custer for Faye to fit out
for the entire trip. I went down to the corral to see them start out,
and it was a sight well worth going to see. It was wonderful, and
laughable, too, to see what one mule could carry upon his back and two
sides.
The pack saddles are queer looking things that are strapped carefully
and firmly to the mules, and then the tents, sacks, boxes, even stoves
are roped to the saddle.


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