Eliza Ann Brooks an episode of Frontier Fighters

Please enjoy Eliza Ann Brooks a great episode of the legendaryFrontier Fighters - A Classic Old Time radio Show.

Episode Transcript

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Untier fighters, voluntier Fighters. Chroniclesof the heroic deeds, trials, and

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hardships of the men and women whofought in triumph that the West might live
enshrine forever in the hearts of thosesons and daughters who claim the West.
Is Eliza M. Brooks, thepioneer mother. In eighteen forty nine,
her husband went to California to prospectfor gold, writing from Dute County in
eighteen fifty two to his wife andfamily in Michigan, and my beloved children,

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if you were all here with me, I know that I could make
California my home. May God speedthat day when we'll all be together under
one roof. Kiss the babies fromme, your loving husband and father.
Father wants us to come to California. Mother, are we going. It's
been more than two years since we'veseen our father, and if we'd start

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right now, it's only just onlythree thousand miles across mountains, plains,
prairies, and desert. It's noexcursion. Son. I ain't afraid.
I can shoot straight, drive ateam, I don't get tired, and
I'm not a big eater. Youare your father's son. You're not just
thirteen, a boy, you're aman. Stand up, Elisha. I'm

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big for my age. Feel mymuscle, ma'am. Some folks, if
you staying, I'm a fool takingchances with a boy and five little one.
But the Lord is our shepherd,Elisha, and somehow, some way
he'll lead us to your father.In California. Two weeks from the day

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that she made her decision, MissusBrooks put all her worldly possessions and her
six children in a covered wagon andwas ready to make the start. At
her side was her boy, Elisha, and the man she hired to go
as far as the flat river withher. The wagon was drawn by four
oxen. Two cows were taken alongto supply milk for the children. The
departure should have been most auspicious,but the no it All's predicted the most

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dismal kind of failure For the Avengermess grokshid hear you. You're Jester flying
in the face of providences, andyou must be mad risking Eliza's six little
children, only four of us aslittle. I'm thirteen and sister Margaret's eleven.
You're leaving a good home and farmin Michigan. The Lord knows for
work. A wife has a rightto be where her husband is. He

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can't come to me, so we'rea gone to he all right, Jim,
let's get gone, suns just arising. It's a good omen you good
friends and neighbors, and I'm thankingyou for it. Will Lie Jolie to
California. She's a mighty brave littlewoman. It mighty brave little fool.

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If you're asking me, I ain'tfair going, But fools do step in
where angels feed the tread and findto Mar's holding out a mighty big blessing.
The road to the Missouri River wasin the poorest possible condition, and
the party was forced to struggle throughmere and bogs caused by heavy rain.
While crossing Iowa, the children becameill with measles. One night, the

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hired man began to grumble, Iain't a heard of catching them measles,
missus Brooks. But I don't seeno sense in just to sitting here in
the middle of the prairie. Youcan't jog along roads like this with children
burning up with fever. Well,if you're wasting a week of my time,
I'll be expecting paid for it.When we get to council bluff.
You'll get ever penny, do you, ma, Ma, Sister Margaret's out

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of her head with the fevers.I've got to sell a nursing to do.
Jim, you keep your eye peeledfor injured, and I'm warning you
I'll keep away from the bottle.I ain't a drinking man, regular,
missus Brooks. Just take a nipto keep my stomach in conditioner. Ma,
you reckon, I'm gonna get theeagle stew No, son, I
reckon, You've packed the time forcatching him. Dear Marcus, take some

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of this statafrass cheese and so hot. Everything's hot. Get me a cold
drink from the well. Drink itstatafrass tea and in the morning you'll feel
better. Colorada from the well,Ma, cool water is sister Martha.
That's sitting mighty hard. She'll comethrough just like the others. Get ready

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for a fight. I got mygun ready. You're one for you,
Ma. We'll talk trade first.If that fails, we'll fight. Give
me that strip like it got tofight at Tuger. Drink up. What's
the colored feet first? No Indians? Oh Lord say oh many pushes you've

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got to put down your gun.Jims. You to Elisha, two children,
one squaw, one brave, giveyou good only for brave, two
good pies for squaw, give youtime. Blankets see it much money cost
be see it and all of it. Big kind of sugar to go away,

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white squaw, No on a trade, just give presents it scare.
Food only is much better than littlesquaws or braves. Give all of presents.
Indian go again on March. Sobe it I have spoken, Oh
be it, I have spoken.Jim Fork open and presence of a chip

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m M. Sugar is sweet?Meads right, blanket good? Oh yeah
for the you are right, mom, steady there, missus Brooks better you
can nip of this here, Lakers, I'm all right, Elisha. You

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and jimmet thatt a cheap a watchright through the night. If Margaret Stever
breaks morning will see us out onthe road again. Don't you think we'd
better turn back, ma'am. We'renever turning back. Elija's father married a
woman who ain't afraid of price.Council bluffs was reached. After many weary

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days there, Eliza and Brooks losther hired man, but Elijah stepped into
his place in the driver's seat,and the journey continued. As they followed
the Platte River, they began tosee the graves of those who had died
from cholerad But on and on theydrove, never fearing, always trusting in
the providence that was to guide themto California. During the night, while
waiting for the ferry to take themacross the Platte River, Mah, sounds

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like thunder. If it's gonna ring, we'd better get some of this canvas
tacked down, ain't son, they'rein the heavens we're hearing, son.
Mama works that funny noise? Idon't know, Margaret, Lajah. Stick
your head out and see if thesky is clear. It might be arranged
sunner. In fact, guy's clear, Ma, but there's a parful lot

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of dust going in from off theweb. Margaret, you watch over the
children. Ah, Elisha, bringyour gun. I think I know what
that noise is. Think it's Indian. Mom. No, Son looks to
me like a fop. Those sampeesand us right in the path on it
wa. What are we gonna dois send our round Trust in the Lord
to show us a way to dividethat bird so no harm will come to
any of us. I can seehim now, Ma, hundreds of them

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are coming all right, Elisha,let's stop walking toward baber mas. What
if there's no hips now, son, We're going to pick off the leaders
of that bird just as soon aswe can psyche him all my son.
As Remember, every bullet's got acount. Aw, you're sucky. They're

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running everyway now, some of themstood a man. They're running war litt
slip wa. We run out,We run out, done for the night.
But let's not quote too soon.We've got a good two thousand miles
to go yet. And the wavesought to be mighty hard storms, wolves,

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thunder. The cattle waxed, gleaned, and grew weak because the land
was picked bare of grass, Butthe hungry stock of the thousands ahead of
them, a lake of grasshoppers dimmedthe light of the sun. The brackish
water was hardly fit to drink.One day, under a scorching August sun,
the two cows died fifty dust chokingtortuous miles, and two of the
four oxen dropped in their tracks,dead of starvation. There remained but one

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thing for missus Brooks to do.Mam, all those pretty things away.
Everything's got to go that ain't ofsome use. He's gonna throw out that
good mohogany shreed. Grandma gave useverything that's of no use, just our
clothes, drinking water, dead andpots and pans as all were cuting.

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Mom, what are we gonna do? And the food we've got left is
gone, and there ain't no morewater. Elisha, that food we got
left, and the water too,is manna from the hand of man.
What comes now has got to bemanna from heaven. More weary weeks while

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the little body crept along over thesands of the desert. On every side.
Now we're freshly dug graves, grimreminders of those who had lost their
fight with the desert. Then,one day, after crossing the Humboldt River,
young Elisha called to his mother,Ma, Ma, this rider coming
toward our camp. He's on ahorse and leading two ors the other pack
mules. Can't you make out hisstay on ahead of pets and see if

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he might spare a little food?All right? Elisha him, mister,
mister hi, Ma, it's ourfather. It's father, come to me.
Oh God be, Thank God Be, Thank Father. I don't know
how good it is to see youall. Are you all well? Are

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the children all right? Yes,Elisha, we're all right. Praise Heaven
for that. How did you eversign this, Elisha? I don't know.
I don't know. I'm sure somethingjust seemed to be guiding me along
this route. Yes, yes,I know, you know my prayers guided
you to us, Elisha. Ma. Maybe father's that manner from heaven you

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prayed for. Yes, yes,my son, I know he is.
Elishah Brooks Senior arrived just in thenick of time as his pitiful little family
eked out the last portions of foodand water, and with this last minute

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rescue, he provided a thrilling andhistorically through climax to our story. The
Brooks family had little trouble in crossingthe Sierras and in a few days reached
Bute Cauty, California, where theymade their new home. It has been
our privilege to salute a courageous,spiritual pioneer mother Eliza and Brooks, one
of the truest of all frontier fighters. Foo