Story
Summary
Gold has been discovered in California! The year is 1850 and the forty-niners who hit it rich can now afford wives, race horses,
or silver engraved double barrel shotguns and pistols.
Having been in California last year, Charlie Streeter knows the value of supply and demand. Prospectors and adventurers from back
East are spending lots of money to be delivered to San Francisco, Sacramento, or San Jose. Charlie intends to guide a wagon train
from St. Joseph, Missouri to California during the next 9 weeks.
Charlie has gathered this daring group despite warning of several mountain men. As part of the conditions on the trip each person
must be a capable marksman and have his own weapons. Indians are less likely to attack well armed parties.
Join us now as we face the decisions of going West with these brave sons of destiny and even braver men who have undertaken to
guide and help them. By making the right decisions, you will all get to California safely. The wrong decisions will result in
some shortened or altered lives. Don't let your scalp hang in an Indian lodge or leave your bones bleaching on the sand.
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Gold has been discovered in California! The
year is 1850 and the forty-niners can now afford wives, race horses,
or silver engraved double barrel shotguns and pistols.
Having been in California last year, Charlie Streeter knows the
value of supply and demand. Prospectors and adventurers from back
East are spending $200 (per person), delivered to San Francisco,
Sacramento, or San Jose. Charlie intends to guide 8 wagons (or more)
plus limited belongings to go to California on a wagon train from
St. Joseph, Missouri. The trip is expected to take 9 weeks.
Charlie has gathered this daring group despite warning of several
mountain men. He will lead the trip provided that each traveler
contributes a pair of mules and 100 pounds of food. Each is allowed
to bring 20 pounds of clothing and "essentials". Each prospector is
guaranteed to find gold within 2 months of arrival.
As part of the conditions on the trip each person must be a capable
marksman and have his own weapons. Indians are less likely to attack
well armed parties.
Because of the small size of the train, its speed will be the main
protection. Also, hopefully a small train will not be nearly as
noticeable as the larger trains. Using mules, the speed of the train
will be considerably faster than oxen. The wagons will not be nearly
as heavy and there will be extra mules. The train will travel from
7:00 AM through 6:00 PM daily except Sunday. There will be a rest
stop for lunch at noon. On Sundays, the train will travel from 1:00
PM to 6:00 PM.
On the second day out of St. Joseph, you came across another wagon
train which had lost the wagon master. Two wagons did not want to
return to St. Joe with the others and asked to join you.
Because this other train was willing to move fast, was well equipped
and most of all because they had a gunfighter in the group, Charlie
said "Yes". He did not want to make the gunfighter mad, especially
since he had killed the prior wagon master.
Join us now as we face the decisions of going West with these brave
sons of destiny and even braver men who have undertaken to guide and
help them. By making the right decisions, you will all get to
California safely. The wrong decisions will result in some shortened
or altered lives. Don't let your scalp hang in an Indian lodge or
leave your bones bleaching on the sand. |
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Charlie Streeter |
Wagon master of this train. His goal is to get the train through
safely. He has more headaches than a one-legged grasshopper trying
to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle. |
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Zeke Laraby |
Zeke has been hired to be the driver of a wagon on a wagon train. He
came out West to get away from something. |
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Eli Kill Beaver |
Known as "The Breed" to the residents of St. Joe. His background and
his experience could make him very important along the way. |
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"Action" Jackson |
Very capable person. Knows what he wants and won't settle for brass
imitations. Can drive a team of mules. |
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H. A. Clark |
Ran a boarding house back East. It burned down, killing two. He is
looking for a new start to his life. Wants to establish a Temperance
League in California. |
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James James |
Was considered the ugly duckling of the family. Yet his
granddaughter could be the first Miss California. Doesn't cut his
hair too much. |
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Bear Breath |
A trapper who hates Easterners. He can't believe that this wagon
train is for real. He thinks this is better than any stage comedy
that you could possibly see. He is a symbol of the stoic trapper. |
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Arnold Cluk |
If you ever ate at the Four Leaf Clover café in Philadelphia, you
probably don't know him. Has a strange mission in life. |
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"Killer" |
He is not even part nice, but all mean. He is going West, but not to
be a miner, but he needs money. |
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Poke'M |
Cousin to Hit 'Em in the Head Fred. Guy is a gun fighter. TV will
use his story as the basis for "Gunsmoke", starring Marshal Matt
Dillon. |
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"Green" Clampton |
A man with a black past. No one wanted to say that he couldn't join
the wagon train, especially the wagon master of the first train he
joined. He may be helpful if someone must be sacrificed to the
Indians. |
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"Sue" Ellis |
You have already had more problems than most, trying to go West. You
hope Charlie knows how to lead you to California quickly and safely. |
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We played
the game Wagons Ho! on Sunday night. The kids loved it and it seemed
to flow very well. We ran into a few problems where they made poor choices
and had to backtrack. We didn't have quite 20 people, so some doubled
up on the parts. We didn't notice any obvious errors in the game. I
think everyone enjoyed the story. The different endings make for a fun
time. If there is anything else I can relate to you please don't hesitate.
Overall, we give it a great rating.
Sincerely,
A.W. |
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