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,L IT. fltwrilnjL mwtw of the Greet |Sii*rm Mmlofc Coinpny, Tlo^Jv, wLo 1cam* «*r luring hU Ufa m the Kltrmwetik be tote last, arrived in tbh city ycn-tvnlny monrinjCi Ho uttll nuffora froia* badly fnwt-bitten foot, hut }« able to Ump about pretty well. In other ret-pecks he look* as hale anti rugged as a grixxly. It appears that ho left Uennett-fille, a camp on the west «Iclg of the mountains, to inspect for Eastern parties Bomc mining property m Mount Gibbs, at tlio head of Bloody Canyon,He had for guide and companion Dan MoKinnen, a man familiar with the section of country Into which they were going. When they got up to Mount Gibba a furious snow-storm set in. The guide soon lost his way, and for two nights and two days and a half tho two men struggled in the snow, which was two feet deep on the level, and in manyplaces had so drifted that it reached almost breast high,They had 110 provisions with them, and all they had that they could eat was a MDall piece of raw, fat bacon which they had taken with them for use in greasing their anow-shooa. They were exceedingly hungry the, fixBfc day, and divided ana ate the bacon raw- After the first day they did not much feel the pangs of hunger, but felt great weakness, They had no blankets and dare not attempt to sleep. The place wa** full of precipices, and the nights beingwherever dark came upon them.The first night they stopped where there was some wood, but the next dark came upon them in a place where all wasbare and barren. At a distance they had seen what appeared to be a small grove, far down In a big canyon, but dark it e** eaine upon them before tbey^ould reach the place- There were so many perpendicular terracflR and precipices in the place that lhey date not venture to go on in the dark.A “council of war” was held, and they decided to split to pieces their snow shoes, making torchel of them, and push on down to where they had seen what presented the appearance of a t grove. The pitchy wooa of their snow-shoe* made excellent torches, but being filled with grease they burned away rapidly. The distance to the flat in the canyon, where lay the supposed grove, was much greater than they had anticipated ; besides, their progress through the deep snow was slow, and when they finally caine to the flat their last toren was ftlmont burned oat, Enough of it remained, however, to show them that what they had taken to be a grove wa* Only a black patch of sagebrush, tire tops of which they had seen above tho snow. However, as they could make sufficient fire with the sage brush to keep them from freezing, they decided to pass the ni^ht at the spot. They kept awake all night and kept busy about half the time pulling sagebrush in order to keep up their fire.The next day they discovered that they had got down into Bloody Canyon, the mduth of which strikes the plains in the neighborhood of Mono Lake. They pushed on, wallowing through heavy drifts and tumbling down the terrace? with which the canyon is filled, it beln* the roughest pass in the whole range of the Sie* ra Nevada Mountains. During the day MclCSnnea became delirious and Mr. Sperling had great difficulty in get ting him to travel. He imagined all manner of things. At one rime he dedared he saw a horse tied to a tree. “There he is,” cried he; “don't you see him? And the dog—there is a dog with the horse. There moat be a man near.” “There is no tree, no horse, no dogff 1 said Mr. Sperling; “you only imagine these things. Come, or we shall perish It la only a little way down the canyon.” It waa necessary to haul McKin-nen along the canyon, m he persisted in declaring that he saw a horse and a dog;If Mr. Sperling could not see them he must be snow blind.Next McKinnon declared that he saw a man but a little way off with a basket on his arm- “He is beckoning us to coine to him,” he said. “Let us go. He is a man sent to find us. He has in the basket something for us to eat” “You art mistaken,” said Mr. Sperling. ••There is no man there- There i« 1 nothing at all.” ,4ltell you that you are snow blind. There is a man there with a basket, and he wants us to coxae to him.J1 “Come along,11 cried Sperling; “there is no man, and wo shall perish if ■ we stop here.” “No,” cried McKinnon; “we shall die if we don't go to the mao.” “You are a little flighty—a little : out of your head,” said Sperling; “be- ; lieve what I tell you and come bn.” “I shall not go on. I see the man plainly enough. He has a basket on his arm, and motions for us to come to him. If you can’t see him. you are either blind or crazy. I hare as much right to my way as you bare to yours, and 1 say let us go to the man!” Sperling found it necessary to drag his companion away by force. Soon he became so much worse that he would stop and talk to stamps and stones, telling them he was lost, and asking them to lead Mat out of the mountains.With infinite toil and trouble Mr, Sperling aad his companion finally reached Troy’s ranch, near Mono J^akc, and all their troubles were soon over. Mr. Troy was not at home, but his wife did all that any one could have done for the two men. McKincen came out all right in mind after he had eaten and slept, but still thought he must have seen a horse and dog and a man with * basket on his arm.—Virfinia (IVcp.) Enterprise.
Newspaper Details
Sunday Morning Herald
Olean, New York, US
Sun, Feb 04, 1883
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Dean T.
USA 04 Dec 2022
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