Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-03-05

y ~
many OF our readers. The young man
Sisson, is son of Lemuel Sisson of Bris
toll In this county, and was personally
known to many in this section previou,
to his emigration to California Editor,
Tribune G Telegraph.
Later from Carson Valley.
ny the Mountain Expressman.
Crossing the Sierras on .Sao,o Shoes
Man found IN the Mountains acitl
Feet Frozen, after 1icelce Days Soil
tary Suffering.
}. A. Thompson, the Expressman OF
the Sierra Nevada Mountains, called
upon us yesterday upon the completion
OF his second trip this winter to Carson
Valley, and placed us in possession OF
some highly interesting particulars con-
nected Herewith. This trip is peculiar
ly interesting, from the fact that it was
made on his Norwegian snow shoes, sew
en- and half feet long, over snow which
at some points he was unable to fathom.
About three miles above Placerville,
he came to the snow, having left that
place on the Goth of December. He was
accompanied by two men who had
awaited his going, and at this point they
all put on their snow shoes. The wealth
er was clear, but cold, and the party
made Lake Valley without any incident
worthy of note.
On the night of the 23d of December,
they reached deserted cabin in that
valley, and struck fire. Mr.. Thompson
being anxious to press on, told his com.
panions that he would go ahead and stay
over night at another cabin about amile
ahead, and that they could overtake him
in the morning. Although anxious to
stop, rather than separate from him, they
determined to go on thatnight, and once
more they all started off. About mid.
night, they reached the cabin, and found
everything dark, and the door closed.
MIR. Thompson-not expecting to find
any one in-however, knocked and sshal.
loed," when, to his surprise, voice ans.
wered from within. On entering, Mr..
Thompson found man lying alone up
ron the floor in that dreary spot, without
other covering than the clothes he wore.
and the boots frozen to his feet.
In this deplorable condition he had
been lying for twelve days, with nothing
to sustain life but raw flour. His feet
were completely frozen, and will both
have to be amputated below the knee.
His sutferings must, according to the
statement of Mr.. Thompson, have been
indeseribable, and yet he bore themwith
the tortltude OF martyr, and scarcely
permitted murmer to escape him. Al
though death would soon have termiua-
ted his agony, he still had lingering
hope that Providence might direct Mr..
Thompson by his cabin, and thus save
him. Had not MIR. Il. gone onthat night.
he wouldprobably have passed the cabin
IN the morning without stopping.
The sufferer proved to be James B.
Sisson, the partner of Mr.. Hawley, about
ixmiles above Placerville. He had been
engaged in the packing business, aud
lott tor Carson Valley on snow shoes
some two weeks previous. The storm
overlook him on his way, and his feet be-
coming frozen, it was with great difficult
ty he reached his cabin or trading post.
On arriving there he found his matches
SO wet that he could not strike a light,
and thus he remained for four DAYS,
when he discovered a box of matches in
his cabin which furnished him afire. He
then attempted to cut his boots off his
feet, but could not succeed; and nothing
remained for him but to await either
succor or death.
On the oath, Mr.. Thompson started
for Carson Valley, and on Christmas
day got five men to agree to accompany
him back to Lake Valley. He rugged
them out with snow shoes, made after
the pattern of their own, and taking
with them sled upon whichto haul the
sufferer, they started back on the 26th.
They reached the trading postthatnight
and laid over during the 9th, in conse-
quence of the severe weather-another
snow being falling. On the 26th, they
packed Mr.. Sisson on the sled, and thus,
withgreatlabor, succeeded in conveying
him satelyto Carson Valley, where the
sufferer is now lying in the care of DIR.
Dagget. Mr.. Thompson, on his return
will take with him some chloroform
which will be administered to the patient
and his feet amputated-as it was not
deemed advisable to attempt the opera
ton without this agency. r