Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-04-08

soon found / was in danger OF freezing,
and began to run, jump, and thrash my
hands. &c. The path being full Of holes
and light snow had just fallen that filed
them up, often fell, and was in danger
of breaking my limbs, sc. The cold
seemed to increase, and ! was forced 20.
exert my utmost strength TO keep from
/ freezing; my limbs became numb before
got through, though ran about every
step of the eight miles, and when ] got to
McDaniers the cocks crowed for day. ]
was surprised upon coming to the FIRE to
/ find that the bottoms of my moccasins
aud stockings were cut and worn through,
the bottoms of my feet being entirely
bare, having cut them by the holes in the
path, but Notwithstanding the severity Of
the frost, / was preserved, not being fro
zen in any part. Had broken limb,
or but slightly sprained joint, which !
was in imminent danger of doing, must
have perished on the way, as a few min
utes of respite must have been fatal.
In the early part of my residence in
Wolcott, by some means Iobtained knowl-
edge of there being beaver on a small
stream in Hardwick and dosirous TO inn
prove every means in my power for the
support of my family, and TO retrieve my
circumstances, 1 determined on tour to
try my fortune at beaver hunting. Ac-
cordingly late in the fall, I set out in COM
pany with my neigbor Taylor on the in
tended enterprise. We took what was
called the Coos road, which was nothing
more than marked trees; in about seven
miles we reached the stream, and pro
ceeded up it about three miles farther, and
/ searched for beaver, but were soon con
vineed that they had left the ground
We, however, set few traps. Soon af-
ter we started it began to rain, turned into
a moist snow that melted on us as fast as
it fell. Before we reached the hunting
ground, we were wet to our skins night
soon came on-we found it necessary to
; camp Gas the hunters use the term, with
difficulty we struck up a fire, but our fuel
was poor, chiefly green timber-thc
storm increased-ihe snow continued
: mois! our bad accommodations grew
= worse and worse our fire was not suffi
( cient to warm us and much less to dry US
we dared not attempt to lay down, but
{ continued on our feet through the night
t feeding our fire and endeavoring to warm
e our shiyering limbs. This is a memora
= bic night to me, the most distressing
r ever experienced. We anxiously looked
q for day. At length the dawn appeared
t but it was a dismal and a dreary scene
: The moist snow had adhered to ever
] thing in Its way, the trees and underwood
] were remarkably loaded, were completely
= hid from sight-nothing to be seen bu
> snow and nothing to be heard but II,
t cracking Of the bended boughs under lh,
e enormous weight We could scarcely Sc,
e rod at MONDAY. When light enough
0 to travel, we set out for home, and lindin.
e it not safe to leave the stream for fear o
T getting bewiIdered and lost, we followe,
d it back; il was lined the chief Of the wa,
: with beaver meadow, coveted with
t thick growth of alders. We had no wa,
n to get through them but for one to 90 for
: ward and beat off the snow with heav,
It stick. We thus proceeded, though yer
! slowly, down the stream to the Coos roaC
n and worried through the ten miles hom
Al at the dusk Of the evening, nearly ex
= hausted by fatigue, wet and cold, for
st began to freeze in the morning. Gu
It clothes were frozen stiff on our back
], When pulled off my great coat it va
z, 30 stiff as to stand up on the floor. !
e, order to save our traps we bad to max
d another trip, and one solitary muskra
ID made up our compensation for this hun
is ing tour
al 4 painful circumstance respecting m
nt family must here mention. In the yea
is 1906, we we're visited with sickness thi
ID was uncommonly distressing, five bein
e taken down al the same time. and sever
el dangerously III. In this sickness 10
re my wife, the partner Of my darkest day
OF who bore her share Of our misfortuDi
'e with becoming fortitude. also lost
D daughter at the same time, and aBoih'
I'd was bedrid about six months, and uuab
g to perform the leas: labor for more ths
y a year. This grieEous calamity involve
me IN debts that terminated in tie loss
n, my farm, ny little all, bat By The indu
le gence Of feeling relatives ara still pc
N mltted to stay on If. Though ha'
ID been doomed 10 bard fortune ! have be'
re blest with a numerous offspring, have h,
be by my two wives seventeen ebildre