Litchfield enquirer., 1864-03-31
A NIGHT IN THE SIERRA NEVADA,


 Califcrnia-bound emigrants, after a tiresome days march up the eastern slope of the Sierra
 Nevada, encamped for the night in grassy It, tie nook, that nestled quietly iu one of the canons of those grand old mountains. Our camp was nearly surrounded by perpen- dicular walls of granite, at the base of which We built our camp fires, and felt at home, as we watched the smoke curl lazily up those time -houored lodges and mingle with the dark green boughs of oserhanging pine and hem lock-, .r
 1 While ray comrades were providing supper, strolled off to see how the land lay around our camping place, and in my tramp came ur- on the ruins of what are termed the Douner cabins The history of these cabins, as rea
 ted to me, i5, that in the tell of l945 or 1T, q party of emigrants in making their way up the
 Pacific coast, Were oYertaken at this point by l tremendous snow storm, which rend dered their further advance impossible they hastily con tstructed these rude cabins, to protect them
 selves from tue storm, in the hope that in 8
 few days they could resume their journey. But such was not to be the case. The storm in- creased, and each succeeding dawn revealed
 but the continuance of she snowy deluge, that
 was fast engulphng them.
 1 Their stock of provisions, already reduced 10 scanty measures, was soon exhausted and that l l. ,1,fI hnsr sufferings of the whole party only two re- mained to tell tho sad tale. These two, man 1 and woman, after several days incarceration in their snowy prison. being convinced that l they must certainly staryc # they remained, l resolved to make an effort to reach some place of refuge although it was not known to them that they we're not H!.Lin hundreds of miles of any human la5tatioa, and after two weeks of dreadful suffering and pii7ation, they reached Sutters Fort ia California, These cabins are mere pens, buiit with small poles, p.,i are about twenty feet or so sqa;,ts; /; they ara now nearly routed LoWa. and ars completely over. grown with cilarpaieli. The floor Of one is covered with innu,aesab!e bones, among which saw seeer, human slelia. The stumns ot several trees n ,!e immediate vicinity are silt ty feet in !. i@'t, "nl serve to show tie ia meIlsity oi s;pw hy which these pecPls "sra suroa.49e,i. as ;he tn,s of the tra~s we're u5a, for firewon]. and wu"e t@t eff oy pers"as s:an;in, pn t!,., >luw which must i.ave been over t.ri,t, tte t,.-t in ;l"l't!.
 Il:,ira.s:.; il: :j':s ;o t!:a alnlp, feeling ) M ever the f,:t "f lA"sa poor e!lii.rati's. h!le .ttirrne== t s'.;:Yo ,',,,i In';i,l a, ;,st l sn 3ccan ,f S; -T.
 il wns my night Oil ur,l, :,H, after d h"ary supper, 1tc!:;sl un BY r;'yo!Tvr, ;snl plocve- ei to r,nl..,,in bench so"'a qaar;er of q mile from camp, whcrs our cattle and mnies had been driven d. 1t af ,rd tl tie best tac,!- ties for grazing tJr cur worn out teams. Our mules were all fastened to stont stakes with leather ropes, called laryefs, ot sufficient length to give thea plenty of ground to feed over.
 The cattle were allowed to roam around at pleasure, but being very tired they soon lay down in d huldlo After several hours of watching, became very weary, and could not resist the temptation to rest myself. wss soon asleep and dreaming, and ina- gined myself suddenly transported by some invisible u.,ent to mansion of peculiar ap' psaranee, and found myself in a large room entirely alone, with the exception of this in- visible agent who felt was near me, and watching me- although could neither see aor touch him. Around the walls were hung what supposed to ba mnps-;hsy looked ike slabs of black nl.rbla, with white and yellow veins running through them. which mari:i tAt wa ter courses an the boundaries of tfa different countries. Presently folding door opened, and a desk. behind which sat fierce looking white s-haired man in dark robes, advanced iuto the room.
 This person 1 imagined to De Death. In his right baud he held an elormous pen be- fore him oa lie desk was spread large book, which, as saw, contained the naiies Of per sons, some of whom were faGlliar to me 8 great many of the names had been erase1 by having pen drawn across them. Death call ed out the name of Paul Dutfew. and with a dash of the pen obliterated the mama from the book. In moment a dark visaged, vllanors looking figure that had before dimly seen e1ouehed in a corner of the room. advanced to 1 the desk.
 Death haud,,l him gIitterny digger, aud
 pointing him first to ono os tie maps anj then
 to the name just obliteratel, and m,tioned
 him away.
 | I understood all this to meAa thlt taul's time to die had cone, and this monster had
 just signed his leat!, warrant, and dispatched
 his servant to execute it. I was frightened,
 paralyzed Again that huge pen descended
 and ere it made the l;sra dash, Death uttered
 my own name.
 At this awakened instantly. aud bounding
 to my feet with shout, beheld butt few feet