, 1870-07-17


the natural ;astes Of some OF these people be-
come perverted that they pushed aside the
-four ard b.can rendered them, choosing rath-
er to pastske OF the hor.ia fe,Es to which they
Ind 70 long been accustomed. Parents were
seen feeding On the renAu.s Of their chill
drcn, and children on those Of their Parents.
Here wife was brolling on the Goals the flesh
Of her husband, and elsewhere \ company
were making re1ast upon tie roastedtimb Of
dcad companion. AL dlial and pa.cntal af-
fiction st crned Iead, the one Instinct Of SELF
Preservation reigning supreme. Rapidly some
uniformed into ghou1s and demoue, having
already Lost many Of the diriner traits OF hu-
manly. Ha1gsru and atteuuatcd, they spoke
but Little, while their looks and demeauor we're
wild aud uneafthly.
Too incredible for belief are the STORIES told
OF the rarcnons greed exhibited BY some Of
these star ring Hretches. one Of whom Is said
to have eaten the entire body Of child during
the course Of single night whi1e another in-
sissed on appropriAting to bis own uae the
hearts and other visceTa OF his detd compan-
ions. On the other hand, many refused to
the very last. and then partook Of it sp1s7nEly,
aud with evident feelings Of bor1or. The DIFF
feFeut phasea Which The suEetiugB Of these
people exhibited. aud the manner in which
they Het their doom, we're peculiar to each
Some. bo"ing in meek reai ignation, l,aased
radiant with jisine aspirations. died singing
songs Of trump, and praise. Some bex1iled
their hard lot With wild lamentations aud
tears Of anguish While o,hesa, shrinking
from notice. persisted in stoLd and gloomy
silence, A few ..red wildly, representing
cutxine God for their fate, Some, arou=tng
from dreamy etupor, would talk iucoherontly
Of tlle bonntifsl tables and the green fields
they had seen; or. perhaps, addrees absent
friends a. present, in the most tender and
affeeuon.te LANGUAGE. In seine. cases,
'ies would appear to expand and
attain = wonderful e1a1tasion. The things Of
earth faded softly AWAY. and in their place de-
lectabls visions arore liz uuc1ouded splcudor,
All that had perple1ed them in years gone bv
Waa nirnculously explained, And tho things Of
the long-fosgotten raes brought vSidly
before them. The panSs Of hunger seemed
nearly disembodied As to no longer recognize
the wants OF ito earthly tabernacle.
Enable to take all wi1h them, the rescuiug
party selected such Is vsra most de-
siFous OF going, or ~ seemed to have
the strongest claims on their sympathy. and
started on their return over the mountains :;
leaving tWenty-pine behind: al of whom, or
at least as many as were still found alive, were
Aterwatd taken cut BY other parties sent in
for the purpose, and the first Of whom reached
the SNOW -beleaguerea camp Of the sufferers on
the first day Of March. Til. party, taking
with ihem seventeen Of the immigrants select
ing them a. had been done before, h1stened
bscl with Ill expedition, A snow~storm com
ing on, they we're compelled to leave all but
three children on the road, these having been
packed cut on theis @houllesa.
As eoon a. the weather would permit, the
COMPANY left behind Was sent for. Three OF
their number we're al when the relief
r1ff 1rAhH tfau& rA ip,9o
Iound sustaining their lives on the flesh OF
those who had pershed. These. togsthsr
With the remnant before left in clmp-e1-
cep.ing three Of their number-Eero now
properly fed aud cared for; after whicn they
were safely conducted over the mountains,
into California.
The three persons left behind consisted OF
George Donuer, Captain OF the emigration
party his wife Mary, and Louis KeisbutEh-
the two men being too weak to travel ovor tile
mountains.
or all the Incidents connected with
these terrific sufeFinga, tho parting Of Mira.
Donner With her children ia described as hav-
ing becn the most deeply affecting. The last
rescuu,g p11tv had arrived At the camp where
she, her husband sud theiI children we're stop
ping. 31rs. Donner, naturally vigorous, and
IL the bloom OF Life, was still strong. and well
able to sraEel. as were also l.ar children. But
the husband and father. owing to tho e1ertiou1
he lad made to save others, WAS now 60 cut,-
pletelJ pfostratcd as 10 be unable to stand,
or even sit up; aud Lis dcliscrcrs had no
means for carving him. He must there-
fore, necessarily, be left behind And non
the wife and mother had to cho5se be.
or accompanying her children to pIace q
tafetv and abundance. 1t Was represented ia
her that little food could be left for the use OF
those remaining, and that it would os a long time
before any more could bc cent in from Califor.
MIA. To stay there Was to die: while to 60
| WAS to abandon one 10 whom she WAS bouu1
BY the strongest ties Of duty and affection in
| the hour Of bis dirert extremity.
for dallianee or delay. The provisions
Ct the relief party were scsnty, ant
was passed, and the shadows of the great
Sierra were beginning to fall over them. Tht
1 winter climate. in theae elevated regions, was
| tickle, and, even then. the old uountaiuce,
who headed the patty discovered in the atmos
rhere the signs OF gathering storm. The!
must. therefore. up and away: The children
Enust be mount ed on the backs Of the meu
and the adults hurried on. II wAs necossas,
that this poor WOMAN should make up be;
! mind quickly. Her children clung to her: aut
her hurtaud counselled her to 90 II she re
manned, it would only bs to eacrihc
her own hfe' without s ,ei:ns ale t,
would need her care and her prosenec. 81,
| WAS almost persuaded that it was her duty Il
| SO with them, Hnt how could she turn he
bsck on one whom she loved 30 @e1l, And les y
him to die in this gloomy wilderness, halples
and alone! Vas ever human heart tried lik
this; or any mere mortal forced to uuderH
An ordeI 80 severe!
Her Wifely instincts trlnmphed- deci lio
was made; and now the hour for the fn1
separation with her children had cone. Look
ing tenderly into the eyes OF each, she ad
dressed them with the deepest emotion. En-
hractng them in turn, and bathing them WIT
then, when shs had turned forever away
she could not refrain, in h"r wild agony
from seizing them again. gazing fondlT int
their eyes, and kissing them once moro. The
the retired TO the chearfess ca1in where sh
was 30 room to end her earthly lsbors and be
ing comranions, had bean forced to undergo
similar trll with herself, ~ Eeirburgh hA
t'artcd with his vile and children under circuu
stances almost equally distressing.
In \ few DAYS after the departure ot tho re.
cuinG party. Captain Donuar dlcd-his he1o
wife remainine BY his side, soothing and auI
tanning him 10 the LAST. When dcad, she r,
moved his body to another cabin. aud the,
dressed and Laid it ont With IS much care ~
it were destined TO receive tho usual ates Of q.
pulturs. How long this noble WOMAN survive
her husband is not known. though probsb
not more than = week 1t thu moet, as it ia NJ
believed that che pa1took OF any food after b
death.
Toward the latter part Of April anoth'
small party wAs sent over from Cnlifornia
see il any of those loft behind might pe
chance still be living. To their surprise tht
! found hcishurgh not only alive, bnt in got
measure recovered from the effects OF Il
: | euiIerings he had endured. The bodr Of IL
! husband WAS found in the condition left py b
: ! IA 1,r.3x ~ Nv, ~ !.
served in the anow By the sole survivor, vi
had for several weeks been forced to subsi
, | upon portions OF it. Affecting 10 be shockt
ii tho conduct Of Keisbnrgh III this pArticula
, | aud questioning hts right to retain posse
zion Of small sum Of money which Il
: Donners had insrusted 10 his charge for {,
benefit Of their children, should be happen
auryive them, this party, instead Of bel
{ moved with compassion 1t his misfortune
. proceeded to treat him in very cruel and Z
: Just manner. On arriving in Cali{orui4, Es
. burgh and l.is friends insisted on the matt
: being legally Investigated, which WAS acco,
: ingly done-fesulting in the entire yindical
: OF his motives and conduct.
. OF this company Of migr.nts-numberi
: eightr-two-th1ty-si y-six perished; tuenty-six
! this number beng males, and ten fensl
1 They. ct course, lost al their property, exec
ing their money, all of which WAS carried c
: by the owners Oh their persons, as AfterHa
recovered
Unknown CelcbrikIcH.
y Fro.n tbs Halt Malt Ga.ette
i II Is curious how little Nc know Of the p
4 sonal history Of sonue Of cur greatest men
3 lttters. We AIe not certain OF the year
!. which Chaucer was born, nor do re know I
j university 1t which be studied. Shak1peat
. biographies aunse n fatigue their read,
q With cnnjeetnres> ard have only few bar
facts NTH which TO supplement their fanci
"a About spenter We know evan leas, and The /
j est editor OF his works, iu sketch Of I
Z poets life, acknowledge the meagreuess
!. hin facts BY writing: Ia His poems are his b
= biography In thc eketch Of his life to be +
q On here his poems should be cur one eT
. authority" HI ton tublime egotist, tells
IL almost Is much about himself ~ his biogra1
= ers arc able to collect from e1traneoua sourc
:. OF Bishop Jeremy Tay1os, Ai1ton'e eontem
Q, rz1y, his equh IN eloluenee and learning, !