Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-12-18

mountains was thro ugh the Sweetwater
Valley and South Pass. Late in the
autumn Of l842 party OF hunters,
commanded by a captain, were making
their way through the mountains to the
coast, when snow began TO fall in the
snowy range, and warned them TO hasten
ON their way if they did not wish to be
caught in the winters storms which
prevail in those elevated regions two
thirds of the year. The silent warn
ing given by the silyery white blankets
which we're being laid upon the peaks
above the black pine belt was not lost
upon the watchful mountaineers.
THE FLIGHT BEFORE THE STORMS.
Finding it would be impossible to get
out Of the mountains and across the
plains as fast as desirable, the trappers
and hunters decided to turn southwark
and make all haste to Taos, Mexico.
They left the Sweetwater a short dis
tance above its mouth, crossed the Elk
Hills, Medicine Bow, and struck down
through the foot hills west of Denver.
They were in great haste, and did not
stop, lest by delay they might be over
taken by the winter storms ere they
reached the milder climate of New Mex
leo. One morning one of the hunters
announced his iAtention of remaining
behind to perform some trifiing repairs
to his moccasins and leggings. He bade
the party not to delay for him, but to
push onward toward Taos, while he
would take their trail and soon overtakel
them. This was agreed to by the Cap
tain, and the old Frenchman was left I'M
one of those pleasant quiet valleys IN the
heart OF the mountains.
THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF GOLD. II
The old hunter was left to himself
and in q few minutes found himself 10
soltude he performed the task he had
delayed to accomplish, and picked up
his rife and blanket and started out 10
take the trail. He discovered that,
owing to the rocky nature of the ground,
the moccasn tracks of the hunters had
failed to leave even the faintost trail.
Not at all at fault or for a moment
alarmed at the prospect before him, the
old man cast his eyes upwards, and find
ing the sun at meridian, started forth,
taking as near as possible southeasterly
direction. He wandered all that day and
the following day in the may range OF
hills ard romantic valleys at the base of
Pixies Peak Towards the afternoon of
the second day he found himself in a
barren, lonely, sandy gulcb or canyon
where the waters from the mountain
peaks had forced their way through the
soft, rotted white quartz, leaving an
open, sandy fat divested of all vegeta-
ton, except here and there bunch
of soapweed, or scrubby young box
elder. He was hungry and tired, and
had not tasted food since the day his
comrades left him two days before. He
was examining the earth carefully with
a view of discovering if possible where
the party OF hunters crossed the dry
stream, when his eyes became attracted
by number of bright yellow pebbles
scattered in among black sands and
driftings He picked some of them up
carelessly at first, but became more in
terested when he found they we're metal,
though the simple old hunter never for a
moment supposed that 1t was gold. He
gathered up number of the largest
nuggets and placed them in his gun
pouch, and then turned from the mine
Of wealth which has since eonyulsed the
world with the gold fever, and soaght
for food. Hp had no desire for all that
gold laying scattered upon the bed of
that dry mountain gulch. He wanted
food; without food he must die. He
wandered away, and all the next day
staggered on in hopes of finding his
friends, but in vain. He was dying with
hunger with countless wealth at his dis
pOsal