The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-02-06

ulSco'ereu Vi the race 10 which tney owe
| their origin, will be looked for with great
! interest.
IN A TRAP.
| A party of hunters from this city, who
have just returned from an expedition into
the Sierra Nevada, about forty miles from
town, relate the following remarkable Incl,
dent: On last Thursday afternoon, about
| three o'clock, two Of the party were on the
trail of deer. which led them into a
remote ravine in the Businesses of the
mountains, into which they had not before
ventured. The snow being about two feet
| thick, and the walking very heavy, they
became discouraged, and losing all hope of
overtaking the deer, which they had wound
ed, they abandoned the pursuit, On their
return, one of them discharged his gun at
hare, and soon after a faint halloo was
heard at some distance to the right, as if
from some one in distress. Uncertain
whether they had not been deceived by the
| whistling of the wind, they shouted aloud,
when the cry was repeated. AS hight
would soon come on, and they were three
or four miles away from camp, concluding
that the noise was made by wandering
Indians, or came from party of wood
choppers, they started on. Soon, however,
| prolonged and mournful howl again
reached their ears, and they turned in the
direction in which the sound proceeded.
| They went laundering through the snow
down precipitous descent which led them
into gloomy canon. AS they drew nearer
the voice OF human being could be dis
tinctly heard calling for relief. They an
swered that aid was approaching. The
mans yells of misery changed to cries of
joy, and they could hear him at intervals
shouting "For Gods sake don't go away
and leave me!' Come and get me out ~
II am caught and starvingn' Still they
could see nothing, but guided by the mans
cries and cheering him with hopeful an-
| swers as they advanced, they pushed for
ward and at last discerned what appeared
to be small cabin built of heavy logs.
without windows or doors. The snow had
drfted against one side of the hut nearly
as high as the roof, and as they could see
no entrance they went around to the other
side. AS soon as the occupant saw them
he uttered exclamaiiohs of the greatest JOY,
and explained his situation in few words.
| His rescuers tried in vain to lift the door
of his prison. Finally, by means of n stick
of timber which lay near by, they pried it
up sufficiently for the prisoner to crawl
beneath. lie appeared more dead than
alive, tut by the judicious use of a flask OF
brandy they were able to get him to THEN
camp about dark, where their companions
had a blazing fire awaiting their return.
| The half famished man ate ravenously.
He was supplied with plenty of hot coffee
! and smoked pipe, after which his strength
| somewhat revived, and he gave the follow.
| ing account of his situation:
His name was Thomas Way, and he had
been chopping wood III the mountains dur.
ing the Summer. Since the first snow fall
| ahont q month ago, he had frequently
noticed tracks of bears among the pine
trees. and had often tried to get a shot a,
them, but without success. At last the
idea struck him to build pen such as he
had often seen grizzly bears caught il
Lake county, California, where he used te
live. The trap is made by building small
square house of heavy, hewn logs, and
covering it with strong roof. The door
Of heavy logs also, slides up and down il
grooves. When it is up there is an opel
entrance about five feet high and four fee1
| wide. A sheep is killed and hung inside
the pen to a rope which is connected will
a trigger, so that when the bear enters anG
seizes the mutton the door falls and he i.
Gagged. Way completed his trap to hi.
satisfaction, and intended to bait it the
same night. Having a curiosity to see how
it would work, he went in and pulled the
rope slightly, and the door fell down. liz
attempted to raise it, but was horror
stricken when he found he was unable t,
bulge it an inch. He worked and strug
gled but the heavy weight refused to move
The pen worked only too successfully. anC
he was caught in his own trap. He shouted
for help, but knowing that he was mile:
from human habitation, and in a locality
where few persons ever ventured, he sooI
sat down in blank despair. He spent tina,
night in agony, and got but little sleep. Ii
commenced to snow, hut fortunately ht
had a heavy blanket overcoat, which KEEP
him comparatively comfortable. The next
morning he commenced shouting again
until his throat was sore, but was onl.
answered by the howlings of the tempest
He had set his gun against heavy stuml
outside and longed to get at it, that he
might fire it of and attract somebody.
attention. He soon began to get hungry
His thirst he quenched by thrustipg his
hand through the chinks between the log.
and rahins up snow and eating it. Thus
day after day elapsed during which hi
mental sufferings were terrible, 81 tel
you, men," said he, 81 thought of every
thing had ever done in all my life, from
the time was a boy six years old"
At last a brilliant idea struck him. II,
had matches, and would burn his way out
With tie heel Of his boot he would kicl
and grind los until he had accumulated