Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-05-10

mortals walk the pavements. He had
no fear of being lost every depression
in the snow.clad earth, every stuntcd
shrub, was landmark to guide him
on his way, Yet after an absence Of
half day, storm arose which OBJ
scurcd the landscape, and Lavic, des-
pite his prairic-craft, found himself
lost. lie accepted the situation, and
knowing that any efforts 10 oxtricate
himself until alter subsidencc of the
storm would prove iruitless, set about
making preparations for his safety
! from freezing. He attached himself
to clump Of cottonwood trees as q
landmark, and walked in circle about
il. Night came on, and he still walk
cd. Day followed, and night again
found him still walking with the storm
unabated. AT length his moccasins
wore off his feet. lie took the long
mittcns from his hands, and tied them
to bis feet In lieusof shoes. Then he
walked on through the third, fourth
and fifth days and nights, supporting
life by chewing his leather hunting
shirt, The sixth morning be found
his feet frozen, and striking the beaten
path like bits Of wood his hands in q
like condition, and his face but little
better. During that day, however,
some wandering Indians discovered
him in an apparently dying condition,
They took him to a neighboring mill
tary post, and, after tho surgeon had
bereft him Of portions Of both feet and
hands, and taken piece from his face,
Lavle got well.
| When found by the Indians, it is
worthy of remark that with the ex-
ecp.ion Of exhaustion, the man was
mentally more acute than when he
was first lost. During all those fear
ful days and nights the combination of
terror, despair, and, above all, longing
for fellowship, which really constitute
the lost feeling, had striven against
that dali intellectually and apathetc
temperament in vain. There were an
indifference to, and an ignorance Of the
finer parts of the torture, which Ell
fectually shielded him from danger.
He simply did not know enough TO ex-
perience any feelings which would
have wrecked u higher order of intel.
lect True, he knew that If the storm
subsidized he could escape; but this as
surance could not of itself have sup.
ported him after the fourth day, prob.
ably, when he had been capable of
entertaining ii, the lost feeling would
have overcome him.
Among the numerous instances
which have come to the personal no.
ticc Of tho writer as illustrative of the
fact that q visitation of the lost feeling
almost invariably produces insanity,
and that, generally speaking, the high
er the order Of intelligence always up
to certain point) Of the lost person,
the more painful, if not fatal will tho
insanity prove, know of none better
than the following; s
There was employed as a farm hand,
in certain place whore the writer re-
sided, deserter from the United
States army. He was young man
of rather more than ordinary ability,
and tolcrably conversant with prainc
life. 1t was the custom of the farm.
crs of that region to cut hay at some
distance on the prairie IN the rear Of
their farms, stack it on the spot, and
haul IL TO the barns in the winter as
required, In accordance with this es-
tablished usage, the young man in
question was despatched with ox-sleds
one winters day after hay. IIo took
with him, for the sake OF company, a
boy belonging 10 neighboring farm
"a little lad about twelve years Of age,
and not particularly bright. They did
not expect TO be absent over three or
four hours. Tho stacks Of hay were
distant about two miles from the farm
house, on the prairie, and entirely out
of sight of fences or other landmarks,
but well-beatcn track led to them.
! About two hours after their depart
urc, y terrific storm arose, rendering
objects at the distance Of few yards
invisible by reason Of the swirl Of
snow driven by the fierce winds. Some
fear was entertained for the safety of
the lads, but ii was argued that by
that time they would have reached the
stacks, and, by digging into them,
could remain IN safety until the subsl-
dence Of the storm. AT all events, no
one could go TO their relief The even
ing wore on with no abatement in
the violence of the storm; and, as it
was impossible to extend aid to the
sufferers, they remained out all night
In the morning the oxen they had
driven out were found in the cattle
yard. They had their yoke on, and
had evidently been loosed and turned
adrift. In the afternoon of the day
party was organized to visit the
stacks, and with considerable difficulty
proceeded there. They found the road
entirely obitcrated, and the snow
driited in fantastic shapes over the
prairie. Reaching the stacks, no trace
Of either man or boy was found and
a further search of three consecutive
days failed OF tangiblercsults, On the
fourth day, however, the boy was
found under a snow drift, frozen stiff.
He had all his clothes on, and was cv-
identity following the trail of the cattle
when overcome by the cold. About a
hundred yards distant, in q directly
opposite direction, the shoes, mittens,
cap and outer shirt Of the man were
found in the snow, but no trace Of tho
owner. The experienced prairie men
engaged In the search announced i'm
mcdiatcly that he had discarded his
clothing in fit Of insanity, and dis
continued the search rs useless. When
the snow melted from the ground in
the spring, the body OF the unlortu-
nate man was discovered sitting at the
base OF tree on the banks Of a stream
six miles away. 1t was entirely dcsti-
tutc Of clothing, saving a single gar
meDt.
Now, here was a boy of dull intel
lect following juditions course on be-
ing lost, and using the calmest reason
: in his efforts to escape and an intel
lectual man who became crazed by the
same circumstances within twen,y-four
hours. Not that II is 10 be understood
that the lost person must necessarily
} be possessed OF intellectual culture IN
order TO become crazed by the lost
feeling, or that an uncultivatcd person
possessed an immunity, by reason of
. y !. II = IA N
his comparative Ignorance, from that
! feeling and its general consequences.
1t simply goes TO augment the mass OF
proof tending TO show that the feeling
of terror, despair, and desire for sym
patly and companionship, ncting upon a