The Republican journal., 1877-01-18

|
tha Hooper and Charley Harcourt were
married. Ent the bridegroom persists in
declaring that Bertha did the first Of fhe
| loye-,naking
And Bertha only laughs
A Lonely Vigil.
! w. III Dstrom, who II we'll known in
! Denver, started with his wife and seven
children from a ranch in Pine Grove
gulch, upon which he has lived for the
last few years, tOr Il distance oi about
| twenty miles to :, small park on the South
Platte, where he expected to spend the
winter. Mr.. Ostrom had previously visited
the park, and had built u house for the
protection OF his family. lie had removed
most of his effects, AMI started with his
! family and Il few articles of household
furniture and wearing apparel. When the
| travellers We're about three miles from the
place where they Intended to stop. the
| wagon was overturned and MIR. Oslrom
was killed by the accident. They had
passed over the toughest portion Of the
road and about four O'Clock came to 4
small stream. which Il man could step
with ease The team was composed of II
| throwing the wagon to one side and upon
an obstruction. The shock was so great
is to overtum the wagon The party
and seven children. Mrs Ostrom, and the
children We're thrown off some distance
to one side. Mr.. Ostrom, thinking they
would be hurt threw himself under the
wagon to prevent its falling upon them
lie was borne to the ground and was
caught squarely under the crossbar of the
wagon bed. There was a weight OF fully
800 pounds upon him, and Of course he
could not move.
Mrs Ostrom and children We're thrown
Oft amid the heavy rocks that lay around,
and all of them We're bruised, but none
seriously injured. She got upon her feet
as soon as possible, and found her hus-
band in the condition as described. His
face was very pale, and the lady was, Of
course. frightened. She begun to cry, as
did the children also lie was not unable
to speak, and he assured her that he was
not greatly hurt He told her to get q
lever and pry the wagon Off him. She
tried, but could not move it, the weight
being tar beyond the capacity Of Il strong
man She did everything in her power,
but to no avail He grew paler and paler,
and in less than five minutes after the &C
cident occurred died
At this time the oldest aon, who was
driving Il COW. came up. He and his
mother were both unable to remove the
load from the body Of the dead husband
aud ..,ather And they Were compelled to
uncouple the wagon and drag it of with
the mules No means would avail any
thing to restore lite. There were the poor
woman and her seven children fifteen
miles from a human heing in the heart of
tie Rocky mountains, and night then up
on them The oldest of the children was
but fourteen and the others We're very
small Right here bears and mountain
lions abound, and an Old hunter told Il re-
porter Of The Tribune that he would con-
slider staying in this place at night a very
hazardous undertaking.
But there WAS 10 alternative. The
nearest house that could be reached was
fifteen miles back over the same road.
through the mountains. that they had
travelled during The day. 50 with the
dead body Of her husband lying in sheet
beside her, and her children and the beasts
OF the mountain wid9 to Keep her COM
pau tliI "a ittN v hpi''tti 'i't'i iiiiiH'i ~
spenh the night
\ big lire was built, and the children
were made ~ comfortable IA possible
But at this season Of the year it il Very
cold IN Tie mountains, and do what she
might the little ones suffered She never
thought ol her own comfort and She and
her oldest boy kept the lonely vigil through
an almost endless and very cold and very
dark night The mountains rose thGu-
sands OF feet all around them, but their
dark shadows only served tc render the
scene more dreary
At last the morning daWne,l, and with
the first ray OF light she began to make
preparations for her reSurn. The wagon
was coupled together and the team at
tached The children and the dead body
of the husband were put on the wagon,
and the party began t. retrace their foot
steps The body had frozen stiff during the
night The road was 90 bad that they did
not reach any house until nine o'clock at
night Mr. William Fleming's ranch was
first reached, and here the corpse was
taken charge Of by that gentleman. y
coffin was improvised, and Mr. Fleming
started for Denver with the remains He
reached that place, having travelled all
night and great part of the day prev
Gus. through the snowstorm. Mrs Ostrom
followed, bringing her children with her.
Mr.. Ostrom came from Mobile, Ala, to
Denver, il 1869 He was a carpenter, and
was first class workman He was man
of refined manners, and very popular.
About three years ago lie moved TO this
ranch, and has since resided there. On ac-
count of the grasshoppers he did not pros
per, but lett food and clothing for his
family to last during the winter. He was
about fortytive years of age.
We copy the following from the N. Y.
Sun, written by one signing himself
"Quart a Day.:
| am thirty- six years of aoa. hove used