The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-01-04


In heap, froxe 70 death, sure. Wen,
there We had 20 stay down in
that canyon two weeks, lack
ing two days, beforo we could
get out. Il want deep with snow
all the time, but when the snow went,
there was such mud-holcs, there couldn't
nobody travel, but the first week Il
showed pretty much al the time. The
wagons was up on the top o. the canyon,
'n'we KEEP path trol so we could 90
back m forth TO them, m there was
kind o shelving place o. rock in the
canyon, m we got the horses down In
there and kept them there. m we had
plenty for them 70 eat. Old man Mo-
Ian, he had four sacks o. corn. m we
had three, IN we had tea m coffee, IN
flour. m sugar. m Beans, m dried
apples. The dried apples was heap q
help. We didn't suffer. / hain't never
suffered I've always had plenty. There
was one night though we did like TO get
lost. We got ketched in an awful storm
a-goin' up to the wagons; twas Jest
near night time; it he'd been real clear,
m we all Of US went up To the wagons
w HSA NhiHEcs AL uut Eii>e Ntitn size
staid in the canyon with the children; m
there came up the awfulest snow-squall
! ever see. 1t took your breath out o.
your body, and you couldn't see no
more'n yQp could in the dead % night.
First 1 got into one wagon IN
Tommy with me; m the rest
they came on, m we was all calling out
to each other, BE you there? BE You
there?' m at last we was all in the
wagons, m there we Jest sat till morn
ing; an II you'll believe it, along in the
night, If we didn't hear Miss Nolan
a-calling TO us; she'd felt her way out o.
tibet canyon, a-carrying that baby IN
dragging the boy after her. She was
afraid 10 stay in the canyon all alone Y;
but twas meracle her getting to the
wagons 3 she did. 1t was dreadful fool
ISL in her, m / told her so. That
morning the snow was up to our mid
dies an we had time on t getting
back into the canyon
wish | could tell the whole Of Grand
mas story in her own words; but it
would be impossible. Ny own words
will be much less graphic, but they will
serve to convey the main features of her
narrative.
Finding me so sympathetic listener,
she told me bit by bit the whole history
of her emigration from Missouri 10 Col
orado. Her husband had been farmer,
and inferred, an unsuccessful one, in
Missouri. He had died thirteen years
ago. Her two eldest sons, grown men,
had been in the Confederate army, and
were both killed in battle. Shortly after
this the jayhawkers burnt her house.
She escaped with only Tommy and his
brother, and the clothes they were wear
ing.
sThey just left me my two little chill
dren,- she said, "and that was all. But
it want two days before the neighbors
they got together m they gave me 3
much : two wagon loads o. things. all
/ needed TO set up again m 60 on.
hain't never suffered; I've always been
took care Of, We see''
BY hook and by crook she managed
finally TO get another house, with little
land, where she and Tommy were living
alone together, when his health began
to fail. He had chills, and then he raised
blood; then she made up her mind, cost
what it would, to carry him to Colora-
do. Her house must have been small
and poor one, because all she got in ex-
change for ii Was little covered wagon
and two horses; one, thecolt which had
been in harness only few times,
= was,' she said, "not much more n
skin an bone, but twas the best
could do"
So she packed her household goods
and set out to drive TO Colorado. When
they reached Fort Scott in Kansas, the
people at the fort persuaded her to light
en- her load by shipping most Of her
things by rail to Pueblo.
~ got big box" she said, can
jest put every thing into IL, an "A man,
who was shipping lot o. things o. his
own, said he'd ship mine with his, m
come on with Tommy m left 'em all;
see 'em again; but the horses'd never
held out to draw 'cm through; so twas
best to let 'em 60, even II did lose
EN-
When they reached Pueblo nothing
could be heard Of the box; she made up
her mind that il was lost, land pushed on
with Tommy 70 Los Animas, where she
went TO work in hotel for S20a month,
and Tommy found place as sheep
herder for SO month. Putting their
wages together they soon got n little
money ahead, enough to enable them to
journey into San Juan County TO Lake
City. The higher into the mountains
they went,the stronger Tommy grew. lie
would climb the hills like goat, and de-
\ lighted in the wild outdoor life; but the
altitude at Lake City was too great for
Grandma's lungs, and they were obliged
10 turn back.
!" II seemed as II Jest couldn't git a
mite o. breathup there" she said, an
we'd got 70 be where could work for