The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-10-10
LOST ON THE PLAINS

An experienced guide and prairie traveI len
expressed the opinion to the writer that
there was "a much larger number of people
annually lost upon the Western prairies than
. was generally supposed. I mean bv lost %
said ne, people who wander away from
well known landmarks and are never heard
of again who die of starvation and that
dread insanity which, generally speaking
. oveTtakcS the lost person. OF course. we
read now and then of such a case. but there
are many which never meet the public
prints II IS one of the easiest things in the
world for an experienced traveller 60 stray
away from camp, but very difficult matter
Tor him 10 lind his way back again. Once
out of sight Ol the wagons and tents and
the whole plain is alike t0 him. lie stands
always in deprg SSiun, with the ground ris-
ing slightly Cu all sides. II Is an optical
illusion, of course, but IL is very like walk
lng ia the centre of au.immenSe sheet with
lis lour corners Slightly raised. The earth
meets lIc loilLOu ON every side, and pre-
seuto the same UnvaTyiug view of waving
grass ana graEiSh brown soil. There is not
q mark 10y which 0ue may be guided. To
take the sun for guide. even ON perfectly
clear day, is with most persons only to iuten-
SHY the ulIcultI, Unless one i~ ana expert
IN sun guidance, Ep NAV follow that Iumina-
", and yet continually 90 round Iu q circle
10 the left The truth Of this Is proven eve
rN year 10y the recovery of people who are
found to have only traced large Clrle in
THEN efforts to escape. invariably coming
round again and again to the point from
3
compass. moreover seldom proves uf any
advantage To the person lost ON the urairio-
lie probably never thinks of ID until he dis
covers he is lost and then ne has no land
mark from which to take his bearings I
have known repeated instances where per
sons have been lost ou the plains and after
ward found lying dead witl @ compass i'm
their hands.
The mental condition of q person lost on
the plains II nearly always one of hopeless
confusion. Not one man in hundred r--
talns sufficient control of his mental faculties
to help himself out of his situation. And the
sudlenucss and completeueSs. too, with
which many minds give way. form one of the
most curious phases of their condition Some
years ago ! was guide 10 n hunting party nu
the Southern plains. Among the number
was an Engil~hman, an Intelligent young
Fellow pI perhaps - years OF age He was
an excellent shot. but uuacQu1iuttl with the
prairie ana I warned him repeatedly uI the
danger OF -traEIu- away from fLe camp. For
q While le observed the caution. ANA stuck
close u the camp. But after tlIse DE grew
more NeutuTe-oUc. and seemed inclined TO
take MS own course One ea-. when r-e
were running buffalo. Le followed uu after
the herd instead of returning -H camp. a. we
supposed I pom our return L. was
missed and g search Instituted iu NOT more
Than two hours after he was missed sighted
MS horse lreuIng alone uu t'le prairie 4 .avy
minutes after IL was discovered sitting
on the ground about half "a mile away. A=
soon as we advanced toward him Ie started
up and ran of at the top of his speed.
knew what was tle matter with him a- soon
aS he jumped, but tire rest didn't Riding
alongside of him. ! Jumped 10 the ground
and took after him uu foot. After sharp
rum L caught him. lie was clean dal. The
discovery that Doe was lost. and possibly would
not be found again. had uuSeJ mis- intellect
CampiCIelN- tie struggled like q mltuEu
to free himself but Z held OH % him. We
took him back % camp and tied him fast
Toward night Dc began to recover ami by
morning was quite himself again. ti-er
that experience he kept close o. camp.
a man may easily become lost uu d prairie
trail OF even ou 81 broad highway ON the
plains. il ha has uD other landmark % 900 aE.
In the old days of overland travel % Cali
fOruia ID frequently happened that PARTIES
who had cGmUed over night 30 short dis
t1ncc from tae road took -ae back ---.l- iu
the morning. under the firm belief that DO
was the night one.
1T is astonishing how quick mon viii get
lost ON a prairie. They seem hardly % have
time To get out uf sight. Sometime. too.
they are not found again. Two Young Cana
dians went mp tile lied river valley. q few
summers since. bound for Fort Garry FiaE
had Joined in the purchase of pony and Z
rickety old cart at Fargo, and ioUrupged to-
wether. One evening about dusk tusE went
into camp on the banks ut Goose river After
supper one of them started of ON the prairie
tolouk after the pony which had been hob
hlgd and turned loose. lie failed TO return.
The pony came I'm gl ri-lt in the morning.
IUt the man has uHt been seen % this IaE.
i Is probable That when DE left the camp De
went iU a westerly direction. II De lil so
Dee might walk tD tIe Rocky mountains with
ont seeing human being.
AS Z SAID, people disappear suddenly ou
the UrllIIe-, and are never heard of more.
But it occasionally laHpeuz That people are
found also. or, rather their remains are.
The most singular Gud gi this sort cuuiugt1
my own knowledge was that of two half
breeds who had been hunting buffalo iu the
winter, They had wandered far ont upon
the plains iu search of game. and being 'H-
den heavily with meat and hides. night
overlook them before they Were able tU I..-
gain the shelter aL the timber To protect
themselves from the cold. they iaE down 1n
the SNOW side hs side. and wrapped fresh
buffalo hide tightly about them with the
green or lcshy side 0ut While they slept.
the overlapping sides and ends of the hide
fruZe fast and Imprisoned them like wise.
Tightly wrapped, as they were, they could
not eNtricate themSclves, and SO died of
starvation. When found. tle two skeletons
-hTUuUed u the stireDel and half deraved
parchment showed the manner Of their
death
BLAINE'S REMARKABLE MEMORY.
Senator Blaime's wonderful memory of
names and faces-a faculty off no small