The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-11-13

about half mile away. As soon as we
advanced toward him he started up and
ran off at the top of his speed. knew
what was the matter with him as soon
as he jumped, but the rest didn't. Rid
ing alongside of him, I jumped to the
ground and took after him on foot. At
ter sharp run I caught him. He was
clean daft. The discovery that he was
lost, and possibly would not be found
again, had upset his intellect complete
ly. He struggled like mailman to free
himself, but I held on to him. We took
him back to camp and tied him fast.
Toward night he began to recover, and
by morning he was quite himself. After
that experience he kept close to camp.
II recall another instance which illus
trates this phase of the lost, but which
had more tragic ending. A neighbor
OF mine, living in new prairie country,
cut and stacked his hay on the plains
about two miles in the rear of his house.
1t was his custom to visit the stacks and
haul the hay to his farm as he required
it. He started one afternoon in mid
winter, with two small ox-sleds, to bring
home loads, taking with him a neigh
boris boy, a lad of about 12 years of age.
They reached the stacks, loaded the
sleds, and, it is supposed, were about to
return, when violent storm came up
what we in the West call blizzard. It
was impossible to see a yard ahead in
any direction. Thinking it would soon
blow over, they dug holes in the stacks
PT1f %1lae ~, r..
nearly three days without abating jot
of its fury. On the morning after their
departure the two oxen were discovered
standing in the barnyard with their har-
ness on, but without the sled. During
the day an effort was made to visit the
stacks, but the relief party became lost
themselves, and found their way back
with difficulty. It was believed, more
over, that the man and boy would remain
in the stacks until the storm ceased,
which was hourly expected.
son the following day the storm
abated somewhat, and, in the afternoon,
larger and more determined party set
out for the stacks. They were reached
with much difficulty, but the man and
boy could not be found. The holes
which they had made into the straw, and
into which they had crept, were plainly
visible, but all traces of their departure
were hidden under the drifting snow.
Search was made until night closed in,
when it was discontinued. On the fol-
lowing day it was resumed. In the
forenoon the body of the boy was found
under the snow at distance of about
eighty yards from the stack. He was,
of course, frozen stiff. At distance of
half mile the mans coat was picked
up, but days of search revealed no
traces of his body. 1t was apparent
that they had left the stacks in an eff
fort to find their way home. But the
positions of the boy and coat were di-
rectly opposite to the route which they
should have taken. In the latter part
of April some half-breeds, wandering
over the prairie, found the remains of
the man sitting at the foot of tree on
the bank of a small stream, about six
miles distant from the stack. The body
was entirely destitute of clothing, save
pair of trousers. The man, without
doubt, had become insane, and had cast
off his garments as he ewandered on. His
shoes, hat and shirt were afterward
found between the tree and the stacks.
Throwing away their clothing is COM
mon act with the lost, and always be-
trays insanity.
"A man may easily become lost on a
prairie trail, or even a broad highway
on the plains, if he has no other land
mark to go by. In the old days of over
land travel to California it frequently
happened that parties who had camped
over night at short distance from the
road took the back track in the morn
ing under the firm belief that it was
the right one.
at is astonishing how quick men
will get lost on a prairie. They seem
hardly to have time to get out of sight.
Sometimes, too, they are not found
again. Two young Canadians went up
the Red river valley, few summers
since, bound for Fort Garry. They
had joined in the purchase of pony
and a rickety old cart at Fargo, and
journeyed together. One evening about
dusk they went into camp on the banks
of Goose river. After supper one of
them started off on the prairie to look
after the pony, which had been hoppled
and turned loose. He failed to return.
The pony came in all right in the NOM
ing, but the man has not been seen to
this day. It is probable that when he
left the camp he went in westerly di-
rection. If he did SO, he might walk to
the Rocky mountains without seeing q
human being.
@As I said, people disappear sudden.
~ on the prairies and are never heard
of more. But it occasionally happens
that people are found also, or rather
that their remains are. The most sin
gular find of this kind coming to my
knowledge was that of two half-breedi
who had been hunting buffalo in the
winter. They had wandered far ou
| upon the plains in search of game, and
being laden heavily with meat ant
hides, night overlook them before the,
were able to regain the shelter of tn,
timber. To protect themselves from
the cold they lay down in the snow sid
by side, and wrapped a fresh buffalo
hide tightly about them, with the greer
or feshy side out. While they slept
the overlapping sides and ends of tn
hide froze fast and imprisoned then
like wise. Tightly wrapped as the,
were, they could not extricate them
selves, and 80 died of starvation
When found the two skeletons, shroud
ed in the stifened and half-decaye,
parchment, showed the manner of thei
death" ----------
Teach a Trade.
The Jews, even if as rich as tn
Rothschilds, teach their children
trade. Some wise man is credited witt