The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-11
TRAVEL IN EARLY MONTANA.
How Twenty Lives were Saved Through
Mothers Love for Her Babe.

1t was during one of the bad years of Mining
in Nevada, just long enough before the dis
coyery of the 3elcher and Crown Point
bOnanzas to keep those who were discouraged
with WasEoe from sharing in the boom, by
hunting new camps, that tins occurred.
Salmon Basin-called also Lemhl Diggings-
had broken out, aud macy Washoe miners
and prospectors wended weary way to the
new Ell Dorado. 1t was situated in Montana,
and there was a regular stampede from all
points OF the compass to the new placer find.
Mining stampedes generally Occurin the spring
OF the year, when the streams are high ana
the roads muddy, and party of our Washoe
prospectors found themselves at Taylor's
bridge, on Snake river, with the stream run
ming with awful velocity. But there was no
bridgr. 1t had been washed away by the
Irresistible torrent that sweeps the melting
mountain SHOWS into the Snake river, thence
into the Columbia, and thence into the Pacific
ocean.
The bridge afforded large revenue; the
mails and passengers were carried over it.
ana to lose this lively business in The height
of the season was hardship and forfeiture
of contract to the proprietors.
The first thing 10 be done was to get the
mails across. By some means rope was got
across the stream, and then basket was
Slung to the rope after the manner of '.chair"
from stranded ship to The shore. The stage
driver got into the basket with the mails: the
line which hauled the basket was drawn; the
stage driver and the mail were over the mid
die of the stream; a tilt of the basket, roar
OF the stream, and the stage driver and the
mail bag went out, struck the water with
splash, and neither mail nor stage driver were
i'll sight when the spectators on the bank
could collect their senses. and neither has
ever been seen from that day to this, nor will
they be seen until the sea gives up its dead !;
for Snake river enters into the Columbia, and
the Columbia empties into the Pacific ocean.
On the south bank of Snake river were
migrating prospectors, emgrants from Washoe
and from California, Mormon teams, with
wagons loaded with eggs (worth ID cents a
dozen in deprecated greenbacks in Utah and
$3.50 per dozen in clean gold dust in Mon
tana), adventurers, and women going to meet
their husbands, gone before to the land of
gold. The bridge company had profits in
sight, and saw harvest OF coin if they
could move the travel. The stage driver was
forgotten almost as soon as the waters closed
over him, and to get across Snake river was
the question that aSitated not only the bridge
| proprietors but the anxious and waiting null
titude on the south side of the stream. The
! rope OH which the basket was slung was
! tiShtened for ferry rope skiif was con-
structed and rigged to the rope, and al
employe of the bridge company, accepted the
! post of terryman. 1t was in the early morn
ing when all was ready for the first trip across
I The stream was rushing and roaring madly
and the river, full to its banks, looked a waste
of seething waters. The stage passenger
were to be carried first. Among them was
woman with young babe in her arms. Sh
was timid, as were the strongest men, but sh
was wild to meet her husband, who had no