The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-06-18
SNOW BOUND.
Aslvena faan.e In q sierra Cabin.

S Twice III my experience asa miner i
e California have been bound in by impass
t able barriers of snow on the foot hills Q
[ the Sierra Nevada. The first time had
[ single companion. We had been tlninin
t in an isolated but rich gnleh, where W
& had constructed rude cabin. We kney
: nothing at that time of the great snoY
l storms of the Sierra Nevada, so we neg
lected to lay III provisions or fuel, and VI
: to this time had procured wood from th'
: scattering pine trees on the mountain sides
but on rising one morning we found a
least two feet of snow fallen. 1t contill
i ucd all day long, and when we rose mex
morning we found our one little window
tlarkened We managed to make a hole
through d. corner of the roof Of our cabin
. when down came 1t wagon-load of snow
and in came :; flood of light. We sue
ceedcd in shoyelllng away the snow from
the roof and out of our cabin, but the
snow continued to come down all day,
and on the arrival Of the next day we
were again i'll darkness, and again we
toiled for light. During this day the
storm abated, but the snow had fallen to a
depth Of more than ten feet, and we were
prisoners.
Here for three weary weeks we were
compelled to stay. We had burned up ev-
cry scrap Of furniture i'll our cabin except
the long boards on the hottomof our bunks.
Even the chinking ant'5elapboaree on the
1 inside Of ON eabilI, aihd the handles OF
our shovcls and tools, were consumed.
! Our meat had been gone more tlana week
and we had eaten all our beans, and We're
entirely destitute. 1t had showed every
day a little, so as to keep the snow soft on
| top, and it was impossible to walk through
it, or in any way change our location or
situation.
| We could see nothing before us but
| death, either from cold or starvation. Each
looked upon the other with suspicion;
each thought the other would take his life
if he could without losing his own. This
was our horrible condition, when sudden
! ly the hole above our heads was darkened,
and VIC heard voice say: 'Is there any
body down therc:n A shout of Joy and
surprise was the response.
Who are you, and how did you get
here?' we asked.
II am 'Snow-shoe Thompson / came
here on :snow-shoes,' . he answered.
"Help us out; we are starving"
In another minute Thompson was in
our midst. He gave lis some cheese and
crackers, which we eagerly devourcd.
He asked us if we had anything to make
snow-shoes with We had burned the
handles Of all our tools except a saw and
drawing-llife. He took these, however,
and out Of the long boards which cont
posed the bottoms Of our bllnks soon
shaped for lis Il pair of snow-shocs, They
were about twelve feet long and four i'll
ches wide, shaped SO as to turn TIP ut the
front end, somewhat like Il sleigh runner;
pieces OF leather were tackled across the
center, into which the travellers feet are
slipped.
After you learn to travel with these, YOU
find the process similar to skating. TO
the best Of my recollection, ut my first es-
say | felt much as | suppose toad would
feel on stills. After series of cyolntions
that would puzzle professional acrobat,
got fairly under way. [ can give you no
idea Of the eNllilaration produced by a
wild, frenzied rush through the air, as it
were, on snoW@shoes. started down a
light slope Of the mountain with no ambi-
ton to outrun the wind, Or professor
Snow-shoes, [ can assure YOU. 1t was
glorious, SO / thought as | sailed along at
moderate speed, with no effort except to
try to guide The machine with IL long slim
pole which stSnow-shoesN had loaned me;
but when commenced going doWna steep
side Of the mountain, and shot forward
like an arrow from the strong bow of an
archer, it was no longer 50 glorious. The
spec with which | travelled was marvel
Gus. | was unable to clearly distinguish
objects which | passed. An occasional
pine tree shot past me with Il zip like a
cannon ball, and made my brain Whirl.
Down [ went, faster and faster. shot
across q table land, or level space, at Il
speed somewhat abated; then started up
Il slope of the mountain; then | came to Il
steep place, and then my shoes stopped,
but went on head foremost into thcsn
bank so deep that my feet seemed the only
part of my person able to move. Indeed
was so deeply buried in the SHOW that
only my feet stuck out. | couldn't breathe
or move, SO tight was | wedgedin. | eN-
crted every effort, but it was Ill vain, and
| realized that death would enslle inayery
few minutes. ! tried to call for help, but
could not produce y sound. When all
hope had vanished, and | felt my brain
reeling, some one began to tug at my feet
and i'll another moment | was brought to
light again. Old 'sSnoW-shocs' had fol-
lowed me, and got to me just in time to
save my life for the second time, One
hour later we We're all safe in camp.
HARpER's NJ MAGAZINE for june is, proba-
bly,, the most beautiful Number, ever issu-
ed Of that periodical. The opening article