Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-17
John Thomas ON California snow

John Thomas ON California Snow.
see there's snow blockade on the Central
don't know what that means. I'll try and tell
you. Lived on the crest of the Sierra Nevada
all one winter. Hibernated there with two other
men. Showed up during, February eighteen
hours out OF twenty -four. Remaining six hours,
light snow. Fell at average depth, six inches
per diem. But, at times, at the rate of one foot
Fell right left, criss-cross, diagonally and side
ways. showed in the morning, at noon, at
dusk. all night, and next morning again. And
so on for weeks. Lived in valley. Average
Always after snow, blow. A big blow, too.
Snow dry and very fine. Snow from precipice
average depth of twelve feet. In other places,
twenty. Kept on Shovell1ng snow from cabin
Roof every TWO days. Otherwise its weight would
crush roof in. Spectacle OF roof from bed, as one
looked up at night, not reaSSuring Oak raftarS
bent from weight OF snow like bows Crack
ings and snappings. Snow heaped UP all about
cumulation of oft shovelling Great punches
Oh Snow frozen to branches or pines 100 and 159
feet high over cabin-when lOosened by stray
zephyTs careering through Eureka Canyon
And so on all night. Avalanches and snow
slides? In mid weather of daily occurrence
Could hear them i've miles away. Would cut
an acre of young pine trunks three feet from
the ground as II carved by a knife. Makes
small account OF mans or natures works. Was
thus showed and frozen up untiliMay. Heard
after IT happened. Passing traveller from ALL
rola, Nevada Territory, to California over Sc
nora and Mono new road. Profitless road.
spendidly constructed. Fine bridges, twenty
IN number, over canyons and raging creeks.
Built and walled up on mountain side fifteen or
thirty feet In height. Built by three California
islaus Rival to Placerville route be-
before railroad times. Never paid one
cent. Cost million in time, money and labor.
Took up tavern site 5000 feet above sea Level.
Hence John 1lOm1SS prpSenPa TOra1
Came out Of those mountains ragged and penni-
less. TO return to snow. Dug out two frozen
house. Part OF hat and tip of ear seen above
snow. Had been there month. Caught in n
Sierra Nevada "blizzard' Blows a gale and air
full OF fine frozen snow. Fine as flour. Stings
like needle points on meeting human skin.
coming on human body at rate of one Thousand
per minutes carries heat away faster than human
body can.manufacturei it. Buried the poorfel.oT.
Never knew who he Was, Buried him in seven
feet OF snow. No ground, sod, clay OF soil up
there. All bare granite rock. Pine and tamarack
grows out OF mere clefts and crevlces. In May
Of natural ice-box, sledded it down seven miles
to soil and buried him again. That's where you
get snow. Homemade house. Homemade chin
n ne four feet wide at top. Snow. rain
ton in falling as or. the outside. Also wind. In
Eureka Canyon wind, besides knocking around
the thirty-two cardinal points OF compass, blew
and also down chimney. Cause, perpendicular
sides OF canyon. Straight as chimney in
places, and 500 feet high. Valley 1000 feet
yon; also down chimney, blowing ashes, Goals
and cinders all over cabin; as well into f1apjacks
and coffee-ashes to ashes, dust to dust, sc.
up for five months, with twenty feet square to
stir about in. Cabin dark; windows blocked
with snow. Path to well through snow bank
tWeive feet high. No navigation outside of cabin
pork, beans. beef and bread. What did we talk
about? MatrimOny and its possibility. The
other sex to us only faf-0f legend. We maa-
driven from plains the summer previous up to
mountains 800 or 400 miles distant. Never so
driven before. Mountains full Of Blind Can
other egd granite Wa
5000 feet high, Which, when once the
cows had strayed In, they could never stray
out OF. Grass gave out In winter Herds Herds.
we killed 'en. Rifle bullet. Half starved
beef No fat. Skin and bone mainly. Other
wise sustained BY sustenapee Of oak PAX. leaves
the reverse. Cows knocked over from pref
pice by bullet, tumbling down rocks 100 feet
would rattle like pair of castanets. Bones clat-
Developed dyspepsia. Gave us all more or less
the horrors. Reviewed our past lives. Re-
GREETED them. Saw too plainly all our sins OF
and internally, aggray ated by snow. Horror.
physical and external. Because to sight month
on month only snow and whiteness everywhere.
Snow under foot, snow miles away, snow on
rocks. on mountains. on trees, everywhere Sno y,
everywhere one mon0tonouS covering of white;
no no, variation Of hue, shade or color And this
NO DroWn, sem1brown, quarter brown, graz,
semi gray, quarter gray, eighth gray, sixteenth
gray. &C, or blue red, yellow orange, violet
green and combinations; all white. Mind takes
same hue; universal white color reacts on Or
gans digestive: gives one dyspepsia and dyspep-
tic sorrcwS.-lN i. Graphic.