The Elk Mountain pilot., 1880-07-15
DASHED TO DEATH,
James 4. Rigs, Youth Of Nineteen Ye,s,
is PreeiPhated 700 Feet Over The SIDE
Of a Mountain and Killed
Communicated

nlshes the first chapter in the burial of
a miner IN this camp, and will long be
remembered by those who participated
IN the sad rites, as day of profound
interest.
1t was my privilege to attend, and
was exceedingly gratiied to observe
the large collection of miners. who
manifested the profoundest sympathy
tor the bereaved members of the fami-
ly. The Rev. Mr.. Warren, of Rosita.
! Totlciated with great satisfaction. The
exercises took place at the camp of
I the parents of the deceased, in the
lower part of Irwin.
Albert Riggs, a bright, promising
youth, of nineteen years, was the vic
TIN Of tragic casualty, by which he
was summoned Over There in an in
stant's time. He had been repeated
ly warned by his father, in their pros
pecting tours, of the imminent dang
ers he encountered in his daring
movements on the sides of these
scarcely less than perpendicular walls
of the mountains; but prompted by
chlvalry and daring, knowing no sense
OF fear and governed by lofty ambi-
ton, poor Albert would go where the
eagle would seek safety for its young,
and hang like one suspended between
earth and heaven upon the brittle
rock beneath his feet.
1t was in Peeler Basin. about two
miles from town. Saturday last, the
fearful casualty occurred, by which he
lost his life. He was accompanied by
his brother in-law, who stood in the
rear and at no remote distance from
him, on the side of a cliff, with de-
scent of SIX or seven hundred feet,
when the rock gave way beneath his
feet and he was precipltated to the
bottom. At distance aof about thirty
feet there were other slightly project
ing surface rocks he encountered in
the descent, and these in like manner,
from the conclusion, gave way, and
huge tons Of rock were precipitated
with the daring boy in the gulf be-
meath. No pencil can suitably por-
tray the tragedy of this death. There
stood the brother-in-law so intensely
horrlhed at the spectacle as to render
his own foot hold insecure. The
mangled hands of the deceased show
ed the fierce effort he made to save
himself at the first shelve Of the de
scent 1t was 10 O'Clock at night be-
fore his remains could be brought to
the camp Of his parents. There was
the agonized father and mother whose
brightest hopes had been riven as by a
swift thurderbolt Of heaven.
Two married sisters and their husI
bands, bright brother of ten years
and sister of twelve, all racked in the
bitter agony Of indescribable suffer
ing. But let the curtain be drawn,
such grief can only be assuaged by
Him who tempers the wind to the
shorn lamb and doeth all things we'll. "
Albert has gone, as we may hope, to a
better land-been transplanted to
those beautiful heights from which
there is no fall He precedes all of us
but by a brief interval of time, and
adds to that pale procession outnum-
bering earth's teeming millions as is
the sands of the ocean the decaying
monuments Of men.
No provisions having been made by
our camp for a cemetery, a spot was
selected about mile and a half south
of here, on an elevation overlooking
the valley through which the highway
passes to Gunnison, for his burial.
And there Albert was casketed in a
rock bound grave to await the morn
ing's bugle of the resurrection. Beau
tiful wild flowers as fragrant as the
jessamine and as lovely as the orange
blossom, furnish porterre about
his grave that no human art can excel.
And loving carroll birds will carroll on
his sod as having lost their dearest
friend.
The deceased was the son of Mr..
and Mrs. ]. A. Riggs, originally from
Salliapolis, Ohio, but for some years
previous to their removal to Colorado,
citizens of Danvjlle, III. They have
resided for the last three years at
Colorado Springs, this state, and re-
moved to Irwin in May last. The
family are all distinguished for high
moral worth, and their afliction will
be felt in their former as well as
their present home.
1t is to be hoped that this death
will be warning to the reckless, dar-
ing miners in this and other camps, IN
their prospecting rounds. As a class
they carry their lives as in their own
hands, and the wonder is there are so
few deaths of this character. The
heroism of the prospector Is not un-