Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-02-19
Multunl i'm Parvo.


To the Editor of the NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
Please allow me through your paper
to say few words on a subject that
should interest us all. 1t is not gener-
ally understood that here in Cheboygan
we haYe one of the best graded schools
in the state, and yet no doubt such is
the case.
| had the pleasure of visiting this
school a few days ago, and observing its
mOdus Operandi under the efficient lead
ership of MIR. Weed, supported by Mr..
Vanderbilt in the intermediate depart
ment, with Miss Barber i'm the next low
er grade and Miss Newton in the pri-
mary department. The school is making
progress that should delight every pa
rent whose children attend there and
should receive the hearty cooperation
of every one interested in the future
welfare of the town or nation. noticed
that the school was more than full, yet
the good discipline under which it is
kept, causes all to move on like clock
work. | was sorry to learn that but
very few of the parents ever visited the
school to see for themselves, and speak
words of appreciation or counsel both to
teachers and pupils. If our public SER
wants are doing a good work, it will do
them no harm to let them know that we
appreciate it. IL they are not doing a
good work, the sooner it is Investigated
| the better.
Any one visiting the school will find
at the gateway that genial spirit Mr..
Vanyea, professor of dust and ashes, who
will lead the way into any or all of the
departments of the school.
CANDOR.
A Cheboycan Wan Caught I'm an Ava.
lanche.
Our citizens will be interested in the
following experience of Anwell Lafave,
former we'll known citizen of our
village, in Colorado avalanche as given
by the Leadyille Democrat:
There are almost daily accounts re-
ceived in this city of narrow escapes
made by prOspectOrs in the mountains
from the terrible snOw-slides, more fire.
quent this year than for many years pre-
viOus, and MeSsrs. A. Lafave and Walter
SterrOck, who reached this city yesterday,
gave graphic description of their eX-
perience with one of the white monsters
well worth relating in print. These two
gentlemen are interested in claims near
the Mount of the Holy Cross, and last
Tuesday while they were on their way
on snow shoes from the Holy Cross Noun
tain to Red Cliff they were struck by a
snOw-slide under the following circum-
stances: They were descending the pre-
cipitOuS slope of French Mountain,
which is about 800 feet high, and when
about 300 feet from the top of the cliff,
which projects out from the summit of
the mountain, they heard the strange,
fearful, indescribabIe sound which fore
tells the coming of the avalanche. They
were short distance apart when they
heard the sound, and without stopping
to look up or waste moment i'm cOnjec-
ture, Lafave shouted to SterrOck to grasp
bush prOtruding through the snow, at
the same moment clutching with strong
grip sapling by which he was stand
ing. No man has ever yet described an
avalanche of snow. No imagina-
tiOn has ever conceived one. 1t
is a monstrOus, CHASTITY, terrible thing;
| literally death riding on pale horse
sweeping all before it with blind, swift
rage. When these two men, standing on
| five feet of snow and shuddering with
the awful fear which the bravest feel i'm
the presence of impending death, grasp
ed the slender bushes on which they re-
lied to save them. they felt that they were
in the grasp of a power against which
human strength and cunning ayailed
but little, as they closed their eyes and
bowed their heads to await the shock.
In an instant, like bolt of lightning,
the avalanche was upon them and rolled
in great white waves over and
around them. They clung to the tough
saplings with desperate strength. COM
pletely submerged in the snow, blinded
and choking but knowing that their
lives depended upon the strength of their
grip. Their bodies were swayed down
the mountain and cruelyl wrenched by
the savage power of she avalanche. but
they held to their anchorage, and in a
few seconds the great white wave passed
below them and left them stunned and
dazed, still holding to the bushes. The
snow swept on down the mountain like
a tidal wave, and when it reached the
bottom, piled up layer upon layer, until
there was a huge mass of it lying there
fifty feet in thickness. When the two
men were sufficiently recovered they
proceeded to Red Cliff.