The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-21
Some Tough Stories.


The Philadelphia Times man, In few
man, in few moments Of leisure, fathers
the foliowing:"! oa- ."..1 "' --..-..
On recent occasion Representative Sey-
mour, Of the Michigan Legislature; Collect
Or Chandler, Of the port of Sault Ste. Marie,
and three French woodchoppers found
themselves On the st. Ignace side of the
Straits Of Mackinaw, waiting an opportunity
to cross. Being anxious 10 reach the State
Capital before the beginning of the session,
Mr. Seymour urged his companions to begin
the passage at once, though severe storm
was driving the snow In great clouds down
the fields of ice. Three guides, Louis Ry-
cerse, Jack Lasley and Simpson DeForest,
volunteered TO lead the voyagers over the
Straits, and so about noon the per: ,.ds un-
dertaking was begun. When more than half
way over the squalls became terrific, and the
ice was felt undulating under the feet Of the
skaters like the long, Low roll Of waves at
sea. Ryerse, the boldest and most intelli-
gent of the guides, refused to give any fur
ther intelligence than to utter repeatedly:
&c A first-class cake of ice." What Ryerse
meant was understood fifteen minutes later,
when, on approaching the shore, Mr.. Soy
mour saw that the field Of ice upon which
the party stood was sweeping down the
straits at aspeed Of not less than five miles
an hour. Between the party and the shore
were 200 feet of open water. The situation
was alarming. To return was impossible
and there was nothing to do but to standstill
and await developments. Fortunately there
was bend to the eastward just below, ahd
the voyagers saw that the head of the Ice
field was being driven by the wind against
the shore. The force of collision was so
great that the small cakes Of
ice were thrown twenty feet in the air and
great masses were ground into powder. Go
ing through this Ice was no ehild's play, but
every man of the party at last succeeded in
reaching the Shore They had been three
hours making the passage and had travelled
| Is miles. -'@.'+
Paris Is mountainside village in Clarke
| county, Va. For several weeks the cold at
that point in the Blue Ridge has been in
tense. During the storms Of the past two
weeks nearly every house in the village, ow-
ing to its peculiar situation, was buried to the
roof N mammoth snow drifts, compelling
residents to cut tunnels, in many instances
to make exits. So completely was the coun,
try overwhelmed with snow that it was i'm
possible to make any headway in 1t with the
most powerful horses. Mrs. Kate Viii tman
u widow, and her two children on Christina:
day were found frozen to death. While try
ing to break the road to Berryville on Tues
day, December %, three menperished in the
snow. At meeting of the men of the vii
lage it was resolved to appoint committed
of fifteen to take charge of all the wood and
provisions in town. This was accordingly
done, but not without some opposition, and
radical change in affairs was soon effected
The committee ruled the inhabitants with I
strong hand, compelling them to crowd II
about twenty houses, where fires were KEEP
n going day and night. This was In order L
economic fuel. Each man, woman an
child was given supply Of provisions twic'
4 day, while every morning party of mel
was sent out to battle with the terrible SOY
and search for fuel and birds, The later be In
frozen to death by thousands, On Tuesda
of last week Roger /. Cooper, resident =
i the village, succeeded In making his way Z
Beryville, from which place sleighs coEntair cont
ing food and medicines were at once dispatch
ed to Paris Itis said that when Cooper le'
l. Paris no less than, u Of the, 500 villasel
were sick in bed. -r.ge.' >re-- '~