Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-05
lMPER1LED ON A PRAIRIE IN
MONTANA. ,
\ sounG Ssail-Carrier's StruggIe for
aise Through Three Feet Of Snow, |
and without Food for Three RayS

II
and Without Food for Three Days.
[salt Lake Utah Herald. IAN al
Tie following IS the greater part Of letter
received here By Mr. Charles H. Bassett from
his son W. II, who Is IN the mail service In
northern Montana. The young man Is but %
years Of age. and the simple and unaffec led
manner In which he relates his thrilling exoe-
rience shows that he not only possesses a great
deal OF courage, but also a greal deal Of genuine
manlineSs:
VIRGINIA CITY, MONTANA, Jan. %. ISst
bear fatier:-In answer TO your questions /
" Ill endeavor TO give you some particulars At
the time wrote TO mother december u was
showed In at Fire Hole, and was there about
In getting over the mountains with three horses
and snow-shoes. and we arrived at River
side station that day. On the day following,
Marshall, the boss, came In from Henry Lake
with two men and fifteen horses. They mad
been six days on the road, distance of
thirty miles. He then ordered me TO
start OUT the following morning on horse
back. to the lake. objected, and told him
thought IL impossible for horse to get through.
and asked for pair OF snOwsboeS. He then
became very angry, and said he would not send
me II he did not know could get to the lake
safely. started out on the morning OF the
10th with their best horse but had not tray
eltd ten miles before the animal was unable to
carry me. and had five miles further 10 20 ba-
fore could reach some hay-stacks on the
prairie. BY considerable hard work | led the
horse 10 the stacks after dark. | was entirely
mol ii Sot' anu So t9oh NY Sauuie-plankebS and
lay down 10 rest, but fell asleep and did not
awaken until day light. started out again,
out only succeeded III travelling oHe mile that
day, as the snow was SO deep (ao0ut three feet
Or ! Ne ieVep that ii was Impossible for horse
u travel / was then In a canon, and found
wood, so butt fire, aud was SO tired that |
Sept all night again and froze Ely feet still
n6 re, tbut forgot to say that I froze nv
feet the first night at the haystacky | dare not
take Off my boots TO look at my feet for fear
could not get them on again. had discovered
nothing, SO started him back TO the hay and
started On foot, calculating to make the lake by
night, Which was 10 miles further on. The lake
was frozen. so cut across 1t to shorten the
distance; but | soon found my mistake for
when started On il broke through, aud got
out only by hard scrambling, and was then on
the Ice wet and freezing. There was about
two feet OF soft snow and could hardly
walk The station was on the Z er side OF the
lake. and by swinging my cap | attracted the
stock-tenders attention; but none too soon,
for then fell down exhausted, unable to take
another step. He carried and pushed me In on
snow shoes, and took good care of me-
had been all this ume-three days and two
nights-without mouthful OF food or water,
and had eaten snow until my throat was so raw
tnat was unable to eat full meal for a num-
Der or days. used arntca on my feet but the
boys thought | would lose my toes, If not my
whole foot, II l didn't get down here where I
could get medical advice. Hearing that a COM
pany team was eighteen miles this side of there
with supplies for mere. concluded to start for it
teen miles had TO be made On snoW-shoeS: but
mustered up courage enough to start out No
one can Imagine what suffered on that trip,
MY feet were so sore and raw that could hard
ly lift them: but we made the trip at last some
time after dark. The following morning / was
unable TO walk step, and was carried around
and started for this place.
That day, on the prairie, terrific snow-storrn
came up. the wind being in our faces. We had
TO make eight miles before dark, and 1t was
then shutdown. We knew that unless we did
make the station before dark, the chances were
that We would never get there. The sleigh
Ing was bad on account Of there being so many
rocks; but took the whip and away we went
at breakneck speed. We struck a rock and
broke one runner in number or places For
tunately. we happened to have sixty feet OF
rope With us, with which we tied up the
runner, and away we went again, and arrived
at the station az dark. | froHe again On that
trip my hands, feet and chin. NY eyes were
frozen shut most all the time during our fast
driving against the bGncing snow. We had a
hard time coming the balance OF the way, bat
lot so hard as that which | have mentioned. |
was La bed In the wagon the last So miles,
The doctor does not know yet but that VIII
lose my big toe on the right foot, but pro-
the rest OF my toes and my fingers
safe. The place where | was Oh foot Is 100
miles from here, and no persons live there ex-
Cept the men at mail stations, which are Is
miles apart, except at that one place, and it is
Il p nile station.