The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-04-19
STAGE COACHING In lONTANI
u EF a U--EF IT f,g /
upsis s.~s. mains ns.s 90 U.ssr
- CiveurnstansesL Terrsbie seen.

The American mails must 20 ahead, v
ever the state Of the roads. Bridge IN
bridge over the river, they must 20, J
though there is no passage for a ferry.
Thus it was recently during a Montanah
There were people OIL both sides of the n
A stone was tied to the end of q ball of
and thrown from one bank to the other
one end of the twine wasted acord to the
q line, to the line a stout cable. The \
was made fast With stakes driven into|
ground, a basket slung to the gable,
passed through u pulley made fast ,p|
basket. All being ready, q stage driver !
a mai bag and got in.o the basket.
banks were lined with teamsters, lray1
nd emigrants watching the experiment, |
basket was over the middle Of the stream
waters were SETTLING and boiling; the bal
tipped, it turned /; the driver and the mail
struck the water. From that moment
were never seen more, the poor fellow I'd
knew what hurt him, and some people mil
their letters.
l witnessed anotherthrilling scene on Sd
River. A few days after the stage-driver
drowned the waters subsidized slightly.
proprietor Of the bridge was loosing mod
the crowds on the banks were growing !
all travel was stopped. A short distance
low a rope ferry was rugged. The deld
stage passengers must be the first to cross
was risky for everybody but the ferryman
made a trial trip in safety. l was not as
passenger, but l managed to smuggle in
the first boat load. There was one vol
in the party, the mother of an infant-ad
perhaps a year old. A gentleman v~oluntes
to hold the child in the passage across, !
seated himself in the boat behind the mol
both being seated next the gunwale. VI
the boat reached the middle of the stream,
the Iassengers looked up the river and
the waters rushing, tumbling down, ain
like a cataract, and with q loar as great,
scene was grand but terrible enough to nd
Lnc shVuIcoI HCINCs. 1uc Nbiuttu SiutcU
nervously at the boat the ferryman md
frantic gestures to her with his hand, at Il
say "You will drown us ALL"
The least move ont of the way meant did
and the woman's clutching rocked the bJ
She was powerless to resist the impu
spite of the terryman's appealing gestures
the nudging of her fellow-passengers.
gentleman who was holding the child tod
the situation, and, reaching his lips to
woman's ear, Screaned-and she heard
voice above the roar of the waters-'fj
touch that boat again l will throw your d
overheard. We will all 90 together, but
child shall go first" Her frame quiveJ
but she closed her hands tightly anu eros
them in her lap. A moment after and
bottom of the boat grazed the sand on
other shore. A gentleman extended
to help the woman out. She stepped on
bow of the boat, and fell face forward on
sands--fainted. When We opened her b
the blood gushed from the palms where
had dug the nails into them with her
%clinched, Almost with the moment Of
return TO consciousness she commend
TRADE Of abuse on the man who had threaei
to throw her child overheard. .sNever |
mind her blather, mister" said the boatln(
''yOu saved our lives.' She looked at
ferrymaD, and then at the object OF her abb
burst into tears, and said .'Forgive
sir."-St. Louis Globe Democrat.