The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-05-20
A VETERAN coLoHADo EsAm
He Claims to Hare Seen SPrCH
Hundred Deer on the fIeciicitD
Of Pixies Peak

Y
Colorado Springs Gasete Sargean
q O'Keefe returned last evening frou
r an nsuocesSfnl attempt 10 ascend Tia
q Peak. He says that il is the frs
O time within his experience that he ha
!. been thus baflled, and he asks to b.
excused from ever being subjected [,
). u similar experience. BY the report
I which he has received from Mr.
n Sweeney, who is stationed at tn,
, Peak, he was led to infer that In.
:, little snow had fallen, and in cOnse
4 quence he was not prepared to con
tend with the obstacles which ilockct
his path. The journey for the frs
few miles of the trail was without
any Unsatisfactory feature, hut Will,
making an abrupt turn in the trail il
the vicinity of Minnehaha falls tn
sergeant was brought to u stand-stil
, by an immense herd of blaCk-taile,
deer, which impeded his further pro
greSS. He contends that the hero
contained fully seven hundred head
and says it took just one hour ant
forty minutes for them to pass =
given point. The sergeant was only
armed with thirty-two calibrc Smith
and Wesson revolver, and with this
poor apology for firearm he Smc.
ceeded in killing seventeen of the
deer. The only plausible reason that
Sergeant O'Keefc can give for the
remarkable appearance of this vast
herd is that they were driven from
South Park by the recent storm. As
the sergeant was compelled TO con.
tinue his journey to the Peak he
gathered the game which he had
Slaughtered, tied their tails together
and slung them over the neck of his
faithful mule Balaam, and continued
on his way. Everything passed off
smoothly until the timber line was
reached, when the sergeunt encoun-
tered another serious barrier, as the
fierce northwest wind which accom-
panied the storm had formed noun.
tains of snow across the trail. With
the much trusted veteran mule
Balaam, and an unusual amount of
perseverance on the part of himself.
Sergeant O'keefe contrived to sur
mount q tremendous SHOW drift
twenty-cight feet in depth. When
safely upon the other side he paused
tor moment, and taking his field
glass he viewed the prospects o er and
examined the difficulties with which
he had to contend. As far as the eye
could reach nothing but snow banks
could be seen. some Of which were nj
least 100 feet in height. 1t only re-
qnired brief space of time for the
sergeant to make up his mind that it
would be useless for him To risk his
life in making another rash attempt.
so he concluded tn return tn the
Springs. but upon turning to step into
the saddle he discovered that the
mule had disappeared. The sergeant
was now in sad plight. Had he
only survived the terrible rat raid of
| 1876 to find death again staring him
in the face from starvation lie he.
traced his steps through the mammoth
sn0w-drift and after terrible siege Of
over one hour he found himself
standing upon the other side. thor
oughly exhausted. After he had
somewhat revived he glanced around
him in hopes of finding some trace of
his lost mule, and what WAS Ills c'.&.
grin to perceive the much trusted
Balaam lying upon his back with his
feet uplifted i'm the air at the bottom
of deep ravine. The deer with
which he had been festooned were
scattered from top to bottom Of the
ravine. The sergeant secured the
game and the mnle and again started
on his homeward journey. While
passing along Il very secluded portion
of the trail he was attacked by six
ravenous mountain lions, and, in order
to save his own life, he was COM
PEELED to cast away the game which
had required 50 much eXertion to
capture. Even the seventeen deer
did not replenish their raverous
appetites and still they pursued him.
but by the proper manipulation of
that mule O'Keefe managed TO cyade
them. He reached the signal Office
in this city at 8 O'Clock last night.
and it is doubtful whether he ever
again attempts to traverse the Pixies
Peak trail.
The TGIWc Of Character.
Minneapolis Tribune.
There is one feature of the star
route scandal which must have struck
the least observant of newspaper
readers. There is no disposition in
any quarter to claim for The principal
persons accused such postpOncme nj
of public judgment as would be
readily accorded to persons whose
previous high character created
strong presumption of innocence.
Doubtless there has been manifested
too great readiness to believe even
the widest and most eXtravagant
charges against these people, evolved
| from the fertile brains of Washington
correspondents eager to earn their
salaries by telegraphing sensational
statements. But the fact remains
that Mr.. Dorsey, for instance, in spite
of the prominence he had reached,
and the undoubted efficiency with
which he served the republican party
during the late campaign, has 10
influential friends rallying about him
confident of his integrity and eager
to press a thorough investigation as
the speedieSt means of completely
lvindicating a stainless citizen. In 4
word, Mr.. Dorsey's life, his political
and financial methods, have all been
such as TO leave him no balance in
the bank of general confidence,
against which he can draw in the
hour of disaster to his reputation.
He Is a representative of Il consider
able class Of men who have reached
a hurtful prominence and during the
past fifteen years, not few of whom
Ihave left the trail of their passage on
the records of tile Republican party.
Adventures, with nothing of wealth,
or social standing or previous repute
to lose, and all to gain, of infinite
assurance and really admirable energy,
these persons are habituaily ION the
make" ready ut all times to use any
public station they may foist them
selves into as vantage ground for
personal and pecnniary aggrandize-
ment. In some instances their APP
parent or real success in accomplish
ing their purpose has dazzled men
less pushing and daring themselves,
and invariably their example has
been misleading and demoraiZing.
But there Is some compensation for
the harm done when conspicuous
members of this class overreach
themselves and fall, the victims of
their own, corrupt and corrupting
methods. And there is further cause
|of satisfaction in the fact that when
discovery and consequent calamity
loyertake such people they cannot
lenjoy both the fruits of their devious
COURSES and the strong presumption
of innocence, which would have
upheld them had their career been
even apparently one of upright and
downright openness and integrity.
The present pitiable and friendless
condition of these star-route manipu.
lators, in spite of their wealth and
prominence, is an added proof where
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