The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-27
THRILLING EXPERIENCES.
Alone on a Montana Prairie Three
Days and Two Nights
Without Food or Water-Sn eW
Three Feet on the Level.
The Life of a Mail Carrier In a
HouseleSs Country.

q letter received here by Mr. Charles
II. Bassett from his son w. a., who
ia in the mail service in northern
Montana. The young man is bat q
years of age, and the simple and I'M
affected manner in which he relates
his thrilling experiences Shove that
be not only possesses u great deal OF
courage, but also q great deal of gen.
uine manliness:
VIRGINIA CITY, Mont,
January 22d, 1881.
Dear Fathsr:
In answer to your questions, l
will endeavor to give you some par
ticulars. II the time | wrote to
mother December 1II). 1 WAS showed
in at Fire Hole, and was there about
ten or twelve days. Two OF us then
succeeded in getting over the moun-
tains with three horses and snow-
shoes, and we arrived at River Side
Station that day. On the day follow
ing Marshall, the boss, came in from
Henry Lake, with two men and fl
teen horses. They had been six days
on the road, q distance of thirty
miles. He then ordered me to start
out the following morning, on horse
back for the lake. l objected, and
told him thought it impossible for
morse to get through, and asked for
q pair of snow shoes. He then
became very angry. and said he would
not send me il be did not know
l could get 70 the lake safely. l
started out on the morning of the 10th
with their best horse; but had not
travelled ten miles before the animal
was unable to carry me, and l had
FIVE miles farther to go before l could
reach some hay stacks on the prairie.
By consider able hard work | led the
horse to the stacks after dark. l
was entirely worn out. and 80 to ok
my saddle blankets and lay down to
rest; but fell asleep and did not
awaken until daylight. | started out
again, but only succeeded in travelling
one mile that day, as the snow was
30 deep (about three feet on the levell
that it was impossible for horse to
travel. was then In csnln, and
found wood, so l built FIRE, and was
so tired that slept all night again;
and fr0ze my feet still more (but |
forgot to say that irCze my feet the
first night at the hay stacks). dare
not take of my boots to look at my
feet, for fear could not get them on
again. had discovered by this time
that my horse was coed for nothing,
60 started him back to the nay and
started on foot, calculating to make
the lake by night, which vas fifteen
miles farther on. The lake was
frozen 20 l cut across it to shorten the
distance; but l soon found my mis-
take, for when l started on 1t l broke
through, and got out only by hard
aud 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
other side OF the lake, and by swing
ing my cap I attracted the stock
tenders attention; but none too soon,
for l then fell down exhausted, un-
able to take another step. He
carried and pushed me in on snow
shoes, and took good care Of me.
/ had been all this time, three days
and two nights without q mouthful of
food or water, and had eaten snow
until my throa. was 90 raw that l
was unable to eat q full meal for q
OF days. 1 used arnics on
my feet. but the boys thought l would
loose my toes, il not my whole foot,
if / didn't get down here where l
could get medical advice. Hearing
that company team was eighteen
miles this side Of there with supplies
for here, 1 concluded 10 start for it in
with two mail carriers. This
eighteen miles had 10 be made on
snow shoes; but l mustered up cour.
age enough to start out. No one can
imagine what l suffered on that trip.
My feet we're 80 sore and raw that l
could hardly lift then; but we made
the trip st last, some time after dark.
The following morning was unable
to walk a step, and was carried
around and started for this place.
That day, on the prairie, q terrific
snow storm came up. the wind being
in our faces. We had to make eight
miles before dark, and it WAS then
sundoWn. We knew that unless We
did make the station before dark, the
chances we're that We would never get
there. The sieighing was bad on &C
count of there being so many rocks;
but l took the whip and then away
we went at breakueck speed. We
struck q rock and broke one runner
in a number of pieces. Fortunately,
we happened to have sixty feet OF
rope with US with which we
lied up the runner, and away
we went again, and arrived at the
station at dark. l froZe again on that
trip, my hspds, Test and chin. My
eyes we're frozen shut most all the
time during our fast driving against
the binding snow. We had hard
time coming the balance of the way,
but not so hard as that which have
1 was in bed in the
wagon the last thirty-fve miles.
The doctor does not know yet but
that will lose my big toe on the right
foot; but pronounces the rest of my
toes and my fingers safe. The place
where I was on foot is 100 miles
from here, and no persons live there
except the men at mail stations,
which are. fifteen miles apart, except
at that one place, and it is q thirty
mile station.
Tie remainder OF the letter is de-
voted to the matter Of his pay, which
be fears be will not be able to get
perhaps not q cent OF it, though be has
the assurance Of assistance, snd Ii
doing all be can himself.
EASTRRN OTTAH-