The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-05-28
~ .,or1yEY TO MP Placer MINE.
s,r,nr Travel In the Rocky Mountains.


Medicine Bow Range when had occasion to
an,or tho highlands to open u placer mine.
Duriny the past winter the road leading TO
,ho mining district whrrc my mine Is, had not
hc,p tcrt ,pcn. quartz mining had boon sus-
,,,,,.,I s., aver 70 year. In Int February or
nar,v March sin4m ~ industry had solaod
49,, tho directors Of mine that was flooded
"a, ,,ev resolved 10 resume work. Hearing of
,hoir Intention. decided to take advantage Of
,ho road being opened by the teams employ
cd In hauling hosting machinery to their
ouartz mine to haul in my tools and provisions
preparatory to putting bedrock aumc into
nv placer. Receiving word tina, tho road was
omen and in good condition. has stoned from
the Golden Belt of Kansas to Laramie City.
A day spent in crossing the Laramie plains
and turning the northern extremity of the
rugged Sheep Mountain brought me TO the
mouth of the canon out ot which The south
branch OF the Little Laramie flows.
The valley OF the Little Laramie Is lraary
one. through and across which The wind blows
in all directions rs it L. DETECTED by crdgs and
rocky points and precipitous mountain blutis.
A few cows. lean. hungry. sad-lookng. as
though weary Of life and the cares Of Mater
nifty. stood with hanging heads in til" leo OF
willow thickets. On the bare hllsdrs, where
the grass was thick steers and strong young
cattle grazed in apparent Indifference TO the
icS winds At intervals lone antelope stood
motionless at safe distance. looking at US.
Alarmed. they wheeled and fed.
At almost all Rocky Mountain ranches. the
ranchman has "a log hut. called n camp house.
for the use cf freghtors and such unfortunate
travellers as are forced by imperative business
to pass that way. A camp house is generally
furnished with rough hunks. dirty. ill-smelling
probably the refuse OF horse managers. few
stools, three legged and infrm with
age stove that should be consigned
TO the fiery hereafter. afforded by the in
terror Of q blast furnace, and table.
ricksty. dirty. spotted with tallow in begrimcd
drops or in little mounds with one concave,
precipitous side. formed as the melted grease
ran down an empty beer bottle that had been
transformed In accordance with Rocky Noun
tain ranch custom. into n candlcstick. Ii is
almost unnecessary to say that carnivorous
insects swarm in many Of these houses. and
that they savagey attack the men who tarry
over night. Catnaps are impossible in camp
houses. A burning irritation of the entire
skin as IL from an attack of Saint Anthony's
fire. awakens the unfortunate inmates early in
the morning and iinparts unusual energy to
the constitutionally tired. The journey is re-
sumed with indecent haste. There is a hope
that the next camp house will b. cleaner and
more comfortable. and the desire 10 get there
is strong in the breast Of the traveller.
After night spent in a particularly nasty
camp house we ate an early breakfast. hitchrl
the horses TO the wagons. and started up the
canon. expecting to reach the point where the
snow commenced by sunrise. Benlnd the iirst
range of foothills. the eastern slopes Of Which
were treeless wind swept and bare, the snow
lay deep in the thick forest. standing 10y the
commenced were two novel sleds known rs
gO-devils." go-devil consists OF the fore
runners and bolster of 6o5 sled on whiehtwo
ging on the snow These poles are securely
fastened to the bolster by long iron liinS bolt.
Pieces OF scGntling are fastened from pole TO
pole. Upright stakes are So. IN holes bored in
the poles \ few boards are, placed on the
devil is heavy Of draught but is easy to turn
among thicky standing trees In transferring
the contents of the wagons to the so-devlls We
ranch for fear OF frost. had been overlooked in
our eagerness 10 escape from the camp house.
The sun was high above Sheep Mountain. and
glinted reilectinsiy from thesnow lying deep IN
the rayiues OF It's western slope, when We We're
ready to ascend the range The cold wind
Blowing iuriously on the previous day had
lued. The suilen- looking storm clouds sweep
ing down the granite tanks Of the Medicine
Bow Range had passed eastward. The tasseis
of the pines murmured iaintly. Tiny streams
Of water began 10 flow from under SHOW banks.
We started up the mountain. Zoo late! The
storm OF the previous day. though Blowing but
gently among the pines had had sufficient
force to blow the hight snow particies mo me
al signs OF IL highway. excepting the sinuous
lines OF resin beaded yellowlsh biazes on the
trees that marked the course OF the road
The team hitched to the rear goodwill We're
hgn-strung erays, scorniully spoken ofas ten
aerieet Inc leading tya!n were bay 6roneHos;
W trouble. The bronchos kept the beaten
road hidden by the new snow with wonderful
sasacity There was an inclination on the part
81 the grays to prospect the country adjacent Ia
lie road. They also exhibited u mud desire TO
'epJSe in SnowdrlttS. As the sun gained i'll
height 4 IL
bed sp.teDed The teams tagged. The loads
were heavy. A steep hill around which me
ming OF our trouble. Here the snow had drafted
deeply. The brouchos laitered. The drl.cl
eod ms ho T nR the foa3 he wru Of s
driver was devilish in lis intensity. His joyful
song concerning the SHINING shore ended IN
Proianely he, SAID III be banked Il We
are not caught in a taaw' ProPHi,rt.ca!!y he
rest the driver shouted. Hi. Jlm! H.
Ben! Now then. together. and loudly cracked
his whip. yainiy the horses pulled. ,Hcayily
pushed against the so-devil from beLIhG. "
use: the goodwill was stop-devIi. and uId not
move Again the team Was urged. and wl.i
heaylng tanks the animals apparently die
their utmost. Suddenly they .npped iron III,
narrow ridge oil packed snow torlnIns TIE road
deliberately sat down IN the SION hhd, WIN !
wellsatisied expression on their iaYes, l"pkot
bered over the loud. the lash OF his whip twinct
around mis- hand and. white win anger. eN
claimed Go 10 sleep III the snow. will you: III
down and take Il rest. ch? ThlnH this snow
is rocking chair. ell Iii teach you II
sit down. I'll teach you 10 repOse III snow
banks blank you! Get up.you inlerna! idOis =
YEARLY the team looked III him. Eeuu-oiuiN
they reclined at their ease. and mad 40 at
tempt to rise Snvagrly the dtlycr bear tIcn
with the butt his iuHu"d whip. Then. turning
the instrument vi instru ton. he curiru II cut
tngy around their bodies or dashed thrH
across their faces. luteut ON assisting IN ,i.t
correction Of the brVnchOs, | picked ~ ii p.ut
bOugh. resinous, jagged, ana many-po4uted
and attempted TO pass around IN" gO-deyil
Shipping iron the ley ridge, / stood upright
buried to my shoulders IA the snow. tlhtint
that my struggles 10 regain the road r-su;yL
III slipping down the hill. ! sat down III tn
snow. and with interest awaited the progress O
the blockadng go-devi. Finally the Uth"Y
team came up. and the two drivers persua lee
the Dronchos TO pull the gO-deyil W the hIii
eaDdued in spirit, L struggled on to The ruIC
and followed.
First our train would sin froin the track int,
the deep snow; then the other would follow
me tendcriout" team OF giitys, weary. eS
hausted, trembling with fear. baked, ant
resotutey refused 10 pull az any hill. BcatcI
until they lled freely, they stood and kioGcl
weakly nj the gp-drNll. Slowly and by dint %
much shoy"lling and doubling Of teams VT
Reached TIA" foot of the hog back
IN" summit Of the divide wis at the end D
inns hog back. Here tn" road wa drIt,1 full