The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-12-30
BITTEN AND BURNED
iohn Peterson Is Caught In a Blizzard, and
Wanders for Three Days.
A Terrible Story Of Hunger, Cold and Elk.
haustlon-He Still Lives, but Christ
mas was Anything but
Festive.

SSAoOh1 WhO uho Nl6lUR
che erection of a stone house at Sea-
rights ranch on Poison creek. about
sixty miles west of Fetterman, started
for home Sunday last on horseback, ex-
pecting to reach here before Christmas,
to be with his family.
His route was to Rock Creek, and
thence here by rail. During the day
he was struck by a blizzard. Not hay
Ing gloves or overshoes he began to get
cold and got from his horse to walk.
The animal proved hard to lead and
Mr.. Peterson had to frequently turn
around to hurry him up. Finally the
horse got away from him altogether,
and Mr.. Peterson followed with the
hope of catching him. 1t was during
this time that he lost his way. He had
no other recourse than to walk, with
the hope that he would strike a trail of
some kind.
Thus he continued until Tuesday.
camping out at night as best he could.
He had matches with him but could
find no wood until at this time. He
made a good fire, but having no protec-
ton could not keep warm without hug
ging the fire. AS a consequence he
burned his oyercoat nearly off his back,
his shoes and other parts of his gar
ments sharing the same fate. We'd
nesday morning he started out the
same way, but suffering intensely from
hunger and fatigue. at last he OBJ
served a peak or knoll which seemed
familiar to him, and he felt he must
be in the vicinity of Reeds ranch,
about eighteen miles north of
Rock creek; but of this he was not GER
tain. However, he soon found a trail
and did not go fifty yards until he
struck the main road. He now dis
covered he was about five miles south
Of Reeds ranch and within thirteen
miles Of Rock Creek. His strength
was fast failing him for he had eaten
nothing since Sunday, and the thought
of reaching a hospitable roof nerved him
uP. w AO cbluBBlCu uhIll ~ ld5I Iut
welcome sight met his gaze-Reed's
ranch In the distancel But this was
too much for him. Either overcome by
intense JOY or a giving way Of exhaust
ed nature, he fell fat on the snow.
Here he lay; but not long, for he knew
he could not survive long lying there,
30 he commenced to crawl towards the
ranch, which was about half a mile
distant. TIE him It was q painful and
seemingly never ending journey. At
last he reached the gate of the fence
which enc1oses the ranch and nature
refused to do any more, and had not
kind friends been under the hospita bic
roof Of the ranch, he might have died
there. But he was o o found and had
to be carried into the house. he was
well cared for that night and Friday
he was taken to Rock Greek, reaching
here the same day. AS may readily be
imagined, Mr.. Peterson was a forlorn
looking creature when he reached the
ranch, tattered, torn. charred, FROST
bitten and famishing-as much dead as
alive. In his wanderings he was fire..
quently among antelope, black-tsil deer
and cattle, but having nothing but a
jack knife could kill nothing. He also
saw several bear. Had he had a gun
he could have killed a beast OF some
kind and made some sort of shelter
with the hide, beside preventing hun
ger.
While he is able to be about, as a
matter of course, Mr.. Peterson is
bound to suffer physically from SO BE-
we're a shock. He was examined by
DR.. Crook and found to be suffering
more or less from congestion of tie
lungs. The skin has peeled from his
nose, and he feels all over as II he had
been run through a threshing machine,
ground to pieces and suddenly put to-
gether again without being healed.