Morris tribune., 1883-09-15
Snow-SIOe ThOmpsOhs' Exploit.
Eenrn ihn Gan ErAnNiSnn Gall

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The IA foot snow-shoes of the "Snow-
shoe Thompson" will be sent to the
Louisville Exhibition by Fl. j. McKusick,
Superintendent of the Railway Mail
Service on the Pacific coast. The shoes
are those built for Thompson, who was q
mail. carrier on various Sierra Nevada
routes for many years, aad who died
only few years ago. 1t history oi
few of the startling adventures encoun-
tered by Thompson could be sent along
with the shoes, they would indeed be an
interesting exhibit. For many years
Thompson carried mail over the route
from Placervlle to Virginia City, cross
ing the Sierra Nevada on the way. Alta
point Just south of Lake Tahoe, on the
shores OF the Fallen Leaf Lake, Thomp-
son had little cabin of his own for use
in case he any time failed to make
Yank's Station, on Lake Tahoe, on the
westren trip rs that was the longest
and hardest days snow-shoelng he
had, and it meant death to be overtaken
by darkness or storm without shelter.
Each year the last stage to run over the
road in the fall would leave some corn,
-four and whisky ut this cabin, so that in
an emergency Thompson would be pro-
vided for. 1t happened that one winter
during storm of snow so thick that
Thompson's progress was slow, he was,
in fact, prevented going any further
than the cabin, on account of the sudden
and impenetrable darkness which over
took him just at that point. When
Thompson had entered the cabin and
started fire he Was amazed to find the
scattered over the flour. The work evil
IDENTITY of bear, which had broken in
the door. melted to that rash act, no
doubt, by the odor cf bacon. The
whisky was still there, and Thompson
concluded that few hot glasses of that
would satisfy him for the night, and
after several we'll mixed glasses he
rolled UP in his blankets and went to
sleep with his feet to the log fire.
He woke at daybreak and opened the
door to take look at the weather betosa
strapping up his snoes and proceeding
to Yank's for his breakfast. AS he did
so he was decidedly startled by seeing
camped just outside of the door half
grown grizzly, which was evidently
waiting to see who or what was occupy
ing his quarters Thompson jumped
back and the bear waddled in and gave
evidence of his satisfaction at the pros
peCt of a mail carrier for winters feast.
He couldn't get out of the door, 80
Thompson Jumped up, caught hold of a
nssDeam, and drew himself up. The
Uear camped underneath and grinned
indulgently, as though saying: "Well,
old fellow, you've got to drop sooner OF
later; here goes to see which of US can
outlast the other" Thompson sat it out
all that day and the following night.
There was no use IN crying for helD at
none would be within hailing until the
spring. He could not jump down and
only weapon, and altogether the case
looked pretty desperate for the old mail
carrier. His snow-shoes were leaning
from one end of the cabin to the wall al
the other end, and Thompson finally
opened his knife and lashed it with his
scarf, torn in strips, on one end of ons
shoe, making formidable lance OF it
While the bear camped under him he
could not use his lance, the cabin not
being long enough. Thompson at lasttgoi
the animal outside nf the door, by toss
ing one of his stockings out, which the
bear lounged out to investigate. That
got him far enough to be prodded and
Thompson prepared. When the grizzly
had shifted the bait it turned round. fas
Ing the door, and found its snout within
aim of Thompson's lance point. The old
mail-carrier only had foot tc draw
back his lance, but he nsed it to good ad-
vantage. for, carefully, drawing it back,
he gave it a sudden plunge forward, the
knife entering the bears brain through
one of its eyes. When the exhausted
mail carrier reached Yank's and told
this story it was doubted although
Thompsoo had remarkable reputation
for truth-telllng among those hardy
liars of the mountains. "There, if you
don't believe me, boys" Thompson
said, "the United States mail Zen wait
until my character is vindicated. I'll
not leave this place until some of,ye
doubling lubbers has gone back thar
and brought me steak of that thar
bar" 1t was done. Yank himself and
some of the men about the station went
back On the snow shoes, and Thompson
had his dinner off steak of the bear he
killed with his snoW-shoe lance.