The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-16
ON TEE PLAINS In IS.
Carrying the Mails ThrouEh snowdrIfts.
Vinnger Pies-A Deer Hunt In the
aountRins-Discoyory OF Jacks Val
Iey-A GrIzzIy Hear sends die Boys 10
Camp.
BY SERGEANT HOLIDAY.

year i.S9,i
For six weeks We lay in our quarter in
active. Each night brought with it tn
usual game Of "ireeze out" and every othe
day detail had to be made 10 80 with til
OK train to the mountains for wood. N,
matter how cold, the wood must come AM
many ofthe boys bear marks to this day O
the sufIerings endured in those mountain
with that wood train.
Then there was the U. S. mails to be rul
through twicea week from Platte Bridge I,
Deer Greek east, and from Platte Bridge t
Sweet Water Station west. The mail hat
to go as long as the weather and condition
Of the road would permit, and many time
the boys were twenty-five successive hour
on the road, wading through deep snow
breaking pass Tor their pack mules ant
ponies, over q distance oftwenty.tive mile
which was usually made when the weather
was good in four hours.
Thus matters went on at this post until
sometime in November when the road be
tween Platte Bridge and Fort Laramie
became blocked up with snow and mails
had to stop, as did all travelling over that
part OF North Platte route. But there was
one duty we had to perform-wood w
must have or freeze TO death, and not a
stick could be gotten short Of the noun
tains, seven miles distant.
With our available wagons, enough
could be hauled for but three days use.
The result was that officers and men
alike had to turn out and work out their
road tax" as the boys termed the work Of
making road through snow-driiIs. We
had no iears OF hostile Indians; we knew
the red man could not live out in such
Arctic weather with his seanty supply Of
clothing.
Our rations were now cut short, and such
a thing Us vegetables were out OF the ques.
ton. The only thing we could get which
approached vegetable food was vinegar, out
OF which the boys made pies. II our wives
could see those pies, now wouldn't they be
ashamed Of their pastry? They were ia.
vored with nutmeg, which We purchased
from the now scanty stock OF the French
trader at the post at % cents each. The
crust resembled piece OF newly tanned
leather, and would rival 1t in elasticity and
durability. The custard after the pie was
baked looked like warm glue, aud was just
about ass,icky. But we ate tine pies all the
same, and in our innocence thought they
couldn't be beat by the best French cook
in America.
About this time another calamity came
upon US. The supply Of tobacco gave out.
Had the -four run out or the pork sudden.
| " disappear ed, and all these been entirely
cut oil, the loss would not have been felt SO
much as was the loss OF tobacco. Nearly
every man In that camp smoked his pipe
and large number Of course chewed. As
result, the old smokers took to smoking
coffee and tea and wild sage. But tea came
the nearest filing the vacancy, and it was
not long before our rat!Qls OF tea was all
smoked up. However there were few
chewers in camp who had taken the pre-.
caution to supply themselves with The weed
at,Laiamie, but they kept it mighty still
and although they were constantly watch
ed by the smokers we could not find where
they kept it hid.
Ii was common thing Tor the sHokers
10 keep constant watch on the chewers'
mouth, and watch him spit, or detect il
possible any movement Of his jaw, and il
at any time "quid" was discovered il
his mouth, 10 negotiate az once for tht
second.hand chew.
It was generally pretty well chewed up
before the smoker got possession OF it, bu
after Il vas dried before the fire, smoked
very well, and tasle4 gyeeier than honey
to the iamished smoker,
Up to this time none OF our men har
yentured into the mountains very far. Ii
isut thDy had not time to go, and 1t wa
moi necessary 10 20 oyer the first range o
mountains to find deer ip ql4l9srce. The
bovs had been keeping the camp pretta
we'll supplied With fresh venison and ante
Hone, killed within sight Of our pamp.
Sergeant Howell and myself talked the
matter over one cold morning as We stood
leaning against the sunny side Of th'
blockhouse and looked into the blue sky
beyond the snow.coSeFed mountains, and
concluded to organize u small squad and
II possible, penetrate into the mountains
far beyond the first range. We bad long
ling desire to see what kind o. s.counr!
llay hidden in the dark shadows Of thoss
mountains, whose peaks We could set
looming up away back IN tho southwest.
Accordingly on the next day, with thfei
ponies well packed With robes, blankets
ammunition, cookil z materials. ISN'T. AK Rnl
shoyels, and weeks rations Of flour, sal
land csiFee, three OF US sat out amidst thu
Ihoots and ieeIs Of the boys who had madt
Ifun OF the proposition 10 90 on such hunt
Hooper, Howell and E.yself composed tn,
party. After ploWipg through snow TO
SIX or eight hours we found OURSELVES a
the Red Buttes, dye miles from camp.
We had been told by the halt.breeds q
the post that there was pass or low gap
Iat this point, over which We could take gu
ponies, and aeyeral miles beyond was /
beautiful valley, where they could get sui
dcient grass under the snow 70 i've on.
Although night was approaching, We dc
termined to try and make our way oyer tn
pass and camp in some canon in the NOM
tains over night, we found the pass com
paratiyely free from snow, az It bad hlowl
OF the rock into the canons, and after
few hours hard work we found ourselves
well into the mountains.
We had forced our ponies over the rock
and through narrow paths, slong the edge
OF dizzy crags, where q slip Of the FOG
would have precipitated man Or beast dow
into the pnEnoSn depths Of the yawnin
chasms, and we were approaching tn
western slope OF the pass WHOM one Of GU
pouies plunged into deep snow drift, AM
| Il was long after dark before we succeeded
nv aid OF our shovelB in eKtricatlng hin
The wind had settled and we concluded .
camp here until daybreak. These noun
taius were covered with great stately pines
with but little under brush, and We 500!
had warm FIRE Of pine Knots, over whicI
we made coffee, slap+lacks aud deliGinu
gravy from the grease ola piece Of lat "so'
belly" Then 10 add to these luxuriei
"Doc.n Cooper had brought with him
large plug Of tobacco vh!ph he hid succeed
ed our brains with al old pipe-a wet" 9
the late rebellion. There was no slceI
that night, for q pack oil hungry gra!
wolves sat up howl in which all othe