Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-10-04
RIDING AN AVALANCHE
How Uncle Alex Game to See His
g Friends in Deer Lodge.


! Deer lodge tM IT, New Northwest 81
Everybody knows, or Is the worse of for
not knpving, Uncle Alex Hyland. He is 78
years old, hale hearty and vigorous for his
I years, and every day through the sessot, does
bis day's work hi tho pIacers alongside such
stalwsrts as James Hartford and Iarnes Fiem-
Ing, and never misses b lick or meal. And
sAes doesn't let the long winters debilit4te him,
either. kfew days ago John Gerber wrote to
him Of his Intended departure for California
Fsbopt this time, and in the doe course Of un-
certain mails tho letter was placed in Uncle
/ Alexs hands. Ithad been raining tyo days
son Eli; the four or Ave feet of snow that
sovers the mountains and gr,lches in the
vicinity was soft and honeycombed and the
streans were running . freshet. But Uncle
ALEX concluded to como to Deer. Lodge to see
Gerber. The first eight miles to Lear. cross
ing the heavy range had to be made on snow
shoes, and the next nine to the stage station ON
foot; but Wednesday morning of last week he
snow-shoes and started OYER by way
or Deep GuIch. The ascent from Elk
was tedious and laborious 1t Is long
'trudge up the mountain TO the top of the ridge,
!! IVY feet above Beartown and 600 above the
/ summit was reached at last, and he was con-
| graduating himself ON an easy run down TO
I i bssrsown, when ths snev sunk in the, trail
same result The rains had honeyconbed and
7 undermined the snow. Alfttie distance onthe
/ whole body Of snow had slid away and plunged
down the precipitous canon side into the bed
| OF Deep Gulch. This would never do fol
t snow sshoeing. The only recourse was to as
tMean Elk and Deep and follow slong ON the
| edge OF the summit He muffied, his shoee
with rope brought for the purpose and the
climb was made, good footing secured, and all
II was abontz time for % smoke He halted,
filled his pipe lit i, took North American
/ iwhin or two, and was just striking out when
iswh-e-w-w-zip away went the entire body Of
Snow with wild whirl and IN 9 moment be
was riding an ayslaliche 700 feet wide with
lightning speed, hesdlong down the precipice
toward the waters Of the creek nearly 400 feei
below. Fortunately, he was whiried Sheai
on" and wasawithin . few feet Of the top O,
the slide when il started! He struck with hil
could not disengAge from his feel, and rhev
i through space with the accsleratior
i of speed produced by ifboth theis decliy
ity and the spow4slide Before be couli
say @Erin go BrAghs the slide hat
| around him until only enough Of him was lef
free and unfettered to haze whipped Gerbel
had he been In sight But he wasnt-&nor AMI
ether living thing land the wind singing,
plaintive monody in the neighboring pine,
alone broke the sadness that succeeded th,
1 roar Of the avalanche He looked back to de-
4 IL any more snow was coming. The canon sid,
i lay bare and SCARED To- the summit with th'
boulders and stumps holding white fragment
| OF their recent shroud He had ridden the cres
of the slide and was safe. He was shout b
rest q spell before extricatng himself, wher
suddenly his feet grew cold The chill crep
| up his ankles and was feeling for his knees be
fore he realized the situation. The snow slid
L bad damned the wSters OF Deep Gtleh. The,
4 we're coming up after him. Something wa
necessary to be done without unnecessary de-
lay. Some willows and brush projected near
He reached over and caught them and wa
1 speedily free. He concluded to leave tn
vicinity forthwith, and was soon after pickini
his way down the gulch. arriving at Beartowi
at p. m, without brtlise or q broken bone
md that's the 'way Uncle Alex cane up fron
] 1Ser Creek Many and many . sturdy Hal
has been lost in snow slides that were sInal
compared to this, but they were. under and
was on top. When asked if he would retur
that way he said: sNoiI think I will 60 eve
by Henry Grants cabin. The snperviso
i seems to have neglected his work this winte
on Tie Deep Guich trail" He leaves for HON
/ to-dAv e'-ts an 2 E-fs-t