Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-07
sNOw-sHOE THOMPsON's Rx-
PLOT.
A California Mail Carriers Adj
venture with a Grizzly.


San Francisco Call
The fourteen foot snow shoes of
Snow shoe Thompson" will be sent
TO the Louisville Exposition by Il. O..
MoKusiek. Superintendent of the
Railway Mail Service, on the Pacific
coast. The shoes are those built for
Thompson, who was a mail carrier on
various Sierra Nevada routes for many
years, aud who died only few years
ago. If a history Of a few startling
adventures encountered 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
Placerville to Virginia City, crossing
the Sierra Nevada on the way. At a
point just south of Lake Tahoe, on
the shores Of Fallen Leaf Lake,
Thompson had q little cabin Of his
own, for use in ease he at any time
failed to make Yank's Station, on
Lake Tahoe, on the western trip, SO
that was the longest and hardest days
snow shoeing he had, and it meant
death TO be overtaken by darkness
or a storm without shelter. Each
year the last stage to run over the
road would leave some bacon, -four and
whisky at this cabin, so that in an
emergency Thompson would be pro-
vided for. 1t happened that one win
ter, during a storm OF snow so thick
that Thompson's progress was slow, he
was in fact, prevented from going any
further than the cabin, on account Of
the sudden and impenetrable darkness
which overlook him at that point.
When Thompson had kindled the
IRE he was amazed to find the bacon
gone, and the -four trampled and scat
tered over the floor, the work Of q
bear, evidently, which had broken in
the door, melted to that rash act, no
doubt, by the odor Of bacon. The
whisky wa still there, and Thompson
concluded that q few hot glasses Of
that would satisfy him for the night,
and after several well mixed glasses be
rolled up in his blankets and went to
sleep with his feet to the log fire.
He awoke at daybreak and opened
the door to take a look at the weather
before strapping up his shoes and pro-
ceeding to Yank's for his sbreakfast.
AS he did so he was decidedly startled
BY seeing oamped just outside of the
door a half>grown grizzly, which was
evidently waiting to see who or what
was occupying his quarters. Thomp.
son jumped back and the bear waddled
in and gave evidence Of his satisfao
ton at the prospect of a mail carrier
for winter feast. He couldn'tget out
Of the door, so Thompson jumped up,
caught hold of the cross beam and
threw himself up. The bear camped
underneath and grinned indulgently,
as though saying: well, old fellow,
you've got to drop sooner or later;
here goes to see which of US can out
last the other" Thompson sat it out
all that day and the following night.
There was no use in crying for help, as
none would be within hailing until the
spring. He could not jump down and
fight the bear with his pocket knife.
his only weapon, and altogether
THE CASE LOOKED PRETTY DESPERATE
for the old mail carrier. His snow
shoes were leaning from one end oil
the cabin to the wall at the other end
and Thompson finally opened his
knife and dashed it with his scarf torn
in strips, on one end Of one shoe,
making a formidable lance of il
While the bear camped under him be
could not use his lance, the cabin moi
being long enough Thompson at last
got the animal outside his door by
tossing n OF his stockings out which
The bear lounged out to investigate
That got HIN far enough to be pre-
pared, and Thompson prepared. Wher
the grizzly had shifted the bait, il
turned round, facing the door, anc
found its snout within aim of Thomp.
sons lance point. The old mai
carrier ouly had a foot to draw hi;
lance, but he used it to good advant-
age, for, carefully drawing it back he
gave it a sudden lunge forward, the
knife entering the bears brain through
one of his eyes. When the exhausted
mail carrier reached Yank's, and told
this story it was doubted, although
Thompson had a remarkable reputa
ton for truth telling among those
hardy liars Of the mountains. There
if you don't believe me, boy, Thomp
son said, the United States mail ker
wait until my charackter is vindicated
I'll net leave this place until some O.
ye doubling lubbers has gone back
thar and brought me a steak of thai
thar bar" II was done. Yank him.
self and some Of the men about the
station went back on snow shoes, and
Thompson had his dinner off a steak
Of tn bear he killed with his snow
shoe lance.