The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-25
sNowsHoE THoMPsoN's EXPLOIT.
A California NIail-Carrier's Adventure with
Grizzly.

Grizzly.
San Francisco Call.
The fourteen-foot snow-shoes of "Snow-shoe
Thompson" will be sent to the Louisville ex-
hibition by H. J. McKusick, superintendent
of the railway mail service on the Pacific
coast. The shoes are those built for Thomp-
son, who Vas mail-carrier on various Sierra
Nevada routes for many years, and who died
only a few years ago. If history of a few
of the 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 Vir-
ginia 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 a little cabin of his
own for use in case he at any time failed to
make Yank's Station, on Lake Tahoe, on the
western trip, as 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 in the fall would
leave some bacon, -four and whisky at this
cabin, so that in an emergency Thompson
would be provided for. 1t happened that
one winter, during a storm of snow SO thick
that Thomrson's progress was slow, he was,
in fact, prevented from going any further
than the cabin, on account of the sudden
and impenetrabe darkness which overlook
him just at that point. When Thompson
had entered and started fire he was amazed
to find the bacon gone, and the -four tram
pied and scattered over the floor the work,
evidently, of bear, which had broken in
the door, melted to that rash act, no doubt,
by the odor of bacon. The whisky was still
there, and Thompson concluded that few
hot glasses of that would satisfy him for the
night and after several well-mixed glasses,
he rolled up in his blankets and went to
slaan with his feet To the log fire
He woke al daybreak and opened the door
to take look at the weather before strap
ping on his shoes and proceeding to Yank's
for breakfast. As he did so he was decidedly
startled by seeing camped just outside of the
door half-grown grizzly, which was evil
IDENTIFY waiting to see who or what was occu-
pying his quarters. Thompson jumped back
and the bear waddled in and gave evidence
of his satisfaction at the prospect of mail
carrier for a winters feast He couldn't get
out of the door, so Thompson jumped up,
caught hold of crossbeam and drew him
self up. The bear camped underneath and
yrinned indulgentiy, as though saying, ''Well,
old fellow, you've got to drop down sooner
or later here goes to see which of lis
can outlast the other" Thompson sat it
ont 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
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 at the other end, and Thompson
finally opened his knife and dashed it with
his scarf, torn in stripes, on one end of one
shoe making formidable lance oft. While
the bear camped under him he could not use
his lance, the cabin not being long enough.
Thompson at last got the animal outside the
door, by tossing one of his stockings out,
which the bear lounged out to investigate.
That got him far enough to be prodded. and
Thomp son prepared. When the grizzly had
shifted the bait ii turned round. facing the
door, and found its snont within a foot of
Thompson's lance-pont. The old mail-carrier
only had foot to draw back his lance. but
he used it to good advantage, for, carefully
drawing it back, be gave it sudden lung
forward. the knife entering the bears brain
through one of its eyes. When the ex-
hausted mail-carrier reached Yank's and
told his story it was doubted, although
Thompson had remarkable reputation for
truth telling among those hardy liars of the
m Mountains There, if you don't believe
me, boys" Thompson said, 'the United
States In all ken wait until my carracker is
vidkated. I'll not leave this place until
some of We 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
snow-shoes and Thompson had his dinner
off steak of the bear he killed with his
snow-shoe lance.