The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-02
snow.shoe Thorn pson's Exploit.

WITH A GRIZZLY.
From the San Francisco CALI
The 14-foOt snow-shOes OF +" Sn0w-Sh0e
Thompson" will be sent to the Louisville
Exhibition by Ii. j. Mckusick, superln-
tendent 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, and who died only few years ago.
II history OF few OF the startling adj
ventures encountered by Thompson could
be sent along with the shoes they
would indeed be an interesting eN-
hibit. For many years Thompson carried
mail over the route from Placeryllle to
Virginia City, crossing the Sierra Nevada
on the way. At point just south OF Lake
Tahoe, on the shores OF Fallen-Leaf lake.
Thompson had little cabin OF his own for
llse in ease he at any time failed to make
Yank's Station, on Lake Tahoe. on the
western trip, as that was the longest and
hardest davis snow-shoeing he had, and it
meant death TO be oyertaken by darkness
or a storm without shelter. Each year the
last stage TO run over the road in The fall
would leave some bacon, flour, and whis-
KEY at this cabin, so that in an emergency
Thompson would be provided for. IL
haDpened that one winter, during a
storm OF snow so thick that Thomp-
sons progress was slow, he was,
i'm fact, prevented from going any
further than the cabin, on account Of
the sudden and impenetrable darkness
which overlook him just at that point.
When Thompson had entered the cabin
and started fire he was amazed to find the
bacon gone, and the flour trampled 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 whiSkey was still
there. and Thompson concluded that few
hot glasses Of that would satisfy him FOR
the night, and after several well-miNed
glasses he rolled up in his blankets and
went TO sleep with his feet to the log-iiTe.
He woke at daybreak and opened the
door 10 take look at the weather before
strapping 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 bali-grown grizzly,
which was evidently waiting to see who or
what was occupying his quarters. Ihomp-
son Jumped back and the bear Waddled IN,
and gave evidence OF his satisfaction at the
prospect OF Il mlil-carrier for winter :
feast. He couldn't get out OF the door, so
Thompson jumped mp, caught hold OF a
crossbeam. and drew himself up. The
bear camped underneath and grim
ned indulgently, as though saying
"Well, old fellow, you're got to
drop down sooner or later; here
goes TO see which OF Us can outlast
the other" Thompson sat 1t ont all that
day and the following night. There was
no use in crying for help, ~ none would
be within haiing 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 des-
perate for the old maiI-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
| la,hed il with his scarf, torn IN
strips, on one end OF one shoe, max
| Ing formidable lance OF il. 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 ms
stockings out, which the bear lounged out
to investigate. That got him far enough
| to be prodded, and Thompson prepared.
When the grizzly had smiled the bait it
turned round. facing the door. and found
its snout within a foot OF Thompson
| lance-point. The old mail-carrer only had
foot to draw back his lance. but he used
it to good advantage. for. carefully draw
ing it back, he gave il Il sudden lunge for
ward, the knife entering the bears
brain through one OF its eyes. When
the exhausted mail-carrier reached Yank's
and told this story il was doubted,
although Thompson had remarkable
reputation for truth-teling among those
hardy liars Of the mountains. There, II
Won don't believe me, boys" Thompson
said, "the United States mail ken wait
until my carrackter Is yindikated. I'll not
leave this place until some Of ye doubling
| lubbers has gone back thar and brought
me steak OF that thar bar" Ii 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.