Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-02
THE STORY OF LITTLE JOE.
What Was Contained in the Frontiers
mans Big Bundle.

What Was Contained in the Frontiers
mans Big Bundle.
Passing through town night before last,
says the Chicago Herald, was frontiers
man who bore in his arms great bundle.
The careless observer on a hasty glance
could not have told what it contained, so
unlike was it to anything in particular
but a collection of shawls and blankets.
A close inspection, however, would have
revealed beneath the folds the wasted
form of a child.
Sitting in the Union depot waiting for
the train for the East, the Westerner held
his bundle carefully so that the gaslight
would not reach the lads eyes. As he
was shifting his position he sad In reply
to the inquiry of bystander:
"NO, he amt sick, mister. He's just
hurted. Didn't you never hear of it?
Well, now, that's quar-. 1t was in all the
newspapers in the Black Hills country.
This here is little Joe, of the HOmestake
claim. Never heard of him? Lemme tell
you something, then, and Cont you never
forget it. Will your"
'Neyer," was the response.
s'Well, sir, away back last February,
when the snow was three-fOOt deep and
tee billiards vas a-hOWling, our cabin
got afire one night, and it was just as
much as ever that we got out of it with
our lives. We were about nine miles from
DeadwOOd and we set out on foot for that
town. After we had gone a ways we found
that the snow was so almighty deep that
We was liable to be stalled. There was
crustOn it and we'd break through up to our
necks in places. Only little Joe got along
all right. He didn't weigh much mOre'n
bag Of dust, and ne skinned along on
top Ike fly. Finally, when we couldn't
90 no further in the cold and the snow,
he says: You just go back, boys, and
keep up the fire, and III be back yere
agIn in less'n twelve hours with grub and
liquor, and I'll have the boys in Dead
wood come after US tomorrow
sSGOd bless his little soul! | mind just
how he looked that minute. There want
no use of one trying to go ahead, so we
let him 20 alone and we went back, and
heaDing wood on the fire made by our
cabin tried TO keep warm. Along toward
midnight we began to get powerful
hungry, and to wonder what had become
I of joe when all of a sudden we heard
| faint calling.
3. It's a Bird some one says.
q No. it amt saws l. It's little JOe.
Eve listened and heard it again. The
/ wind was whistling almighty cold, but
| there was no installing his voice. Two
/ or three Of US sprang out into the snow
I and made as fast as we could towards the
| place where we thought the voice came
/ from. Pretty soon we heard it again off
/ to one side. and, wading through the drifts,
we found him, He had fallen into the
| holes we had made in the crust in the
/ morning, and was so weak and still he
/ couldn't get out. So he lay there and
I yelled. He had grub and liquor strapped
I on hIm, but 1 picked him up in my
\ arms and we carried him TO the fire.
| Both of his feet were frozen, and he
was unconscious when we took his
/ burden off of him. All that night we
I rubbed him and cried over him, the little
cuss. and the next morning, when the
I bows from DeadwOOd broke through win
/ their bosses, we loaded him up and took
I him to town. The doctors had TO cut OIL
/ one of his feet, but he mended rapidly and
soon got so he could sit up. This fall we
had meeting and decided that Joe should
I NOT stav at the mine this winter, but go
! East and be taken keer Of at hospital IN
New York, and that's what Pm dong
\ now. Wen have him back IN the spring,
/ and if there's ANYTHING in the camp he
wants. it's his for all time"