Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-23
IRONTON. MO. THURSDAY AUGUST %. 1888.

a little bridge from point to point.
Kind of a tricky looking place, but we
were bent on going on, and go ON ii
was. 80 the only remedy could see
was to get down on our hands and
knees and crawl. Well, finally we got
over all safe and started again, with
Mt. Sneff1es ahead. AS we took that
to be the divide, we concluded we would
be there before dark. After awhile We
met man with his pick on his should
er going down the mountain and got
into long conversation and on finding
out the truth we were only four miles
from Ouray and ten miles from the
basin. Well you never saw such a
sick lot of boys as we were. just then
he informed us that we would get to a
little place called Portia about dark. so
We bid him good bye and arrived there
as he stated, only eight miles on the
road. We enquired if we could get
something to eat and a place to sleep,
but alas, no soft bed. The only accom-
mediation we could get was, "YoG can
sleep on the hay in the stable" So as
we hadsto sleep somewhere we thought
one place was as good as another. so
we spread our blankets on the hay and
turned in, and cannot say that ever
had a better nights rest, as woke up
the next morning bright and early
ready to go on, after good breakfast.
We got started about 6 A. M, with
the roads frozen hard and only four
miles to go. We allowed we could get
there by A. M, but we had not gone
over half mile until we found out that
we had no idea what Colorado noun
tains were, for we were getting up
above timber line, where there is no
kind of a tree grow 9, and the snow was
from to 10 feet deep. The air was
commencing to get pretty light and our
road got to small trail about one foot
wide and went zig-zag up the mountain
like an old rail fence. We started up,
and after walking for over two hours
we could take stone and throw 1t
back to the starting point. To make a
long story short, we arrived at the
Virginia mine at IL O'Clock; 8 hours
walking four miles: how's that for
walking? After dinner we looked at
the mines and surroundings, and tho
boys looked for job, but got disap-
pointed, so they wanted to go over the
divide, which was only two-thirds of
miles away. concluded to leave my
valise there and go with them, so we
struck out for Marshall Basin, and it
was strike out. I could not say that
did much walking, for the noun
tain was so steep that crawled up
just imagine crawling on your hands
and knees half mile on the snow OH
the 9th day of June. 1t took us an
hour and half to get to the top, $4,000
feet above sea level.
Well, after we had rested and were
ready to go on it was next to a puzzle
to find the trail ,as only few had gone
over on foot. To go straight ahead it
was impossible, as The mountain looked
like the inside of a scoop and going
down as slanting as the roof of house,
SO after looking around little while
we saw trail in the snow around q
point of q rock. It was hard job to
get there, but with digging our heels
in the snow and long pole we brought
with US we commenced to make pretty
good headway until we got around the
head of the basin; then we arrived on
a level piece OF ground, about half a
mile of good walking. AS soon as we
arrived at the brow of the hill Marshall
basin was under our feet. To get down
to it was the next thing. We could
only find one place that looked as if we
could go down, SO away we started.
We got down about half way, and I
was ahead, when here co me bundle
of blankets and a yalise. In turning |
around to see what had happened /
came very near losing my balance and
going too. But what vas my surprise
here comes T. l.. sliding in good shape
lit put me in mind of boys coasting
and the sled getting from under them. |
So seeing his danger l stuck my stick |
in the snow ahead of him and he
it as he was going by, and by
doing so 1 saved him a slide which
might have cost him his life. Finally
we arrived at the mine and the boys
started to look for work, and inside of
two hours they were told to get ready
to make start on Sunday, June 10th,
at II o'clock, at $3.50 per day; SO that
left your humble servant Wandering
Jew. S. y.
ITO be continued.)
Mr.. Haistead and p. Ford.
One of the patient and enthusiastic