Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-26
SAVED BY A MATCH.
Experience of Two prospectors in the
 Mountains Of Colorado.

I
 Mountains Of Colorado.
 The most trivial circumstances sOmc- l times changes the entire current of Q mans life and often the lives of men are saved by the mcreSt chance. Two gentlemen of this city, says tie Lead vile (Col.) Herald d-Democrat, know how true this is, as one of them was saved from 8 horrible death by a match. The circumstance, as related by themselves, happened in the following manner: Ono summer they concluded to devote the whole of their attention to prospecting,
 and started with pack animals for q
 section of country in Garfield County that was at the time creating consdcra- ble comment among mining men. They left the city at the beginning of sum
 mer, well equipped with all the neccs,- saries required by prospectors. The | scene Of action was reached without in | cident worthy of any special mention, l except, perhaps. the loss of one of their pack animals, which was drowned in the | Grand river while fording. They had | the usual experience Ihatall prospectors l have, and also the usual amount of 1 trouble with their pack animals. After lIc Alou Ntt\ tiltJ Soo uSS1 lo tAil uli' l petty annoyances and took them in a
 matter-of-fact manner. After spend-
 ing six weeks in tho new
 country they left, as they found
 nothing to suit them, and, lil1c
 great many new countries, it 1 proved to be fizzle, and the mineral
 that was reported to be in largo quanti l ties has, as yet, never been discovered. l 1oo of 1 new fields went in westerly direction, 1 and thoroughly looked tho country over. l Several good prospects were struck and 1 the work done on them. Itwas now the
 middle of October, and they concluded l that it was time to return home. The
 jacks were packed, and they started | across the country for home. The route
 that they laid out took them over the l flat-tops, as it was the nearest road to
 Leadville. The third day out they saw l that a storm was brewing, and not wish
 ing to be caught on the fat-tops they | rushed their animals through, but night
 came before they reached valley, and
 they were obliged to camp on the high
 ground. Every thing was made snug
 for the night, and wishing that the
 storm would blow over they wrapped
 
 down to rest. About midnight they
 were awakened from their sleep by tho
 bowling of the wind, which vhistlol
 through tho trees under which they
 campel. The heavens were black and
 the two men knew that the storm would
 soon descend. They had not long to
 wait before the first flake of snow fpij,
 and the storm broke with terrific force.
 \n hn hos itrlt m
 the tlat-toDs during a snow-Svorm can
 frrin any idea of the fearful velocity at which the wind travels and how
 drcarya- and lonesome tho surround
 ing country becomes. The two men
 Were by this time thoroughly aroused to
 the danger of their position anI lonGcd
 for daylight to appear. By this time
 the snow was falling thicklE, and was
 being whirlcd hithor and thither by
 the cVer-changing wind. Morning at
 last dawnod aud they started cut i'll
 search of their animals ir the fa"" of
 tnc awful blizzard detc. aimed to leave
 lnn country at all hazards. The prog
 ross Was slow, as the snow had driftcd
 heavily. and when they came to where
 they had turned their horses loose the 1 previous evening the animals had left. When tho storm started the stock
 started before it. and by the time the
 proSpcctors reached where they should
 have been the animals were somo miles
 away. The men kept or trailing them. . and when evening was approaching they were nearly played out and made up their minds to camp. It was a long and weary tramp. and when half the dis tanrc was travclcd they had to give ii up and make camp for the night under
 |, shcltcring pine tree. One of the men was completely playcd out and could not go 8 step further, and, although il | was bitterly cold. when tn" spot |, camp was selected he stretched himscli out on the ground thoroughly exhausted | and cared not whether he died or lived His companion being stronger, started [ to get somc wood together, and oncoUr aged his companion with cheering
 words. lie knew that if he did not get a fire started pretty soon his partner would freeze to death. It did not take
 long to collect the tirc-wood. cut some , shavings and have every thing in readi } ness to start the fire. He put his hand in his pocket, when to his horror the } match safe was gone. Every pocket was searched, but not a match , could he fin d. He rified the pockets O
 his friend, with the same result Tho realization ot the awful position he was Z placed in struck him, and he knew tha
 without a fire certain death stared his T companion In the face, if not himself Once more he searched, and to his joy
 found one solitary match in his yes V pocket. The wind was still blowing l and snow drifting, Would he succeed
 in l1indling the fire? was the question : he asked himself. Under a fallen log u he found some dry, withered grass ant Y. twigs, which he carefully put in his hat
 he whittled S, me moro shavinge, pro
 cured moro small limbs, and, with 1 prayer on his lips, knelt down, lit th' t match, applied it to the grass, saw i ' suddenly blaze up and as suddenly gt u out: but before it did one of the shay y inys had ignited, the fame extended t, u tho rest and to the twigs When the, t blazed up he knew that they were saved # Logs were piled on and the hardy pro-, 5 pcctOr turned his attention to his friend