The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-15
A Curious Midnight Experience Of
Hugh McQuaid in the Prickly
Pear Canyon.
How q White Horse Searched for
His Master and Called His
Name.
A Famous Adventure of Lost Mail Car
rEer Recalled and an Experience In 2
the Canyon.

Pricklv Pear c0nYOn reminded Hugh NC
n,,.;a - - ~a+ha- nr,,.so,oa ;nc;dant n that
N1o.u " : -o'.e4 k.1o1 ~ ....a
great Wonoer OF nature. u was oonro. w.
with an adventure OF few months De1ore
that became famous in the history of re-
,rorLah,a raa from death. To 90 back
to- ~. , t;ns ths w;ntar of 1889 viii be re-
TOE UlMe' me .ln'el = .o .w,.ah1s -
membered by oid-tiners as IeHal AaD,e lo1
the great fall Of SNOW and the long dura-
tion Of niercinp cold weather. For several
,oortha everything was blocked and for
..o- - ~..-.I !, Mo,,t.,,;ors +hot +ba
time u appoaleu " Alon'oens ',ao VIZ
earth was to return TO It's prlmeVal cono1-
ton of ice. None suffered the effects of the
lono strain more than the mail carriers. and
j $3.50 - 49,. 49,. xa,,o.,,, IN, ~
u was one VI 'neso D1eso .oAo"o "uo
came the nero OF an unPalal!ea1egu e3pelU1ence'
On the 9th OF December, 1878. BOD casey,
q lad OF twenty years, started out IN
binding snow storm from sun river to
Twenty -elRht Mile springs. ne urove
white horse attached to little two-wneel
vehicle large enough 20 noid man poucn:
As he did not reach Iwenty-eiRn5 Mile az
the usual time, 1t was assumed tnat ne
had been lost and searching parties were
q long search they failed to hnd the missing
mail carrier.
On the third of January Bill Rowe, tne
superintendent OF the line, reacneo benson
and learned OF the attalr. he immeo1ately
started out alone to ma me aob4 egs was
of Twenty eight Mile springs and followed
it west for six milhs and then lost it. But
by "oircling" he again found it and after
travelling three miles saw horse and cart
wandering about on the ridge six miles dis
tant. On approaching he saw the horse
was plunging helplessly about in a snow
drift and in the cart was man with his
head bent forward, apparently in stupor.
It was the missing stage driver, who had
been ten days without food and was all but
he never wanted anyone to accuse Bob
Casey of deserving his post. His feet were
badly frozen and were amputated. popu-
lar subscription was started, Casey was
sent east to school and enough money was
left to buy small band of cattle for HIM.
He was afterward killed in British Column
ment at the time, because it was believed
impossible that man could live in that ter
ribte weather for ten days without food.
All of this is preliminary to an experience
of Colonel McQuaid in the canyon few
months later. He tells the story of Casey's
haunted horse as follows: II had been east
for few months and was returning home
by steamer to Fort Benton and thence by
stage. Colonel Broadwater was also on the
steamer. I was the only passenger on the
coach when we reached Bird Tail Rock, the
last station before reaching. the canyon.
The day had been warm and pleasant for it
was in the summer, and after enjoying
very good supper the driver and I prepared
to continue the journey. As we were ready
to start he led white horse from the stable
and tied him behind the coach. After ne
got on the box and whipped up tne Six
horses he turned to me and said:
ghost of . horse as passenger. WA,
II saw y0u tie morse penlno. Mnat
about hlmr l nao seen superstl'lous
stage drivers before.
well, SAID tne alNeI. Gna1 Mas casey
horse ana we WILL nave Clouo!e WIN mn oe-
fore morning. You see' mean me amman nat =; rs
hauntea. MS c Dlaln Was AI ~ 1871 "; ~
that trip WITH casey anu now ee Is LOOKING the
an tne tlae LOT MS nas tha: % 41o ,;Sht
boys at me station say sna. o ~ Sne r nen'
tney can near t!ao notse y1nlns' CaSG ~,
oio man, We are ~ oau ~ ne IT,, o ~, ~
say WIN you ;,, MI, ~ h;ossif ~ and SAT-
out aI s e for the mail carrier. He rot
away from Me Snie ~ ..'non VIZ - .,;..h4 M
ana no viii 90 Ine y: sam 1 so-nlRnsi ne
ooys az tnc sta'iuns s ~ ~ n. "to LUZ az" :
am taxing MN Gown 70 1ne Ao ~ s9P;
WELL" continued huRn, o.ont Jake ,e
much stock IN the story ana iorgot az
about 1t q few hours later wnen we Qot
down in thescanyon. II was mo1nn9nt
night ana was fatner enjoying tuo rue
through the beautiful! place wnen the orlver
turned around ana sudoenly SAID: 1
Thought So"
Wnat II t1e ma1te1 low, HsAo9. 49,,
"Oh, that ghost has left us. that 1s ALL"
1T suddenly dawned upon me that the
canyon was q an1knIy 9luosono p1a ~ " pe
In at night, but got down from the box
and after walking Dack quarter OF mile
found the missing amman. I Drougn! nim
back 70 the coacn ana sRenI nIteen mlnu!es
tying him to the boot. cllmDeo up with
the driver and remarked:
1t that morse gets away TINS tlme ne Is
ghost. don't tn1nK you KNOW now 10 Tie
MN.
Inc driver smiled ana salG, rs mat so"
and we drove on. After little the moon
went down ana We were alone IN what
seemed to be great granite mausoleum.
The silence was unorokem save by the clat-
ter OF the horses feet. There was long
hush IN the conversatlon because 1t
seemed no place for talk. have
thought hundred times that full ap-
probation OF the solemn grandeur and vast
ness OF that canyon never came to man
until he went through 1t at night on top of
coach. IN TINS pafncnlar night the pres
ence OF that horse did not exactly unnerve
not altogetner PieasahO. rlnatly the coacn
shot from short level IN between two
great helghts OF r0ck Wnele tne 1arkness
was SO thick l could cut II, ana the place
seemed alive with gnostiy ecnoes. Inc
driver pulled up I9r g minu.e, cooked ms
ear backward, and then remarked with
some sarcasm:
Il reckon you must nave Ioreot the com.
binatiOn when you tied that morse OF