The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-06
TWO LONELY GRAVES
Affecting Separation Between
Nan and Wife.


=
Leadville Democrat
II noticed . few weeks aeo in your paper
description Of lonely graves in tho noun
tains Of Colorado = remarked gentleman
to tho writer Monday. AT the time l
read 1t Was travelling in the northern por-
ton of the state. and Il called 10 mind two
lonely graves that l know Of. which lie
hidden in the recesses OF the mountains In
Routt county. OF course, there is . his
tory attached to them, and II you have
time viii spin the yarn" Being informed
by tho scribe that he always had time to
listen to good story. the gentleman said:
In the rear 1872 was prospecting in the
neighhorhOod OF Hams peak and the Rabbit
Ear range. and q that time bat very little Was
known Of the rich silver veins which traverse
that portion of tho state. There were other
prcspeciors In the country, and the few OF Us
felt elafed over the finding OF several leads that
contained gray copper. and We went TO work
with win to open tho veins up. You have NO
idea OF the many difficulties that one has TO
contend with In new country. and the priva-
tions one has to suffer.
Hat the excitement attending the. life Of .
prospector that some day he win strike It and be
recomrenscd for Al his trouble buoys him up
and he enslurea ail hardship and privationa with
good grace. The country II that Tins was well
stocked with game and We never ha'i any 'iif-
6culty in procuring al the freah meat that We
needed. 1 had builS a rude cabin at the head OF
small gulch and not far from my claima II
Was aloveIy spot with groves Of quaking aspen
trees surrounding the cabin. and about nifty
yards from the door stood two majestic pines
that named the sentinels.
One day, when returned from work. found
- - ~.
session of my house, and was = little astonished
al first to see . woman in that part Of the couu-
try. They asked permission 70 remain there
few days and X was readily granted Was in
deed glad 20 zee strange faces and welcomed
them to my humble abode Ffou the very drst
! noticed that the woman was not strong. and
this aroused my curiosity. ~ couh not
figure out why . women In delicate health
should be in such Wild part OF the country
she had been pretty woman once, but con-
sumption. the maledy from which she was snf
fering, had robbed her Of most OF her beauty.
She had . sweet temper. that won for her friends
wherever she went She was also perfectly re-
signed 70 the inevitable. and knew that her pill
grimase on earth was short But she bore up
with the greatest Iorrtude
They had been at the cabin abcuta week, and
everything about e had BEEN changed. Alice
that was the wOman's name-had remcdeled the
place. and I'll things showed the touch Of =
woman's hand. Well, one evening after supper.
W were sitting In 'front.' Of the cabin enjoying
the beauties Of IN August evening. when the
husband, Alfred. told me what brought him TO
that section Of Colorado His story was brief
He stated that after being married in the East
fer two yeau HE wife had shown unmistakable
signs Of consumption. and the doctors had cd
yised him to take her to California, and. Il pos
sihls. 70 80 across the plains b. wagon, as he
would 6nd joufnsying that way she would gain
=. - 49,
small town IN NebraskA who wese going to the
ccast and engaged thsir paassge For me nrst
week out Alice gained strength. bus one evening
she caught cold and this malady increased with
awful rapidity. When Laramie City was reach
ell she could 20 no farther and the trip had 70
be abandoned. At that town they were advised
TO so into the mountains. ~ the fresh air To-
cened with the perfume Of pine was beneficial
to consumptivex wagon was procured that
took them to North Park. and by easy stages on
horseback they had reached my cabin. II was
by the merest chance they had found It. and
Was glad they did.
month passed. the happiest insmy life. bat
saw that gradually Alice was sinking and that
she would never leave the gulch. Her husband
noticed the change and was unconsolabse. He
administered to her every wasn't, which were not
many, and realized what an awful change II
would be when she was taken fIom him. One
night the end came. che called me into the
little room that had partitioned OF fog their
use and In = feeble voice thanked me for al my
Kindness to her. and hoped that when ny time
came to cross the mysterious river she would
meet me in that land where sorrow Il unknown.
She told Alfred that &c wes hard 20 leave him,
bat that he must be strong aud bear the afnic-
don that wise Master had In his just wisdom
sent him 10 carry. and that all things were done
for the best 1t was scene the ike OF which ]
wish never to witness sgain--the feeble girl, fun
OF hope for the future. bidding goodbye 10 the
man she loved and the strong, powerful man,
bowed down with grief ~ the thought Of losing
her who was the only tic which bound him 70
this world The end came With her head pill
lowed on the breast OF her protector her spirit
winged ita flight to eternal rest Underneath
one Of tie pine trees We iaid ner ana carved her
name and the date OF her death on its trunk.
Alfred was broken-hea-ted, and wandered
among the hills like one lost. lie had no pur-
pose In iife 70 used 70 ask him to do the chores
about the place to engage bis mind with some
thing One day asked him 20 20 out and kin
deer. q we were out Of meat Whether he
com misfed suicide, OF whether the gun Was
cidentaIly discharged I shall never k-ow, but
found him the following csy, about two miles
from the cabin. with bullet through his brain.
The Gun could have been accidentally dis
CHARGED As found the body IN . small thicket
az willows. and while passing through IL the
hammer might have caught On twig, and 20
discharged the gun
I got assistance and carried him 70 the cabin.
and he was buried alongside OF his beloved wife.
4; the foot o! the other pine tree, and today the
Mace IL known ~ LONELY 6ulch."
After the tragic ceath of Alfred could remain
NO longer in the place, 20 left returned to il
= few years ago and looked upon the two lonely
graves and thought OF the few happy days that
the shree OF ms spent here In the August Of is72
BIZ reading the article on lonely graves. l
- sfssfJ
would tell you the story about the two graves in
..Lonely fsnlch.s Few people know The history
OF thcAa that lie sEeepsag In that little rayine In
Routt county. Now ron know Il. and IL ~iii. in
. measure. clear mp ans mystery that may have
been woven around them BY those who may
have happened 70 stumble against them
Thanking the gentleman for his kind
ness, the scribe left. meditating over the
uncertainties Of life.
GROWTH OF MEXICO.