The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-10-23
WIN TER ON PIX ELS z
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE oE 4
SIGNAL SERVICE MAN.
lie Tells Of Lonely Vigil with His Compan ION
Dying Buried Him In the Rocks with
His Own Hands - A Fearful
Experience.

had been in the signal service hut
little over a year when / was sent to
Pixies Peak. which is considered by
the men in the service the most dis
agreeable station in the whole country.
In summer it's not so bad, when there
are numerous visitors up every day
from Colorado Springs and the weather
is comparatively pleasant. But from
the middle OF October until about the
middle Of April it is very different.
Then it is almost impossible to get
either up or down the mountain, and
the only communication with the out
side world is by wire. One man takes
charge Of the station in summer and
two in winter Ny duties were to
begin with the winter season. /
reached the station the first day Of
October, whore found my comp .nion
for the winter awaiting me. His name
was Harry Sands.
The station is located Just . lutte
below the extreme top Of the peak. It
is low, one-story log building about
twenty feet square. Around iton three
sides is stacked at that season, almost
as high as the cabin itself, the supply
OF wood for the winter. To keep the
roof from being blown off, rocks are
laid upon it in different places, and two
immense chains are strung across and
fastened to the ground at either side.
The interior is divided into two rooms
by rough board partition. In the
larger one the men eat, sleep, and do
their work. The other is used as a
store-rOom.
One morning in the latter part Of
january, Harry got up looking very
pale. He would not eatany breakfast,
and before dinner time he was back in
bed again, complaining Of a terrible
headache. By evening he was in a
raging fever, So delirious did he soon
become that at times it was as much as
| could do to hold him in bed. l gave
him such medicine as | thought he
needed, and many an hour ispent por-
ing over the book OF instruction accom-
panying the chest in search OF a proper
remedy But nothing / gave him
seemed to do him any good. One day
early in February went outside to re-
move some sticks of wood the wind
had blown against the door. I left
Harry sleeping soundly, and, thought,
more naturally than at any time dur
ing his sickness. Returning a few
minutes later, found him sitting in
front OF the telegraph instrument with
his hand upon the key. But the effort.
had evidently been too much for him;
his head lay upon his chest, and she
was tremb bling all over with weakness.
! had hardly gotten him back to bed
when he began to sink rapidly. and in
less than half an hour he was dead
AS soon as | had recovered little from
the shock | started to telegraph the
news to Colorado Springs. Igave the
customary signal upon the key, but re-
ceived no answer; repeated it. still no
answer: Thought it very strange
knew the operator at Colorado Springs
was always in his office at that hour.
Again and again l tried, but with no
better success. / made a careful ex-
animation OF the instruments, the bat
teries. and all connected with it, but
could find nothing wrong. Then came
the awful thought, .'the wire was down
hor
tains." It was not long before l was
compelled to admit that such must be
the case. Burying my face in my
hands, | wept like a child. The pros
pect certainly was a terrible one. The
probability was should be cut off
from all communication with the world
for two full months or more.
The next morning l wrapped up
Harry's body in i. couple of blankets
and buried it a few yards from the
cabin, among the rocks in a protected
part Of the peak. MY loneliness then
began in earnest. Such days and
nights as | put in. My only diversion
was reading and taking observations.
Every day at the customary hour I
would try the telegraph instrument,
hoping that communication might
possibly have been established. Every
day the same disappointment NY
great fear was thatiI should lose nv
reason.
One right about three weeks after
Harry's death, was wax ened up by
what sounded like the distant bowling
OF some wild animals. For Il moment
or two the sound was lost Then st
returned louder than ever. The ne xt
minute | remembered one Of the mon
in the service telling me. when lie
heard was going to Pixies Peak. to
look out for the coyotes. / had never
heard them before. My opinion was
that the keen-nosed brutes had scent
ed Harry $ body and had come to de-
Your il. Instead. of stopping at the
| place whore Harry was buried, thew
made q bee line FOR che cabin. a series
OF most di;,bolicai vells announced
their urrivssi. Ihs.s ] neard something,
/ thumb thur, :lt.. iilst .ha t.ni1in dnnrE