Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-01-10
SAVED az a MATCH.


ore saved by the merest chance. Two
gentlemen of this city, says tho Lead
villo (Col.) Herald Democrat, know how
true this is, as one of them was saved
from horrible doath by a match. The
circumstance, as related by themselves,
happened in tho following manner: Ono
summer they concluded to devote tho
OF their attention to prospecting,
and started with pack animals for q
section of country in Garfield County
that was OF tho time creating considera-
bic comment among mining men. They
left the city at the beginning of sum-
: mer. we'll equipped with all tho neces-
saries required by prospectors. Tho
scene of action was reached without in
cident worthy of any special mention,
except, perhaps, tho loss of ono of their
pack animals, which was drowned in tho
Grand river while 'fording. They had
tho usual experience that all prospoctors
have, and also tho usual amount of
trouble with their pack animals. After
the first week they got used to all the
petty annoyances and took them in
matter-of-fact manner. After spond-
ing six weeks in the now
country they left, as they found
nothing Ito suit them, and, like
a great many new countries, it
proved to be flzzle, and tho mineral
that was reported to be in largo quanti-
ties has, as yet, never been discovered.
The two prospectors on learning of tho
now fields went in q westerly direction,
and thoroughly looked the country over.
Several good prospects were struck and
fhnr ,.lr u l.
middle of October, and they concluded
that 1t was timc to return homo. Tho
jacks were packed, and they started
across the country for homo. Tho route
that they laid out took them over tho
flat-tops, as it was tho nearest road to
Lcadville. The third day out they saw
that storm was brewing, and not wish
ing to DO caught on the f1at-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
themselves in their blankets and laid
down to rest. About midnight they
were awakened from their sleep by tho
bowling of the wind, which whistled
through the trees under which they
camped. Tho heavens were black and
tho two men knew that tho storm would
soon descend. They had not long to
wait before tho first flako of snow fell,
and the storm broke with terrific force.
No one who has never spent o night on
the flat-tops during snow-storm can
form any idea Of the fearful velocity at
which the wind travels and how
dreary and lonesome the sr .-"und-
ing country becomes. Tho two men
wcro by this time thoroughly aroused to
Tho danger of their position and longed
for daylight to appear. BY this time
tho snow was falling thickly, and was
being whtrlod hIther and thtther by
the eyer-changing wind. Morning at
last dawned and they started out in
search Of their animals In the face of
the awful blizzard, deter mined to leave
the country at nll hazards. The prog
ress was slow, ns tho snow had driftod
heavily, and when they onrne to whore
they had turned their horses loose the
| previous evening tho animals had left.
| Whom tho storm started tho stock
started before it, and by the time tho
prospectors reached whore they should
have been tho animals woro gomo miles
away. Tho mon kept oil trailing them,
! and when. evening was approaching
they were nearly played out and made
UP their minds to camp. 1t was long
and weary tramp, and when half tho dis
/ TANGO was travelled they had to give It
up and mako camp for the night undor
sheltering pine tree. One of the men,
was completely played out and could
/! not go stop further, and, although It
was bitterly cold, when the spot to
camp was selected he stretched himself
out on tho ground thoroughly exhausted
and cared not whother he died or lived.
Ills companion being stronger, started
TO get some wood together, and oncour-