Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-04-12

1hoeting Down . Mountain Road Bshi.d
. Fleeing Cow and . Weak Brake.

shooting Down . Mouutaip Road Bshind
Fleeing Cow and Weak Brake.
did ever have lively ridei I
think am safe in saying yes, al
though ! cannot say that l Travelled at
the rate of sixty or seventy miles, per
haps not more than forty. But We
went fast enough, and few of rs in
the car were sure enough Of being
alive the next day to put off thinking
Of those things that man will dwell
on when he believes his life in danger.
! know that the people on the car were
glad when it stopped, although we
were out Of all danger when it did
stop.
If you ever travel to Alta. a min
ing camp high in the Wahsatch
mountains, in Utah territory, you win
make part Of the trip on O horse tram
way, for no railroad could climb the
mountains to the head Of Little Cot
tonwood canyon, where Alta sits up
among the clouds. The tramway =
extremely narrow and hangs by ledges
and crags and peaks, q itseems, wind
ing its way till you are at the very
head of the canyon. From first to LA
you are in a snowshed, the roof al
which inclines at An angle with the
mountains side. and over this snow
shed and down its steep pitched roof
fash snow slides and masses of ice.
which leap far out when they leave
the shed and 60 diving to the bot
tom OF the canyon, down 30 far below
that when you look at a man follow
ing the trail down there ON his broncho
he looks like a doll ON the back OF a
small dog. In the Sides of the shed
there are little squa-s holes which LET
in light enough to enable you 10 see the
string of mules trv:ched out before
you in single line tugging away at
your narrow c.sr.
But while mules pull your light
car ON the upward trip you come down
with rush. The niples are sent down
the canon to Waiisatch station. When
you are nicely tucsed in the car tho
man sitting in the trout seat gently
loosens u couple of brakes aud the car
sof with an easy roll. In a moment
you are spinning along. the light car
swinging swiftly around the sharp
curves and bits OF white flashing pass
you where the holes are cut for light
The brakeman has gone over the road
In this way 30 often that he can tell by
the resistance or the brakes how fast
the car is going. His deft hand les
sens or hghtens its grip as the grade
rises or falls, and 30 uniform is the
rate Of speed that at any time he can
tell you the exact minute of the hour
by the distance he has travelled.
I'VE were rolling swiftly down the
narrow, i'll lighted snowshed'one sum-
mer when in q streak of light from
one of the holes ahead we saw stand
ing q COW. Instantly there was q
grating sound of the brakes, followed
by the shock Of decreased speed. But
there came a loud snap and the Car
bounded away. sat behind the
brakeman and could see hi, face. I
have often thought since that he was
more frightened than l, but he seemed
a. cool as veteran soldier under fire.
He released one brake entirely, the
one which had snapped, and presssd
al his force on the other. He gave
out loud yell, which frightened The
cow and started il on a run. The fnst-
o. the COW ran the louder and wildsr
he cried until the mad COW wenk
plunging ahead like q mad snginA
RAcing after the terrified animal, -
rapidly drew near IL 0ncs canG1A
dght through an opening a ths GFo0
gs1n FAR below In the canon, an6 eggn
Wondsrsd IL q man oouh live ~ -
ssnchsd the bottom It sssmsa ~
W caught the COW wifh o. loa9 -
alIe that Il wss ~ = e. q -
win1oWs that ws sFoek ~. n ~
80 ehock druvo her rcRoahing tkEcuGA
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