The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-17
LIFE RISKS IN THE SIERRAS
DangersO of Remaining in the Mountains
After the Winter Season Begins.
Thomas Agnew's Fight for Life in u Driving
Storm. and the Awful Fate Of q Man Who
Sought Shelter in an Untenanted Cabin.

D hundred miles from even the smallest or
foothill towns. are many little valleys or
meadows. where the grass Is always green
when the ground is not covered by snow.
and when the sheep do not pass through
them on their way into and out OF the
mountains. These meadows are accessible
only by rough mountain trails not al
ways plain. and difficult for any but
mountaineers to follow. Most of them are
held under squatter title by miners. pros
pectors. ana others whose calling takes
them into the vast Sierra wilderness OF
rock aud forest. and the grass that grows
upon the meadows is invaluable TO the &C.
cupants. for without it they would not be
able to keep their pack and saddle animals
through the summer, when the feed on the
mountain sides IS dried up or has been de-
stTOyed by vagrant sheer.
The miner who has n claim on a ledge al
most on the back bone of the Sierras Iullds
hls cabin IN a meadow several miles may
be from his mine, and fights the sheepmen
that of possession, but he IL usually n
tenacious sort of a person, and Will hold
whatever he thinks is justly his so long as
his Winchester will bold a cartridge.
Very self-reliant chaps are these lonely
old old mOuntaIneers. They live and work
alone all summer, and they don't think OF
going out of the mountains until the snow
gets 80 deep that they have to run an up
raise" through it to get tn out of their
cabins. The sierra winter - peculiar. but
somewhat uniform in It's popularity and
generally predictable IN Its phases except
when 1T takes a freak once IN hive or six
years and breaks all rules. and then 1t
Is n bad thing TO fool with. Generally
there is a heavy fall of snow early In
the season, but that dOsent start the
mountain men out. They know that
fhA ann- will malt a x z Tnnl6lU and clear
weather will prevail until abont Christmas
or q little later. Bnt when it begins snow
ing after Christmas no matter how trivial
the storm may be. the mOuntaineer packs
ND his staff, makes all snug about the
cabin. saddles his horse and gathers mp
his pack animals. and lights out over the
trail as fast as he can travel. Sometimes
the first snOw-storm Is a big one and lasts
q long time, and then the mOuntaineer
gets fooled and has a hard TING on the
trail.
Away up on the very ~headwsters of the
San joaquin, where the shadow of the
mInarets makes early twilight. lives
Thomas Agnew. miner. His cabin stands
in q meadow where the grass Is green and
the water pure and cold all the time. lie
lives there alone. and works at his claims
on the Great Mother lode of silver. aud the
mountains hold no terrOrs for him. The
sbeepmen don't bother him. He used TO be
the sheriff of q mountain county, Is known
10 be q very determined man. and can shoot
like Daniel Boone.
EATEN BY A MOUNTAINS LION.
Last year the early SHOWS were heavy.
but Agnew was satisfied that he winter
had not really begun. that it was only the
false winter. and when he went out to
Mammoth to attend to som mining bust
ness be left every thing lying around loose
and fastened his cabin door with nothing
stronger than shakes. At Mammoth he
met a man Tho Waa going into Dead Mans
Pass TO look at some claims. and told the
man TO stop at his cabin and make himself
comfortable.
Two weeks later Agnew returned. The
roof of his cabin was visible above
the snow. but no smoke was coming
cut of the chimney. As he approached
the incline leading down through the
snow TO the door, he saw that q
beaten trail. made by some animal. ran to
the cabin, and he approached with caution.
having only a six-shooter In hls belt. The
door of the cabin was broken in, and 1t
was evident that a mountain lion had been
making q den of the place and might be at
home.
Agnew slid around on his snow-shoes To
the other end of the cabin and pounded
upon the roof. The noise that he made
WAS answered by a growl. and Agnew
pounded harder, and took a stone from the
TOD of the chimney and dropped IT rafting
down into the fireplace. There was a rush
and q growl. and a mountain lion of un-
usual size. with dark brown name aud long
hair on the TANKS, shot out of tho door and
ran swiftly across the snow toward the
mountain side. Agnew fired and hit the
beast. but the shot only made HIM run the
faster. and IL was too late to follow him
that day. Agnew went down into the cab
in TO see what the lion had been doing.
Ii was very dark In the cabin, and Ag-
news foot struck something soft and
heavy that was lying on the floor inert and
moti0nless. He CROPPED for the candle-box.
struck a match. lighted n candle. and
IOOKad rnnnn LUnn n nv - W
shuddered and grew sick at what he saw.
1t was n mangled mass of flesh. bones. blood
and clothing. and by the shreds of cloth
ing only could he identify the man whom
he had told TO occupy the cabin. Whether
the man had got into the cabin at night.
when he could not see the tracks of the
lion, OF Ind been surprised there while
asleep. IL was impossible to Judge certainly.
but probably the man had walked unsus-
pectIngly into the den. ami had been
attacked by the eornered brute. for the
mountain lion Is a coward. and seldom, if
ever. hunts nan or deliberately seeks con-
aict with him.
Moreover. 10 was evident that the animal
bad been occupying the cabin for some
time. as the impress OF his form was deep
in the bunk, which was Just long enough
TO Accommodate him, and everything in
the oabIE had been torn and scattered
about. The lion had pushed the cover
from a half barrel OF beet and eaten all but
the bottom layer or meat He had left the
salt meat alone after the man from Man,
moth en- tered the cabin.
BATTLING WITH THE STORM.
The next day, and the next. and the third
day Tom Agnew followed the trail of the
murderous beast through the mountains.
and then the big snOw-storm began, and he
had TO get back TO the cabin and make hur-
ried preparations for leaving Dead Mans
pas. He went down to a lower meadow
~here there had been but little snow. and
caught his two horses and led them 10 the
liable near the cabin, intending 10 start
ont in the morning. The storm Increased
in violence during the night and nc day-
light the snow was nearly SIX feet deep on
che meadow and much deeper on the trail
that leads up the mountain TO the old Mann
moth road
IL was slow work breaking a road ont.
Agnew could have gone ont on snow-shoes
onite easily. but he would not leave the
horses. and so he attacked the drifts with
snergy. patience and n shovel. Ii took two
avs TO break a path To where the trail be-
Ina the ascent of the mountain. and while
Re was doing that AGnew returned TO his
.ab,n at night. On the third day the snow
6.oan falling faster than ever, aud il was
ohvious that the road already broken
~ould be filled up again in q few hours.
Aonew packed som provisions, a 81 OK of
herley and q sheet of canvas upon his
Sar.rs and led them up To where he hal
n.;r work the night before. leaving the
gs.hin securely fastened and ali snng for
fhs winter
The horses were accustomed TO road
h,aaking. and as fast as Agnew shoveled
RS way ahead they followed him up, and