Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-10-12
SOME ODD STORIES.
INTERESTING INCIDENTS RELATED BY
MAJOR ALFRED r. CALHOUN.

A Perilous Adventure in the Rocky Noun
tains-How Miner Was Suspended
Gead Downward Over an Awful Abyss
| Cor Six Hours-The Rescue.
| copyright, 1899, by American Press Associa-
tion
| 1t was in the days before tho whistle of
the locomotive woke up the echoes of the
| Rocky mountains that a young miner
| named Tom Hanson, accompanied By Il
! half breed guide and partner naGlSd Paul
| Lafarge began to prospect along thc swift
streams that flow from Wet Moung;tia
valley into the Arkansas about twenty
miles above Canyon City,
| They carried all their outfit on Il packed
mule, and as they had ventured into the
mountains before the snow was all gone,
they found the streams swollen; but il
they could not search for gold Immediate
ly, there was no need of their being idle,
for that part of the mountains abounGSd
with game. After establishing camp
Paul Lafarge, who cared more for pcl!S
than he did for gold, set bis traps, aa,l the
young white man went OFT every IaHli.sa"
to hunt antelope till the waters sGh .t;,> ;,
But the men We're not permitted to live
! here in peace. A few days after their ar.
rival, on going out to examine tt" beaver
traps they found them gone, ana the IN
press of moccasined feet near by told that
the thieves were Indians,
"Men that steal traps will murder CT rob
a camp" said Lafarge, rs with heavy
hearts the two made their way Lack to
camp. Here their worst fears We real
lied, for during their absence that morn
ing the camp had been plundered and even
the mule was missing.
After the first discovery the men sought
to allay their-indignation and disappoint-
ment by strings of profanity; then Hanson
declared, as he struck the butt of his rifle
and pushed back his hat:
'If we can't pan for gold, Paul Lafarge,
don't see what's to prevent our hunting
for thieves"
This met the approval of the half breed,
who had no great love for work, but who
dearly loved a fight lii order to have
good start, the companions waited till the
following morning before taking Up the
trail of the Utes, for it was agreed that
the Indians were of this tribe.
The tracks soon scattered or We're lost CT
the hard rocks to the west Of the camp,
but they succeeded in keeping one in sight
and this led directly toward the canyon of
the Arkansas. AS it was made by Il mule
it was particularly interesting to them.
It was we'll on in the afternoon, and they
were up on the towering cliffs through
which the Arkansas cleaves it's way at this
point, when they were startled by a cry
that seemed to come from the bowels of
the earth.
''There's some one over the canyon wallr'
shouted Lafarge, as they hurried forward
They reached the top of the canyon, where
they heard the cry repeated, and they dis
tinguished the words, Help! help!" in un
mistakable English.
Throwing themselves fiat on their faces
they peered down, and a hundred feet be-
low them they discovered the form Of a
man in hunters dress clinging with DIES
peration to the pinnacle Of IL rock that jut-
ted out from the main wall He was
hanging face downward, and il such u
position that il he released his hold he
must be plunged at once into the river,
roaring and foaming 1000 feet below.