The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-02
WINTER rxRns IN TIE s1ERRAs
How . Miner cot Ont OF the Mountsans
After the Snow HAD set In.

|
bred miles from even the smallest OF foothil
towns. are many little valleys or meadows.
! where the grass is always green when the
ground il not covered by snow. and when the
sheep do not pass through them on their way
into and out OF the mountains. These mead
ows arc accessible only by rough mountain
trails. not always plain. and difficult for any
but mountaineers to follow. Most OF them are
held under squattcr title by miners. prospec-
tors. and others whose calling takes them into
the vast Sierra wilderness OF rock and forest.
| and the grass that grows upon the meadows is
invaluable to the occupants. 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 destroyed by vaGrant sheep.
The miner who has n claim on lodge al
| most on the backbone Of tho Sierras builds his
! cabin in meadow several miles maybe from
his mine. and fights the sheepmen for the
precious feed. He has no title but that OF Dos
session. but he is usually tenacious sort OF
| person. and will hold whatever no thinks is
| Justly his so long as his Winchester will hold
| a cartridge.
| Worry self-reliant chaps arc these lonely old
mountaineers. They live and work alone all
summer and they don't think of going out OF
tho mountains until the snow gets SO deep
| that they have to run an 'up-raisc" through it
| to get out Of their cabins The Sierra win
| ter is peculiar. but somewhat uniform
| in its popularity and generally predict
able In its phases. except when 1t
! takes a freak once in five or six years
and breaks all rules. and then it is bad thing
to fool with. Generally there is a heavy fall of
snow early in the season. but that doesn't
start the mountain men out. They know that
the show will melt away rapidly. and clear
weather will prevail until about Christmas or
o little later. But when it begins showing
after Christmas. no matter how trivial the
storm may be. tho mountaineer packs up his
stuff. makes all snug about the cabin. saddles
his horse and gathers up his pack animals.
| and lights out over the trial as fast rs he can
travel. Sometimes the first snow storm is a
big one and lasts n long time. and then the
mountaineer gets fooled and has Il hard time
on the trail.
Away up on the very headwaters o! the San
Joaquin. where the shadow of the nlinarets
makes early twilight. lives Thomas Agnew
miner. His cabin stands in meadow where
the grass is green and the water pure and cold
all the time. He lives there alone. and works
at his claims on the Great Mother lode of
silver. and the mountains hold no terrors for
him. The sheepmen don't bother him. He
used to be the Sheriff of mountain county. is
known to be a very determined man. and can
shoot like Daniel Boone
Last year the early SHOWS were heavy. but
AGnew was satisfied that the winter had not
really begun. that II was only the false winter.
ana when he went out to Mammoth to attend
to some mining business he left everything
lying around loose and fastened his cabin door
with nothing stronger than shakes. At Mon;
mouth he met man who was going into Dead
Mans Pass to look at some claims. and he told
the man to stop at his cabin and make himself
Two weeks later. Agnew returned. The roof
Of his cabin was visible above the snow. but
no smoke was coming out Of the chimney; As
through the snow to the door he saw that
beaten trail. made by some animal, ran to the
only u six shooter in his belt. The door Of the
cabin was broken hd H. h ana 1t was evident sat ia
place and might DO at home.
Agnew slid around on his snowshoes to the
ehd OF 5e het and poM n
by u growl. and Agnew pounded harder. and
took stone from the top Of the chimney and
lion OF unusual size. with dark brown name
the mountain side: Asnew fred and hit tie
faster. and as 1t was too late to follow him that
day. Agnew went down into the cabin to see
se 2n a1 the ea and
foot struck something soft and heavy that was
lying on the floor inert and mo.ionless. He
nsrvy eS-sherifi shuddered and grew SICK at at
esH bo boz blood AND ciothnE and b. the
shreds Of eSSthinsS only could ne Identity tho
Whether the man had gone into the cabin at
night. when he could not see the tracks OF the
It ass a to Sdes seran
into the den and had /, been attacked ;I by the
coward and seldom. II ever hunts man or de-
llberateiy seeks conflict with him. -,-.,,.
been occurring the cabin for some n! tine; as
him. and everything in Tho cabin had been
torn and scattered about The lion had pushed
s al SSvs the pei He ana
the salt meat alone after tho man from Nam
moth entered the cabin
Tom Asnew followed the trail Of the muir
derous beast through the mountains. and then
back TO tho cabin and make hurried prepara,
tions for leaving Dead Mans Pass. He went
horses and led them to the stable near the
cabin to start out in the uqnr
night and at daylight the snow was nearly six
feet deep on the meadow and much deeP n On
It was slow, work breaking road out.
quito easily but he would not leave the horses.
ard so he attacked the drifts with energy.
patience and a shovel 1t took two days to
break u path to where the trai! begins the as
cent OF the mountain. and while he was doing
that ARnew returned to hi cabin at night On
the third day the snow began falling faster
than ever. and it was obvious, that the road
few hours AGnew packed some 50 provisions ia
horses. and led them up to where he had quit
work the night before leaving me cabin, cabin Sc
The horses were accustomed to road break
ing. and as fast as Agnew 'shovelied his way
ahead they followed him up. and the wind
whirled the snow in behind them and rapidly
filled UP the cut. When night came Agnew
Ind space about six feet wide shoveled out
at the end Of his cut, making hole in the
snow about eight feet deep. with vertical sides.
Over the top OF this hole he stretched the can
VS. and then he led the hor5ss n," IT,"
The. preparations were simple, Each horse
got feed Of barley. Agnew ate MS bread and
slept in the oldest sort OF bed that eyer was
seem His two saddle bags. filled with hay,
were placed upon the ground between tho
horses. and Agnew Struggled 2 foot into each