The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-02-18
PERSISTED In A STORM.
PITIFUL TALE OF AN EMI0RANT
FAMiLY's FATE.
Death in Biisssrd--rhe Graves Of Those
Who Perlshed Together = No
Names because They
Were Mover known.


That's Dead Mans Cave right
before your eyes" said tho old man.
as he pointed to recess OF half an
acre In extent in the Southern face Of
the Little Rocky mountains.
WALL one December moruin' mo
and pard woke up tor feel that thar
was q blizzard maxim ready TO bust
on us. It had been coolish but pleas
ant up to that time We could tell
by the feel OF things what was comm
and began TO get ready fur it 1t was
into our shauty. She was an emigrant
Right here In this cove she had left
her husband and four children to try
and find some help. He had been
sick fur three weeks and was little
better than dead man. and she had
been drivin' the team an takin' keer
OF things generly. She orter to hev
turned back long before. but some
fool Of doctor had told the man he'd
get we'll II they kept on. They had
got separated from the party they
started with and had made the last
hundred miles alone They war out
6taO hAAh y u0tCu AClb W
fire. and the woman knowed
change fur the wuss was BLOWN up.
She was frail leetle woman. and she
had gone through with 'nuff to down
man but she hadn't lost all her
pluck yit As soon rs she told US the
story we got ready to 20 back with
her and bring in the outfk We made
start but never got thar"
The blizzard prevented eh?"
She did. She came swoopin'
down all OF sudden like some great
bird droppin' from the sky. A fine
snow begun TO fall. the wind started
right in to blow a Twin gale and I
believe the thermometer went from
forty five degrees above to ten below
inside OF half an hour. We hadn't
any with Va but the change was sud-
den an nmazin'. You couldn't face
that gale to save your life 1t Jest
stopped US and turned us around be-
fore we had got fifteen rods from the
house AS to cold. it Jest parali ed
you. We had to go back and. after
takin' big drink o whisky all
around and putsin' on more clothes
We tried 1t agin. Me and Sam was
tough as bars them days and could
have laid down in q pond Of water
and let 1t freeze up with us but We
couldn't buck agin that bliz ard.
When we made the second start we
got about half way up here the little
woman leadin' the way all tbs time
Then we had to stop. You couldn't
see three foot from your nose; all Of
US was freezin' to death by inchea"
'And you went backp'
I'VE did. The woman was deter
mined to push on. and we jest had to
pick her up and carry her back. 1t
was only by the Lords hand pintin'
the way that we ever reached our
cabin agin. We had our ears noses
and fingers friz and an hour after we
got back water froze solid within five
foot OF roarin' fire. The woman
prayed to God and appealed to us
but we knowed 1t was no usa That
was the blizzard of '81. and I've
heard men say it was forty two de.
grees below zero in this valley that
night 1t friz 80 900 head OF cattle
to death in the Gallatin valley to the
west and the ice on the Missouri
river was solid from top to bottom.
See that rock split in hulfP Well. the
cold did that at that time. We had
lots OF wood and big fire. but It
was a clus shave that we didn't friz
to death. The woman got nipped
wuss than we did but her mind was
on her family back here She was
bound to come back alone but we
stood her of till about darG Then
she made bolt for 1t and got away"
''And went to her death P"
jest rs sartin as II she had jump
cd of that cliff. When we got out
we found her within twenty rods of
the cabin. She had friz 10 death
goin' that fur. or course we knowed
how 1t would be up here The horses
had been unhitched and turned out
They lay over by that tree The
folks In the wagon had crowded to-
gether and kivered up with all the
blankets but all war stun dead and
as hard as rocks They never saw
fust night como down. Me and pard
overhauled the wagon. but we couldn't
find anythin' givin' the name OF the
family. and so like hundreds OF others
out in this kentry OF mountains and
valleys Injun and wolf we kivered
'em in to sleep till the Lord gifts
ready to call 'em fur. Judgement
Seems awful that a hull family
should DO wiped out that way; but
they ar sleepin' thar together and
! guess the Lord'll know the spot
even il thar's no pravestun IN marL