The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-02-17
UNITED AT THE LAST.
PITiEUl TALE OF AN EMlGRANT
FAMILY THAT Persisted.

Which Froze to Death in Dead Mans
Cove-IIeroic Efforts of IL Mother.
That's Dead Mans cove right before
your eyes, said the old man as he point
ed to q recess of half an acre in extent
in the southern face of the Little Rocky
mountains. That's Dead Mans GOV
and you kin see the iron work of the
wagon lyin about when we git closer.
When | first looked in here thar was
five human bodies lying dead in that
wagon. Me an my pard we dug a big
grave and buried 'em all together back
agin that cliff, thar whar the rocks is.
We piled the rocks that way SO the
wolves couldn't git at the dead"
"But there is no headboard no
Names" l protested as | rode closer to
the spot pointed out.
Couldn't be no names, cause we
couldn't find any" he replied, ''and them
rocks is a gravestun as will last forever.
Well git off and sit down fur a smoke,
and I'll gin We the full particulars. I've
passed here a hundred times in the last
three years. and it allus gives me the
heartache. Poor husband-poor wife
poor children!
at was this way" he continued after
his pipe was alight. Me and pard had
our shanty down the valley about a
mile. Plenty Of emigrants in Their xiv
cred wagons used to come by this trail
and turn south into Wyomin. or keep
west into Idaho. They'd come five or
six families at II time, and they'd ON
singly. Some Of 'om would take SIGH
chances of Iniuus. sickness, landslides,
starvashun and death as would make
your ha'r stand on end to thinl; Of. No
man kin begin TO guess how many graves
thar be of men, women and children be
tween the Dakota line and the west
branch of the Missouri river. I've
counted II hundred in II days ride.
"Waal. one December mOruin HC and
pard woke MP to feel that thar was il
blizzard maxim ready 10 bust on us. 1t
had been coolish but pleasant up 10 that
time. We could tell hy the feel of things
what was comm. and began to git ready
fur it.. 1t was jest artrr noon when q
woman walked into orr shanty. She
was IN cmigrant. Rj-ht here in this
cove she had left her hUshaud and foUr
children to try and find some help. He
had bin sick fur three weeks and was
little better than a dead man, and she
had bin drivin the team IN takin keer of
things gener'ly. She orlCr to hey turned
back long before, but some fool Of Il
doctor had told the man he'd get well if
they kept ON.
They had got separated from the
party they started with, ANA had made
the last hundred miles alone. They
war out O grab, hadn't IL match left to
build u fire. and the woman knOwed II
change fur the wusS WAS BLOWN up.
| She was II frail, leetle woman, and she
| had gone through with huff t. down Il
man, but she hadn't lost all her pluck
VT. As soon rs she told Us the story we
got ready TO go back with her an bring
in the outfit. We Imtc q start, but W.
never got thar"
THE blizzard prevented, CHI
she did. She came swoopin dOwnal !
Of u sudden, like some great bird droppln
from the sky. \ fine snow begun to
| fall, the wind started right in TO blow a
livin gale, and ! believe the thermom-
eter Went from Is dogs. above to 10 degs.
below insideof half an hour. We hadn't
any with us, hut the change was sudden
an amazin. You couldn't face that gale
to save you. life. 1t jest stopped us and
turned MS around before we had got fiji
teen rods from the house. As to the
cold, it Jest plralyzcd you. We had to
90 back, and AFTER takin Il big drink o
whisky all around and putin on more
clothes we tried ii agin.
Me and Sam WIS as tough as bars
them days and could hev laid down in a
pond Of water and let it freeze up with
us, bat we coulin't buck agin that biz
zard. When we made the second start
we got about half way up here, the little
woman lcaGin the way all the time.
Then we had to stop. Hou couldn't see
three foot from yonr nose. ana all of II.
was freezim to e. &,l by inches
And you went back"
we did. The woman was deter,
mined to push on, and we jest had +
pick her up aud carry her back. 1t wa.
only by the Lords hand pintin the way
that we ever reached our cabin a@in
We had our ears, noses and fingers friz
and an hour arter we got back watel
friz solid in our cabin within five foo
of a roarin fire. The woman prayed t,
God and appealed to us, but we khowcj
it was no use. That was the blizzard 0
1881, and I've heard men say it was 4:
dogs. below zero in this valley tina
night.
The woman got nipped wuss than w
did, but her mind was o. the famil.
back here. She was bound to come bacl
alone, but we stood her off till abou
dark. Then she made II bolt fur it al,
got away"
"And went to her DEATH
"Jest as sartin as if she had jumpc'
off that cliff. The blizzard shet us il
fur three days. When We got out W
found her within twenty rods Of til
cabin. She had friz to death goin tina
fur. OF course we knowcd howit woul,
be up here. The horses had been o.!
hitched and turned out. They lay owe
by that tree. The folks III the WACO