Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-02-18
UNITED AT THE LAST.
PITlFUl TALE OF AN EMIGRANT
FAMILY THAT persisted.

Some of Its victims n Whole Family
which Froze to Donth ir Dead Mans
Coye-Hcroic Efforts of n Mother.
That's Dead Mans cove right before
your eyes," said the old man as he point
ed to n recess of half Nh acre in extent
in the southern face of the Little Rocky
mountains. "1hat's Dead Mans cove,
and You kin see the iron work of the
wagon lyin about when ye sit closer.
five human bodies lying dead in that
wagon. Me an my pard we dug n big
grave and buried 'em all together back
agin that cliff, thar whar the rocks is.
We piled the rocks that way 80 the
wolves couldn't git ut the dead"
"But there is no headboard - no
names," protested rs l rode closer to
the spot pointed out.
"Couldn't be no names, cause we
couldn't find any," he replied, "and them
rocks is O gravestun as will last forever
Well git off and sit down fur smoke,
and I'll gin ye the full particulars. I've
passed here hundred times in the last
three years, and it nllus 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
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 q time, and they'd come
singly. Some OF 'em would take sich
chances Of Injuns, sickness, landslides,
starvashun and death as would make
your ha'r stand on end to think 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 hundred in days ride.
"Waal, one December mornin me and
pard woke up to feel that thar was
blizzard maxim ready to bust on us. 1t
had been coolish but pleasant up to that
time. We could tell by the feel of things
what was comm, and began to git ready
fur it. 1t was jest arter noon when a
woman walked into our shanty. She
was an enigrant. Right hero in this
cove she had left her husband and four
children to try and find some help. He
had bin sick fur three weeks and was
little better than dead man, and she
had bin drivin the team an takin keer of
things gener'ly. She orter to hev turned
back long before, but some fool of q
doctor had told the man he'd get we'll if
they kept on.
"They had got separated from the
party they started with, and had made
the last hundred miles alone. They
war out O. grub, hadn't match left to
build fire, and the woman knowed a
change fur the wuss was BLOWN up.
She was u frail, leetle woman, and she
had gone through with huff to down a
man. but she hadn't lost all her pluck
yit. AS soon as she told us the story we
got ready to go back with her an bring
in the outfit. We made start. but we
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
livin gale, and l believe the therlnom-
eter went from 45 degs. above to 10 degs.
below inside Of half an hour. We hadn't
any with us, but the change was sudden
an amazin. You couldn't face that gale
to save your life. 1t jest stopped US and
turned us around before we had got tf.
teen rods from the house. AS to the
cold, it jest paralyzed you. We had to
go back, and arter takin a big drink o
whisky all around and putin on more
clothes we tried it ngin.
"Me and Sam was as tough as bars
them dnys and could hev laid down in q
pond of water and let. 1t freeze up with
us, but we couldn't buck aGin that bliz
zard. When we made the second start
we got about half way up here, the little
woman leadin the way all the time
Then we had to stop. You couldn't sex
three foot from your nose, and all Of III
was freezin to death by inches"
And you went back?"
1--WE did. The woman was deter
mined to push on, and we jest had Il
pick her up and carry her back. 1t wal
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 arter we got back watel
friz solid in our cabin within five foo
of roarin fire. The woman prayed tt
e God and appealed to US, but we knowet
4 it was no use. That was the blizzard o
1881. and I've heard men say 1t was A
degs below zero in this valley tina
night.
The woman got nipped wuss than w
did, but her mind was on the fainil.
back here. She was bound to come bacl
alone. but we stood her off till abou
dark. Then she made bolt fur 1t an'
got away"
"And went to her deathY"
"Jest as sartin as il she had jumpe
off that cliff. The blizzard shet us il
fur three days. When we got out W
found her within twenty rods of tn
cabin. She had friz to death goin tina
fur. OF course we knowed how it woul
be up here. The horses had been OF
hitched and turned out. They lay owe