Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-05-06

NJ
"a EE5SA M among the "breaks'
a n of high, irregular
(rNN~ plateau, wi ich lies
Ny. like a vast, ragged
v edged, wide-topped
mountain across northwestern Wyoming.
A network of bitches, gulches aud
cauons, labyrinthine tangle of water
wars, slashing the sides and angles of
the breaks, goes to form the heads of
these creeks.
These numerous and precipitous run.
lets produce the dreaded washodts
which. in the season of rains, occasion
ally food the upper valleys of all the
streams in that region. Those who are
acquainted with the country make it a
point to avoid building habltation of
any kind in the narrow creek valleys,
and never encamp in them in
the season of rains, which come in
April, May and June.
In these months occasional violent
showers, accompanied by frightful cleo
trio displays, occur upon the plateau,
and the rains which fall In floods are
poured so suddenly down the deep.
bard beds of thousands of bitches and
small canons that their volume reaches
the valley Of creek with all the effect
of cloud burst.
n 1878 my uncle was one of party
of 'tender-f oots" who lost half dozen
wagons and most of their horses and
effects, and had three of their number
drowned in the valley of Beaver Greek
where it comes out at Buffalo Gap. My
uncle lost riding pony and saddle, a
tIsnk containing some vauables, hs
gun and all his clothing except that
in which he had lain down.
During the building of the "Blacll
Hills Branch" railway, several camps of
workmen were overtaken by a flood in
the deep, canon like valley of short
tributary of the South Cheyenne. Five
of them persisted in the flood, and their
camps were completely wrecked.
A few years ago a Swede, named
Scharf Bergman, emigrated from Min
nesota to the vicinity of the V. Six.
ranch near the source of Horse Head
Creek. He came early in the season,
with his wife, several children AMI a
bunch Of sheep, and built a shack of cot
tonwood logs about mile below the
V. BOX. buildings.
The prospective railroad had attracted
many settlers, or ''nesters, as the cow
boys called them. They were dropping
in ot,,1 h,ild,nus +bair ran,r,rary - IA; -
all along the stream, aud were already
beginning to break lapd The ranch
men at the V. 30X, like all cattIemen
had contempt tor agricultural settlers,
whom they regarded as an obstruction
and a nuisance.
One dag. when the Swede had been in
his cabin about month, Bob Nugent
and "Tex"--I never learned Tex's full
or real name-two cowboys who were
stopping alone at the ranch, happened to
ride by the Swede's shack, and noted
that he had built it upon fat in the
nsrrow valley, scarcely four feet above
the level of the creeks ordinary bed.
II o settler was at the moment up
hitching yoke of oxen from load OF
pine wood which he had just hauled
down from the breaks. Three tow
headed children were climbing up on the
wagon.
The cowboys saw at a glance the
perilous situation of his cabin. They
turned their horses heads aud rode down
to the man.
HJov dee day said Toy
"How dos".answered the Swcdc, with
a suspicious look on his face.
"Look hyerew said Tex. "It you
don't pull your freight out O. that hole,
the next washout II drownd you an
your woman an all them leetle cotton
tops"
"Vat you said9" Ino understau that, "
answered Bergman.
With some difficulty Bob Nugent made
the man understand that they advised
him to remove his SHACK and effects to
higher ground, to escape possible food
But Bergman had heard of the sike OF
the cattlemen to "nesters, and suspected
a wicked design TO frighten him off his
claim.
"I bees a man" he said stoutly. 81
have always mint my own beesness. Bet
ter you mint yours, meester gattlenans.
stay where was
So the COW boys left him, but made up
their minds to Keep an eye open toward
the cabin, at least for the sake of the
woman and children.
Only few days after this a sudden
storm came up in the night. Bob was
awakened by a terrific clap OF thunder,
and a moment later heard the rain pour
ing in torrents. He rose aud looked out +;
the water was falling in floods. As he
could zee by the constant vivid flashes OF
lightning.
He thought OF the Ssede aud his
family, and hurryiog to the room where
Text slept, woke hin-TcK had a repu-
tation at the ranch as a s.eeper-and
two or three minutes later the two CIV.
boys were dressed aud out in the storm.
They found the water running ankle
deep down the side hill upon which the
ranch building stood. II was as violent
a storm as they had ever known in that
region. Greatly alarmed for the family
of the Swede, they ran to the horse cor
raj, caught two of the ponies, which
were huddled under a storm shed, aud
stopping only to bride them, rode at
breakneck speed down the valley.
When they reached the shack in which
Bergman lived they saw that the bed of
Al -. Il.
rent oil water, which tumbled aud foamed
as they had often seen it before in adj
vance of the swift food which would
inevitably fill the little valley, rolling
down like an avalanche.
The lightning was so incessaut as to
keep all objects rear at hand within plain
view. Bob spfang from his horse and