Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-04-25

T<ZS1s5S@ OF hlSh, irregular
STSSta~-s plateau, which lies
w like vast, ragged
" edged, topped
mountain across northwestern Wyoming.
A network of bitches, gulcles and
canons, labyrinthine tangle of water
ways, slashing the sides and angles of
the breaks, goes to form the heads o.
,hese creeks.
These numerous and precipitous run.
lets produce the dreaded washouts
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 violcr
showers, accompanied by frightful elcc-
trio displays, occur upon the plateau,
and the rains which fall IN floods are
poured so suddenly down the deep,
hard beds of thousands of bitches and
small canons that their volume reaches
the valley of q creek with all the effcc.
Of cloud burst.
In 1878 my uncle was one OF part
Of "tender-foOts" who lost half dozen
wagons and most of their horses aud
effects, and had three of their num1,r
drowned in the valley of Beaver Creek
where it comes out at Buffalo Gap. My
uncle lost riding pony and saddle,
trunk containing some valuables, his
gun and all his clothing except that
in which he had lain down.
During the building of the "BIacl
Hills Branch" railway, several camps of
workmon were overtaken by flood in
the deep, cAnon.like valley of short
tributary of the South Cheyenne. Five
of them perished in the food, and their
camps were completely wrecked.
A few years ago a Swede, namei
Scharf Bergman, emigrated from Min
nesota to the vicinity of the V. Box.
ranch near the source of Horse Head
Greek. He came early in the season,
with his wife, several children and
bunch of sheep, and built a shack of cot
tonwood logs about a mile below the
Y. 3OX. buildings.
The prospective railroad had attracted
many settlers, or ''nesters," as the cow
boys called them. They were dropping
in and buildings their temporary cabins
all along the stream, and were already
beginning to break laDd. The ranch
men at the V. 30X., like all cattlemen,
Ind a contempt tor agricultural settlers,
whom they regarded as an obstruction
and a nuisance.
One day, when the Swede had been il
his cabin about a 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
narrow valley, scarcely four feet above
he level of the creeks ordinary bed.
The settler was at the moment UT.
hitching yoke of oxen from a 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 q glance the
perilous situation of his cabin. They
turned their horses heads and rode down
to the man. go.
'How dye do2" said Tex.
"How do2" answered the Swede, with
q suspicious look on his face.
Look byere!" said Tex. "If Vol
don't pull your freight out O. that hole,
the next washout IL drownd you an
your woman an all them leetle cotton
yops."
N"Vatyo saidl" Ino understan that, >
answered Bergman.
With some difficulty Bob Nugent madI
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 slike of
the cattlemen to ''nesters, and suspected
0 wicked design to frighten him Oft his
claim.
az bees a man" he said stoutly. 'I !
have always mint my own beesness. Bet |
ter you mint yours, mcester gattlemans.
I stay where l was"
So the COW boys left him, but made ur
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 suddeL /
storm came up in the night. Bob was
awakened By a terrific clap of thunder,
and a moment later heard the rain pour
ing il torrents. He rose and looked out; |
tie weter was falling in floods, as he !
coaid see by the constant vivid flashes OF |
lightning.
He thought of the Swedc and Iii, !
family, and hurrying to the room where !,
Te.t slept, woke him-TcX had 4 repu- !
tation at the ranch as a sleepcr-aId !
So or three minutes later the two COW
bows were dressed aud out in the storm. |
, They found the water running ankle |
deep down the side hill upon which the /
ranch building stood. 1t 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 |
only to bride them, rode at .
breakueck speed down the valley.
When they reached the shack in which |
bergman lived they saw tiat the be! OF |
the creek was already filed with tor
rem; ct 5gater, which tum0!cd aud foamed
------s-@a e.. oao-, IN nnfora in ol-