The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-26
A CHILLY STORY.
How RedbIanlSet Thawed Out ana
Surprised His WIDOW.

From the Chicago Times-Herald
1.-THE chilliest cold weather story ever
heard" said Alfred s. Trude, was told
me by one John Coffee a half-breed
guide, who ranged around the upper part
Of Wisconsin and the northern peninsuis
of Michigan. Understand me-" contin-
ued Mr.. Trude, placing an earnest hand
upon his listeners shoulder Understand
me, 1 do not vouch for the truth of the
story-I do not guarantee its correctness
in any PARTICULAR simply give it to YOU
as II was told to me. You may take IL into
your own consciousness and do with II
as you Will. Doubt il or credit it, as Won
see ht For my own part l wish to say
that L believe it. / have had considerable
experience In lawsuits, and have inter-
viewed many witnesses in my time. Tho
more statements / hear in court the more
l am inclined to look for truth and pro.
priety of speech in the men of the woods.
They have not yet learned that Language
was given man for the purpose of con.
cealing his real views Thus. when Jobt
Coffee. my guide. told me the story OF he
big freeze of 1869 l drank it in like the
water of spring. l saw no reason to doubt
his veracity. My account Of the event
will not be so picturesque as Coffee's. but
so long as the general facts are present.
ed, / presume it will be satisfactory.
Late IN January 1869, so Coffee. . said
James Buchanan Redblanket an Indian
of good repute, left his home over back
Of Munising to take some skunk skins
ana other peltry to- Marquette, where he
aimed to- market them Marquette is
about forty miles from Munising. and as
the snow was hard and Redblanket's six
dog team had brt about two hundred
pounds of skins to- haul on their sledge.
the journey was accounted as easy eight
or nine hour trip RedblnuRet was tgt
husky man. and good at heel ana toe. He
left home at O'Clock in the morning by
the light of the stars. Four hours late,-
cold weather settled down on the south
shore of Lake Superior like a hired man
on his job. Such a freeze had never been
known before. From reasonably mild
winters weather the temperature Of that
celebrated day in 1859 dropped out of
sight If the family of James Buchanan
Redblanket had possessed a thermometer
the mercury would have curled UP in the
bulb and frozen into a bullet But they
had no thermometer, and any discussion
on the subject is futile.
Three days elapsed and Redblanket
did not return to his humble home back
Of the Bay Furnace Company's location.
His tender pappooses, who locked for
beads and things upon his return. be-
came fretful and clamofous. Even Mrs
Redblankets placldity was rufIled, and
she began wondering what had become
of Jim. She told the neighbors that he,
had not returned, and, as the weather
had moderated to about zero, a party Of
six or eight started out for Marquette to
ascertain whether the offense for which
their townsman and tradesman was de-
talned was bailable under the singular
laws of the white intruders. Twenty miles
toward Marquette the outfit came upon
N ell IT, \ 50
ket, his six-dog team and the load Of
skunk skins. They were on a slight in
cline, the dogs straining at their collars
for the pull, and James Buchanan Red
blanket in the attitude Of one showing at
the rear of the load. He was doing his
best to push a good thing along, when the
cold came and froze him and his dogs stiff
in their tracks.
He and his team were piled up on
the peltry and hauled back to the Nuns
ing settlement. 1t was designed to give
Redblanket proper burial and to eat the
dogs, which is the economical practice
of the red men of the forest. One of the
party went ahead to break the news
and prepare the. Town Hall or council
house for the funeral RedbIanket was
what one might call an alderman among
the Indians. and an ordinary burial
wouldn't do in his case. 1t would have
to be a tribal affair. So a fire was built
in the middle Of the earthen floor. and
when the funeral train arrived, the in-
terror was hot and smoky. Redblanket's
remains were deposited near the fire.
and the dogs were stacked up outside for
future reference. The bosses of the camp
were sitting around inside, smoking and
the bereaved Mrs. Redblanket and her
feminine kindred were praeticing in the
long yell to beeraised next day, when a
strange thing happened.
James Buchanan Redblanlxet kicked off
the Mackinaw blanket which had been
stretched over him. and demanded first
food and then firewater. holding that, al
though an Indian, and as such, not en-
Titled to whisky under the United States
law, yet. having been frozen, he was
clearly entitled TO booze for medicinal
purposes. A delegate was sent over 10
the Bay Furnace and got the whisky.
which was given to Redblanket. who then
entered into the debate which followed.
This was as to his status. Certain con-
lawyers held tlat he was legal
~ dead, and the settlement was entitled
to the Joy and eclat Of his funeral. They
favored beating him upon the head until
he became a corpse defacto ais well as
de lure. Others maintained that his case
was one of suspended animation only.
The cold came upon him so suddenly that
there had been no LESSONS or failures Of
the tissues such as would accompany an
ordinary freezing, and his faculties had
simply congealed and been held In abey-
ance. Therefore. he had not been dead.
but simply stood IN the position Of one
who for any reason or cause had taken
an uncommonly long slumber. Redbiank-
cts case was going against him. and he
might have got the worst Of II had be not
offered 10 devote the proceeds Of hts
bale of skins 20 the purchase or tobacco
and such illicit essence Of Jamaica ginger
as might be bought % yeutures0n8a Mar-
guetie druggists Tor the geaeFsl consnmp-
lion - fhe camp. This oner was accepted
ID llcu of bis lie.
The DOGS, which had been piled ~.