Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-23

In due time the party reached Fort Mintah,
where the guide left it, saying he refused
to go any further into an uneXplored land
to meet certain death in such. severe
weather. Nothing daunted, DR.. Whitman
hired another mall who had some familiarity
with the region and pressed on through
billiards. and many hardships to Fort I'm.
compahgra, in the Spanish country, Oh
Grand river. Stopping a day in Uncom.
pahgra to recuperate its stores and energies,
the little band passed onward into the heart
of the big mountains, bent on discovering
a way to the ancient Spanish settlement
of Taos, northwest Of Santa Fe.
THE STORM
When about one-third of the distance was
was accomplished the party entered a deep
canon of the Rockies in the hope of hiding
a pass that would take them through to the
eastern side of the immense barrier of rock
and ice. When they had come near the
middle of the canon the light falls Of snow
which they had encountered all the way
from Waiilatpui here broke into a blizzard
OF awful severity and they found themselves
hemmed in on all sides by snowdrifts i'm
possible to overcome. For ten days they en-
dured this, during which time the provisions
became scarce, and the animals unmanage-
able. Finally, however, the storm ceased
and the SHOWS gave way sufficiently to per
NIT the voyagers to get out of the dark
canon and to the top of the mountain. Here
another storm broke upon them with even
more fury than the first, and they attempted
to get back down the slope in order to take
refuge in the canon again.
The guide, however, after repeated efforts
to locate the trail back to the camping
place, acknowledged himself completely lost.
Hero death indeed was close at hand. DR..
Whitman saw that they were beyond the
help of man and, true to his teachings, he
knelt in the snow on the bleak top of the
mountain peak and asked God for guidance.
Then he turned one of the pack mules
loose. and with its usual unerring instinct
the animal led the party back over the trail
to their former camping place.
When the storm had finally abated. the
guide deserted the party and DR.. Whitman
was forced to return alone to UncompaAgra
to procure a new one. leaving General Love
JOY In camp in the canon. Obtaining a new
guide, however, was no easy task, and the
raissionary was detained several days in
Uncompahgra, hut finally returned with a
Mexican who had promised to
him to Santa Fe. After still further hard
ships and deprivations, the little band
reached Taos, where they found provisions
so scarce that they could add none to their
already much depleted stores. But with
brave hearts they pushed on, crossing
streams filed with broken ice, and suffer
ing pangs of hunger, until they had
:raversed about half the distanced between
Taos and Santa Fe. Here the last of the
stores was consumed and death by starya-
:.on was close a. hand. In that country
there was no game for the hunters gun, and
before DR.. Whitman and his associates
reached Santa Fe they were compelled to
eat the DOCTORS dog and one Of the mules.
From the old Spanish town they struck
off to the northeast, bound for Bents Fort,
at the head Of the Arkansas river. They
were now on the plains and grass and food
were plentiful. A few days out from the
fort they met a caravan going to Taos and
DR., Whitman was Informed that a body of
plainsmen were about to leave the fort for
st. Louis. Desiring to catch this party and
hurry on to Washington, Whitman dropped
all impediments, and leaving his compan-
ions pushed on alone. A few days later
General Lovejoy and the guide reached the
fort and the doctor had not yet arrived.
They knew, of course, that he had lost
his way, and fearing the worst from the
savage men and beasts OF that region, they
at once began search for him. Four days
later he was discovered by the general and
brought into the fort completely exhausted,
A rest of a few hours, however, and he was
again on his way, alone, attempting to eaten
up with the caravan, which he eventually
succeeded in doing, about 100 miles away.
WHITMAN's RETURN.
The trip thence to st. Louis was %uneyent-
full. In this city. however, he learned that
the Oregon question was still open, and with
renewed hope, he fastened on to Washing
ton.
once in the capital city he found II a
dent Tyler and Secretary Of State Webster
OF the desirability of the Oregon country.
His frozen hands and feet bore witness TO
the truth OF his long journey and the presl-
dent promised him all the aid in his power.
A year later saw him at the head OF a
caravan of 1000 people, bound for Walla
Walla. The journey OF this caravan-the
one of consequence that ever crossed the
eontinent-is a story by itself. Suffice it
to say here that they reached the promised
land in safety and organized a government
in accordance with their country's laws.
Shortly after a treaty was entered into with