The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-03-23
CHASED BY WOLVES.
A Thrilling Incident of Winter Travel on
the Upper Mississippi River.

before any railroad had been built
ID along the upper Mississippi, all
traffic in the summer was by steam
boat, which carried also the mail. In
the winter everything was carried by
stage. There was line of mail-stages
between ST. Paul and Prairie du Chen
or the southern terminus may have
been La Crosse at the time of which
write. These stages followed the river
how much of the distance on the ice
cannot say, but in my neighborhood,
where the river expanded and became
Lake Pepin, the route was all on the ice,
and most of the way far from the shore.
Lake Pepin is some three miles wide
and p miles long, and although in re-
atty only widening of the river it is
a true lake, in which the current of the
river is almost lost. There is no other
such body of water in the whole length
of the Mississippi. The upper Missis-
sippi is worn far below the level of the
country; consequently Lake Pepin is
surrounded by high bluffs, with bold,
fiat tops. Leading down to the lake, on
both the Minnesota and Wisconsin
sides, are many ravines or coulees,
worn by the watercourses and wooded.
Even now there is much wild land
among the bluffs.
1t was in the latter part of January
years ago that l found myself at
Hawks Landing, on the Minnesota
side of the river just below the foot of
the lake, whittier l had gone with an
uncle. He found that his business
would detain him longer than he eX-
pected, and lie decided to send me
back alone on the stage. 1t should
have left the Landing at one o'clock,
but it was delayed somewhere down
the river, and did not arrive till nearly
three. 1t was full afternoons drive
TO Lake City, but the driver said he had
a good team, and promised to get
through on time, Notwithstanding the
late start. He was a rough and dissi-
pated man, but he had the reputation
of always keeping sober till after the
days trip had been completed. But the
delay may have upset him, and L think
he began drinking before we started,
although no one then noticed it. He
certainly had provided himself with
large bottle of liquor, as L soon had oc-
casion to know. | suppose l could not
have been more than IL or 10 years old,
although life in new country and on
a farm had given me ability to take
care of myself beyond my years.
When we departed from the War
Eagle house on the levee, and swung
along up the road under the shadow of
Wabasha Bluff, withSthe horses at a
gallop, | felt sort of admiration for
the driver, Notwithstanding his rough
ness. We slackened somewhat when
we got beyond the line of houses along
the single street, and soon rounded the
bluff and kept along the edge of bank
above the frozen river. 1t was here that
the driver took his first drink from his
big, fiat bottle. This alarmed me, be-
cause l had already seen much of the
effect of liquor on the class of men to
which he belonged. He passed the bot
tie to the passenger, who took very
small sip. thought more because he
was afraid to refuse than because he
wanted it.
We soon came 10 the lake, and turned
down Fond du Lac point and out upon
the ice, where the road was marked by
little cedars. The driver had already
taken several more drinks, and on the
lake 1 found cause to be alarmed at
something else. This was the state of
the weather. The wind had frcshened
q great deal and the snow was drifting
rapidly. 1t was not sufficient to shut
out from our sight the row of ever
greens, and we could see even the bluffs
on either side of the lake; but the fine
snow was sitting along over the crust
like streaming hair, and rapidly filling