The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-30

the southern M of Utah to cross the
desert to the mines of Southern califor-
MA There were 40 wagons. drawn by
sturdy oxen. beside which trudged the
shaggy men. rifle in hand. while un-
der the canvas awnings rode h wo-
men and children. In a short time
there was a division of opinion as to
the proper route across that ~pathless
waste in front; and next day five wag-
ons n their people west east to reacn
Santa Fe (whence there were dim Mex
lean trails to Los Angeles), and the rest
plunged boldly into the desert. The
party which wen by the way of Santa
Fe reached California in December, aft
er frightful suffering. The larger COM
pany Travelled In comfort for a few days
until they reached about where Phoebe,
Nevada. now Is. Then they entered
the and of horrors; and for more than
three months wandered lost in that
realm of thirst. mirages and starvation.
Had IL been two months earlier the
heat would have killed them in a week
or two. 1t was almost impossible to
get wagons through a country furrow-
ed with canyons: so they soon abandon
ed their vehicles, packing what they
could upon the backs of the oxen. They
struggled on to glittering lakes, only
to find them deadly poison. or but a
mirage on desert sands. Now and then
a tiny spring i'm the mountains gave
them new life. One by one the oxen
dropped. and day by day the scanty
-four ran lower. Seven young men who
separated from the rest, being stall
wart and unencumbered with families,
reached Death valley ahead of the 9TH
ers. and were lost. Their mummified
bodies and %protruding bones were found
years later by Governor Blaisdell and
his surveyors.
The main part OF the emigrating par
ty crossed the valley at a place where
IL was 20 miles between the mountains,
but not n of them ever having been
T w O-Death Valley Ibfou
in that region before. not having the
least idea where there were springs of
water, N where there were passes
through the mountains by which they
could get to the Pacific coast, they wan
dered about the horrible desert waste
for weeks. One week they would move
coward what seemed TO be a favorable
mountain pass and the e they re-
traced their steps. For days at a time
they went without drink. Children
died quickly and the oxen were killed
for their meat. Even the viscera of
the beasts was eaten by the famished
people. Had ii been summer with its
awful lea not one of the party would
awful hea not one of the party would
have lived more than a few days to tell
of their experiences. Day by day some
of their number sank upon the burn
ing sands never to rise. The survivors
were too weak to help the fallen. The
strongest of the whole party was ner-
vous little Mrs. Brier. who had come to
Colorado an invalid, and who shared
with her boys of 4. Z and 3 years of age
that Understandable tramp of 900 miles.
For the last week she had to lift her
athletic husband from the ground ev-
cry morning and steady him a few mo-
ments before he could stand. She gave
help to wasted giants. any one of whom
a few months before. could nave lifted
her with one hand. Twenty-seven per-
sons died i'm agony in one week.
At last the few survivors crossed the
range which shuts off that most dread
full Of deserts from the garden of the
world. and were tenderly nursed to
health at the hacienda Of a Spanish
family. MI. Brier had lost 100 pounds in
weight. and the others were thin in
Times.