The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-12

! move the horses down the river to II
| lower altitude. Horses had been win
| tered by the government survey "A
years ago at Tete jaime Cache. 80 miles
| below the Fraser, where the river pass
| es through a large valley. and for that
! point we aimed. Leaving Neale and all
| the stuff in camp, Jackson and L took
| all of the stock along about five miles
| that evening, when we found that a
! slide had torn away rude trappers'
cribbing from the face of the rock,
making it impossible to cross. The
| slide was piled up in the river at the
| foot of the rock face, but it was full
| of assures and impossible. We drove
the stock into a little park at the foot
of the mountain. where there were
devils clubs alders and willows and
| then we started filling the assures Cat
the bottom of which we could some
times see the river foaming). We would
pry off large Jumps of snow, throw
them in, until finally one of them would
| lodge and remain stuck, then build 20
| the surface of the snow. After that
we would beat and tramp It down hard
and thus form a part of the path we
| were building across the slide. To step
off the path would mean death to II
| horse, but they knew that as well &.s
| we.
| 1T was ] a. m. when we finished the
| path. and growing very cold. Leaving
our horses browsing at the park, we
| returned to camp for supper Cor break
| fasD. BY morning the cold was in
| tense, and taking a pack of 60 pounds
| each, Jack and went on to the horses.
| We found our trail over the slide froz-
! en- hard and crossed all the stock in
| safety. Once across, we went on three
miles, laid our blankets on the snow
and slept Next day we made few
miles. stopped at spot where there
was a little grass, at the foot of Mt
| Robertson, at the confluence OF the
Fraser and Grand Fork. Mount Rob
ertson is the highest peak west of the
summit and is capped by a monstrous
| glacier. The wind was blowing a gale
down the Grand Fork, but the depth of
snow was growing slightly less. The
horses paved in good shape and got a
fair feed of grass for an hour or more.
while Jackson and l herded the fire.
| Then we crossed the Grand Fork and
camped in the shelter Of some pines on
an island in the Fraser. The stock we
put in a slough on the mainland. That
night was the coolest l ever experience
ed One of our mules froze ITO death
and the other suffered terribly.
Jan. 2, 1899, we went along the Fra
| ser for three miles and camped IN a
small meadow The snow was now but
"
showed through plainly in the mead
ow We were now al the mouth Of the
Swift Current, and the Tete jaime
Cache was but Is miles away That
night when we took off our shoes IN
the tent l found that both of my feet
were badly frozen, and of course l
slept none that night. Then we lost
another mule by freezing. Next morn
ing as we were preparing to gather
| the horses two men came on snoWshoes
to our camp. They were Price and
Longtin who had come in the fall to
prospect for gold and had cabins on
Swift Current. two miles up that
stream. At their solicitation we left
the horses in the meadow and went
to their cabin. where we have made
our headquarters ever since.
1.-The horses were moved over to Tete
Cache or beyond, where there was good
feed and little snow. Occasional trips
the camp, where we had left Neae and
the grub. He and some of it were
| brought down by packs and sledded on
rawhides off the dead mules, and the
balance was slowed away in a good
| cache there.
To-day we held a miners meeting
and organized a mining district. No
body ever prospected this part of the
world before and we are in on the
ground floor. The surface showing is
from few coors to SO cents pan and
| grows better as we go down. Our
shaft is IS feet deep. Day after to-
| morrow some of US go over to Tete
| jaime Cache to look after the horses.
| One of them we shot two weeks ago
| for meat. and I can assure you that
good old worn-out horse makes a tooth
some meal to one who has had straight
bacon for six weeks.
Il am going little way up stream
in the morning to locate a mining claim
and will call it Little Bismarck after
a friend of mine. | hope it will prove
as true to me as he has.
I'VE are now in possession of some
| good meat. Jackson and Owen having
gone out a few days ago and killed five
caribou. There is no telling when
| will be able to get this letter to you
as the trip is so long to the postoffice
| and must be made on snowshoes al
this time of year. Then a man can
not well pack pair of blankets and
| grub for more than 10 days. If we
wait until the snow goes off l may add
something more, but at present l must
| close.
"Give my kindest regards to mother
and the boys when you see them and
watch for good news from the Little
| Bismarck"
THE MERRY SIDE,