Iron County register., 1899-04-06
From the West.

l. E01tOT heglSter-AS II mas Oeen quite
while since | wrote TO the REGISTER,
| take up my pen once more, not in
the least discouraged, and proceed
with my little story.
have learned through the columns
of the REGISTER that there have been
quite number of deaths in Belleview
and Arcadia valleys, and among them
| see is our dear old writer, IT. 2. r. u
0! how we miss his bright and cheer
full words in the REGISTER, which we
always looked for as quickly as we
! would for letter from a dear friend.
! Even the little children always search
ed for his stories of ''Old Times" and
| now, since they know he is no more,
are wont to say, I'VE shall have no
more nice, bright stories now, for we
all think there never was a writer in
this paper whose pieces were so eager
ly sought after as those of, dear old
II. P. R." The friends and relatives
of the deceased have our deepest SYM
pathy in their bereavement. But
grieve not, for the Lord will gather
His children home
L notice too, number of marriages
of old time acquaintance, and l join
all in wishing them long and happy
lives. What a wonderful thing is Old
Father Time, and the changes he
brings with each day, week. month
and year, and we scarcely seem to no.
tice them. till something tells US to
stop and look back a moment over the
year that is past, and as we call to
mind the different things that have
occurred, and the changes that are
made. we really wonder how so many
things could possibly have taken place
in so short time. But then time is
going on, no difference what we are
doing, or where we are, and before we
realize it, scarcely, we find ourselves
growing old and gray. Well, all these
things st'happen to make up ones
life, and l suppose If the old world
rolled on just the same, day after day,
and year after year, that life would
be mouotonous. But here l am wan
dering entirely from my subject.
The main topic of the day, being the
bad weather and stock. 1t has now
been about ten weeks since it began
storming, and to the best of my knowl-
edge, there have not been two sum
shiny days in succession, while on the
other hand, snow has fallen either
through the Gay or night and up to
this writing it is continuing to fall,
though it is growing lighter each day.
and | thing spring will soon be here,
for where the snow has melted / can
see little green grass peeping up
through the ground, and the sweet
songs of the happy birds gladden. the
hearts of all.
The average depth of snow for the
past two months has been about two
feet on the level, besides great drifts
from ten to fifteen feet deep, and req
dering travel a most tiresome and diff
ficult task. The snow in the Yellow
stone Park has been about twelve feet
deep, and many of the animals belong
ing there have perished, (not for the
scarcity of feed, for there was plenty.
but because no one could get around to
feed them.
The wild animals around these parts,
too, are becoming almost ravenous,
and / fear they will destroy a great
deal of stock if the bad weather should
continue much longer. Some cattle
owners have lost quite number of
cattle, while others have lost none,
making the average loss very small
per cent. The horses on the range
have lived through the winter without
being fed any, and are in fairly good
living order, and will come out all
right. Sheep owners have had to feed
this winter and l think the loss will be
very small. Taking all the country in
general aDd considering the long cold
winter | think the loss of stock will be
comparatively light.
The weather has been very cold and
raw. In January the mercury falling
as low as 45 and SO degrees below zero,
and old settlers say it has been the
coolest winter for many years. And
from what | can learn / believe the
whole Z. S. have suffered more or less
from the past winter. There has been
an epidemic OF La Grippe among the
Indians living on the Crow Reserva-
ton in Montana this winter, and
quite number have died from the
effects OF it. l think the q. S. Govern
meut is going to purchase this land of
the Indians, and if they do it will be
thrown open this spring, subject to
homestead entries. 1t is undoubtedly
a fine tract of land, lying in the val
leys of the Big Horn and Yellowstone
rivers, and / think anyone taking a
home up in this country, would never
have reason to regret it, though among
the Indians 1t be. W. L. MOORE.