The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-29

vagaries and 10 terrify still more the
The incidents related occurred several
I cannot believe that my experience
has been duplicated. I have often read
of isolated cases in which men have
undergone critical experiences at the
hands of maniacs, but never where the
ordeals described have succeeded each
other with a rapidity that permitted no
rest whatever for more than seventy
two hours. l remember that three days
and nights were so spent by me only
because of an escape from the success
sion Of dangers and deviltries through
which l have passed and my arrival
back among friends. who told me the
length of time l had been gone. In
reciting some of these occurrences /
shall make no effort toward succession
of happenings or relation to time. Each
dastardiy act, either Of danger or in
suit, stands out singly and alone and
needs no refreshing from sequence, a
refreshing that would be valueless to
attempt, because of the continual agi-
tation of the seventy-two hours and
the eXhausting nerve strain / was un-
der.
My name is Bankwllt. I am A. years
of age; wen preserved; of medium
height and strength; far from bad look
ing; not deficient in personal courage.
] think; well born, halling from New
York City, and of association and
training to carry me under all circum-
stances as a gentleman familiar with
the demands imposed by decency upon
all claiming 10 have good breeding.
During the past year my business has
necessitated a continuous residence in
Utah. Here 1 have been in daily asso-
citation with the most respected and
most intelligent portion of the popula-
ton of that state. I had occasion to
spend some weeks in the city of Ogden,
in close proximity to which is can
Won and river by the same name as the
citv-one of the most romantic Wild
and at the same time attractive scenes
of nature it has been my good fortune
to behold. Opening out from the head
of this canyon is a small valley. on all
sides hemmed in bv mountains that
rise higher and higher above each 9TH
eM and into which streams pour from
many points; and out Of which still
other CANYONS than that Of Ogden
open.
BY what / deemed several of the
most respected and intelligent gentle
men of Ogden 1 was invited to become
one of a party to spend a week hunting
and fishing in the mountains east Of
that CITY. It promised a new expert
ence. To my dying day l shall regret
that the invitation was accepted with
a palpable sense Of qualification for the
opportunity 1 thought so generously
accorded to me.
A Preliminary Scare.
The party consisted of a doctor, two
professors, a druggist, a prominent
business men, the proprietor Of the best
restaurant in Ogden, myself and a man
to care for the horses. The restau
rateur made provision for the food, out
side the fish and game we were to pro-
vide for ourselves. l was warned that
rattlesnaiSes were very numerous in
the canyon: and. knowing how venom
Gus is the bite of these reptiles, ] re-
joiced that an antidote said always to
be effective had been literally provided.
1t was whisky. Snakes have been a
terror to me always.
our party was to travel in two con-
veyances. was pleased to be allotted
to the vehicle 10 carry the doctor, drug
gist. business man and myself The
business man, whom, for purposes of
Identification, 1 shall designate as
Josh" did the driving. The doctor,
called Doc" from a disposition to
economy in speech-an economy mani
Tested in no other direction within my
knowled ge-sat beside him, while the
myself. occupied the rear seat of the
our-passenger vehicle. We were pre-
ceded by the restarateur. called Gus
the professor. "Will'' (the other pro-
fessor), and the driver
] know not what course may have
been pursued by the four in the other
vehicle but the doctor. declaring that
prevention being a vastly safer medi-
cal policy than cure (hOweVer success
full the cure), advised that we should be
wise and become so we'll inocculated
with the antidOte that the bite OF a
rattlesnake must prove ineffective.
Feeling that 1 was in the company of
gentlemen, and Josh" and the drug
gist declaring they knew from personal
experience the wisdom of the doctors
advice. 1 cheerfully acQuiesced. BY
the time We We're ready for the start
/ can truthfully say We were fairly
well 'antidoted."
All me! How fortune wreaks ven
geance on those not her faVorites. Had
business not called me to Utah, I had
not been in Ogden. Had 1 not been in
Ogden, there would have been no in
vitation to a mountain trip. Doc
Josh and Sid had been unknown,
and 1 had not been elected to accom-
pany these three inestinnable worthless
in their vehicle. while there would have
been no need of an antidOte. the effect
of which on these otherwise perfect
gentlemen was vastly worse than the
most violent poison-since it made
them, not idiots nor fools. nor drunk
ards-but wild-e-ed maniacs.
The Opening Entertainment.
I come now to recital of the hap
penings of this most awful trip.
Off at last, Josh" acting as driver.
He blandly asked me if 1 had ever
taken such q trip before. My reply
was a negative one. He then, told me
j could get on this trip no conception
of the difficulties encountered in trav-
cling through this country in early
days even in the most favored sections.
He stated that for seven years he had
driven stage, and as he was reciting
the l.air-breaGth escapes happening
within his personal knowledge, we APP
preached a church in the course of
erection, on the street before which
lay a pile Of granite rocks, thirty-five
to forty feet long, twenty feet wide
and perhaps five or six feet high. You
viii remember we were still in Ogden
City. His eye, lighted with an excess |
of antidote taken. rested on this gran
lite pile. He turned to me and said he
would give me a slight taste sOf the OBJ
stacleS facing driver when he was in
the stage" business. Despite my pro-
tests anu pieduiASS, ne ldlu ms Nlip /
upon the reluctant horses and forced |
them over the granite pile, lengtawise, !
and at a speed that seemed a bid for !
sure destruction that ought to have |
met with a response equal to the bid |
How under heavens name We ever got |
over, wagon, horse and animals whole, |
1 cannot conceive. 1t must have been !
due to what l shall CALL by way of |
paraphrase. "antidote' luck.
For a mile and half. or two miles, |
ii. 4