The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-29
ALL FOR TURKEYS
RANCHMEN BRAVE BLIZZARD IN
A RIDE FOR A FEAST.
Memorable THANKSGIVING DAY
Old-Timer Relates an Experience of
f. SYears Ago-Lost in Snow Storm
Partner Carries Crooked
Arm as Reminder.
(Special to Inter Mountain.)

especial TO Inter MOuntdln.)
Anaconda. Nov. 29.-Among group of
oldtimers at the Montana hotel last
night, the beautiful weather that pre-
tAede4 Thanksgiving day gave rise to
t&raiF of thought, the result of which
was some very interesting stories Of
Thanksgivings in the days of tle early
rse1tlament of the Northwest.
4Ilt the year 1870" said one of the
party, II was yOungster punching
cattle in Southeastern Montana AS
Thanksgiving approached the boys be-
gan to wonder If there was not some
way in which they could secure change
of diet and get hold of a turkey or two.
in order that a prosperous year might
be fittingly celebrated.
$50 far as we knew there was not
turkey for miles around, but one of the
boys said he knew where two could be
got. 1t was distance of 80 miles from
the ranch but nevertheless the fore
man started the other fellow and my
self after the birds. Prior to that we
had been having some very severe
weather, and there was considerable
| snow on the ground, but when we started
on our 180-mile ride for a turkey the
sun had turned out warm and every
| thing pointed to a pleasant trip and a
| warm Thanksgiving.
Plenty of Time.
awe started six days before Thanks
giving so as to have plenty of time with
| out hurrying. We secured the turkeys
4 and started homeward. On the first day
I of the return trip the weather sudden
1yi changed. It grew cold and began
| to snow. My partner said blizzard
| was coming up and I did not dispute
his word. We began to make tracks to-
Inward a ranch about ~ miles distant as
| the nearest place of refuge from the
storm. We were at that time fully Is
| miles from our home ranch.
r. ~As the storm increased our progress
grew correspondingly slow and darkness
ffonnd US still 10 miles from our OBJ
tSeetive point. We kept on however, and
Ewere making good Roadway when my
rpdrtner, who was riding in front, sud-
denly disappeared as though the earth
had Swallowed him up. 1 had just time
to be surprised when I followed him and
fell into a deep gully, landing horse
and all on top of my partner.
when we got righted he discovered
that his right arm was broken near
! the elbow. We couldn climb out OF
the ditch so tied my pal fast to his
horse and started to ride down the ra-
vine, hoping to reach some point where
we could get out. My partner was suf.
fering from his injury and tainted thre,
times in az many miles.
Find Dugout.
ITO make a long story short we fin
ally got out Of the ditch and found 6
deserted dugout. There we stayed foul
days, while the storm ragged. When il
ceased we had lost our bearings and die
not know which way to turn for thu
ranch. 1t took us five days more to FIND
; the place and by that time we had eater
UP the two turkeys we had to keep from
starving to death. They were eaten ra W
too.
"Our horses We're SO weak they coult
| scarcely stand, and the boys missed thei
Thanksgiving dinner. but my pal an,
I ware glad to get out of it alive. ha,
set his arm the best I could and 1t ha,
begun to heal. AS there was no doc
tor to be had, We let it go and he will
carry crooked arm to his grave as I
| memento of that ride after Thanks
giving turkey. He owns a large rancl
now and I'll bet he has not forgotten hi
experience"