The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-09-25
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O o 1Rdvei ture.
AoiLIFE FULL or TaBILLs.

1ow the Atchison, Topeka and
I'D Santa F'c Railroad. has
seen more tragedy than one man in
! 10000. She Is ffty-Gye years cid. and
has been a participant IN enough ex
element 10 Gil columns OF a newspaper
| She was born in Cleveland. Ohio. and
went 10 Colorado with her parents
when girl fifteen years old. II was
at the time Of Pixies Peak gold excite
ment, when desperate characters
hockcd TO the now diggihgs from every
part OF the border. One night in camp.
near where the town Of Ia Junta, Col.
has since grown up, VIXEN tine snow
was falling and the weather was bit
! terly cold. men came hurrying into
camp with the news that the Kiowas
were coming 10 massacre the whole
camp. Mrs. Garner and her parents
hitched the mules on the wagon aud
camp scattered in the snow storm. As
they fled they heard pistol shots and
the exultant shouts OF the Kiowas.
The wind blew hurricane, and the
family almost died or cold and their
intense fright at the attack by the In
dams and the murder Of their friends
and companions. The next day the
family reached Trinidad. and there the
news OF the Indian attacl; was given,
and fifty Mcxicans went back to gather
up the dead ana 10 inform the troops.
Mrs Garner was married when she
was but seventeen. and removed to
Santa Fe, H. NJ. -Four years after her
marriage her husband went on min
ing expedition among the friendly Nav
aJoes and never came back. Searches
were made over the mountains and
through the canyons. but no trace OF
him was ever found.
For two years the young widow
cooked In mining camp Mt Esmer'
aida ~ VI. She was one Of -four WON
en- among 4G0 men. There was shoot
ing there every week. Once she was
pouring coffee for boarder when an
enemy popped his head in the door and
shot the man dead before he could pick
up his tin cup Of coffee. Afterward the
shooter felt so chagrined chat he should
have killed his man while endangering
the life Of the widow that he gave her
5000 or $500 In bullion, and offered his
heart and hand. At another time two
Of the widows boardcrs got in n row
about n domino game, and while the
little woman FASTENED in to calm the
troubled waters each man fell with a
hole I'm his chest
At the age of twenty -four Mrs. Gar
ner married Mr.. Smelling The couple
started to go To- Salt Lake In October,
hoping to get through before the snow
became too deep in the Rocky Mount.
tnins. There were fourteen men and
two women and Mrs. Snclling's little
girl i'm tho party that set out for Utah.
ON the way down the western slope OF
the Rockies the miners visited placer
digglngs and found very rich dirt to
wash. Men and women worked to-
gcther with pans. getting out 81 and
81 each in gold every day. The Nava-
ioes came around and warned the
campers that il they remained all will
ter they would be buried In snow. The
men were making y lot of money and
did not heed the warming. The first in
timation of trouble WAS the failure of
the last pack train TO arrive, in Novem-
ber and they began To go short on ra-
tons. Some OF ihe miners became
alarmed and returned to Santa Fo.
leaving Mr. and Mrs. Smelling and their
little girl and eight men in camp
The Indians were right. for the snow
fell as il had never before fallen in
that region. \ German mail carrier
lost his way and wandered around III
drifts until his feet were frozen. lie
was found unconscious 10y one Of the
non The mans feet and legs were
frozen so badly that amputation was
necessary The victim fingered on for
few days and died. Another miner,
I'm going down the range, fell upon the
pole used 10 guide himself with and
ran II almost through him, so another
death was added to the camp. Then q
veteran miner and an old friend of
| Snellngs was laid low with scurvy.
and Smelling was frozen to death. by
| that time provisions had run so low
| that absolute starvation stared them In
! the face. and Mrs. Smelling made up
| her mind that perishing on the divide
was better than starving To death In n
| cabin covered with twelve feet Of snow.
She therefore announced That she
would take her girl and start for Santa
! Fe The miners said they would 90
also. and the mail carrier, who had not
yet died. and the old man with the
scuryy. and one or two others who
were too i'll to travel, we've left to die
in the cabin.
The party started on January =, 1860
for Santa Fc. leaving almost all the
food. including a little dog. with the
wretches in the hut The snow was
twenty feet deep and more was falling.
The first night was spent in Ute gulch
trying to keep from freezing. The next
day fresh start was made without
food. Mrs. Snelling's luggage consisted
OF two blankets, change OF clothing
for herself and child and a shotgun
There was enough fiour in the party
10 keep them srom starvation. After
untold suffering the men reached q
cabin Mt the bottom of the range Here
they made fire In one coruer and
nxed Mrs. Smelling and her little cir
rs comfortably as possible. The WON
an could proceed no further. In hv,
days the rescucrs returned to find botl
. the, mother and daughter barely alive
, The party reached Santa Fc on Wash
ington's birthday more dead than alive
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