The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-16
CHAPTER xxv.-contlnued.
Horace MIlbrey UphoIds the Dignity Of
His House.

His House.
Montana City. July 21st. 1900.
Dear Pete-Your letter and Martha's
reed and glad to hear from YOU leave
later part of this week for mtns. Late
setting out this season acct. rhumatiz
caught last winter that laid me up all
spring. It was so mortal dull here with
you folks gone that went out with a To-
eating party to get the M. p. branch To-
Gated ahead Of the Short Line folks. So
while you were having your fun there
was having mine here, and had it good
and plenty.
4 "The worst weather ever did see, and
/ have seen some bad. Snow six to eight
feet on a level and the mercury down as
low as 81 with an ornery fierce wind. We
lost four horses froze to death, and all
but two Of the men got froze up bad. We
reached the head of Madison Valley, Feb.
10, north Of Red Bank Canyon, but it
wasn't as easy as it sounds.
Jan. 8, after getting out Of supplies,
we abandoned our camp at Riverside and
moved 10 m. down the river carrying
what we could on our backs. Met pack
train with a few supplies that night, and
next day took part of the force in a boat
to meet overdue load Of supplies. We
got froze In the ice. Left party to break
thru and took Billy Brue and went ahead
to hunt team. Bill and me lived four days
took some sickness so he could not eat
hardly any food; the next day he was
wirse, and the last day he was SO bad
'She said the bare sight Of food made him
gag. ] think he was a liar, because he
wasn't troubled none after we got to sup
plies again, but I couldn't do anything
with him, and so lived high and come
out slick and fat Finally we found the
team coming in. They had got stuck in
the river and we had to carry out the load
on our backs, waist-deep in running wat
en-. see some man in the east has fad
for breaking the ice in the river and go
Ing swimming. I would not do it for any
= fad Slept in snow drift that night in wet
clothes, mercury 40 below. Was is days
going 83 miles. Broke wagon twice. then
broke sled and crippled one horse. Packed
the other five and went on till snow was
too deep. Left the horses where four out
OF five died and carried supplies the
rest OF the way on our backs
Moved camp again on our backs and
got caught in a blizzard and nearly all
OF us got our last freezeup that time.
Finally Chinook opened the river and
I took a boat up to get the abandoned
camp. Got froze In harder than ever and
had to walk out. Most Of the men quit
on account of frozen feet, ETC., etc., They
are getting to be a sissy lot these days,
rather lie around a hot stove all winter.
I had to pull chain, cut brush and
shovel snow after the LIST Feb. Our
last stage was from Fire Hole Basin to
Madison Valley, As m. 1t was hell
Didn't see the sun but once after Feb /,
and 1t stor7ned 1ncessant, making short
sights necessary, and with each one we
would have to dig a hole to the. ground
and often ditch ora tunnel thru the
snow to look thru. The snow was soft
to the bottom and an instrument would
sink thru
Here's a. fine letter to read on a hot
day." called Percival I'm catching cold'
He continued:
Is We have very good line, better than
from Beaver canyon, our maps filed and
construction under way; all grading done
and some track laid. That's what you
call hustling. The main drawback is that
Red Bank canyon. It's a regular ava
lanche for eight miles. The snow slides
just fill the river. One just above our
camp filed 1t for n mile and 40 feet deep
and cut down #. trees like a razor shaves
your face had to run to get out of the
way, Reached Madison Valley with one
tent and it looked more like mosquito
bar than canvas. The old cloth wouldn't
hardly hold the patches together. I slept
outdoors for six weeks. I got frost-bit
considerable and the rheumatic. I tel
you, at rs amt the man used to be
4 find I need a stout tent and good
warm sleeping bag for them kind Of do
3ngs nowadays.
WELL this western country would be
pretty dull for you I suppose, going tt
balls and parties every night with the
.Astors and Vanderblts. hope you ain'1
cut loose none.
by the way, that party that ground.
sFutced us, Coplen he met a. party In Spo.
kane the other day that seen her in Pari:
last spring. She was laying in a stock
Of duds and the party gethered that she
was going back to New York"
II The Milbreys, father and son, came vi
and greeted the group on the piazza
I've just frozen both ears reading {
/, letter from my grandfather" said Per
Ncival. Excuse me one moment and IL
he DONE
..At.Au right, old chap. I'll Sc If there's
some mail for me. Dan can chat with tn,
ladies. All, here's Mrs. Drelmer. Morn
in'!''
Percival resumed his letter:
tt-going back to New ork and make tn
society bluff. They say she's got the fac
to- do 1t all right. Coplen learned sh
/ 1