The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1904-07-28
BURIED ALIVE.



A clergyman youches for the truth
OF a story which would otherwise be
incredible. The winter OF 1885 was
the coolest IN the experience OF Min
nesota farmers. and the live stock SUI
fered terribly. About a mile from
the clergyman's house was a piece Of
timber. He kept his ken busy, he
says. hauling wood TO his house. The
10Y lay three feet deep. and the
shedding was good. On the FIRST OF
January be yoked his oxen. and IN adj
ditiOn 10 the yoke used some heavy
harness. including thick leather traces.
IL WAS ] O'Clock when he left home.
and in an hour or so be was loading
the wood on the sled at the edge OF
the timber.
Meanwhile a binding blizzard blew
up. sweeping over the prairie az the
rate Of fifty miles an hour. and piling
up the snow In drifts from eight 10
ten feet deep. As the wind increased
both myself and my oxen became chill
ed 10 the marrow. says the minister,
and | knew that IL was certain death
10 man and beast 10 stay out any
longer.
Turning the heads Of my ken home
ward in the very teeth OF that binding
storm. | urged them on across the
open space between the timber and
my house. But oxen. however will
ing. are never rapid. and the one mile
seemed ten TO me as the heavy beasts
pushed onward Feeling that / should
surely freeze { death in 3 short time.
! jumped down from my load. plunged
bomeward through the snow. and
reached my barn in half an hour.
knew that my oxen could feel their
way home. and fully expected them 10
appear AZ the barn by nightfaii If. per
chance. they were not blinded by the
storm or lost IN the increasing drifts.
But night came on. and no oxe
The storm abaied. and / started out
with nay hired man TO md my missing
cattle and my load OF wood.
We noundered through the now TO-
ward the timber. but the oxen were
nowhere 10 be seen. We hunted all
night long. and arrived home just in
time for breakfast puzzled and mysu-
ned After breakfast out we started
again. helped this time by some OF our
neighbors; but after . ffuitless feareh
we came back. ranquished. No neigh
Dor had seen the oxen. and their dis
appearance became the sensation Of
the neishborhood.
They had either been lost for good
frozen TO death in the deep snow. or
else had wandered on across the prai-
RE TO some distant farmers harm
We advertised in the country papers.
Offering a reward Of two hundred dol
lars for the return Of the ~ and
the wood. one week. two. three pass
ed by, but still no solution.
II was the ihirty-nsf day Of Janu-
AIRY. There had been : thaw for sew
eral days. and much Of the snow on
the prairie had disappeared. leaving
only abou; one foot in depth. except in
The deep bellows Of nay ranch. was
driving a team OF heavy farm horses
over TO the timber 10 get another load
Of wood. when. on passing through a
small rarine a little 10 side Of the
ordinary road. ! noticed a movement
Ia The O
Drawing in my reins. ! aiichted.
walked about ten feet from my horses.
and loi there were my oxen. alive. stu
yoked together. standing In four feet
Of snow. with Just enough OF their
above the snow TO make a move
men; visible.
They had been caught between the
OF two trees. and there they
had been for thirty days. unable 10
move. and saved from freezing TO
death only by the deep snow that 80
mercifuliy had covered them. They
had eaten everything within reach. in
the leather harness. o OF
the wood Of the sled pole. the bark OF
the r e trunks. the twies and sticks
lying round. and the roots OF the trees
TO a depth OF three feet. There they
had stood for thirty days. They were
living skeletons. Every bone was visi<
bic. Yet they were able TO walk home.
after careful feeding for another
thirty days they were as strong as
and were faithful animals on my