The daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami Co., Minn.) 1903-1904, 1904-01-06
NEAREST NEIGHBOR FIVE MILES
DISTANT FROM HIS CLAIM.
Gray Wolves Follow Him to Neigh
boris Door Reached Just in
Time to Escapethe Pack.

est type and if half the exper-
fences that are his at the shanties
in the big woods were printed he
would be more honored for his
pluck and energy than he is at
present.
Alone in the solitude of the big
woods, his nearest neighbor often
several miles distant, often weeks
without looking on the face of a
human being, he is a man of
fortitude and he richly deserves
all that he gets in return for the
hardship and privation he is often
compelled to endure
George Dart, a homesteader
from the Big Fork country, was
at the Remore hotel yesterday
and incidentally told a very IN
teresting story of an experience.
that recently befell him at his
homestead in the Big Fork coun-
try. MrsDart is a single man
and he las beensliving at his
homestead alone for some time.
He describes his life in the woods
in a very entertaining way. Mr..
Darts homestead is five miles
from his nearest neighbor. He
says that sometimes he becomes
SO unutterably lonely that i'll
seems as if he must leave his
forest home and get back to the
haunts Of men, but he has only to
open the shanty door. and look
across the broad acres OF. pine on
his homestead to be convinced
that there is something in being
| a homesteader after all. The
only noises, aside from the sigh
ling Of the wind through the
Icrannies of his cabin, is the howl
of the gray wolf and the boot OF
| the screech owl. Several of the
latter prompted a large tree near
his clearing and favored him with
nightly visits for some time.
Their noises were far from being
pleasant and Mr.. Dart several
! times tried to brighten them
away but they persisted in keep
ing their lonely vigil.
On the night Of the second of
January Mr.. Dart awoke at mid
night to find his shanty in flames.
1t had caught from the sheet iron
pipes Of the cabin stove and Mr..
Dart had barely time to make his
escape from the burning build
ing. He stood outside for some
time and watched the smouldering
ruins The night was clear and
cold and not very dark. 1t was
! Just five miles to his nearest
.|neighbor and the trail was across
swamps, through thickets and
not easy of travel. He decided
4 to start at once, but before the
! two hours and a half elapsed
which found HIM knocking at the
i door of his neighbor he found
himself wishing that he had not
undertaken the journey. He had
proceeded about two mites on the
trip and was making good
progress when the howl of the
gray wolf some distance from
him chilled the blood in his veins
and gave him that creepy sensa-
ton which a man feels only when
in great danger. He quickened
his pace and could not refrain
from picking up a sleigh stake
which he found lying near the
road. Soon on the other side of
the road the call was answered
and Dart knew that the pack was
gathering. He thought of stop
ping to light fire but when he
| felt in his pockets for matches he
found that This was out of the
Question Nearer and nearer
came the answering calls and
still a mile separated him from
1 the friendly shelter of his neigh