The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-08-02
THE PRINCETON UNION: THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1905

Annual Outing and Games of the Egg
Gamblers & Butter Drivers Association
at Suffers Harlem River Park. Ticket
Admitting Lady and Gent, One Dollar.
Heavens! What is it?''
81 promised to take ten tickets !"
said Mrs. Bines. 81 must send them q
check"
But what are they?" her son insist
ed; 'egg-candlers may be all right,
but what are butter drivers? Are you
quite sure it's respectable? Why. I
ask you, should an honest man wish
to drive butter? That shows you what
life in great city does for the NOR
ally weak. Look out you don't get
mixed up in it yourself, that's all I
ask. They'll have you driving butter
first thing you know. Thank heaven!
thus far no Bines has ever candled an
egg-and as for driving BUTTER he
stopped, with shudder of extreme
repugnance.
And here's notice about the ex-
curslons of the st. Johns Guild. I've
been on four already, and l want you
to get me back to New York right
away for the others. If you could only
see all those babies we take out on the
floating hospital, with two men in little
boats behind to pick up those that fall
overboard-and really it's a wonder
any of them live through the summer
IN that cruel city. Down in Hester
street the other day four of them had
slice of watermelon from Mr.. Sill
vlnsky's stand on the corner. and when
l saw them they were actually eating
the hard, green rind. 1t was enough
to kill horse"
We'll, have your own fun said her
son, cheerfully. Here's letter from
Uncle Peter must read.''
He drew his chair aside and began
the letter:
Montana City, July p, 1900.
Dear Pete: Your letter and Martha's
reed, and glad to hear from you. leave
latter part of this week for the mtns.
Late setting out this season acct rhu-
matlz caught last winter that laid me ur
all spring. It was so mortal dull here
with you folks gone that I went out with
a locating party to get the M. P. branch
located ahead Of the Short Line folks
was having mine here, and had it good
and plenty.
| The worst weather I ever did see. and
1 nave 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 frcze up bad. We
reached the head of Madison Valley Feb.
49, north of Red Bank Canyon, but it
| wasn't 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 few supplies that night, and next
| day l took part of the force in boat to
meet overdue load of supplies. We got
froze in the ice. Left party to break
! through and took Billy Brue and went
ahead to hunt team. Billy and me lived
! four days on one Id. bacon. The second
day Billy took some sickness so he could
not eat hardly any food; the next day he
was worse, and the last day he was so
bad he said the bare sight of food made
him gag. I think he was liar, because
he wasn't troubled none after we got to
supplies again, but couldn't do anything
with him, and so I 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 theload
l.
I see some man in the east has fad for
breaking the ice in the river and going
swimming. I would not do it for any fad.
Slept in snowdrift that night in wet clothes,
mercury 40 below. Was IS days going 80
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 biz
| card and nearly all of us got our last freeze
up 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 a getting to be a sissy lot
these days, rather lie around hot stove
all winter
I had to pull chain, cut brush and shovel
snow after the 1st Feb. Our last stage
was from Fire Hole Basin to Madison
Valley, 45 m. 1t was hell Didn't see the
sun but once after Feb. l, and it stormed
incessant, making short sights necessary
and with each one we would have to dig
a hole to the ground and often a ditch
or a tunnel through the snow to look
through. The snow was soft to the bottom
and an instrument would sink through.
Here's a fine letter to read on a hot
day. called Percival. I'm catching
,old.' He continued
We have a very good line, better than
from Beaver Canyon, our maps filed and
construction under way; ali 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 filled it for Il mile and 40 feet deep
and cut down it. trees like a razor shaves
your face. I 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 hard
ly hold the patches together. I slept out
doors for six weeks. l got frost bitten con-
siderable and the rheumatic 1 tell you
at IS I amt the man 1 used to be- l find
I need a stout tent and a good warm Sleep
ing bag for them kind of doings nowadays
| Well, this western country would be
pretty dull for you l suppose going to
balls and parties every night with the
Astors and Vanderbilts. 1 hope you ain't
cut loose none.
By the way that party that ground