The daily tribune., 1909-02-06
FRONTIER SKETCHES.

CHG rOau Dau Deen cOH pleteu 10
Cheyenne. The snow was deep on the
Laramie plains and on Rattlesnake
mountains. John S. Collins and q
Mr.. Frothing ham we're travelling by
Gilmer and Salisbury's stage via
Denver to the northwest Frothing-
ham was rather ponderous with a
fresh, tender face, silver gray hair
and more suited to life on the sea
than following stage coach on foot.
on snow ten feet deep over the noun.
tains.
"We got along fairly we'll as far
as old Fort Bridger." said Collins in
telling of the trip. Jack Giimer.
one of tho partners, drove us from
there and after supper at 10 o'olock
at night on canned tomatoes and half
cooked beans, which at that altitude
could scarcely be cooked tender with
out the addition of soda, we went to
bed. The biscuits we're of tough dark
dough with burned crust around
them and as indigestble as ball of
mud. They were called dobies.
"We went to bed in a station-a
cabin built of logs. All the parti-
tions were of common muslin cloth.
The beds had tick filled with hay !,
no sheets and the covers were the
cheapest cotton comforts. One with
warm and two weighed too much SO
that sleep was out of the question.
We had scracely got warmed up in
bed when we were called to start
again and 20 over the snow while the
frozen crust would bear the stage.
We pulled ourselves together and
again resumed our journey. When
we reached the spdrs of the Wasstch
mountains, the moon was full, the
night was almost as light as day. the
temperature far below zero. After
daylight, when the sun came up, the
top crust of the snow began to soften
and occasionally mule would sink
one foot in or wheel would break
through and the driver told us we
must get out and tighten up or we
would get stuck in the snow.
"He also informed US there was a
swing station five miles ahead with a
stove in the stable where the stock
tender slept and where we would
change horses-a mild invitation TO
get out and walk. We climbed out
and going on ahead. left the driver
to his fate. Soon we found it neces-
sary to blacken our cheeks with char
coal and wear silk handkerchief
over our faces to prevent snow blind
ness. Before reaching the station we
sank in the soft snow and wallowed
through to the top of long, steep
hill and here the crust of snow was
getting soft and we lay down and
rolled over and over to the bottom
like barrel-a much easier way of
getting down than trying to walk
At the station we found Mormon
with n span Of mules and wagon
loaded with coops of live chickens.
He had been there four days snow
bound. 1t WAS nearly noon when
the stage arri led.
Meanwhile, we bought some
chickens from the Mormon, dressed
them and put them into II camp kettle
to cook, rs there was no food at the
station We ate the chickens about
half cooked, rs the stage had to go
on to home station about sixteen
miles away. About half of this dis
tance we walked and lifted and tug.
ged to help the stage over the bad
crossings My fellow passenger be-
came entirely snow blind and WAS
Obliged to get into the stage and re.
main there. We spent the second
night going over the snow crust and
roa shed the head, of Echo cnnon
Here we were transferred to lumber
wagon aud changed drivers. When
we arri we'd at Salt Lake City, my fel.
low passengers face, neck and ears
had become one mass of blisters from
the reflection of the sun on the snow
and when We parted Mt Salt Lake his
l fuga rgaafn hlnH "A "a ha 1alt