Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-02-18

turned al MiSSOula Sept l5-
otherwise. They fed us and got u to
feeling better. Then they said We might
join their crowd and we started out.
We hadn't gone far before vi met
the crowd that had left Missoula the
day before we did. There we're Billy
Lyons, Tom Mcnamara, Dick Cunning
ham, John Sheehan and some. others
whom / don't remember now. They
had got through to the reputed dig
gings before the storm came and had
started back, completely disguised
They advised us to turn back, telling
lis that we would have our trouble for
nothing, as there was never any gold
In Maginnis gulch and they knew it.
Pretty soon we we're joined by the adj
vance guard Of our own party, whom
we had lost In the storm. We took
counsel together and it was decided
that the best thing to do YRS to get
home as soon as we could.
ALEX Morrigeau wa with the first
party we met and he took the lead as
guide. All agreed tha4 1t was impossible
for us to cross the river at the ford So
we went down on the west side OF the
stream to where the Jocko empties into
the Pend d'Oreille4 There. at the mouth
of the Jocko. Mof11geau shouted to an
Indian on the other side OF the river
telling him to ride In and find a ford
where we could get across CO
The Indian demurTed. but we Of
fered him five dollars If he would make
the attempt. He stripped and rode his
horse into the icy stream till the water
reached his neck. Then we told him tc
go back: that we didn't want any such
ford as that. Finally, We found . place
where We could get across. Morrigean':
horse was shod and he rode him right
against the shore ice, squirting him Sc
he climbed upon the ice and broke II
with his shoes. This opened q way fos
the rest Of lis and we went along up the
Jocko till we got opposite Morrigeau's
place, where we forded the Jocko and
had a rest and feed at the place where
we had tried to sleep the first night
out.
Prom there we rode back to Mis-
soula, where we arrived late at night II
was through storming, but the Their
mometer was 40 below zero. That wa
the end OF the Maginnis gulch STAN
lpede. i never saw the gulch myself Their
or since. + had all the experience witt
it that I wanted. My feet were badly
frozen. My toenails all came off ant
the flesh peeled from my heels Their
were bad cracks between my toes ant
I suffered a good deal. II had beer
able to get off my shoes back at An
tones ford, 7 would have lost my feet
AS it was, the doctor talked for a Will
about amputating them.
"All that I got on the trip I got iron
Indian blankets, and I had to burn a
my clothes and fumigate myself. Evel
then I was lousy for a good while. Som
OF the others were as badly fr0stbittel
as / wa<Iand there was q sore Lot Q
placer miners In Missoula for all tina
winter. They were sore from the fros
J bites and they were sore from the dts
appointment of the w~ild-goose chas'
II had never seen Martin Davis q
|, that time, though I got to know hir
well in later years. He was an hOnes
,, old fellow and he was honest In his be
!. lief that he found rich gravel But h
didn't know as much as he might abOl
placer gold.
! Il met him at Plains-I think 1t VIC
the next summer-and / asked him *
. the truth of the Maginnis gulch dis
!. coyery. He said he had stopped ON h
way back from the mountains and h
! had seen a bar that looked like pa
!, gravel. He had panned q shovel OF
and had got a nugget that weighe
a cent. ! didn't say a word / Jul
looked ait him. I saw that he NEAR
it and thought he wa all right. So
! let it 60 at that. But my feet hay
I never gotten entirely well Every win
!, ter they get sore when the cold come
and I have to go around with a doubl
supply of stockings and these b
shoes.
With the exception of Charles Wiz
ter and Colonel Prescott, the partici
i pants in the Maginnis gulch stamped
have crossed On the trail which lead
J to the city where the pavements az
gold and where there is no need
t prospect to find It, But II Gabriel want
J to rouse them quickly on the mornin
/ OF the Great Resurrection, he will max
i a megaphone announcement that ther
i has been a rich bar found somewhere
For the call OF the trail is strong. n
I who has listened To it once. never for
/ gets It's lure III liz irresistible.