Montana oil and mining journal., 1938-03-19
SHOVELING SNOW
SAVED MANS LIFE
TRAPPING EXPEDITION OF 1894
ENCOUNTERED UNFORESEEN
DISASTER ON TRIP
Trio Hunting in Clearwater Country
Cached Provisions for Safety, Only
to Find Moisture Had Rendered Them
Unfit for Use; Malady Resulted.
By ELMO

by ELMO
The coming Of civilization 20 the
mountain country made life q
somewhat easier and more pleasant
proposition, so long as one stays
within reach of his fellows. But
it in no way changed the rigOrs Of
the rough, wild country where
civilization would, SO to speak, have
to chang by its eyebrows"
And, once in q while, what apparently
was bounty in the snowb0und wilder
ness could quickly turn to want, as
was experienced by John McGregor
and two companions, who left Hamilton
in the fall of 1894 on trapping ex-
pedition into the Clearwater country.
In fact, had the men been Superstitious,
they might have abandoned the project
as doomed to disaster right from the
start. But mountain men In those days
took little stock in "signS" and were
not easily daunted.
McGregor, with John Sheehan and
Ed Wheeler, started from Hamilton
with six horses and large supply Of
provisions, designed to carry them
through until the SHOWS melted early
the next summer. They had visions Of
big profits in fIrs on their return.
Storm Killed Horses
They stopped at the George Ward
ranch over night. In the evening
thunder storm came up, and lightning
killed all six horses, punched up at
the feed rack. Ward and his neighbors
contributed horses to continue the ex-
pedition.
The party reached its chosen hunt
ing ground and made winter camp,
taking time to fix up the cabin snug
and shipshape. Then they set their trap
lines, and settled down to the routine
%r. s1l Thou
had carefully cached their provisions
with view to keeping them in good
condition, and they felt perfectly
secure.
But one day they found the seeds Of
disaster had sprouted, and that plenti-
full security had suddenly been trans
formed into dire want and the shadows
of death approached. Despite their
care in storage, moisture had gotten
into their flour, dried fruit and other
vegetable foods and had rendered them
unfit for use. This was a serious pre-
dicament. Winter was at its worst; the
SHOWS were deep, and it would be i'm
possible for one man, or the whole
party, to get outside for more supplies.
Salt meat and game straight was
the only diet available-and spring and
open trails were weeks away. AS the
days went by, the unnatural diet be-
came tiresome. Then it became serious
First Sheehan and then Wheeler be-
came victims Of q disease akin to
scurvy. Their suffering was intense.
There was no relief. The only cure
would have been proper diet, and that
was entirely beyond reach.
Two Of Trio Succumb
McGregor did all he could for his
partners, but it was unavailing. Shee-
han died about May l.. Twelve days
later Wheeler died. The suffering of
the two men just before they died was
an unnerving experience for McGregor
who, though he escaped the disease,
was much weakened by the rigors Of
his position.
McGregor buried the bodies on a hill
back Of the cabin as soon as the ground
had thawed enough 10 permit him 10
dig shallow graves. Then with the