Iowa County democrat. [volume], February 15, 1878, Image 1

About Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938

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lowa County Democrat.
f
VOL. XII.
.1 MAWKS'S " SO"
no*a there upon the slnir
I he flowers lie;
1 piiss-'d them hj
I Mint 1 did net cine
I or them; 1 wonder if I dare
i*o hack npen, now Max ts gen • -
I saw him on the lawn
lie teased me so,
1 souid net help miv
>ofilr the' maid deseended.
Aid eageih.
Now none nun no,
W Ith smPfs and idnslies bleudeo.
She gathered them, and then he' >e
winded.
Iter hand 11 led full of bloom,
across the paneled gloom
T nlo the very room
W hero Max received hi, doom
Well may the lover smile,
Within the open dooi.
Across the oaken Boo
it- standelh all the while
I'oreives the maiden guile,
And laughing, speaks her name. •
i>! flowers of snow ana flame.
To you he all the Maine,
rhat down the stairs she filin'.
Cincimuili Com >. I
IN A BEAU’S DEN.
t Thrilling Adventure in Colorado.
During the spring of tB4o our party
■vns encamped on the headspring
■if San Juan, ti region as desolate in its
vastc of rocky hills and mountains as it
vas fruitful in fun—the object i'f our
xpedition, and the more tlangerous
•avages, who held full sway at the early
ime of which 1 write. A paradise for
‘rappers it. was beyond doubt. There
vere lour of us from the settlements of
he Colorado, hold, strong, athletic, not
mi' below six feet, full formed and mus
■nlar. A rude hut of logs was used as
nir headquarters and depository for the
■■'irs, which, from our sueeess and indus
:ry, had beeome a large and valuable
'ollectiun. Within the hut were the
nth' accommodations which our iso
lation front settlement:* made soiree
Yom necessity. Blankets swung from
■aeh of the corners served for beds,
while in the centre of the room was a
roughly-constructed hearth. About
his hearth and against the walls were
piled and hung the fruits of our winter’s
ahor. Thoie is much of real pleasure
u the wild, rollicking style of life that
aiseinates the trapper, and the suffer
ings and privation he endures only lend
i. charm to the roving nature. The
season was drawing to its close; the
snow was beginning to disappear in the
valleys, and multitudes of rivulets were
ashing themselves into foaming furies
is they hastened down to join the swel
ling river.
Karly one morning 1 nnslung my
tile, prepared a small luncheon, and
started for the mountainous region to
he northward of the camp in quest of
game to supply the larder. Hoping to
Ti>ss the valley before the warmth of
in' rising sun should convert it into an
mpassable slough, I hastened forward
0 reach the higher mountains. I
reached thorn just as the sun began to
tlood the valley with all of its golden
warmth and beauty, i’ausingon a lofty
• •rest, 1 viewed one of the grandest
scenes that inimitable Nature has
dared before my wondering eyes.
To the smith lay the valley, stretching
n its serpentine course until it disap
peared in some low-lying hills; to the
lorlh wore the mountains, piled one
vbove another, till the snow-capped
ips lost themselves within approaching
■louds. This is only a faint, idea of the
vonderful beauty which held me for a
noment. 1 had seen this view many
•.lines before, and each time new bean
ies were added, and with a warm
spring sun rcllccting from the frosty
oiis it was indescribably beautiful.
Reaching a narrow defile that led to
1 section most frequented by large
game, I pushed rapidly onward. The
•un mounted higher in the heavens, and
*he beautiful frost-work, so lovely when
he first rays of sunlight made it look
iko glittering diamonds, began to melt
nto tiny streamlets.
By noon the place where I most i \-
,iected to find a plenteous supply of
game was reached, but, to my surprise,
here was not the least visible sign of
4iiy. The most careful surveys dis
••losed nothing but tracks several days
*ld. To return empty-handed to my
•ompanions was by no means a picas
tnl idea. It did not lake me long to
teeide to push to the north east, and
risk the possibility of a night’s deten
ion in the mountains. Mile after
nile 1 climbed over the rough, preci
pitous route. How far J wandered
rrom the camp was not easy to deter
ninc, but as the afternoon was drawing
o a close, and the sun disappea: and be
hind tiie lofty peaks about me. a sense
of extreme fatigue pervaded my frame.
I w;e completely at a lo*s to explain
he total disappearance of all signs of
inimal life, where befon there had al
vavs been an abundance, and the only
•ca'sonable conclusion lor me to form
was that some wandeting hand of Nava
oes had preceded nu .
I had advanced hut a couple of miles
further into this wilderness of monn
ains, when an oncoming darkness and
'igns uf an approaching storm bade
in' sek some shelter for the night.
Half way up the steep declivity I dis
covered a cluster of trees, which premi
sed a partial shelter and a supply of
■nishwood fur a tire. A few moments
brought me to this haven. The trees
verc scrubby, and afforded little or no
i-oteenon; but, thankful for the benefit
MINERAL POINT. WIS., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY la, IS7S.
of that small favor. I wont to work
earnestly to rake together dry sticks
and loaves for a tiro. by which to roast
some of the hoar steak which 1 had
prepared for my lunch.
With sonic dimculty the wood light
ed, and, after sputtering for some time,
hurst into a comfortable blare. A couple
of spits were soon ready, and the meat,
the only article 1 possessed, was blister
ing away before the tire.
Stepping a few yards aside to a heap j
of dead brush, to get a fresh supply of 1
fuel, to my great surprise and joy I dis
covered a large cavity in the rocks, 1
eagerly tore away the brush and vines
about the entrance, and made im way
into the new quarters. It proved to he
a rough apartmeu*. extending about
fifteen foot into the side of the mountain,
and widened from the entrance to the
back wall. It was comparatively dry.
and a very desirable shelter from the
approaching storm. A large pile of
brush was easily passed into the cavity,
where I speedily removed my supper.
When the feeble light of lire illumin
ed the dingy place 1 was not so par
ticularly at ease as my first impressions
led me to hope I would he. The indi
cations were quite too evident for mej
to be mistaken; 1 had usurped the|
abode of a grizzly bear. 1 was not then ,
so fearful of meeting this terrible mon
ster a> I am now,and 1 was not at all in- 1
elined to give it up to Bruin: it wn
much more comfortable, compared to I
the open air, protected from the storm j
which was n w beating against the
mountain side w ith increasing fury ,
"Ah !" was my inward ejaculation,
“ this storm will certainly dime Bruin
hack to his home and prei ipitatc a
meeting with me."
I felt confident of meeting the brute
w ith an advantage to myself. With my
ritle 1 was shine shot; added to this
were two strong-shooting navy revol
vers and a reliable hunting-knife. There
was no idea of sleep for me while things
were in this condition: so 1 made a
brisk lire near the entrance, and, with
a large rock at my hack, I waited pa
tiently, m a sitting posture, with my
ritle freshly primed and cocked for in
stant use at my side, for the appearance
of my enemy.
The rain was now pouring in torrents
upon the snow, already softened by the
approaching spring, and, with the melt
ing snow, poured down the mountain
at a fearful rate. My attention was
shortly directed to the top of the en
trance, which I had first noticed with
a casual glance, hut on examining it
more closely found it to be a large flat
stone.
Of course there was nothing alarm
ing in this, and when the water began to
trickle through the rocks, making ii
necessary for me to remove the I’m'
further w ithin the shelter of the cavern,
my alarm was not excited in the least.
One two long, long hours passed by;
still I remained watching for the com
ing of the dreadful creature still was
the torrent of water pouring about the
entrance. 11 ark ! What is that grating
sound? Instinctively I raised my ritle
to my shoulder and waited. Moment
succeeded moment, but still no appear
ance fiom the vague darkness be
yond.
Again it sounded, sharper and more
clearly defined than before! What
could it he? A half-formed fear tilled
me. Was every tiling right ? In a mo
ment more the suspense' was broken;
an enemy more dangerous than the
bear had already faced me. The water
had worn away the sandy soil between
the rocks, causing the large stone at the
I tot to m to fall, completely choking up
tin 1 way. I was a prisoner !
A fail sense of my position tilled me
with the wildest alarm. Vainly I put
imy shoulder to the huge rock and es
sayed to push it from its lodgment; hut
it. only seemed the (inner, and worked
the harder,
Turn my thoughts whichever way I
may, the awful sickening idea of starv
ing slowly continually haunted me.
The tire was blaring brightly, and the
dim shadow danced fantastic figures on
the wall; the rain heat down with un
abated fury, and a distant tlasli of light
ning revealed a few small crevices
about the entrance; the low growling of
the hear, that had now returned, and
the scratching of his sharp claws against
the rock that shut him out as complete
ily as 1 was shut in. all combined to
1 make my reveries of the most tin
-1 pleasant nature.
1 ‘‘lt will >c two days,’ thought I
when calmness ruled my mind, “before
my comrades take any steps to look
! for me. They will not he alarmed at
I my being out for om night, and the
second night's absence will only excite
their anxiety, not greatly indeed, for
tin y tru-l to my skill and strength to
carry me through any ordinary conflict.
Two day s to excite theiralarm, and one
to reach me. if they take a direct route
for me, which is not at all likely, and
the terrible storm has washed away the
, faintest trace of my trail. Three days
of living death at least; and that may
be lengthened until—too lnU-!"
My luncheon had barely satisfied the
hunger caused by the day's struggle
over the mountains; there was an in
exhaustible supply (T wate r within three
feet of me, but. alas ' not a drop that I
could get!
Casting tuy ey* s upon the flour, I re
solved to gain what refreshment! might
in a sound sleep. There was no fear of
,t possible intrusion from any source,
and the sweet oblivion of sleep soon
robbed me of all consciousness of the '
horror in store lor me. AA ould that the
same oblivion had covered my follow
dig experience '
With the first dim rays of sunlight,
faintly struggling through the narrow
crevices, 1 was astir, with my mind and ;
body refreshed for the labor before me. |
1 had a keen appetite, but it did not as
Minn’ alarming proportions. The storm
had passed entirely away, and the sun
rode the heavens majestieallv. muiim
mod by the slightest cloud Yet not ,
withstanding the brilliancy without, the
cavern was only dimly lighted, A fresh
lire dispelled the morning’s gloom.
Howto gat out was the next thing.
The first step was to estimate the.
weight of the rock from iis dimensions.
My philosophy, 1 confess, was rusty
from long disuse, but this was the re
suit: Six feet long, four feel wide, and
three feet thick seventy two cubic feet
of solid rock. Specific gravity of water
tt> rock, one to two and eighty-three
hundredths. Multiplying this result by
the weight of one cubic foot of water
gave the weight. pounds 1
smiled grimly at my desperate attempt
to lift, and set my teeth together with
the firmness of despair.
My next calculation was tin
weight 1 might lift by using one of the
poles which I had thrown in for wood,
as a lever. 1 could lift a little more
than oiie-tifth' My thoughts llevv from
one determination to another. One
project was no sooner determined than
another was conceived equally infeasi
ble as im predecessor. A happy thought
dashed upon me, after a eoiiplcof hours
wore s'owly away. If I could drill a
hole in tin rock, I might blast il enough
to get out. I'o think was to act. Draw
ing my knife from its sheath. 1 began
to examine the stone for a ‘"ft -pot It
was hard as Hint!
Finding no choice, I began to drill
carefully . Half an hour's labor result
ed in a small hole about an inch in
depth. The knife was a small one, like
a poiuard in shape, and was wearing
rapidly away. My hope heie was of
short duration. An unlucky turn
snapped the slender blade at its bill, and
il fell ringing into a crevice as coin
pletely beyond my reach as was the
svvitt liberty 1 was struggling so hard
to obtain. The only hope left me was
was that my companions should find
me before the las) spark of life was ex
tinguished. How can ili v find me
when 1 am eight or ten miles from the
track they would naturally take to look
for me?
The first day wore away m vain at
temnls; (ne li’-st night passed with but
little distress. The second day brought
me face to face with the grim, horrible
pain of inanition. Each hour inereas j
ed my misery to a greater degree: thirst ]
began to add to its horrors to tho#e of
starvation. That day and the fo) j
lowing night wore their 'flow length
away: the third morning dawned and
crept slowly through its long,slow hours.
Seventy-two hours without food or
water. My stalwart frame was weaken
ing under the terrible abstinence. Hope
was waning as my body weakened,
(beat heavens! would (bev eome too
late?
It was horrible for ;ne, oi the vigor of
manhood, !•- tamely starve there.
AA hat more could Ido? Did Providence I
will that I should die thus! They must
certainly hi looking for me. I took oft
my leather jacket, spread it flat upon
I the Moor, and poured the contents of
my powder-flask niton il. < ’awfully j
! dividing it. I found that there were
| eighty small charges. These 1 delei
, mined to lire at regular intervals, hop
ing that I might attract their attention |
jhy the reports, By shooting every half |
i hour during (he day, and once an hour,
i during the night, 1 would he able to
| keep these signals for two days longer
i before my stuck was exhausted. If
\ they tarry beyond that time, Hod have
mercy on me! I placed my ritle close
to a crevice and fired. The sound of a
discharge reverberated through the
mountain-tops. If they are within
three or four miles of me, they will cer
tainly hear that.
During the fourth day I fired regu
-1 larly, listening with feverish anxiety for
! some sound to mark their coming. My
condition was now becoming appalling;
my form wa,- emaciating, and an in
tense thirst made my mouth and throat
feel like a fiery furnace. The day
passed, the night drew on. but -till they
came not. Sleep was a stranger to my
aching eyes, and in my wakeful min
ings I was at bounteously I.'d< n tallies,
drinking great draughts from limpid
springs. I was bordering on insanity!
The fifth day came, AAilb gn at difli
colly 1 raised the rifle, now In avy in
my wcakne-s, to give the last few sig
nals. Hreat hlotehe*- began to cover
mv limb- would completi iu-anitv
follow?
(if what followed i remember with
only a slight shade of reason. On 'die
sixth morning my last signal was tired,
and in the last frenzy of despair I com
menced to scream at the full extent of
my weakened condition. .Several times
1 sunk prone down with exhaustion,
but I would rally for a mighty exertion.
How long I remained in this semi coma
tose state was difficult for me to det* r-
I mine; but I wa u aroused by several
sharp reports of t itles, and the tierce
howling of a dying bear. Hope Mir
eeeded despair, and with strength
amazing to myself. 1 put my cracked
and bleeding lips to the crevice and
screamed until my exhausted frame
sunk unmindful ot the little life it eon
Mined. My last etl'oil was not without
avail, for my friends had heard my
cries, and hastened to my aid but
strange to say they bad not heard any
of the many shots 1 had tired, and
would not have found me had not the
wounded and bleeding bear, which they
had followed several miles by its bloody
trail, led them directly to my prison.
They removed the rock, and for many
months carefully nursed me; but to
this day the indelible results ot that
terrible experience have not been eradi
eated.
THE V ABM.
I ,-ia ii Inh>kmvtiov A little pow
dered potash thrown into rat holes will
drive them away Cayenne pepper
will keep oft’ants and roaches. An im
corked bottle of oil of pennyroyal will
disperse mosquitoes. Equal parts uf
boiled linseed oil and kerosene, well
shaken together, make an excellent
polish for furniture. Apply with a
piece of sift tlanuel and rub with a
clean li'ieiv.
KtaaiiNo i'o\v* Cows in milk may
be made greatly more profitable by
feeding wheat middlings freely; il will
pay to feed as high as four quarts of
corn meal and three of w heat middlings
to some cows producing butler, the
butler is increased in quantity and im
proved in quality and color. The kind
of cow, however, is important, as some
will fatten upon this feed, while other*
will only increase in milk and cream
C.vui ov SnvK Hood shelter for (he
slock is absolute economy. With
warmth there must be an ample supply
of pure fresh air. The lime may come
vvlieu we shall find coal cheaper (ban
the extra food needed to sustain vital
heal under extreme cold, and Use lire
heat lor our animals. At present we
must keep our stables as warm and dry
as we can; but pure air. with severe
cold and plenty of food, is preferable to
warm, impure stables, with food saved.
Kaumkus’ I’.vi'dis. There is a great
difference between the farmers' papers
of to-day, and twenty live years ago
Then, science and “book farming'' was
decried as tending only to useless ex
pense in try ing false theoiies; and, in
deed, so il did. so poor was the so called
science of that lime. But now the
sciences pertaining to ain ieultntv have
become so systematized, and of sneb
immediate practical benefit in their
applications, that intelligent farmers
everywhere are intensely eager to learn
the teachings of science; they have be
eome convinced that line " science is
knowledge, scientific knowing just
that and nothing less or more The
first of agricultural journals to appre
ciate tins want in its breadth was the
SrinililU' Fm im r, of Boston, Mass.,vv bicb,
as its name implies, is devoted to this
branch of literature, and which the ed
dors announce to be published “ in the
interests of proOtable agriculture,"
certainly a kind of agriculture needing
development. Judging from its record
thus far. il fully lives up b> ds inten
lions; and and Ice- recently donned a
handsome cover, and begun I" illustrate
the ti \t.
Bm- I UISo Of AM'! Viz*. If 1-beep are
staple in your breeding,give no place to
an v but those which yield the heaviest
lleeees and the gre i0 st amount of meal.
If cattle, select those that will attain a
maximum of weight in two instead of
four years. If bugs, select a breed that
will not only eal and be satisfied, but,
win n they have converted corn into
pork, will y ield a maximum number of
pom ms for a maximum number of bush
els. If the kind you are breeding will
not do this, yon are wasting your sub
stance. A lean, uneasy bog eats most;
a scrubby, scrawny steer is never satis
fied, and will never satisfy the owner; u
*' plug" of a horse will keep a common
man poor, and never be anything but a
plug; poor sheep are expensive; in a
word, poor stock of any kind is a bur
den and evpen-e no man can afford to
curry, and tin weeding out of these
useless, expensive parasites cannot be
too promptly accompli-bed. fewer
and iietter is a good motto; don't wait
until next year to begin tins eliminating
process, but do it now. Save this win
ter's feed by at once disposing of (lie
tares of the thick.
Fowl EI .HUSo in ( ’oi i> AV I.ATIIKU. At
this season of the year, when your fowls
are mostly confined within their houses
or win n,at the best, they are not able
to obtain much nourishment upon the
open ground, if at liberty it must be
borne in mind that they need an extra
quantity of ordinary food, to keep them
in gisid heart. And if the quality be
improvi and a* well.during the sharp cold
weather, il will be belter still. AVe
counsel the distributing of good sound
grain and corn at all times to domestic
poultry, ii j tin- best method of feeding.
But if, at any season they need this sort
of provision, it is in the keenly cold
weather of January and February;
when it counts most towards their wel
fare and thrift, la t your adult lotpk
and the growing stock both be supplied
M). '2l.
' then :vt tins season with till tin y will cal
i ii(i clean, Iw ii fa day Unit is, at noon
and evening of wlioli' wheal, cracked
I’orii. mnl oats or barley. \ little Iniok
wln-lit. aiul a little admixture of sun
(lower seeds, are excellent also. The
first meal in the morningl should he
Ceil warm, of seaMeil eornmeal mixed
with hoileil vegetables This, with the
grain at noon ami at night. ami an oe
easional leed of ground scraps ami green
stntf. as cabbages ent up, or onions ami
turnips chopped line, will, as a rule,
keep your hints in first rate eomlilion.
eontimionslv. .tia. I\>nlt iy liml,
I'm t’oiv AM’ ilv.it Kooo, No animal
more fully utilizes food than the eow
A larger proportion of the food taken
into the stomach is converted hy the
physical economy of the cow into val
ue, than is the ease with any other am
mat. This value is repreaented hy the
milk, hotter and cheese which are pro
dncisl from the eow, and it is simply a
natural result. Nature has made the
eow for the production ol milk, which
is drawn from the hlood, and it must
necessarily follow that there must he in
a health! eow a very rapid and com
nlete conversion of food into hlood.
The demands of this part of the hovme
economy are in addition to the demands
of the rest of the system, which are the
same in all animal - In the eow and in
the steer the hlood mu-l furnish the
hone, muscle and every other part, of
the general organization, hut in the eow
it must furnish, in addition to this, the
milk, and this increased demand upon
the hlood makes a more complete eon
sumption of the food certain. Nature
always takes care of herself if she i->
permitlted to do so. If she has any
thing to do, she will do it, and do it
without waste, if not interfered with
The food taken into the stomach of the
eow is taken up hy nature and exhaust
i'd in the endeav or to supply the general
and snecial demands of the system. It
is this principle that makes the drop
pings of the steer so much mom valu
able than those of the cow a fact Uni
versallv recognized The steer him only
llesh to draw from the hlood, in addi
lion to the usual requirements of the
system, and much ol the food is very
reasonably unconverted. It is interest
mg, however, to com pure the ulili/al ion
of food hy the eow and the steer, hy
way of observing the ditlervuee in the
value of the products of the two. It
has been frequently demonstrated that
the same quantity of food given to a
eow and a steer of equal weight, will
result in greater profit in favor of the
eow. The steer gains in flesh ; the eow
gains nothing in llesh, hut her profits
resulting from her feeding are entirely
in the y ield of her milk, and in this she
considerably exceeds the profits ol the
steer. It will, therefore, he seen that
the eow lisa food consumer Isa most
profitable animal on the farm. What
ever the farm has m the way of feed,
can thus he ntili/.ed for all it is possibly
worth. The pumpkins, mangolds, sugai
beets, carrots, roots, are not only avail
ahletis food, hut they are just so much
stock in trade, the valuation of which
is almost as certain as the eow herself
There is very much of one thing and
another lying about which could thus he
made somewhat valuable, and which
could he made valuable < lily in this
i way. We are now writing to the farmei
1 who makes no pretense to dairying as a
! business, or as a science We wish
1 simply to show the average fanner that
, his eow is.a mill to which he can lake
! any thing that contains the elements ol
nourishment for a cow, and have il
ground into a very profit able grist. II
the largest and best results of feeding
1 are the ohji el, earn must necessarily he
taken in the selection of (he food and
| the care of the animal. It does not
I make much dilfereiiee what the eow is
! fed upon, if it is snllieienl to keep hei
in llesh. if flesh is produced, milk will
he produced. Mnl the general farmer
is not as anxious to achieve the best re
suits in dairying as lie is to keep his
stock to the best advantage upon what
lie lias to feed it with; and this being
true, lie requites to he reminded that
in order to create a demand for the
supply of food which lie may have, il
is necessary that he keens his animal
in as good a condition us kind treatment
can produce. This creates an appetite,
land appetite will satisfy itself on what
ever may In offered, HVs/zm Uurnl.
(Ink ok i'ii k: Two. In a wild purl oi
Scotland n <l-itl r in li.tli imcd I<* drive
lil<4 cart a considcrahlo way inland. On
one occasion, when passing a wild moor
where, althoip’li there did reside n
schoolmaster, the knowledge of the
inhabitants of allairs in jrein ml was not
extensive, he dropped a 101-sler. Home
children picked it up, and, wondering
what the stranj.'e creature eotild he,
took it to the schoolmaster, 'l'he
dominie pul on his “ sparliclcs,” and.
turning il over and over, examined it
carefully. “ Weel,” at length raid the
oraele, 11 I ken maist o’ the wonderfti'
aniilialso’ creation, except jistlwa; arid
and these Uva 1 never raw. They are
an elephant and a turtle dove; and mo
lilts muMl he one o’ the Iwa.”
-*► •
Mississippi lias no national trunks,
Louisiana none outside of New Orleans
and Florida only one.