They undertook to drift with it to Wright's ranch but the spring weather having been mild had caught them unprepared and without heavy clothing.

Shunover was the only one of the three to reach the shelter. One had fallen near the place Theo. Johnson now resides and the other near Ted Kelly's. This storm was long remembered by cattle men as one that caused great losses. It occurred on March 7, 1878. No later storm has equalled in violence or destructiveness.

Weddings and a Golden Wedding The first wedding in the valley or in Banner county territory has been told in the story of, "When Cattlemen Were Kings." It was that of Miss Dude Wright to E. A. Boots which occurred at the old Wright ranch and Elder Leslie Stevens came from Sidney to perform the ceremony. The next wedding of Pumpkin creek people was that of Ellen Anderson and Oiris Streeks. Elder Stevens also performed this ceremony. The wedding occurred at the Metropolitan Hotel at Sidney and cowboys from far and near were in attendance. They cleaned up the Thoelecke jewelry store of all its supply of silverware for presents to the uniting couple.

The wedding and the sequel of Miss Oliver and Samuel Abbott has already been chronicled as has also the double wedding at Wright's place.

The spirit and determination of the mating quality in mankind can be illustrated by many references to early marriages. Tom Hughes (on the Niobrara) paid Judge Robert Shuman $100 to come out to his place and perform a marriage ceremony.