Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-07-01
SUFFERINGS OF THE PIXIES PEAK
EMIGRANTS.


EMIGRANTS.
The principal cause Of the recent terrible
suffering among the emigrants who have been
deceived by the Pixies Peak golden humbug.
is the lack of provisions Deceived by the
steamboat runners Of Eastern Kansas in re-
gard to the length and facilities Of the route,
they start with an inadequate supply, and the
result is suffering. Of course. The Rocky
Mountain News Of May 18th, published at
the Peak, says
"a few days ago, man arrived at Rus
sellville, and reported that his companions
nine in number-had given up and laid down
upon the prairie some miles distant. A re-
lief party was sent out, who found one of the
number dead from actual starvation, and two
others so far gone that they died soon after
reaching the settlement few days later,
a party Of thirteen reached here, who had
followed the Smoky Hill as far as practicable,
and then struck across to the Platte, by which
route they reached here nearly starved, hav-
ing been obliged to shoot their pack horse,
and subsist for days upon his flesh.
Three days ago, nine men reached Fort ST.
Vrain, whilst we were there, mere walking
skeletons. They stated that they had not
tasted bread for more than ten days, part
of which time they had lived upon the flesh
of dead OK which they found upon the
praires, but partially devoured by the wolves,
and for four days they had nothing but roots
They stated that they had travelled more
than one hundred miles without finding wa
ter, and must have perished of thirst but for
some snow squalls that had occurred.
Great destitution prevails all along the lat
ter part of the route. Emigrants are wan
dering over the plains in all directions. dis
couraged and bewildered. Some are striking
for the Arkansas, some for the Platte, and
others still searching for what does not exist
-the Smoky Hill road. Men leave their
trains to search for road, and are never seen
more. One man says he knows of seventeen
men who have thus perished or disappeared;
another says the remains of one hundred may
be seen along the track they have followed.
We hope the reports are greatly exaggerated,
and that time will show that the missing are
not lost, but we fear the worst, and give the
reports precisely as they were given to u.s.
A HORRIBLE CONFESSION-THE CASE
OF CANNIBALISM ON THE PLAINS.
We publish the particulars of case Of
cannibaism on the Plains, among company
Of Pixies Peak emgrants. Daniel Blue, one
Of the survivors of the party, has arrived at
Denver City, Kansas, and has furnished
complete account of the affair Blue went
from Clyde, ILL.,. to the Peak, with his broth
ers. He writes the following horrible con-
iession
AFTER a short effort to continue our Jour
ney, we we're again compelled to lay up, and
the next day Soleg died from exhaustion and
want of food, Before he breathed his last,
he authorized and requested us to make use
of his mortal remains in the way of nourish-
ment We, from necessity, did so, although
it went very hard against our feelings lived
on his body for about eight days. We then
were on Beaver City IS miles from Denver
City. After the consumption of Solegs body,
Alexander my eldest brother, died, and, at
his own request, we used a portion of his
! body as food on the spot with the balance
resumed our journey towards the gold re-
gions. We succeeded in travelling but ten
miles, when my youngest brother, Charles,
gave out, and we were obliged to stop. For
ten days we subsisted on what remained of
our brothers body, when Charles expired
from the same cause as the others. | also
CONSUMED the greater portion of his remains,
when was found by an Araphoe Indian, and
treated with great kindness, and day and
half thereafter this is on Wednesday, May
4th,) brought to the encampment of the Leav-
enworth and Pixies Peak Express Company's
train
The above statement | make freely, vol
UNFAIRLY, and without compulsion. Know
ing that it will reach the eye of the public
at large, ! wish to give expression to the sim
cere gratitude | entertain towards the en-
ployees of the l.. and p, P. Express Compa-
ny in general, and Mr.. Williams in special,
for the truly humane treatment received at
their hands DANIEL BLUE