Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-06

Terrible sunsrings md Cnunibalism----A |
CIevelauder Eaten b. his Companionsl
A Denver City correspondent Of the Cincin-
natl Commercial, writing May nth, vouched for
by that paper as reliable, gives most melan-
oholy picture of the misery which has been exc
perienced by many in crossing the Plains The
hand cart and foot emigrants had to pass
through indescribable sunerings,n some instan-
ces Almost too incredible for belief men literally
starving to death, and oannibalsm being the
last resort in some cases to sustain life, brother
Jevouriug brother Many started with an en-
trcly insufficient stock Of provisions, and if not
starved before arriving, found themselves with
cut the least particle Ct food when they reach
ed the mining region. They had TO sacrifice
clothing, mining tools, anything they had at
nominal prices for food and many without any.
thing to cat or sell hang about those who are
better off, begging in the most pitilul terms for
something to subsist on. Everything, except
provisions can be bought at Denver City, at
half the cost in the States. Provisions, except
fresh meats, for game is plenty, are enormously
high Bacon sells at 90 TO 75 cents pound,
coffee and sugar at so cents, -four at from Is to
| Is nts, molasses So per gallon, New Mexico
onions at 25 cents piece, and erything else
IN proportion The writer says:
! To give your readers an idea Of what gold
| hunters have been subjected to while crossing
the great plains, l subjoin the following blood
| c ngeang narrative Of the adventures Of two
individuals. The statement of Mr Blue is au-
thenticated by Mr.. b ID Williams, the Super
! ntendcnt of the Leavenworth and Pixies Peak
Express Com any, who went back where the
! Indians had found him, and found and buried
whatever was left Of the body of the brother that
died last
Statement Of Daniel Blue, late Of CLYDE Torn
ship. WhteSide Co H., made on the l2th ddy
of May, 1859, at the office Of thc LedrenpOrth
and P,ke's Peak Express Company, in the
city of DcnUer.
ON the % day OF Februlry last, left my
home in company with my two brothers, Alex
ander Blue and Charles Blue, two other resi-
dents of the same county, John Campbell aud
Thomas Stevenson, for the Pixies Peak gold
regions. We arrived at and left Kansas City
on the 9th of March, taking the Smoky Hill
route. In the neighborhood of Topeka we
e in with nine Others also bound for West
ern Kansas. The company had one horse
which belonged to the original Blue party, and
was to carry their provisions. The rest were
fOotmen, carrying their provisions on their
backs. We journeyed together for l6 or IL
days on said Smoky Hill Route. Myself and
eight Others then continued our journey, while
the rest remained behind for the purpose OF
hunting buffalo Three or four DAYS elapsed
after the separation, when we lost our pack.
horse. Our stock of provisions was then very
much reduced, and we packed whatever we
had left and pushed onward After having
travelled eight more days, two other members
Of the company left us. Upon their leaving
our provisions became exhausted, and for ten
days we laid still, endeavoring to kill a sufii
cient amount OF game for our subsistence. A
q few hares, Iavens aud other small game was
, however, all that came within our reach. Oul
only fire arm was a shot gun, all other arms
, having been thrown away in consequence %
the we kness of their owners. At about tht
same time three others parted with US, will
the intention of making for the nearest settle
ments for the purpose Of securing relief to tn,
, remaining ones-leaving but the three broth
ers Blue, and one man b. the name of Soleg
from Cleveland, Ohiu-all of the party heinz
o very weak and very nearly exhausted. After
short effort to continue our journey, we werC
? agaiu compelled to lay up, and the next day
,oIeg died from exhaustion and want Of food
, Before he breathed his last he authorized anC
requested us to make use Of his mortal re
mans in the way OF ,urishment We
n from necessity did so, although it wen
= very hard against our feelings We live,
3 on his body Tor about eight days. We thel
we c, as | afterwards learned, on Beaver Creek
+ which empties into the Bljuu, one of the trib
Il utaries of the South Platte, and about
n miles east of Denver City After the con
\ sumption of Soegs body, Alexander, m
eldest brother, died, and, mt his own last re
= quest we used a portion OF his body rs foo
? on the spot, and with the balance resumed ou
h Journey towards the gold regions We sue
creded in travelling but ten miles, when IN
# Youngest brother, Charles gave out and W.
= NFS@Nhn81 tf>sISs's..~,JE,r. ten IDrUunrrs b nv
when Charles expired from the same causes al
] The Others. | ais" consumed the greater Dor
ton of bis remains, when | was found by an
ArapahOe Indian, and carried to his lodge, trt al
ed with great kinIness, aud day and hal
thereafter Chat is on Wednesday, the 4th O
| May,j brought to the eucampment of the Leav
enwOrth and Pixies Peak Express COMPANY
train, en- route for Denver city, under the eharn,
, of MIR Superintendent b ID. Williams. wbpr
| was received and taken care Of and left a
Station 25 to recover sufficient strength for tn,
/ continuation OF my journey BY direction o
M. Williams, the second coaches that cam
along too me up and brought me safely Il
this point free of charge.
The above statement | make freely, voluuta
rily and without compulsion Knowing thn
rt will reach the eye Of the public at large
wish b. give expression 20 the sincere gratit,d,
! entertain towards the employees of the L. an,
p. p Exp ess Company in general, and Mr.
Williams IN special, Tor the truly humane treat
ment received at their hands
DANIEL BLUE.
Denver City, May ~, 1859.
Subscribed in the presence of
} Haywood, Sacramento, Cal
W T. Carlyle, Saline CO., Mo-
M X Lane Leavenworth City, X t;
j. Nj. Fox, General Agent l. IL p p Express
Company
Mr. Blue came up to this place on the sam,
coaches that did. He locked like skeleton
and could hardly use his limbs and his sigh
, was impaired.
The Plaindeaer, of Saturday, relates the fol
: lowing instance Of cannibasm on the Plains
, a party OF emigrants being driven by hunger
J to the terrible alternative of drawing lots tC
see who should be devoured by the rest
An old man who stopped at the New Eng
land Hotel last night told frightful story o
cannibasm on the Plains, between Pixies Peal
aud st Joseph, Missouri. He was direct from
Auraria City, which is located right in tb,
heart of the so called Gold Region. He Left
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