The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-11-21
r1DrNGs PROM WISE.
A Bottle Dropped from the Pathfinder
After Burr's Death--Professor Wise
Exhausted and Hungry.
EFrom the st. Lonis Globc-Democrat.

EFrom the st. Lonis Globc-D emocrat.
The fight of the Pathfinder" which
sailed away Sept. % with Professor Wise
and George Burr. and the subsequent fate
of Burr, are matters too fresh to need any
extended notice. The fate of Professor
Wise has never been known up to this
time. 1t is linked with that of Wash.
Donaldson. and the sea and the air and
the earth alike refuse to give up tue secret
place where they must have met death.
Now comes faded note, written on q
piece of a leaf of a memorandum book,
which purports to have been written by
Wise. 1t is as follows:
PATH FINDER. ONO RIVER, Nov. 2,
$3.50 D. m-Near Paducah, Ky. Going
at the rate of sixty five miles southeast per
hour. z. f. in bad condition. | am
almost dead with exhaustion and hunger.
Eleven days since Burr's death. Good-bve.
WISE.
The writing was executed with a lead
pencil, and is faded. A curious fact in
connection with this note, and one going
to prove the writing as that OF Wise, is
that two words are made of Pathfinder.
This was an invariable practice of Profess
sor Wise when writing the word.
This note was picked up in bottle that
was found on the 18th. 10 Pirking's Greek.
between Metropolis, ILL.,, and Paducah,
KY, by a man named E. A. Bicham, who
gave it to a Globe Democrat correspondent
at Metropolis City. The condition of
Wise, floating exhausted in the air
SHUT OFF FROM THE WORLD
which lay in sight of him. and against
which he was momentarily in danger OF
being dashed, was one of such terror that
its contemplation even now is sickening,
taken in connection with the terrific
pluoge which he must have had shortly
after.
On the receipt of the note given, it was
taken to Mr.. Mabley. who was largely in
terested in the ascension. At this late
day, when there can be no hope left for
Wise, the Globe Democrat would be loath
to give place to any idle surmises as cheap
advertisements 10 connection with Il matter
dear to many hearts. And it was with
this view that Mr.. Mabley was asked to
scrutinize the note that was picked up.
After examining it carefully. and com
pairing it, young Mr.. Mabley expressed
his belief that the note was genuine
Mr.. Charles Coulter Recorder OF Voters,
who was an intimate friend of Wise, and
who interested himself in the Professor S
last ascension, aiding him ID several ways,
examined the faded chirography and be-
ieVei it to be the handwriting of Wise,
The %nore he examined it the more posi-
tive he vas that it was genuine.
Ifit should so prove and there ls no
evidence that it isn't true as yet, it will be
of melancholy interest, showing the singu-
lar routes ,raversed by the Pathfinder, and
the utter loneliness of the white haired
pioneer of the air, exhausted, in sight of
the earth, and yet unable to communicate
with single living soul.
MIR Confer is SO firmly impressed with
the idea that the note is genuine, that he
is anxious to have il sent TO the relatives
of the Professor tits preserved at this
office where it can be seen by any of the
Professors friends