The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-08-07
TURNED GRAY IN AN HOUR.
Charles Mays Thrilling Adventure.

Charles Mays Thrilling Adventure.
Charles May and his brother Robert,
in the spring Of 1870, offered to pass
$4,000 railroad ties down the Ar
kansas river from the mountain source
in Colorado. He says:
sour offer was accepted, when we
started into the upper entrance Of the
canon with large skiff, provided with
six days provisions and 200 feet Of
rope, with which, by taking running
turn round some firmly planted object,
we could lower our boat 100 feet at q
time. In this way, at the end of three
days, having set adlift many hundred
ties, we reached the entrance to the
Royal Gorge. Here we discovered that
an attempt to descend the first waterfall
with two in the boat was certain destruc1s
ton, and to return was impossible. Ac--
cordingly, I determined to lower my
brother down the fall in the beat, a dis
tance of 200 feet, give him the rope, and
let him take the chance of the canon
life seemed more certain in that direc-
tion-while I would risk my physical
ability to climb the canon wall, which
was about 1000 feet high.
About 10 o'clock in the morning
shook hands with my brother, lowered
him in the boat safely to the foot of the
fall, gave him the rope, and saw him no
more Then, thowing aside my coat,
hat and boots, and stripping the socks
from my feet, I commenced my climb
ing way, often reaching the height of
100 or 200 feet, only to be compelled to
return to try some other way. At
length, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
/ reached a height upon the smooth
canon wall of about 1000 feet. Here
my further progress was arrested by a
shelving ledge of rock that jutted out
from the canon side foot ormore. To
advance was without hope; to return,
certain death. Reaching upward and
onward, I grasped the rim of the ledge
with cne hand, and then with the other,
my feet slipped from the smooth side of
the canon, and my body hung suspend
ed in the air Thousand feet above the
roaring waters of the Arkansas.
"At that moment I looked downward
to measure the distance I would have to
fall when the strength of my arms gave
out. A stinging sensation crept through
my hair as my eye. caught the strong
root of a cedar bush that projected out
over the ledge, little beyond my reach.
My grasp upon the rim of the ledge.
was yielding to the weight of my per
son. Then I determined to make my
best effort to raise my body and throw
it sideways toward the root, SO as to
bring it within my grasp. At the mo-
ment of commencing the effort, I saw
my mothers face as she leaned out over
the ledge, reached down her hand and
caught me by the hair. Stranger, my
mother died while yet young woman,
when and my brother were small boys,
but remember her face. I was sue
cessful in making the side leap of my
arms, when I drew myself up the ledge
and rested for time. From here up
ward my climbing was laborious, but
less dangerous. I reached the topof the
canon Just as the sun was sinking
down behind the snowy range, and
hastened to our camp at the mouth of
the canon, where l found my brother
all safe. Charley said he, have you
had your head in a iour-sack?' 1t was
then I discovered that my hair was as
white as you see it now"