Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-06-29
Adventures of a Surveyor.

In April last, Frank Matthias, civil
engineer on the Denver and Rio Grande
road started from Salt Lake City to locate
a route to Leadville. His path lay
through the southeastern part of Utah,
and thence through the Indian Territory.
He did not wish to excite the suspicious
or animosity of the Utes by large body
of men, and therefore took with him
only one companion, young man named
White. Their troubles did not begin
until they reached the Indian country
when it became evident that their supply
of provisions was too small The Indians
regarded the white men with an animos-
ity which they did not seek to conceal,
and when midway in the reservation
demanded that the surveyor give them
some -four. Their supply was running
extremely short, and they said that they
could not spare any. The savaSes re-
ceived the information with muttered
threats, and let them pass only after a
long parley. At the junction of the
Grand and Gunnison rivers the demand
for -four was repeated, and upon being
refused, the Indians seized the wagon
and surveyors instruments. 1t was use
less to resist half hundred armed
savages, and the surveyors begged only
to be allowed to leave the country. In
few angry words they were told to go,
but not to come back that way, or they
would be killed.
With this parting injunction they were
hurried from the camp and made their
way as best they could, up Gunnison
river. Their rifles were left them, and
on the first day Matthias shot deer.
The next day they reached Roaring
Forks, and their terror can be better
imagined than described when they
found the stream too swollen to permit
of crossing, and the snow at the north
of such depth that it would have been
worse than folly to have attempted to
take that direction. Death was certain
if they retraced their steps, and they
found themselves penned in spot from
which there was apparently no escape.
Luckily they had carried a quantity of
the deer meat with them and were not
without food. They had first thought
of venturing into the stream on a log,
but it was plain that they would be
dashed to pieces in the under tow, and
they reluctantly gave up the project. 1t
was at this juncture, that Lafayette
Pierce, the man who brought the news
of their situation to the city, found
them. Their voices could scarcely be
heard in reply above the roar of the
waters, but they managed to make him
hot
want of food Attaching a stone to a
note he had written Matthias eoncen-
trated all his strength and threw it
across the river. 1t fell at the feet of
Pierce, who, according to directions,
started at once for Leadville. Strength
ened by new hope the two survivors
watched and waited. Toward the end
of the week before last they could see
the savages' steady advance, and the
chances for escape were growing mar
rover each moment. Toward evening,
on Sunday, the 22d, they heard the
report of a gun, and body of men,
with a long train of jacks, emerged
from the timber on the other side of the
stream. 1t was the relief party, con-
sisting of six men, including the guide.
They held packed lumber from Red Cliff,
and with this at once began to construct
a fiatboat. In three hours they had a
rough craft, but waited until morning
before making the perilous attempt to
reach the sufferers. At daybreak the
boat was launched and reached the other
side in safety. The two starving sur
veyors were lifted in and the return trip
made