Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-09-06
| Wonderful Escape from Death of TGO
Little Children.


Little Children.
On Friday M )rning, July 81. 1892, four
little children living ut Allonrz mine
started out with pals and baskets to pick
berries. They wandered along the high
way for about quarter of Il milo and then
turned on Il new road which leads Sthrourh
the thick woods TO the new mine ctlled
the Wolverine. All went well until the
youngest, 4 mite Of girl and very small
Of her age, being but seven We rs old,
complained of being tired and wanted to
90 home. Then fpr the first time in their
efforts to retrlce their steps they discover
ed that they had strayed from the path
and were lost in the thick WOO Is where
in many places the trees are but "A foot
aplrt and the underbrush grows ~ HIGH
rs live feet. Vainly they sought the right
path till nightftll closed around them
then, bruised and scratched bv the bushes,
with head, face and limbs bitten and badly
swollen by the nip the wicked black nv,
the two Older children belonging to the
Finn settlement beyond the Aloup1 prop
err tired and frightened, lay down and
crlet themselves to sleep and were found
by anxious searchers the following day ia
Il woeful condition. When these children
we're asked for their little companions
they replied: 1--WE begged them to stay
with US but the boy said he would 20 and
find the way to the road and then come
back for us, but his little sister would not
stay without him." and they pointed the
way they had gone. In that direction a
party of men searched all day aided by
the half crazcd Norwegian father and
Finn mother of the lost little ones, and all
day the whistles of the Allouez and VOL
VERNE mines blew at intervals of ten
minutes to guide them to the settlements.
Saturday night came and 10 children
found. The weary mother must return 10
her babe, but the father with few men
/ spent the night in fluitless search. Sun.
dav we found the road full of Swedes,
Norwegians and Firms, while large parties
were in the woods, and the whistles blew
all day. Monday came and the Calumet
and liecla joined in the search, sendi no
out about four hundred men. Toward
night little footprint was discovered, and
piece of the little girls dress. Tuesday
more men were sent out and success was
thought to be certain, but alas! no children
were found. AT evening the sky was full
of dense black clouds. The thunder was
awful never before do remember such
rainfall and tempest as ragged for few
hours, while the rest of the night and
succeeding day was sultry with drizzling
rain and Wednesday night another tenn
pest. Still the search continued. Every
day the shouts of six hundred men or
more were making the woods alive. Fri
day morning-onc week from the chill
dren's disappearance and the Cal
umet and Hecla mine was closed and the
whole force together with the Alloucz men
were stationed along the road front, five
feet apart, with orders to break through
the woods in that line as best they could
to search every hollow stump, to remove
underbrush, to examine holes and make
sure of leaving no spot unexplored and
yet night brought nearly every man back
with no traces of the children. Some
stayed all night at their almost hopeless
task, and some, a party of four SwcdeS
were themselves lost, and here is theil
wonderful story.
At 3 O'Clock Friday afternoon we sat
down by brook TO rest. We were tired
and bcwildered and shouted loudly for
our companions to come 10 us, when from
II heap of bushes came boy saying
Where are youp Who is it? We,
thinking he belonged to some party OF
snarchers, asked, who are you With?
His answer came, My sister, Up VIC
sprang to our feet, and knew, even in the
midst of our amazcmont, that the los
children were found, and alive, and il
their right senses, although they had beer
alone in that dismal wood, amidst light
ming and tempest, for eight days, will
nothing TO eat but berries. And the boy
of but years had built huts of brush t.
cover them at night, had gathered an(
loaded both himself aud sister With grea
punches of blueberries where they were
to be found, and was trying to follow Tho
tortuous course of the brook which, ht
remembered, emptied into Torch lake
He was still brave. We gave them smal
pieces of brea! at intervals during The
afternoon and night, as we walked in ol
by the sides Of the streams as best W,
could with our joyful burden, or Iav down
for little needed rest. each two men will
II child between them to give warmth Il
the little chilled frame"
Saturday morning some one in the stree
shouted to me. they arc found! they ar,
foundn | threw up the sash and a party
of men were right in front of the house
They had the children with them. The
refused food and drink, saying they ha,
Just fed them and did not dare to Civ
them any more. Both childrcn's eyes
looked wild and rolled restlcssly, a, the,
clung tightly to the necbs of their rescuers
their bodies seemed covered with bruisc
and their little feet we're badly blistered
they were being taken TO the hospital 70
examination. DR.. d., the assistant super
intendent of the mine, rode with headlon,
speed to tell the parents. The mothe
wildly clung to him and tainted away
while the father, who had spent every da
and part of every night in the woods, wa
nearly vercome.-CaIun,et, Michjgan
letter 10 Boston Post