The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-27
THE TRAIL OF DEATH.
Victims Lured by Gold to the
Valley Of the Yukon.
THE FATE OF FOUR MINERS,
Tive Ieft Dead by the wayside. where
Flies and Mosquitoes Sing Their
Lonely Eeasien.
gcsprrsgas ~ Miner ". Bruee. lsssl


CHzLcoor. Alaska, Oct. /. lSSa
SAY, odd Eaaa. you are just the kind Of
/ fellow | waaE 70 70 into the Yukon with. -
twas ore evening IN the latter part of
{ April last that the passengers On the Alas
kan steamer George ". Elder we're
( crowded into the cabin for the purpose OF
i participating IN concert in which those
who could be prevailed upon TO do so were
| 70 s;aause the rest with an imprompfn en-
ieEtalnmeaf. Abont halt way down the
I programme occurred. IL Bear Story, by
4. Ingram" whom ! afterward learned
WAS from Seattle, Wash.
/ When the master of ceremonies made
i the announcement. tail. slim man. Of per
hans ~ years of aee. arose, and snodestiy
| related an encounter he had way back in
| Ihe sixties with a grizzly bear in the noun
/ taifss OF Montana He told OF his coming
suddenly upon the brute, aud after DIS
charging his rifle at close range. found HIM
sell engaged in hand struggle with his
maddened and bleeding adversary. He
tod the story as man used 10 frontier
lie and the dangers incident thereto can
/ relate. and without the least effort to cover
himself with glory in that sanguinary con-
test. but, hoiulng up Ia view his left hand.
which was bent and twisted into a shape
less and crippled mass of scrawney fingers,
/ said. II did not Kill the bear, bat have this
TO remember him by"
| thought he was the kind of man
tenderfoot like myself should tie 10 in enter
ing upon an expedition involving weary
tramp OF fifteen hundred miles and il was
this impression that led 10 the remarks |
addressed 10 him after the concert, and
which appear at the beginning of my letter.
Upwards OF tifty men had taken passage
upon thai steamer with view of going
into the Yukon country. but by the time
they had landed in Juneau the ardor OF
over three-fourths of them had cooled
down. and a dozen only were left who per-
sisted in carrying out their original in,en-
tons and made hasty Preparations for the
long and hazardous tramp. It was only at
the last moment and even after had pur-
chased my outfit that concluded not TO
make the trip; but the old man was one OF
the small band, and he cordially shook my
hand As he babe me goodbye.
! could not help but think. as their boat
showed off. that If any OF the party sue
cunlhed to the hardships that attend a trip
into the Yukon country. my old friend
would not be the first TO go, and fully ex-
| pected TO see him return this fall, the hale
| and hearty old veteran that left with so
light heart. and as modestiy relate his
summers experience as he told of his en-
counter with the grizzly that marked him
for life.
Three small dctachments of men have re-
turned this fall from the Yukon. The Sec
ond brought ont word that they passed a
boat lying upon the beach. with no one 10
be found near il; but il was thought to be-
long To four men who started from Forty
mile creek 10 come out on July 9th. IL
was known that they bad bat a. small sup
ply of food with them, and ii was supposed
they had taken 10 the woods in search of
game. Thus it proved To be. and yesterday
two men sottered down the mountain side
To this place, whose emaciateds face and
trembling limbs showed that they had sur
vived an experience that few men would
have lived through.
One of them. J. w. Sperry, OF Portland,
Or is a man 30 years OF age, with hair as
white as the driven snow. AS / pressed
my fingers 10 the calf of his leg an impress
sion was left as if / had pressed upon
piece of p.tty-a certain indication that
scnryy would soon have fought battle
with starvation, which so nearly claimed
him as victim The other man, X. c.
Younger. and his youth alone saved him
from filing an unmarked grave in the great
valley of the Yukon.
Three weeks after starting on their home
ward journey their supply OF provisions
was entirely exhausted. and they soon be-
came so weak that they could not pull
their boat. which they finally abandoned.
and then took to the hills in search OF
game. Occasionally squirrel was shot,
bat as quickly eaten by the men, who were
now ravenous and wild berries became
their only means OF subsistence. Their
trail was followed by clouds of mosquitoes
and flies that lit upon them in swnrms
and which they had To fight continually,
and their faces and hands soon became
raw and marked with bleeding sores. In
their weakened condition Ingram and +.
c. Young. from san Diego, Cal, another
of the party. were unable To fight of the
pests which proved upoi. their eyelids I'M
Ill they became so infiamed that they lost
all power TO open or close them, and they
became totally blind.
The dread ol death bv starvation and
fear OF being hopeless.y lost in that strange
country soon told upon the minds OF these
two, ard iBgram repeatedly begged his
companions To shoot him. Finally he laid
down, refusing 10 move. and when his
eomuanions ga. he was about gone, left
him, almost dragging Young along. The
next day Young succumbed. a victim 10
/ starvation and the tormeuts of the pests
which swarmed about him day and night
/ They LEFT him lying upon the ground 10
/ die how FAR from where the foot OF man
! has ever trodden they did not know.
/ Another day brogght them TO some dried
! salmon cached by Indians for winter use,
| and they were now able 10 Fetrace their
/ steps to the boats, and soon party OF In
I dams came along, from whom they oh
/ tanned food enough to enable them 10 reach
the first white settlement this side OF the
/ Yukon
/ On their way back 10 the boat they came
/ 10 the spot where Ingram was left. bat
I found the mosquitoes and flies singing
reqniem over their comfade, who had
| passed TO the great beyond. lie was left
/ wiih but stone 10 mark his resting place,
/ and his blanket and few branches of
/ henIoek were spread over him for
shroud. They could not find where Young
/ vas left. but they are satisfied that strength
/ or reason never returned sufficient 10 ALLOW
him 10 move from the spot.
on their way out the party discovered a
ledge having q clearly defined vein OF rich
ore showing free gold. and at its base found
liberal quantities of gold ia every pan
Location notices were hnrriedly put up,
and anticipation Of rich results another
up their spirits for time. and spurresi