Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-04
IN DARK FORESTS.

4 LITTLE B0Yss sTRANGE AND PITT
FUL ADVENTURE.
He Wandered Min Days In he Woods,
subsisting Entirely ON Berries. But
Big-Hearted Men Searched ON and
Found Him Alive and Well.
Wausau, Wis.,, special OF August "A:
Elmer Foster. only z years Of age, has
recently had a most remarkable expert
ence, unparalleled, indeed, in the history Of
eyen this forest region oil Northern Wis
consin. He strayed from his home on the
18th day of this month, and has ever since
been wandering in the dense forests that
cover q large portion OF this country. liv.
ing on berries, sleeping in the shelter OF
some friendly log or thicket, and surviving
it all with so little injury OF body or mind
that, when found to-day, after nearly ten
days absence, he was eating his Inner OF
berries az composedly as though he were
sitting at the family table.
The story of his wanderings, OF the weary
DAYS OF search made for him, and OF the
happy finding of the little fellow at last il
strange and interesting. Elmer Foster is
the only child OF George Foster. a workman
at Warden's mill, fifteen miles southeast
OF this city and three miles east OF Mosine's,
the first village of any Importance south
81 here. The boys mother died several
years ago, and he was living at the time OF
this adventure at the home OF Lou Priest,
not far from Warden g mill, where his father
had provided q home for his motherless
boy, to have him near him. On the
morning OF Thursday, August 10,
Elmer started out to pick b~lackberries
with q daughter OF Mrs. Priest, about 10
wears OF age, and returned to dinner. In
the afternoon of the same day he asked
permission to go out to the berry patch
alone, saying that he eknew the way all
right and was permitted to do SO, as the
patch was not many rods distant. He
trip. As he is a sturdy and enterprising
little chap the family felt no apprehension
at his absence until evening, but then be-
came suddenly anxious for his safety, and
commenced q search for him.
Not q trace of him coull be found. His
father was Immediately notified, and the
crew at the mill turned out and joined with
the few neighbors living near IN q syste-
matte search OF the surrounding forest.
Every one carried q lantern and a gun, and
a number OF dogs were brought into use.
But lights and shouting and firing OF gums
met no response, and morning dawned
upon the searching party without ri indi-
cation OF the poor little fellows where
abouts. Tit prospect was truly a gloomy
one, for the country for three miles in every
direction is a vast forest, with only coca
sional email clearings, and the boy might
wander DAYS in a frightened and bewildered
condition anu not once emerge from the
dark and gloomy woods. But the situa-
ton was one for which the spirit OF this
pioneer people ia especially adapted.
Joseph Dessert, Of Mosinee, upon hearing
the pitiful story On Friday morning, forth
with shut down his immense sawmill and
set his crew OF 100 men Upon the hunt Tor
the lost boy. The Inhabitants of Mosinee
and the country for miles about turned out
to a man, and q number Of expert woods
men from this city were sent down to lead
the small army that was now examining
every nook and recess of the forest about
the little clearing OF Lon Priest. These
extraordinary efforts were continued until
Sunday, by which time the number OF
was necessarily reduced to q few,
but these few we've filled with a calm deter.
mination that the boy must be found.
They were encouraged by the recollection
that some years ago, at just about this
season, a little boy had g rayed away in a
manner in q n%eighboring part OF the
country and been found alive and well five
days a~ftsrward. Their worst lear was that
he might have fallen the prey of a bear, for
these huge animals are most numerousd dur
ing cherry time," and though not usually
to attack human beings. vet a few
instances of children being carried off by
them are known in this country. the most
recent one occurring only q few weeks
ago.
Still the search went on, being now con-
Quoted by men whose lives had been spent
the woods, whose keen eyes not a broken
twig could escape; to whom the trackless
wilds were like a beaten highway. One ray
Of light they had-footprints that must
have been made by his poor, tired little
miles northeast OF the berry patch. That
these were the footprints OF the lost hoy
seemed certain from the further fact that
along with them were also seen the trail OF
5he puppy that had gone with him. This
puppy had returned home the previous
lay, impelled, no doubt, by the pangs of
munger, which in his canine stomach could
lot be appeased by the bountiful black
berries hat were sufficient to satisfy the
OF the appetite OF his little master. |
seemed to be reasonable grounds for
that he might yet be found, and so
he search went bravely on.
From the time that the tracks we're |
ound the hunt continued in the most min |
tie and systematic manner Day after /
lay the circle was gradually widened, and
a hollow, not a fallen log, not a rock /
lor mound OF earth escaped the eyes of
he hunters. In the nature OF things it |
Vas not to be expected that the boy would |
tray many miles directly from the start
ng point. 1t is we'll known that the wan
|erings OF people lost in a forest are almost
Invariably in circles, and this would be
auch more likely to be the case with .
hid OF tender years, weakened by fatigue,
Exposure and lack OF nourishing food. In.
eed, the problem OF finding the lost child
id not seem to be such a very difficult one
o that devoted band OF skillful forest
ilots, patient, t~ireless, big.hearted and
rawny men. But could he hold out until
hey should find him?
At IL o'clock this morning, Thomas
and the foreman OF the saw-mill of
oseph Dessert & Co., who had been in the
uniting party ever since Friday morning
the week before, came suddenly upon the
nall object Of their quest sitting upon a
Hen tree and eating an early and simple
inner OF blackberries. For more than a
eek they had been travelling that solemn
rest with a patience and fortitude
most incredible, hoping against hope
r the glad sight that now met
leir eyes. Gently they approached the
~, who looked up at them with q sudden,
FAX little cry of pathetic gladness that q
led their brave eyes with tears. The next +
oment n of them had him in his
rong arms, and in the next they lifted 10 y
cir voices in q joyous shout that rang +
rough the arches OF theforest like q trum. a
t. Very soon they were Joined by the
her members of their party, and now
ose a generous strife to see who might =
mister to the wants of the poor little a
ap. Food was given to him with all due "
ution, and a little stimulant from the
SIX OF one Of the hunters-for this class Of o
N are not teetotalers to any great OK. Il
presently he became as chipper q
Little Breaches" in Hays inimitable o
EN-:
nd thar sot Little Breeches,' as pert as RI
ever you see; m
want a chaw OF terbacker, and that's p
what's the matter o. me-" m
lie was a sight to make q mothers hearth
ak. Hia clothes Woro hop o;Du ol1-kI.-- bS