Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-08-05
His Worst Experience.

There was taken 10 una, ArlZ, Il
few days ago man who comes as near
being physical wreck as a man can be-
come without dying, yet this same man,
three months ago, was thought to be
the most perfect specimen of physical
manhood in the whole territory.
James Gordon, prospector, guide and
scout. has been known in that part of
the country for years, and his wonder
fnl endurance has carried him through
manv tight places, and isnow the cause
of his being alive. He has undoubted-
" passed through the worst experience
ever allotted to man and lives to tell
the tale. He left Yuma three months
AGO to guide party of gold seekers,
and took them to desert in the Glla
river country. At that time he was
strong and weighed over two hundred
rounds. being six feet two inches tall
in his stocking feet and built like
giant.
from his companions and the guide be-
came lost. The party with whom he
was travelling returned TO the city, two
weeks after he left them, loud i'll their
condemnation of him and under the
impression that he had purposely de-
serted them and left them to starve i'll
the desert. As he had not returned
the suspicion at once fixed itself in the
minds of his friends that something
was wrong, for he would never have
left "A party in such q condition.
A search was at once instituted by
his friends and continued for q whole
month with no success whatever, no
trace of the man being found anywhere
in the desert. 1t was finally given up,
and the people believed that he had
been murdered by some wandering
band of renegade Apaches and his
bones hidden in some out of the way
chasm.
On July 5 wagon came into town
and stopped at the door of the hotel
There was lifted from it the form of q
man which was SO emaciated that it
was supposed to be some dying invalid
who had come to this country, as so
many do, to find life again in the in
vigorating air. When he was carried into
the hotel he told the clerk who he was.
The clerk was utterly astounded, for he
was one of Gordon's best friends and
had been one of the search party. At
first he could not believe that the truth
was being told, but the strange tale told
to him soon convinced him that it was
really the long lost scout.
Gordon says that after ne got lost he
wandered around the desert until he
saw he could find no way out, and then
he bent all his energies to keeping him.
self alive, as he was confident he would
pull through some way. He knew that
if he travelled far enough south he
would come 10 civilization, and with
this end in view he went on and on as
well as he could, living on anything
that he could find that would sustain
life.
At one time he was without water
for three days, and almost went wild
from the terrible thirst. He worked
his way along and it was a month be-
fore he struck trail where he knew
wagons would pass along Here he lay
down and waited on the verge of death
for assistance, which came in the shape
of Il Mexican with cart, and he was
driven to house where he got wagon
to carry him to Yuma. He now weighs
only one hundred and ten pounds, but
the doctors say he will recover and be
rs strong as ever again if he takes care
of himself.