Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-04
HIS WORST EXPERIENCE.
Remarkable Physical Endurance of Scout
Who Had Lost His Companions.

Remarkable Physical Endurance Of q Scout
Who Had Lost His Companions.
There was brought to this city o few days
ago, says a special from Yuma, Ariz., to the
New York Herald, a man who comes as near
being physical wreck as q man can become
without dying. yet this same man three months
ago was thought to be the most perfect speci-
men Of physical manhood in the whole terri
tory.
James Gordon, prospector, guide and scout,
has been known in this part Of the country for
years, says the dispatch, and his wonderful en-
durance has carried him through many tight
plac es and is now the cause Of his being alive.
He has undoubtedly passed through the worst
experience ever allotted to man and lives to tell
the tale. He left Yuma three months ago to
guide a party of gold seekers and took them
into a desert in the ella river country. At that
time he WINS strong and weighed over 200
pounds, being six feet two inches tall in his
stocking feet and built like giant.
By some mischance he got separated from his
companions and the guide became lost. The
party with whom he was travelling returned to
Yuma two weeks after he left them, loud in their
condemnation Of him, and under the impress
sion that he had purposely deserted them and
left them to starve in 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 Q party in
such . condition.
A search was at once instituted by his friends
and continued for whole month with no sue
cess whatever, no trace Of the man being found
anywhere in the desert. It was finally given
up. and the people believed that he had been
murdered by come wandering band of renegade
Apaches and his bones hidden in some out Of
the way chasm.
On July s wagon came into town and stopped
at the door of the hotel. There was lifted from
1t the form Of q man which was 30 emaciated
that it was supposed to be some dying invalid
who had come to this country, a. 90 many Do,
to find life again in the invigorating 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 con-
WINGED him that it was really the long lost
scout.
Gordon said that after he got lost he wan
dered around the desert until he saw be- could
find no way out, and then he bent all his ener-
gies to keeping himself alive, as he was conf
dent that he would pull through some way. He
knew that II he travelled far enough south he
would come to civilization, and with this end in
view he went ON and ON - well - he could,
living on anything that ne could find that would
sustain life.
Al one time he vas without vator for three
days and almost went Wild from the terrible
thirst. He worked his way along and IL was
month before he struck trail whsre he knew
wagons would pass along. Hero he lay down
and waited ON the verge Of death for assistance,
which came in the shape Of MEXICAN With .
got wagon to carry him 70 Yuma. BE now
weighs only ITO pounds, but the doctors say he
viii recover and be = strong - ever again II
h takes care Of himself.