Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-12
THEY LEFT COLGATE.
w. 4. CARLIN EXPLAINS THE
PERILoUs SITUATION.
No Hope for the Sick Cook-He Was
an Invalid Before He Started,
But Had Neglected TO
Speak of IL

New York Herald.
The following letter has been received
from William e. Carlin of,the Carlin
hunting expedition;
To the Editor Of the Herald: We have
been severely criticised for not being able
to rescue our cook, George Colgate, from
the Bitter Root mountains. This is due
to the fact that no one knows the cir
eumstances of our trip.
Our party was formed at Spokane.
We went by rail to Kendrick, Idaho,
and from there, three days travel, to
Musselshell creek on horses, where we
entered the mountains proper, and con
tinued on our mountain trail 0he 10
Lon for four days. On the fifth day we
left the "Lo Lo' trail and made a de
scent of more than 1000 feet During
the descent Colgate played out suddenly.
] did not pay much attention to his con-
dition until the third day, when his
limbs began to swell very badly and he
could only with the greatest difficulty
get from camp to the river bank, dis
lance of perhaps twenty yards.
then questioned him closely about
his trouble, and he informed me that he
had been suffering from bladder trouble
for fifteen years. He had been using
certain remedial agents. which he had
neglected to bring with him, not by
accident, but because he thought he
was well enough then not TO
need them He, however, insisted that
few days rest would make him all
right again. At the end OF the sixth
| day his condition was not improved, and
| j told him that the best thing he could
| do was for Spencer, Pierce and him to
| take the three strongest animals and one
pack horse and get out of the mountains
| and to II physician rs quickly ms pnssi-
| BILE, and that Himmclwrigh and 1
would take ont our outfit and other
| horses. He. however. insisted that he
| did not feel In condition to travel them
| and that he wonld he all right when
he had thoroughly rested. | thought he
understood his case, und so suil no
more about it, For some days he did
seem to improve slightly. and on October
| ~ we started TO make the ascent 10 the
"Io Lo,' and ran into about three feet
Of snow when less than two-thirds of
the way mp.
TRAVELLING IN DEEP SNOW.
! This meant at least four and a half to
five feet of snow on our trail. Our horses
would have given out in a short time in
| such snow with no feed and we would
have to walk the rest Of the way We
'snowshoe." as the snow was soft and
fresh snow would continue 10 fail. We
could not carry or drag Colgate. and he
could not walk. IT. we intended TO gel
MN out We either had TO- wait IN hope
or an indian summer melting the snow
sufficiently for him to get out or try tC
"a down the river ny RATS. We returned
and brought out the trapper Ben Keely
The night after we made camp tSep'em
Der 20 It began TO rain and continued
TO rain Tor fourteen days. believe now
that most Of TINS was snow on the ,tr?i
ana believe mat we were showed in
81 FAR as getting Colgate out was con
ccrned four days after II began TO rain
we looked Tor ratt timber and toun'
some two and q halt miles below dry
cedarL we. mad very pleasant weath he
for, some time and examined the hil.'
twice more nut; although the snow wa'
gone from me lower NUS, me snow OF