Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-05
WHY COLGATE WAS LEFT.
william e. Carlfn Tells the story of
the Bitter Root Mountains Expedition.

the Bitter Root Mountains Expedition.
Considerable criticism has been INDUCED
IN regarding the action Of the Carlin hunt
Ing psrty in Idaho for leaving their cook,
George Colgate, and to rescue whom a re-
lief expedition has just set out. William E.
Carlin has just written for publication a
statement Of the experiences of the party
In the Bitter Root mountains which equals
the most imaginary stories of suffering, in
genuity and perseverance related by the
novelists Of western life He says:
We have been severely criticised for not
being able to rescue our cook. George Col
gate. from the Bitter Root mountains. This
Is due to the fact that no one knows the
circumstances of our trip.
Our party was formed at Spokane. We
went by rail to Kendrick. Idaho, and from
there. three days travel, to MusselsheIl
mountains proper, and continued on our
mountain trail (the 10 Lo'O for four Gays.
On the fifth day we left the 10 Lo'' trafl
and made a descent of more than 1900 feet
During the descent Colgate played out sud-
denly. I did not pay much attention to his
condition 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. a distance of
perhaps twenty yards.
l 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 be-
cause he thought he was well enough then
not to need them. He, however insisted
that a few days rest would make him all
right again. At the end Of the sixth day
his condition was not improved, and 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 a ply
stefan as quickly as possible. and that Him
melwright and 1 would take out our outfit
and other horses He. however. insisted
that he did not feel in condition to travel
then. and that he would be all right when
he had thoroughly rested. 1 thought he un-
derstood his case, and so said no more
about 1t. For some days he did seem to i'm
prove slightly, and on October 13 we started
to make the ascent to the 10 Lo," and ran
into about three feet of snow when less
than two-thirds Of the way up.
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 had six days pro-
visions. We could not ''snowshoe," as the
snow was soft and fresh snow would con-
tinue to fall We could not carry or drag
Colgate and he could not walk. II we in
tended to get him out we either had to wait
In hopes of an Indian summer melting the
snow sufficiently for him to get out or try
to go down the river by RATS. We returned
orad h,,.sr 49,
night after We made camp September. 26)
II began to rain and continued to rain for
fourteen days. 1 believe now that most OF
this was snow on the trail and 1 believe
that We were showed in, so far as getting
Colgate out was concerned, four days after
1t began to rain.
We looked for raft timber and found some
two and half miles below (dry CEDAR We
had very pleasant weather for some time
ana examined the hills twice more, but al
though the snow was gone from the lower
hills, the snow on the high hills was as
deep as ever, and we were not able to even
reach the 10 Lo' trail either time
Colgate's condition varied. Some DAYS he
seemed better, and again II he moved around
at all he became much worse. One thing,
however was certain-his limbs increased
In size and his condition was becoming
alarming. With such tools as we had we
made two RATS and were ready to start by
November 3. We could not get ready before.
was laid up myself with boils on nv
nanus, arms ana feet.
Colgate Very Weak.
We moved camp down to where Himmel-
wright. Keely and Spencer were building
the raft as soon as 1 was well enough to
walk. and although Colgate rode most of
the way. the trip of two and a half miles
% completely used him up that we all
thought he would die that night From this
time on he could never lie down, and we
had to keep fires day and night, as he was
very sensitive to cold. Himmelwright,
Prince and divided the night watches be-
tween US. Colgate was SO weak at this time
that when he wished to leave his seat and
go twenty feet away from camp one of us
had to help him and sometimes two of us
to keep him from falling. We started on
our two RATS November 3 and had an upset
the first day out In a bad rapid. Colgate
was sucked under the raft, but was saved
from drowning by Himmelwright Prince
nad very narrow escape. Spencer and Ben
landed above the rapid and tried to get out
to where we were stuck in the rocks by
wading, but the water was too strong for
them to get more than a few yards from
shore and keep their feet.
Thei- raft was finally let down to us by
long rope tied around tree and we nut
Colgate and some things on il and got them
ashore. When the next load was put on the
other raft, our raft. relieved of its weight,
started to right and went off with Himmel-
wright and me on it. My pole was jerked
out Of my hand, and we were carried down
more than half a mile before We could land
or rather stop, for we had to run the raft
on lot of rocks in order to stop. 1t took us
nearly half an hour to wade ashore with
pike poles. keely, Himmelwright and 1
worked nearly all the next day in the icy
water before We could get our raft off the
rocks. We ontinued down and made about
twenty-five to twenty-five miles in eight
days.
His Last Chance Gone.
We passed through some very bad water
In some rapids the water came over the
bow Of the raft SO high as to strike Him.
nelwright above the waist We then found
rapids and rocks ahead that were impassa-
BILE with RATS, and We had passed riany
places where we had to let the RATS down
by ropes. When we could not raft any fur
Their Colgates last chance to get out alive
was gone.
Our position then was as follows: All we
defintfely knew Of our route was that we
were probably within forty miles of the
forks Of the river; that at .he forks there
was an old trail that led down the middle
fork Of the Clearwater, and that twenty
miles from the forks was a ranch; that be-
tween US and the forks the country was
| some Of the toughest In the Ritter Roots.
Three OF us were in weak condition. We
had seven half days provisions of -Four,
three pounds Of bacon and a few beans.
To stay with Colgate meant sure death; to
out alive II we could pass the Black Canyon
before a snow storm struck the river banks
There was no choice in the matter what
eveS COLGATE was so weak he could not