The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-05-05
THE FROZEN-EGG MAN
A Portland Mans Business Ven.
ture In the Klondike.
tie Cleaned Up . Good Round sum
On what Seemed to the Miners
. Foolhardy Speculation
His Adventures.

His Adventure.
Nearly every man VINO has come out
Of Dawson during the past two months
OF more has had something to say of
the "frozer-egg man" They met him
at various points between the Chilcoot
summit and the Yukon river, trudging
along with one companion and four
dogs. pulling a cargo of frozen eggs
bound for the klondike. Eggs at Daw-
son are worth one dollar or more each,
and this high price proved such an in
centive to Portland man that he re-
solved to freeze lot of them and take
them in. The egg man has been the
source of no little amusem' Mt for the
Klondikcrs who have come out. They
have frequently laughed at his fool
hardy speculation and often predicted
his failure. He has been prolific land
mark, and one of the stock questions
which klondikers have asked each
other here has been: "Where did you
meet the egg man?'
The egg man is in Seattle. He has
sold his eggs and returned with sack
which many Klondikcr might well
envy. His name is Charles Vest. Vest
left Portland last October on the steam
or Elder. Before leaving he obtained
l,7I3 dozen eggs. He broke and packed
them in tin cans holding one gallon
each, or six dozen. The cans were
sealed, frozen and put on ice. They
weighed 2,u25 pounds in cold storage.
With one man to help him and his
dogs Vest hurried the eggs up to Sheep
Camp aud buried them in the snow. He
put four cans in a sack and tied the sack
over the dogs backs. Each dog carried
% pounds in this way. Once over the
summit the cans were piled on sleds,
pulled by the dogs, and the journey con-
tinued.
Several adventures befell Vest and
his companion on the way. On Deem
ter II they stopped at a cabin and
bought supper and lodging. They
bought some moccaSins of one of their
hosts. In the morning one can of the
eggs, now becoming more and more
precious, was gone. Vest mad his sus-
picions, but had no evidence. He asked
his host about the missing can. but got
were confirmed. There were others
camping at the cabin. and from these
two or three days later Vest obtained
corroborativc evidence as to the guilt
Of the suspect The thief had gone to-
ward the coast. but Vest followed him
and took him before the police. Con-
frontcd with the evidence of his crime,
the fellow confessed. The police de-
creed that the man should he punished
by giving up his outfit to the man he
had wrongrd. This was done, and Vest
got $lsj per dozen for the can Of eggs, or
Sl,1lO in all.
At Thirty-Mile river an adventure of
different sort overlook the egg man.
\ raft was built to float down the river.
Vest stayed on shore to line the raft
down, and his companion was aboard
the raft. The ice at one place was not
strong enough to support Vests
weight, and he was forced To let the line
40. The raft went spinning down the
river at fearful rate, the anxious own
er running along shore to keep up with
1t. Suddenly a rock rimunr with ice
appeared in the track of the raft. In
moment the raft had dived under the
ice, the rider had jumped for his life to
the rock, and the carg. had spilled into
the swift stream. The stove and tent
of the men sank. but the sacks of egg
cars went floating Gown stream.
1t was bitter cold. but the situation
was desperate. Vest did not ponder
long upon what to DO. lie Plunged into
'he stream and pulled out the sacks one
Al time. To do this ne had to run
along and into the stream for a mile and
4 bali. His clothes frole 20 him, but
he saved his eggs. Then he went back
10 his companion and threw out rope
and towed him ashore. Three men, who
happened 10 he camping near 10y. gave
the two Wet men shelter until they had
dried and warmed themselves.
SiNty-tiNc miles further down Vest
coached the Big Salmon, where Mai.
Walsh was camping. Maj. Walsh want
al supplies, and he bought Vests eggs
a. three dollars per dozen. The eggs
yielded Sj,2ll, which, added to the
Sl,ll0, amounted To SG,32l as the total
product of Vests undertaking. Seattle
Post Intelligeneer.
The Overriding of Judge