Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-05-19
LOST ON THE PLAINS.
Allen Berry Wanders for
Four Days Without Food.

east of Ordway, near Lake Henry.
Thursday last he started from
Rocky Ford for his ranch, accom-
panied by several teams hauling
household goods and building ma
terial. The party arrived in sight
of the ranch about dusk Thursday
evening. Berry left the teams
and went on to the ranch but in
attempting to return to them got
lost in the darkness. The team
sters not finding him Friday morn
ing instituted a search, in which
they were joined on Friday, Sat
nrday, Sunday and Monday by q
number of Rocky Ford citizens.
Not n word was heard from Berry
until Monday evening when he
came in on the Santa Fe from the
west.
Berry's story of his wanderings
explains how he came to be SO
badly lost SO near the most highly
cultivated portion of Colorado,
Friday was cloudy and he wan
dered aimlessly about, making no
progress in any direction. Satur-
day and Sunday were clear and he
took Pixies peak for his land
mark and travelled for two days
in that direction. He somehow
confounded Pixies peak with the
Spanish peaks and thought by GO
ing in that direction he would
reach the valley of the Arkansas.
On the contrary he took the direc-
ton which kept him almost par
nllel with civilization, and all the
while i'll a grazing region, utterly
barren of population. Sunday
night he saw the smoke of the
Pueblo smelters. In order to
make sure of keeping in the di-
rection he had been going before
he lay down to sleep Sunday
night lie drove two stakes in a
way to indicate the direction he
wanted to go. Monday morning
early he did not see the smoke
which attracted his attention Sun
day night but did hear the sound
of the whistles of Pueblo's smell
ters. He started in the direction
of the sound and struck the Santa
Fe at Boone.
During all the four days Berry
was without food and much of the
time had trouble to find water
enough to prevent famishing.
When he found water he would
drink what he could and then
convert his wool hat into a reser-
voir to draw from as he journeyed.
He did not lose his head badly
although considerably dazed by
the uncertain and threatening
situation. He knew he was lost
but expected to come out all
right if he did not starve to death.
At Boone he was given a prudent
allowance of oyster soup and sent
on the freight to Rocky Ford
Arriving here he was placed in
care of DIR. Fenton, who put him
to bed and prescribed light soup
diet.
! Berry's family, consisting of a
| wife and son, were in great sus-
pense during his absence and re-
| ioiced greatly when he made his
appearance Monday evening:
During all his wandering Berry
Al -. It see man or ranch or
onv @ sion If civilization until the
smoke Of Pu.' .'blo's furnaces glaa.
dened his eyes. And strange te
say he heard no 81 c,und LOT. Of It train lin,
which would indicate :. hat ne go, 60,
far to the north during :. ne ills. Is,
portion of his wild wander. nsS
Thursday night.
We suspect that this experience
will give Berry nervous dread Of
getting lost on the plains, and he
will hesitate to go out after n
tray COW unless he has u compass
and two days food.
II. l.. Waterman led the search
ing party which followed Berry's
trail during all his wandering.
He IVES accompanied for three
days by Messrs. Fraver and Rob-
inson. They easily trailed his
horse and found that Berry wan
dered in circles and doubled on
his track in way to indicate that
he was badly dazed. Among the
many others who joined in the
search were Messrs. Maxwell, Mar
tin, Fenton, McCabe, Brown and
Burke.
500 Reward.