Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-06-08
THE FROZEN EGG Man.
A DERIDED KL0NDIKE SCHEME THAT
PANNED OUT WELL.

Charles Vest Carried l743 Dozen Frozen
Eggs Instead Of q Miners Pack Into
the Yukon Region.
Nearly every man who has come opt
Of Dawson during the past two months
or more has had something to say OF
the frozen egg man." They met him
at various points between Chilcoots
Summit and the Yukon river, trudgipg
along with one companion and four
dogs, pulling a cargo OF frozen eggs
bound for the Klondike. Eggs at Daw-
son are worth 81 or more each, and
this high price proved such an incen-
tive to Portland man tlat he resolv-
ed to freeze a lot of them and take
them in. The egg man has been the
source Of no little amusement for the
Klondikers who have come out. They
have frequently laughed at his fool
hardy speculation and ollen predicted
his failure. He has been a prolific
landmark, and one OF the stock ques-
tions 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 a Klondiker might
well envy. His name is Charles Vest.
Vest left Portland last October on the
steamer Elder. Before leaving he OBJ
tained 1,743 dozen eggs. He broke and
packed them In cans holding one gal
Ion each, or six dozen. The cans were
sealed, frezen and put on ice. They
weighed 2,025 pounds in cold storage.
With one man to help him and his
dogs Vest hurried the eggs up to Sheep
Camp and buried them in the snow.
He put four cans in sack and tied the
sack over the dogs backs. Each dog
carried twenty-eight pounds in this
way. Once over the summit the cans
were piled on sieds, pulled by the
dogs, and the Journey continued.
Several adventures befell Vest and
his companion on the way. On De-
cemher 2lst, they stopped at o 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 had his sus-
picions, but had no evidence. He ask
ed his host about the missing can, but
got no satisfaction, although his sus-
picions were confirmed. There were
others camping Mt the cabin and from
these two or three days later Vest OBJ
tanned corroborative evidence as to
the guilt of the suspect. The theft had
gone toward the coast, but Vest follow
ed him and took him before the police.
Confronted with the evidence Of his
crime the fellow confessed. The police
decreed that the man should be pun
ished by giving up his outfit to the
man he had wronged. This was done,
and Vest got S1S5 per dozen for the can
Of eggs, or s1,110 In all.
At Thirty-mile river an adventure
of a different sort overlook the egg
nan. A raft was built to float down
stream. 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 60. The raft wen. spinning
down the river at a fearful rate, the
anxious owner running along shore to
keep up with 1t. Suddenly a rock
trimmed 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 cargo had spilled into the swift
stream. The stove and tent OF the
men sank, but the sacks Of egg cans
went floating down stream.
It was bitter cold, but the situation
was desperate. Vest did not ponder
long upon what to do. He plunged
into the stream and pulled in the sacks
one at a time. 10 do this he had to
run along and into the stream for q
mile and half. His clothes froze to
him, but he saved his eggs. Then he
went back to his companion and threw
out rope and towed him ashore.
Three men who happened to be camp
ing nearby gave the two wet men shell
ter until they had dried and warmed
themselves.
Sixty-fve miles further down Vest
reached the Big Salmon, where Major
Walsh was camping. Major Walsh
wanted supplies, and he bought Vests
eggs at So per dozen. The eggs yield
ed S5,211, which added to the S1,11O,
amounted to S6,321 as the total pro-
duct of Vests undertaking. Seattle
Wash Post-Intelligencer.