The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-16

even the stoutest hearts had fAFled and
said ne must die. when = party q In
Gan. pass sd u:; rnsy Eass ns food and %
such place. they told M u was lie. Ike
the overland trail. but they built fires for
N and promised to lead the way 10 Fort
Lard.
a days rest and Ne started 70 follow.
They. the Indians. went too fast. They
had to 90 fast and they knew II. but they
promised 10 send rescue hack II We strug-
gied on Oh. how strong IN man Is the love
OF life. With finger nails frozen OF. with
toe nails frozen of. rubbing our frozen
faces with snow, we staggered on and by
and by reached shack There they cared
for Us and I. crazed by the pain and her
rof OF 1t all. rested day. ard then taking
prov. s.cusa started cut alone. 4 few miles
I travelled. how many don't know. when
on ard on. going know not where. miss
tnx death know not how often
o o q
ssDUT / was fated TO live and TO suffer
II even - were my companions.
Twilight fell and on the trail met the
miners coming out Ny eyesEht had re-
thing, food. blankets. everything. in order
10 stagger on. All that was left 70 me were
my snowshoes and the clothes | wore.
The miners met fed me and sent me on,
eighteen miles to the station. l could
move and walk. or sfaggsr, and they must
reach those who could NOT move / reach
ed the station and for two weeks did not
know whether / was alive or dead, but at
last came around.
The rest was easy. and here I am
without money. old before my. time and
with memory OF horrors and suffering
that no threats Of hereafter can ever
augment.
Men curse God and die In the wilderness
OF Alaska Men 80 crazy there. Men toll
frost. starvation and srurvy. the. curse
above all curses Of that country. and other
men go past them. even as We did. pity
them. may be. but go on to a like death
greed for gold.
II am going back TO Philadelphia in
day or two. Gone but little over two
years. my friends will nvr know me. and
when they do they will ask. Where Is
John. or Tom. or Joe. or George and
will answer. God only knows They
think We. are all digging fortunes out OF
the frozen earth. They saw US start four
light OF the Northern will-o -the-w.sp. the
gay colors OF the aurora borealis glow
ing In the Arctic sky. They will see one,
two. three. yes. may be four of us come
back. broken in health. penniless In
pocket. and they VIII listen as we tell
them OF the others who found graves In
the icy lakes and rivers. on the wind
of the mountains. and then others as
strong and as brave as We will laugh and
say. 'Profiting by your misfortunes we
For every thousand In gold from Alas
ka." said Taylor. "a life has been given.
Never until that great day when the last
muster roll Of men upon the earth. living
and dead. Is called, will the glaciers. the
Ice and the sne " OF far north Alaska yield
up their dead. They are held even as in
the depths OF the sea and no man knows
their graves"
o O @
S LANDING beside F1emmings bed.
~ watching his struggle for life: look
ing into the face of the unconscious Pas
teole. who must ever live cripple: watch
ing Taylor and Smith and the rest limp
around with ost-blackened faces and
twisted climbs. sea red by scurvy. broken
in health and strength by toll and starva-
ton. one marvels that human flesh can
endure so much OF suffering.
But one marvels more that men can be
found who viii willingly and knowingly
send fellow men to an almost certain
death. as did the men who persuaded Tay-
Tor and Flernming and their companions TO
enter Alaska over the alleged overland
tran from Edmonton.