Iron County register., 1899-08-17
EDMONTON TRAIL SURVIVORS.
HeartrendinE Tales of Starvation
Nnd Suffering Told by UnfOrtu-
mates Arrived at WranEIe.

steamer Strathcona arrived here Yes
terdav with 80 survivors of the Id
monitor trail. They are:
Survivors of the Edmonton Trail.
NJ. Randleman, Chicago; J. &. Liz,
Vancouver; W. L. Mum, Missouri; i.
Fl. Lyons, Missouri; W. Coulter, Mani
toba: II. Ostig, Chicago; e. VerlSer,
Canada; S. W. Morgan. Silverton,
Ore; III. Fenk, Los Angeles: G.. Gaff-
ney, Los Angeles; II. Berton, Salt
Lake; W. Hinzman, Chicago; C. JEFF
ferson, Asbury Park, n. J.; T. Moore.
San Franciseo; NJ. Veley, Ohio: J. Aic-
Gilvary, London, Eng; ". Reed. Can
ada; o. Reed. Canada; J. Leevin. OF
tawa; J. Hackney, Ottawa: j. H. Dun
bar. Seattle; W. H. Dunbar, Seattle;
VI. Tall, Canada; Z. II. Call. Canada;
NJ. Weisen, Chicago; \ II. Tigar,
Prince Albert Province. Canada;
Stiefel, Chicago; W. H. Wells. Missou-
ri; DR.. Robertson, Vancouver; L. G.
Tomlison, Tacoma.
All these men came IN with the pack
train sent out from Telegraph Creek
and Laketon by the various trading
companies last spring.
The unfortunates tell hcartrendina
stories of hardships endured, comrades
lost and abandoned, and strongly de-
nounce the trading and transportation
companies as well as the Canadian Off.
cials and newspapers that so prof Jsely
advertised this route as Il feasible ons
to the Klondike gold fields.
To outward appearances these men
certainly give evidence OF awful suf-
ferings undergone since leaving Ed
monton, IS months ago. Most Of them
are sicldy looking with unkempt
boards and greasy clothes-pictIIres OF
physical and financial wreck. Several
are gray and bear the marks of scurvy.
An ImpecuniOus Crowd.
A few have just enough money to
reach Seattle or Victoria, but the ma
jority are without funds. The citi-
zens of Wrangel have applied to the
United States government at Washing
ton, but up to this date no aid has
been received. There are about 25 des-
titute miners here. Many had narrow
escapes from starvation along the
trail from Fort Simpson to Mud river
and Fort Laird.
\. IL. Tiger and party lived on squir-
rels and bacon for nearly two weeks.
Owe Their Lives to a 5ear.
NJ. Ostig, c. StiefeI and NJ Weisen,
three of a party of five from Chica-
GO. owe their lives to a bear that they
killed just as they had run out of pro-
visions, about 60 miles from Laird
post.
VIM. Schmidt and Fred Swift, of the
same party, left the camp at Laird
post last spring to trap and have never
been heard from since.
Personal Experiences.
NJ. Randleman, of Chicago, was lost
in the woods above Fort Laird last
fall, and was compelled to live on ba-
con for three weeks.
Perry Wells, brother of ". II. Wells
who was one of the passengers on the
Strathcona. died of scurvy at Tele
graph Creek.
More Men On the Trail.
1t is admitted that there are still
more than 100 men scattered along the
trail between Laird post and the Pelly
banks, and relief parties have been
sent out by the Hudson Bay Co. The
lGSt W I~SiiI u DOSl We
that many were dying of scurvy and
hunger.
1t is estimated that there are 80 or
40 sufferers at Telegraph Creek await
ing the next trip of the boat. The sick
that had TO be carried on stretchers
had not vet reached Glenora vixen the
Strathcona sailed.
Starvation Cases.
Several starvation cases are report
ed. About twenty miles above Devils
Portage. two unknown men were
found frozen to death last winter.
4 man bearing the name of Johnson.
from New York, was found dead in
! tent near the source of the Mud river
last fall. This poor fellow had as COW
ering only half of blanket, and in a
diary (still open in his hand) were
these words opposite the date, Feb
ruary Is, 1897: II died of hunger"
Men With Frozen Limbs.
All along the route from Fort Simp-
son. on the Mckenzie river, to Fort
Laird, men with frozen limbs were as
sisted, while some, too weak to help
themselves, were necessarily left be-
hind by those more fortunate and
able to struggle along.
Scurvy ragged in all the camps more
or less. but there are few deaths from
this disease reported.
Have Never Been Heard From.
\ number of Canadians who at.
tempted to cross Cutland trail from
Fort Simpson TO Fort Francis last fall.
have never been heard from. and it is
likely that they perished from cold.
Beaupre was the name of one of thess
men, and he hailed from Ontario.
Provisions Scarce and High.
Provisions were scarce and high al
all the military posts last winter, and
at several. including Laird post, and
Fort Francis, even the postmen were
put on rations during the months OF
April and May of this year. Flour
scld at S35 per sack, bacon at as cents
per pound and beans at 25 cents per
quart.
Saved by the TEeiief Party.
Many owe their lives to the relief
party under Simpson, sent out by the
Cosca Trading Co. He reached Laird
post March 23. This daring party left
Laketon in March and made a most
pcrilous trip across Dease lake with
dogs. As the ice broke up one of the
rescuing party was drowned and near
l. all the dogs and sleds were lost.
The ma jority of the returning gold
seekers took the Mckenzie water
route from Edmonton. Coarse gold
was found in several small streams