The sun., 1900-11-18
TRAuPTNG OIER 1HE ANDES.
pciden,s OF a Mountain journey That Few
W0u d Wish to Repeat.
From, the San Francisco Chronicle.

From, the san Francisco Chronicle.
Charles y Simpson Of West Virginia. who
recently arrived in san Francisco from South
America il ou his way home after an experience
that few men would care to undergo. he having
crossed the Andes Mountains on foot in dead
Of winter. facing perils Of wild elements and
wilder Inhabitants Of the country. The story
Of the trip. as told by simpson. is as romantic
as those usually found in books where fiction
is combined with travel. but the appearance
OF the narrator. his calloused hands and worn
face. bear mute witness TO the hsrdships that
were undergone during that terrible Journey.
simpson started from his West Virginia
home with the determination Of seeing as much
OF the world o possible and sailed for England.
whence he took ship for Buenos Ayres. expect
, ing 10 make al easy excursion across tie con-
tinent 10 Chil and home by the way of the
Pacific Ocean 10 San Francisco. He did not
make calculation, however. for many tLlngs
unforeseen and his excursion devcioped
into a weary tramp over mountains through
Ice and snow for MANY tiresolne days and
nights. sometimes suffering from thirst and
often hungry and cold. II was tour of COM
Portable travelling and pleasant sightseeing
Until tho little city Of Mendoza resting at the
foot o! the Andes. was reached. but from thereon
on II was almosta struggle for existence until
eyes. and the soft beds Of Valparaiso gave rest
TO his exhausted BODY. The story Of the trip
over the mountains is best told in Simpso on s
own words:
Il was accompanied bv young man who
had deserted lis ship al Buenos Ayres." said
Simpson, and who wanted to reach the Pa
ci1c His name was George Temple, ana as
he was without III ems ] helped him along and
paid his expenses in order TO have company
We made tho mistake of attempting to cross
the mountains after the passes were closed
and were advised at Mendoza not 10 trv IL. but
as our money was limited and we could not 60
back over the thousand miles OF plains TO Buenos
Ayres wa determined to do the best we could
and set to Valparaiso IL possible. We were
well armed with rcvolvers and knives and did
Wild animals We were conrelled to leave
nv big trunk a. Mendoza and started out
was @tp p' baS h"tnr our oio,hHs A' carroa w
my umbrella that had kept ever since leaving
home, and this served many a cold night TO
footyiN., expecting % reach tho Mendoza River
fill of water. but it was empticd long before
We reached the top Of the tnonntain, and We
TsTe S"eS u haH enhccd endI,a n ,oM ,or
iiln OF tie railroad alonr the river and started
out bravely enough. The first, night out we
compelled 10 slcep under n water tank We
carried a surrly OF food. and it was well that
we did, for there was no possibility Of obtain
ing my We met scarcely any one as wc trnv-
elei, and when we tried to get food We W ere
charged most eXorbitant prices The second
night out We reached a little cabin occupied
: bv an old Erebchman and bis wife They
were glad to see any one from Europe aud tried
20 entertain MS, hut as We could lot under
ter The old rlan showed us tho skins Of many
wild animals that he had killed. and made us
a bed on the floor out of the furs Next morn
ing we started without breakfast and walked
eli that day and far into ttc night We stopped
al n place kept by an frishman. who would not
give us s,irpcr bed and breakfast for less than
Sa5 each. We could not afford that and tridced
drag foot after the other
We supposed that we would always he close
TO water but We found that ~. trail led 40
lish on the mountain that the river was thou
sands or feet below us and we often suffered
from thirst While hunting for wr'er We
were raised bv two Of TIE worst looking In
dams Iha,ecNer seen. They evidently thought
we would make good game. and during the
day they Ia--ed prd reras-ed us. evidently
Te:i, lie to ret rcadv next time and have lis
revolver out vi ere the could see IT, When
! teT saw our revolrers thev hurried away
/ and We did MT sec them again.
We reached town that looked as II We
/ could get accommodation. and We asked
! REST where We could Ee' something hot for
! breakfast lie took MS to a house. but the
! the Priest that We were almost broke and couli
| not afford that much for meal. He argued
with the landlord and naally sssessdsd 10