The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1905-01-21
IN PIONEER DAYS.
EARLY Experiences OF Capt. John
q. Parker In the Lake District
Thrilling Adventures by
Land and Sea.

trlct Will prove interesting W our
readers:
/, John G. Parker, in the spring oil
1916, left Milwaukee with Captain
Gallon Ripley, bound for Lake SUI
perior, as mate. After arriving at
the 500, we shipped crew and fitted
out the schooner Furtrader, loading
her with supplies for the north shore
for Captain Peck's exploring party
so people-and five whale boats
and a barge in tow, landed the first
party at Huron River, the next at
Pigeon river, next at the Island
river, on north shore, next at the
mouth OF the St. Louis river, next at
Montreal river, and went in the On
tonagon river in June and back to
the 500 light. Made regular trips
from the 500 up the lake during the
summer and laid up for the winter
in the Ontonagon river the 9Th day
Of December.
The captain, the crew and myself
started from Ontonagon and walked
through from L'Anse and spent the
holidays at the Indian Mission. Alb
ner Sherman was an Indian trader
at the Mission. After New Years ]
left for Milwaukee with the mail
carrier. In crossing Huron Bay !
fell through the ice. The mail car
rier hauled me out. Soon after ]
got out my clothes were frozen SO
that could not travel far 80 they
cut wood and we camped. had
several hundred dollars in nv pocket,
which took the greater part OF the
night to dry.
We travelled on the lake shore to
Marquette, then Carp river, stop
ping with Charley Began, the only
house, and that was bark lodge.
Then to Green Island and crossed
over to Bay de Noquet. Walked on
the ice to Green Bay, and then took
the stage to Milwaukee. In the
spring of 1847, l went up to the 500.
While waiting for the Furtrader to
come down from Ontonagon, I went
on board the schooner Swallow,
Captain Browns. One night /
dreamed seeing the Furtrader COM
ing down under reefed canvas. She
came to anchor under our stern, I
thought saw lot of men in boat;
when / looked again. the boat went
down out OF sight. 1t woke me up.
Next morning told Captain Brown
my dream.
That day, June 10th, the Furtrader
came down just as saw her in ny |
dream. 1t was blowing from the
northwest. She came to anchor un-
der our stern, so we took the boats
aud went alongside of her. Cap
tain Brown went ashore. / stayed
with the captain until he was ready
and we went ashore in the boat, wht n
along came Captain Brown.
He had been down on the Portage
and got q lot OF men with Capt. John
Stannard to run the rapids. to
sound the water and run down
The Uncle Tom. Capt. Brown asked
me to go to pull the stroke oar, so
We left the dock and the boat ended
'ver 10 the big shoot. l was under
Ter until she righted. She struck
'ock. l lost my hold, swan with
ny oar and was about opposite Nc
Knights dock. / saved Capt. John
With my oar After getting on the
'oat I went ashore with Captain
sedman Rider, William Hen, Thomas
sickly aud Doctor Brocety we're
licked up at dawn on Sugar Island.
Or. Seaman was Picked up by the
hief, who was fishing, lying on the !:
ottom. He took him ashore, and ,
'hile rolling the water out of him,
little Duncan came running down, :
aging, "Roll him, roll him, he owes !.
,e ten dollarsi" So they brought :
i'm to life.
The next day, Capt. Moore broke
Is leg, so that be could not 60 out
, the Merchant; being the master, =
Q asked Captain Brown to 90 up 10 !;
err. He left June 18th with the
.hooner Merchant and cargo Of sup :
lies for the Portage shore, with
wen passengers, seven crew and Z
,e COW on board. He was never :.
lard Of again. The Merchants
door was picked up on h
Ie north shore ia the fall. G
In November, we left the 500 in q
'e Furtrader, bound for Ontona-
,n; landed freight at Dead river for I,
,e Jackson mine. We had on e