The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-12-08

morning they found the ground covered
with three and half feet OF snow. The
woods seemed completely fattened
down and no sign of the trail was to be
found. They remained at this camp
until the 23rd, waiting for help to come.
Concluding that they must get back to
Mark Lake, where there was supposed
to be food, or starve they started out on
the morning of the 29rd. They had
found about pound of rice, small piece
OF bacon and some coffee, which consti-
tuted their whole food supply during
these seyon days waiting.
1t took them four and half days to
reach Mark Lake, distance of four
miles. They killed porcupine on the
24th, which furnished the first food they
had tasted for many days.
With handsaw that they found at
Mud Lake they were able to cut wood
enough to keep UT small fire at night.
Nightly, before lying down to snatch
bits of rest they dried their clothes thor
oughly by standing over the fire. Under
the shelter of windbrake formed Of
branches stood up in the snow and fac
ing the fire they built bed each night
of poles laid upon the snow and then
covered with boughs. Covering this
with piece Of canvass found at Mud
Lake and wrapping themselves in small
blankets that they found at the same
place, the weather beng moderate, they
managed to get some rest.
| Arriving at Mark Lake, they found
their clothing gone and but little food
two loaves OF bread, q small piece of
bacon and partridge. This, with q
rabbit killed later, constituted their
food supply during the following three
and a half days. When found they still
had half loaf of bread and part of the
rabbit. throughout they had an ample
supply of coffee. =.
During two days rest at Mark
Lake they mended their clothes as best
they could. They found needle but
no thread. But necessity pointed out
substitute, ravelings from their canvass
blanket. Mr.. Lincoln burned the heel
out of one of his shoes. This he mended
by cutting a piece from the upper and
lacing it to the bottom with strings cut
from an old moccasin that was found in
the shanty. Their mlttens were COM
pletely worn out. When found they
had stockings on their hands, and these
we're so badly worn as to afford practi-
cally no protection from the snow and
cold.
! They Kept Z Diary.
Learning through chance remark by
one of the resculng party that Messrs
Caldwell and Lincoln had kept diary,
they were asked about it. Going into
the depths of his luggage Mr.. Caldwell
produced piece of birch bark about
three inches square, upon both sides of
which was closely written in pencil the
record in brief Of what they had gone
through. The Herald was kindly fur
nished with copy. This diary, the
most remarkable evidence of splendid
grit, reads as follows:
Friday, Now 10Th, left for and
| reached Mud Lake camp, at $50 D.
| m. in snow storm.
| Nov. 18th, we found over 81
tt. OF snow and renamed in camp on
short rations until morning of Goth.
! when We atten pied to get away on
| improvised snow shoes, but failed
after about three hours trial and
returned to camp. ~:
"Nov. q and %, awaited rescue
from Pete Wannebo, our guide, who
tailed to come-our food supply is
completely exhausted.
''Nov. %, started for Mark Lake
camp without food, making about
one mile all day, and camped in big
sWamp-trayeling Is terrible.
"Nov. 24tf: made about ~ miles
and camped In big burning. Shot
porcupine about 4 o'clock - great
| meat.
Nov. 25th, made about 9 miles !
and struck the outlet stream of
Mark Lake about ~ miles east of
lake. Camped in cedar swamp.
"Nov. Goth, heavy, wet snow fell
to depth of about l IT,. making
travel terrible. We made not more
than 4 mile and camped again in ;
f swamp p.s about 4 mile from Mark !,
: 'Nov. 9th, reached Mark Lake
camp about noon, full of expecta-
| tion of a good ,mea! and dry cloth:
! ing; but, to our chagrin, found that !. !.
all our clothing and practically all !
food had been removed. 1851 /
NOV. 28th and Goth, rested in. !,
camp and mended our clothing as !:
best we could. ~ ~. ~. 4. H..
II NOV. 30th,,<started at noon for /:
Cascade River. Camped on big ele-:
ss yatlon about 4 x miles northwest Of y
Pike Lake. s3.. s:5 :s .;3> . So