Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1906-12-05
JEROME CITIZENS LOST IN THE
 sAORM.
(from 1'hursday's Daily,

"ishcu rom hunger, and | s'oer miraculous escape from death | n binding snowstorm in the fast. sosses of the Mogollon Mountains. 7ooo Iees above sea level, where they spent fourteen hours huddled together, under . tree, party of five prominent rcsi. een's of Jerome arrived in Camp Verde ssnday evening, from the Tonto Basin country. Three of them had not ridden sa horseback for n number of years. and were bleeding from their raw. sad. die-worn limbs, adding further suffer. 'sss to the harlships and privat;ons they had experienced.
 The members of the party were W. .. Adams, editor of the Jerome Mining News, Alex Lyons, merchant, W. NJ. Senmnn, manager of the Montana Hotel. J. J. Shaw. who has charge of minins operations in the fire zone of the United Verde mine, and Phil Pecharieh. merchant.
 After spending the night at Camp Verde, where they and their horses re. ceived the best of care, they resumed shelr journey home, reaching Jerome Monday evening, to learn that a relief party had been organized and was about to start in search of them.
 Returning rrom n visit to a mining property near the head of the East verde River, and accompanied by a guide, the party left the town of Pine, Saturday morning, headed for home, with no provisions except three bis. cults, which one of the party had pro. cured for the guide, believing that they would reach Camp Verde easily that night. After being out few hours they discovered that the guide was in. toxicated and was unable to follow the trail in the blinding snowstorm. None of the party had compass and were therefore unable to keep direct course. A barometer carried by one informed them, after several hours spent in cir. cling around through the mountains, af. ter leaving Fossil Creek, that they were 1000 feet above the level of the sea. The blinding snowstorm prevented them from seeing more than 100 feet ahead.
 At sundown when the storm was still raging, n council was held, all agreeing that they were hopclcssly lost. They decided to camp under a friendly tree, for the night, where they spent four. teen hours, singing songs 10 keep up courage. One of the popular melodies in which all joined was "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" Unfortunately, there were no apples on the tree with which to appease their hunger.
 Daybrcak on Sunday found them still in good spirits, although suffering in- tensely from lack of food. The three biscuits were divided and eagerly de. voured. saddling their halfstarved animals they started out in search of the trail, to find that the snow was three and one-half feet deep, progress through it being almost impossible. Finally. after two hours, they reached Mud Tanks, on the Camp Verde and Tonto Basin trail, and followed the tracks made by the mail carrier the day before to Camp Verde, which they reached at sundown.
 Before commencing the journey home the party purchased lumber for num- Der of buildings to be erected on Q min ing property known ns the "Coppes group of thirteen claims, the develop |. ment of which is to be commenced as soon as the buildings are erected. The group, which is said to be one of the greatest surface showings in copper in Gila county, is located near the head of the East Verde, and about twelve miles west of Payson. It is owned by J. J. Shaw and n Paysop merchant named Boardman, who, with the other members of the Jerome party, have incorporated company to develop the ground, over $2O,0OO of the capital stock being sub scribed already.