Arizona republican., 1906-08-13
.MFRFLY FATIGUfD
 NOT A MANIAC
Story of the Wanderings of Banker
 Patterson.

A lew days ago a story was printed
 very generally by the press throughout the territory to the effect that E. R. Patterson, the assistant cashier of the Gila Valley Bank and Trust company at Clifton had been lost in the White mountains for a week and when found
 was a raving maniac with little left or his clothing except his shirt MT. Fatterson was about a week late in heeplnS an important business enga ge- IhehI al Clifton and this fact gave flSe To feeling of uneasiness at Cliff | ton which prompted the sending out of searching party. MT. Patterson was well known throughout the territory and the story that he was lost created ! considerable alarm among his friends.
 The story that he was found and that his wanderings without food and clothing after he had lost his way had made him go mad was given publicity based on dspatch sent out from Mo renci It now seems that the story IS without foundation and that while MT. Patterson was delayed for several days Tn the mountains he returned to Cliff ton safe and we'll His delay in re- turning to his home was occasiOned by the disappearance of his horse. his grub and his shoes on the first day after he left his camp. The first day he was out he encountered several ! very heavy showers and was delayed ln getting down from the mountain so he camped for the night. He left the trail about sevepty-five yards and af- ter eating his supper rolled up in his blankets and was soon sound asleep. The balance of the story is told as fol- lows by the Clifton Copper Era:
 When he aWoke in the morning at daylight he was surprised to find that hls horse had disappeared. His next thought was to put on his shoes in order to hunt his horse, but was still greater surprised to find that they were gone. He then discovered that his scanty supply of provisions had also disappeared in the night. It then gradually dawned on Pat that he had been touched" in the night and that he was alone in the wilds of the noun tains. barefoot and with starvation staring him in the face However. he is from Texas. and had been on cold trails before. hence he was not greatly worried over his predicament He happened 10 have several extra pairs of "soX" in his outfit. which he slipped on and as soon as it was daylight he took the trail of his horse and followed it couple of miles when he came upon an old mouse cOiOred pony that ap- peared to have seen very hard and re- cent usage. The animal was so faded that Pat" had no trouble in catching it. He then rode back to the spot where he had spent the night threw his saddle onto it and again took the trail for his horse. and followed it as fast as the tired animal would travel After travelling through the mountains Twenty-Five Or thirty miles he came sIf. hi
 small opening in the woods and then for the first time he began to realize that there might be some danger in the mission which he had undertaken. but he had gone too far to show the white feather then. so he dismounted from the horse he was riding and with his rife ready for instant use. he walked up to his horse. united him and led him away. After travelling for a few miles with the two horses he aban- doned the one which he found near his camp in the morning. as he was not able with the two horses to make the time that he desired to. As his eyes had been constantly fixed on the trail of the horse all day he now found that he was completely lost in the noun tains. He then decided to ascend one of the tallest mountains in that sec
 
 bearings. This took considerable time but he finally made it and then decided that he must be in New Mexico. some distance northeast of his original camp. His suppositiOn afterward proved cor rect. for he finally succeeded in reach ing camp, having travelled nearly twen- ty-four hours without food and under going many hardships on the journey. He was so exhausted by his trip and the experience that it was considered necessary for him to rest a couple of days before again starting on the homeward journey. He sent to Spring erVille for some new shoes and when they arrived he "skidooed' for home In the meantime a runner had been dispatched from Clifton and the whole country was alarmed. hence he had regular ovation on his homeward jour ney.
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