The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-06-01
BACK FROM NEW MEXICO.
Edgerton People Back a 100000 Minin
Proposition.

Proposition.
Amajority of the party of eleven which
left Edgerton on the 18th inst. for New
Mexico reached home Saturday evening,
Fl. T. Sweeney came in day later and
Andrew Erickson left the party at Ell
Paso to continue the journey to Los An
geles The trip was pleasant one, the
weather being delightful during the en-
tire eleven days, though it was attended
with some hardships while exploring
nearly fifty miles of mountainous inter
Tor, but neither sickness nor accident
attended the journey and all emerged
tagged out but in good spirits. The trip
covered section of the country new to
most of the party. travelling via the
Santa Fe all the way" from Chicago to
Ell Paso, distance Of 1880 miles This
is a season when the broad prairies of
Kansas and the irrigated sections of Col
orado along the valley Of the Arkansas
are looking their best and even through
the desert country recent rains had
allayed the dust and made travel COM
Portable. After stopping a day enroute
as Las Cruces to visit the Jim Fisk mine
on the Organ range, in which some Ed
gerton people are interested, the party
reached Ell Paso Saturday morning where
they remained until Sunday evening"
During the stay there many of them
crossed the border into old Mexico, wit
messed the Spanish bull fight which is
regularly pulled off there every Sunday
for the benefit of strangers, saw the
Mexican natives and their ways of living
on their home soil.
The real object of the trip was to in
spect mining proposition located in the
Black range of the Rocky mountains so
the party again met at Rincon Monday
morning on the 2lst when they left by
train for Lake Valley, ride of some
forty miles. Here they were met by
Oscar Perry who had charge Of the ar
engagements for conveying the party over
22-mile journey into the mountains.
Teams we're in waiting and shortly after
o'clock new experience Of mountain
climbing was commenced. While the
wagon road was passable for teams to
within about five miles of the mine, the
tourists found it much more comfortable
to walk than to ride good share of the
way. The crossing of three separate
divides of the Rocky mountains was
IL hot ac
past o'clock when the end of the wagon
road was reached and the party com
menced to cover the balance of the way
on foot. With the aid of pack pony to
carry the blankets and camp supplies
the Journey of the last five and half
miles was taken up. The high altitude
that now had reached close to 5000 feet,
and the inexperience of the party in
mountain climbing made progress slow.
Every one found his heart action quick
ened and breathing difficult after short
exertion and were compelled to stop and
rest every few moments. Darkness
closed in before the camp was reached
and to make matters worse, the section
in advance missed the blazed trail near
the camp and travelled along the noun
tain side for half hour or so until a
council of war was held and it was de-
cided the party was lost. The prospect
of spending the night on the mountain
side with nothing to eat and no cover
ing but the SKY was not pleasant one
to contemplate. The more the situation
was discussed the more it was interest
ing. All agreed they could not be far
from the camp but in what direction
and how to reach it was the problem.
Some of the boys begun to look around
to find soft spot among the rocks or a
protecting shrub to sleep. A fire was
built to attract attention and shouts d.
rected down the valley until the cry was
at last heard at the cabin and pilot
sent out to bring us into camp. Tired,
sore in every joint and almost famished
we we're led into camp about 10 o'clock
where a warm supper and welcome
bunk of pine boughs awaited US.
Another section of the party, consist
ing of w. A. Shelley, Andrew Mcintosh,
Ward Wentworth and Oscar Perry, with
the pack pony, were not so fortunate.
Darkness came upon them couple of
miles farther back on the trail and be-
ing unable to distinguish the path, they
passed the night on the mountain side,
getting into camp just as breakfast was
prepared the next morning. The expert
ence had funny side for tenderfoot
as we'll as It's discomforts and furnishes
the basis of many stories that may yet
be told to grandchildren in laser years.
After breakfast all we're anxious to in
spect the mine they had travelled nearly
1000 miles to see. Following a trail
along as pretty a mountain stream as
one would wish to see for a half mile
and thence up the mountain aide back