The Washington times., 1906-10-28
EXPELLED WEST POINTERS
EARN PLACE IN ARMY

diately following HIS expulsion he
struck out for South America, carry
ing a splendid letter OF recommendation
from General Mills. whose authority so
recently he had dsfed, and became en-
gineer for the Guayaquu and Quito
railroad. At the age of twenty-one
he built this line through hundreds OF
miles Of unbroken tropical forests and
over and around vast mountains. Then
the Ecuadorian government put him I'm
charge OF an exploring expedition 10
the headwaters OF the Amazon. hun
dreds OF miles through forests and
swamps. and over mountains never be-
fore trodden by white man Twenty
Indians and two white men accom-
panied him. and only three survived TO
tell the story Of their awful experiences.
After they had reached the goal Of
their undertaking the government for
some reason failed TO keep its promise
TO send them provisions, and the little
band started the homeward march
faced wiki famine. One by one the In
dians went raving mad killing them
selves, OF dying agouizing deaths from
starvat ton and fever. Finally they were
reduced 10 four. Then two Of The
stronger. an Indian and white man. de-
serted Linton and his faithful young
Indian companion. pushing on ahead IN
a desperate effort To save themselves.
Linton and the boy carried Goals with
them in a tin pail 10 rekiHdle fresh fires.
being out Of matches They boiled the
bones OF the meat they had eaten on
their initial Journey, which they found
along the trail. and subslsted on the
broth they yielded, together with cot
fee made from few beans Linton had
in his pocket. They ate the bark from
trees until one morning Linton found
the boy dead beside him and realized
he was alone. hundreds of miles from
Quito. He spent eighteen days more Of
untold suffering and horror in the for
ests.
The Indian in his delirium. had up
set the coal pail and he was without FIRE
He worked five hours 70 get a spark
from stones. the blood dripping from
his bruised and emaciated hands To-
ward the end he could make less than
a mile n day But ne never gave I'D
hope and struggled on against what
seemed Inevitable death. On the eight
zenith day. toward evening. he sighted
what he thought was a human being
on the crest of a hill rising before him.
He believed he was delirious and that
the picture before his ewes was an 49,.
fusion Eut he called. More forms ap-
peared ard answered the appeal It was
President Alfaro's rescue party and in
cluded the lstter's son. Linton. who is
SIX feet fall and muscular, weighed Us
when he entered the forest When he
reached Quito he tipped the scales at so
AS a closing phase Of Linton's extra
ordinary career his attendance at three
inauguraIs is interesting At the first
Inaugural Of Mckinley in 1897 he led the
High School Cadets Of the District Of
Columbia In the parade his father then
being a RcPTes sntauve. At the second
installation Of Mckinley. just before his
dismissal. he was captain OF the West
Pointers sent to the ceremonies. and at
the Inaugural Of Roosevelt he was ap-
pointed colonel of the Michigan National
Guard and given charge Of the Michigan
troops that attended the inaugural
Young Linton is unmarried.