The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1908-04-23
LOST BOY
DIES FROM
EXPOSURE
5-Year-Old Son of Reno Man
Wanders Is Miles in
Two Days
Searchers Find Body Of Tot
on Summit of Mount
Davidson

A week ago today James Peckham,
wife and son Donald, aged S Years, of
Reno, were visitors at the home Of
relative, Kenny by name, at Scales, Q
mail station on the Virginia 4 Truckee
railroad. At 9 o'clock that morning
-dr. Kenny, who is section foreman
on the road, took the child down the
track with him for about mile and
chen started the little fellow on the
return trip. He watched the lad until
ne rounded bend in the road about
lalf mile distant, and then went on
10 his work. About an hour later
he arrived home and asked il the boy
had gotten back safely. Being informed
- the contrary, lie started out to look
,or him, and found where the child had
left the track about 100 yards from the
Iouse. That was about 0 o'clock on
thursday morning At 8 O'Clock Sat-
drday morning the body of the poor
cnild was found within 80 feet of the
dag pole on the top of Mount Davidson.
which towers l400 feet above Virginia
City. The finding of the body was
Just about Az hours after the lad had
disappeared from the Kenney home at
scales.
The story of the search for the unfor-
tanate little fellow is thus told by the
Carson City Newsr
"1he trail followed by the searching
party led up and down hills, across
deep canyons, near to deep shafts and
showed that the poor child had wan.
1ered aimlessly for a distance of at least
% miles before finally exhausted and
lying within so feet of the flag pole and
on the level ground at the top Of the
famous mountain. To reach this high
point the lad had made an ascent
OF slightly over 1900 feet, the peak
being that much higher than Scales,
where he began his wanderings.
THE searehers traced the lad to the
foot of Mount Davidson on Friday, and
there had to abandon the search on
account of darkness. Scores of men
were sent to various points on the
mountain and great bonflres were built,
the searchers doing this In order to
brighten away coyotes which were howl,
ing in the mountains. The coyotes at
this season are usually very vicious
and it was feared that they would
attack the boy If he were yet alive ard
make short work of him. All night
long the weary searchers kept the 6res
burning and sent occasional shots into
the air hoping to frighten the beasts in
case the boy was lying exhausted and
still alive, or away from the body In
case of death.
"When daylight came the searcheu
again resumed the hunt for the miss
ing lad. The posse led by Chief OLA
gan started its march up the mountain
side. Several hours were required TO
reach the summit BY the men who
followed the trail the lad left. when
the summit was reached one Of the men
started directly toward the flag pole.
Fifty feet from the STAFF he found the
hat of the child; ten feet farther on he
found the cold, stiff body, The clothing
was torn and soiled, the shoes were al,
most worn through, the small face was
pinched, every feature showing exhauss
tion and terror. The mute story OF the
wandering. the terror and perhaps In.
sanity resulting from exposure and pri.
yation were all told in the face and
form OF the child, Tenderly the men
gathered the child up and the body
was carried to Virginia city, where 1t
+ was prepared for burial,
The deceased, Donald Feckhhm, was
Q years of nge and the son of Mr.. ard
Mrs. James f. Peckham, He was the
grandson OF c. f. Perkham, a member
Of the twentieth Nevada legislature.
The elder Peckham Is half-bruthsr TO
Judge Frank II. Nofrtoss OF this city,
so the boy. was grand nephew Of the
member NJ the supreme court"