Iditarod pioneer., 1915-02-13
LONG WALK OF NORTHERNER
 TO FIGHT FOR COUNTRY
(New York World)

| Fernand Tromeur, hunter and fur col lector, with line of traps running 150 miles north of Fort Providence, on the Mackenzie river, in the far northwest of { Canada, arrived in New York yesterday and sailed for France on the steamer Roch- ambeau He is a reservist in the French navy and goes to join his ship. He Is 29 years old.
 So far away in the forests is Fort Provi- dence that he did not hear of the war until Then he started afoot and walked most of the way, 1900 miles he estimates to a railway station. He told his story on the French line pier yesterday.
 q was born at Brest and served in the marine corps of the French navy" he said. Eight years ago l went to Canada and became fur trapper buying my supplies from the Hudson Bay Company and selling my furs to them. At Fort Providence, where the company has a trading station, there is a tribe of Indians, whose chiefs name is Peter Squirrel The only other white men besides myself are the companys two or three agents.
 I liked the life in the forest, got 8 government lot, built a log house and established my line of traps. It is wild, cold country, but there IS good money there, and my brother law last winter gathered $l6,0O0 worth of furs and sold them, but in the spring he found himself 5000 in debt to the company.
 Peter Squirrel has 8 daughter, Mazda lene, the prettiest Indian girl in the prov ince. I was lonely and far away from my people. She was good to look upon, and bright, and good housekeeper. We were married year ago. Then word came that my country was at war 1 was far out on my line of traps and was making my way back to the cabin home, at which place I expected to find baby when arrived
 Then, with the call to come home and fight ringing in my heart, l fell ill in one of my huts on the trap line. My Indian assistant found me there. He came seventy five miles along the route 1 should have covered to find me He made me as com fortable as he could and set out for the Canadian Northwest mounted police, 300 miles away, to come and look out for me, as I had inflammation of the lungs "A mounted policeman came, bringing an interpreter with him lest 1 could not speak English. Three days they doctored me, left medicines, and went. But before they went they found a little black fox in one of my traps, and l gave it to the interpreter for his trouble It was worth $500 to him. Then 1 set out for home.
 There my wife said that if my country called me I must go, though just then of all times she needed my comfort and attention, alone in the forest as she was, and expecting the baby With blankets, a gun, bannock bread, flour and dried moose meat, l started up the Mackenzie river to- ward the south until l met voyageurs pad ding the way wanted to go. They gave me lifts over some of the bad places, which I was grateful for, as I had travelled l,700 miles to walk to the nearest railroad sta tion Their lifts made my walking trip only 1900, as l figured it out.
 ''It was 600 miles of walking to Fort Chippeywan on Athabaska lake The ice closed the river and had to walk this following the windings of the river to Great Slave lake, and then the Athabaska river to Fort Chippeywan,
 Here 1 found another Frenchman, Jo- seph Giraud, 30 years old, voyageur, who was on his way to join the army in France, He also had heard of the WAT very late, and was anxious to get on. There Commander A. H. L. Muller of the Royal Northwest mounted police gave us documents testify ing that we were making every effort to reach our colors
 ''It was while at Fort Chippeywan that voyageurs starting day after did arrived with news that my wife had fine, big son. I never felt so like turning back, but I came on with Glraud, discarding our guns and everything we didn't need. At night we lay down the snow, wrapped in blan kets with our feet to the fire, and slept like tired dogs.
 ''With the river closed, the raftsmen and voyageurs gone, we nearly wore ourselves out One day when our flour and meat were all gone and with no gun, two moose calmly walked into camp and looked us over. But at last, by dint of fishing and trapping to live, we reached the little rail road station. hundred miles north of Ed monton, Alberta, and took the first train east We were in Montreal on Thursday and Friday, and got here today. Going across to my country from here seems to be but step or two after what we have been through.
 'If I live I shall be back on the Mac kenzie river after the war, for l want to see that little fellow My wife has taken him and gone home to her folks at Fort Smith, I expect. It is wonderful country up there, and once the lure of the trappeSs life gets into your blood you will be drap. n back to it in sipte of yourself"