Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-06-18

when epidemic of smallpox broke out among
the Indians at Rampant House. I'VE gathered
in all the Indians. said Mr.. Riggs. forced vacci
nation them. isolated the diseased and issued
supplies to the whole tribe of abouI two hundred.
Ninety-two of the natives developed the fever. 1t
was anxious time,
I'VE put all of the infected Indians on an
island in the Porcupine and took away their
boats they could not get away daily In
spection made. l used to carry a sack of
cheap candy to bribe the kids to be inspected.
After a while they thought 1t great fun. Re-
turning from among the infected Indians we
would get into alright tent. stick our heads
out of an opening, while the whole interior was
filled with the fumes of formaldehyde'
During that expedition. sent out by the United
States government under the auspices Of the
United States coast and geodetc survey. one OF
the best surveyors stricken with pneumonia
The country well nigh barren, and the only
natural fuel, and that scanty. was in the form
of scrub willows. The sick virtually
bound up in his sleeping bag. and for three weeks
was unable. by himself to get out of his extern
porized bed. According to Mr.. Riggs I'VE gave
him everything we had in the way OF medicine
and still he recovered"
Hercsm and the tragic apt to go hand in
hand in thus survey work. and yet the public
knows next to nothing about the dangers faced
by its servants in that far-away region. Let us
cite single instance that occurred to one OF Mr
Riggs details.
1t seems small party of his associates landed
on an island in the Alaska river and had the mis-
fortune to have their canoe swept away by q
sudden rise of water. Binding few sticks of
driftwood together to form makeshift raft one
of the men managed to work his way through the
icy to rent to the neighboring mainland. After
three days of wandering over precipitous noun
tains and slippery glaciers he finally managed to
crawl to one of the triangular stations or marks
He had Just strength enough to push the signal
out of plumb and then tainted away.
Happily the chief of the local party, some dis
tance away. while pausing for the clouds to pass
by chance turned his telescope toward the de-
ranged signal, and finding it out of line dis
patched some of his people in canoe to restore
It. In this manner the exhausted man was dis
covered and party hastened away to
the aid of his fellows the island. For that
heroism in the line of duty the man that breasted
that frigid stream became a physical and mental
wreck.
The governments railway will open up a very
rich country. According to experts the wealth
that has already been shipped out of the region
is but the veriest scratchings from the surface
of this vast treasure house OF nature But the
road In its building will have to overcome many
difficulties. The courage. grit and good red blood
that has been drawn upon in running the sur
vey are ample evidence of the character of the
obstacles that must be battled with in laying the
ties running the rails and springing bridges as
the line advances.
Even So we shall have the route In time and
the achievement will add one more record to
the abounding capacity of our people.