The Cordova daily times., 1919-03-24
SPENT night ON
GLACIER WITH
INSANEW0MAN

Miss Lillian ID. Hill or f'a1rDankS, VINO
spent several days here recently while
waiting for the Seattle boat. Miss
Hill was matron in charge of an insane
patient whom she was escorting to the
sanatorium at Morningside. The Post
Intelligencer gives the following &C.
count of Miss Hills stirring adven-
lures:
midnight, 80 below zero, a 120-
pound girl and 1S0-pound insane
woman, alone on glacier both in
their 'nighties,' with only their winter
coats thrown over them, quarter of
mile from the only cabin within six
teen miles, was an unusual incident ex-
perienced by Miss Lillian D. Hill of
Fairbanks, Alaska, who starting from
her home in the Northland, landed her
demented patient safely at Morning
side sanitarium in Portland last week,
after having been on the road few
days less than month.
1T was some experience says Miss
HILL and while the story has it's laugh
able viewpoint now, it was not jok-
ing matter that night on the glacier.
/ didn't dare leave the woman who
had escaped from the roadhouse, for if
I went back for assistance I was afraid
she might wander off into the cold,
misty midnight air and perish. For
few minutes I didn't know what to
do. If we stood still we both would
freeze to death and if we stayed out
we might die of exposure, for there
was no telling how long her within
would keep my patient from refusing
to return. Finally succeeded in in
ducing her to walk back and forth on
the glacier for three-quarters of an
hour, until she became exhausted and
was willing to return to the road
house.
Turns Face Northward
''Ten years ago, when little more
than a child. Miss Hill journeyed
North, unafraid to face the problems
of a pioneer country. She went to
the Interior, and until this winter
acted as secretary to a substantial
= business man of Fairbanks.
"When she was about to start for
the outside woman of the Interior
lost her reason and was ordered COM
mitted to the asylum at Portland It
was necessary for the United States
marshal to secure the services Of
matron,' and difficult though the I'M
dertaking would be for much older
person, Miss Hill volunteered. The
marshal, who knew her, believed that,
though diminutive in stature, she was
sufficiently resourceful to handle the
most capricious of mentally deficient
patients, and engaged her for the
task.
Thrilling Experiences
Starting from Fairbanks, the trip
was one continual round of exciting
and interesting experiences. Without
an insane patient the trip of 400 miles
over the trail from the Interior is no
small task for woman, but with the
added burden 1t became thrilling.
ut was at the Rapids roadhouse,
half way between the Tanana valley,
of which Fairbanks is the center, and
the coast, that the patient decided to
wander out into the night. All the
other guests at the roadhouse were
asleep except Miss HILL and as she
had to hurry after the woman, she
had no time to call for help. And it
was not until after they had returned
that the other occupants Of the road
house were advised of her exciting
experience.
trip over the trail in Alaska is
full OF comedy and tragedy, said
Miss Hill in reciting her experiences.
First we stopped at a roadhouse
where poor woman, honest as the
day is long, slaves through the tire
some winters and tiresome summers
to support three children left on her
hands, her nearest neighbor being six
teen miles distant
Willy Bachelor Hosts
"'The next was conducted by a
couple OF willy bachelors, keen, thrifty
and at times little sharp in their
dealings. At third we encountered
proprietor who was grief-stricken be-
cause he had been. deserted by his
wife. He kept me up half the night
telling me how much he had done for
her and Of her ungrateful action. He
Dragged of his ability as q provider,
and of the good home he had fur
nished for her.
UtT cvrnro fh{zod with him and fold