The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-07-15
o.,


from lack of food and exposure in the
mountains for four days and a half,
Elmer Fowler, the little year-old
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Fowler of
Hillside, was found a quarter of a
mile above the Balman reservoir six
miles northwest of his home, by Char
lie higgins at O'Clock Thursday af-
ternOon alive and in his right mind
The news of the discovery of the
missing boy was brot to Canon City
about o'clock Thursday evening by
T. w King of the King Bros. garage,
corner of Fourth and River streets,
who with VIII Taylor, Louie Tucker
ana some other Canon City people
had been members of the searching
party endeavoring to solve the mystery
of the boys disappearance. The an
nouncement that the boy had been
found spread quickly about town and
many of our citizens, deeply interested
in the matter, were apprised of the
news before retiring for the night.
An old trail leads up above the Bal
man reservoir throu a thick growth of
trees and brush to the upper stretches
OF Lake creek and it was on this trail
that Mr.. Higgins found the boy Mr..
Higgins was going up the pathway
and the boy was coming down it when
the two met. The boy stepped to one
side to allow Mr. Higgins to pass.
The latter asked the lad where he
was going and he replied, 81 have
been lost for day or two, and am
trying to find my way home" He
then told Mr.. Higgins if he would
Eake him to Stacey's ranch he could
lind the way back all right. The boy
was not very laxative and Mr.. Hig-
gins was unable to learn from him
how far up the mountain side he had
been ,altho it is supposed he had wan
dered up their slopes for a consider
able distance, probably several miles
Mr. Higgins took the boy to log
ging camp a mile and a half or so
away where great shout of gladness
went up from the men assembled
there, most of whom had been search
ing the hills for the boy day and night
since Sunday. Aftef consultation it
was decided to send messenger to
Ghe home of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Fow-
Ter and inform them of the discovery
and keep the boy in camp for short
rest before allowing him to see his
rather and mother, who had been near
iy distracted from grief over his dis
appearance for several days About
dark the boy was taken home. escort
ed by all the men in the camp. 1t
was one of the most joyous home com
ings in the history of western Fremont
county and many of the neighbors
thara tn
fair. The father and mother were
oVerjoyed at their sons return, as
they had given him up for dead Moth
lng was too good for the boy and his
Tescuer, Mr.. Higgins, and they lavish
ed their affection on the former in a
manner that could only be done under
circumstances that were dramatic and
unusual To them the return of the
boy was like a restoration from the
grave, believing as they did that there
could be no possibility of his being
alive and well
Since Monday searching parties had
been looking for the boy and their
failure to find him had led the peo-
pie generally to the conclusion that
only his bleached and fleshless bones
would ever be discovered. In the
opinion of some the little fellow had
oeen drowned Others believed that
he had been killed by a bear or noun
tain lion and dragged into some dark
cavern to be eaten at leisure A few
held to the theory that he had fallen
over some cliff and had been dashed
TO his death at its foot.
Discouraged over the futility of their
search the hope of those who had
been looking for the boy was rapidly
waning and fewer of them volunteered
Tor the work as the days went by. ON
Wednesday more than two hundred
people Joined in the search in a col.
ann formation for miles along the
slopes of the mountains They were
stationed twenty feet apart and moved
forward in unison. looking into every
-creyice in the rock and into every
thicket and place where a soIuti W
of the mystery seemed possible. The
line was more than a mile in length
and extended from the foot of the
unountains well up to their declivity
No trace of the boy was revealed and
Gne searchers ceased their work al
might tired and dispirited
On Thusrday there were only about
a hundred searchers and they covered
u different section of the country from
those of the previous day
The failure of the seardhers on
Wednesday to find the bay was due tc
the fact that they did not go higher
up the mountain side In their quest
1t was not supposed that he had gone
so far up towards their crest No