The Cordova daily times., 1921-03-17
LAST MEMBER
 JAYHAWKERS
 PASSES AWAY

an intrepid party recruited in Illin- ois in 1S49 for the overland journey to California gold fields, died in : Oakland, Cal, February II.
 Tragic, bitter sufferings borne by the Jayhawkers in crossing Death Valley were recalled by the death of Stephens. The experiences of the party closely paralleled those of the famous ill-fated Donner party, 42 of whom starved, froze and died in the snows of Placer County, California, in the winter of 1846-47.
 The Jayhawkers, without chart or guide, amazed the daring men of their period by forcing their way across Death Valley by sheer pluck and perseverance,. Four of them died of thirst, starvation and ex- haustion in their three months strug- gle across earth baked so hard that the feet of' their oxen made no i'm print, amid rocks that tore their feet and forced them to abandon wagons and in shifting sands that sucked down their feet and scorched their bodies
 There were thirty-one young and vigorous men in the original Jav- hawkers' party. Driving slow-footed oxen to covered wagons, they start ed from Galesburg, Illinois, April 5, lS49, to scoop fabled riches from i the grass roots.
 In the late summer their ponder ous oxen drew the creaking wagons into Salt Lake City, Utah. There they were called upon to make momen- tous decision as they were told the regular mountain route to San Fran cisco would lie beneath twenty feet of Sierra Nevada snow before they could reach the passes. They were warned, too, of the awful fate that had .befallen tue Donner party, and were told to wait in Salt Lake three or four months, when the trail would be cleared.
 Impatient, they sought an alterna- tive and joining with other Argon- auts, 1O7 wagons started in the late fall for Los Angeles under guidance of John Hunt, who contracted to take them over the old Spanish trail through San Bernardino. Hunt was in no hurry, and dissatisfaction became rampant at the slow progress. Much was said of a short cut leading west that would eliminate 500 miles from their journey.
 Hunt could not dissuade them, and about the first of November 100 wagons turned from the trail to at tempt the unknown short cut, leay. ing him with but seven wagons. Three days later those taking the short cut came to a precipice above plain, and discouraged, most of them turned back to the original trail to follow Hunt.
 But the 31 Jayhawkers pressed on. knowing the short cut was to take them across the region afterward appropriately named Death Valley. The record from this point is one continuous hardship, sufferings all most ' beyond imagination and of dogged determination to live. tenn. pered with self-sacrifice for comrades. Early on the journey a man weak. ened by consumption succumbed Once the Jayhawkers were saved by "a snow storm after six days with. out water. Their oxen, weakened by lack of grass and water on the arid. barren region, became too weak to draw the wagons up rocky slopes. Wagons were abandoned, men and oxen taking the burdens upon their backs. Fighting their way through the sand, they came staggering to a water hole in the desert and there, joined by the Rev. J. ". Brier. his wife and three children, who had been members of Hunts original party. They brought their number up to thirty-five, one having died.
 The weeks that followed were large repetitions of what had gone before. They were saved again and again after days without water by finding scanty supply. After sev. eral days thirst, William Scham, ex- hausted, lay down and begged his I companions to leave him. Hours later they found trickling stream in the sand and hastened back to him, but he was unable to swallow and died
 in their arms. Oxen, lean and weak,