A thrilling epic of a battle against cold, starvation, sickness and scurvy has come to light with the news received this week of the plight of E. J. Ostberg, prospector of Iron Creek. Ostherg, who was wintering on his claim, became violently ill on December 10th through drinking arsenic-poisoned water from a rivulet near his cabin. Cramps and severe abdominal pains were the first symptoms noticed by the suffering man, and these gradually became worse. For a month they continued and then, feeling a little better but in a weakened state he decided to try and make the 15-mile trip to his nearest neighbor, O. L. Towle, and to pick up 150 pounds of supplies left at his cabin that fall and which Ostberg had said he would pick up in December.
Starting out with his sleigh and dog and in his weakened state, Ostberg
fought for four days through a blinding snow storm which continued unabated for two weeks; and in those four days only covered four miles. Finally giving the trip up, he returned
to his cabin and took stock of his meager provisions, which were a little flour and sugar, four pounds of moldy butter and five pounds rancid lard. Towle, 15 miles down the creek
with the vital necessities of life for Ostberg cached at his cabin and knowing they were to be picked up in December, never thought to pay a visit to his nearest neighbor. It is
understood that anxious friends had, in the meanwhile, twice appealed to the R.C.M.P., but no action appears to have been taken by them.
Two months passed and then the McAuley-Voss outfit arrived at Iron Creek to begin their season's operations. They found Ostberg in the ravages of scurvy, too weak to get fuel and just a shadow of a man. He had fallen down again and again in attempting to negotiate the 75 yards to secure the necessary fuel and his feet, knees and ankles were badly swollen. His dog, which had subsisted on the five pounds of rancid lard, was in a pitiful state.
The newcomers lost no time in starting fires and caring for the suffering man, and by the 19 of March, at which time this report was sent, he was much improved and
was able to sit up in bed and give this account. Fred Boss, who helped to freight the McAuley-Voss outfit to Iron Creek, returned to Towle's cabin and brought back the supplies for Ostberg with his dog team. The sick man was too weak to travel, otherwise he would have been brought out for medical attention. Boss reported the case to Const. A. Allen of Champagne on his way to Whitehorse, and Const. Allen left with fresh provisions for the sick man immediately.
