From the October 27, 1873 New York Times:

“A letter dated Oct. 1, from Dos Palmas Station, on the Desert, to the Yuma (Cal.) Sentinel, says:: ‘Four days ago the son of old Chino Theodore, from Yuma, came to this station about dark, on foot, and nearly dead for water. He said he had left his father and a boy, the brother of Mrs. Jeager, out forty miles on the desert, without water and nearly dead for the want of it, having been without it for three days when he left them twenty four hours before. Joe Dittier, the station-keeper, and Hank Brown started the next morning with a team and plenty of water to find them. After going twenty-five miles, they came upon the old man. He had found a cask of water that had been left by surveyors, and had drank himself nearly to death. One of the party stayed with him, and the other went to look for the boy. After going fifteen miles he was discovered stretched out under a bush, naked and almost dead–his tongue being swollen and black, and blood running out of his nose and ears. He was brought to after two hours’ hard work, having been without water for five days and nights. Their three horses died. The party are now stopping here and getting along all right. The old man says that if he had not lost his knife he would have cut his throat, and ended his misery. The station keeper and Brown deserve praise for the manner in which they acted, being without food three days on their return.”