Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-05-26


mineral region is situated in high northern
ATTITUDES, and is inaccessible in winter, for
steamboats,, or overland by teams. The in
habitants keep up an occasional communica-
ton with the world, by means of dog trains,
which convey the mails, and light articles of
traffic. A correspondent of the Cleveland
Herald, writing from Eagle river, gives an in
teresting account of this mode of travelling
After stating the different routes to the settle
ments, none of which present a beaten, or
even a we'll defined track, he goes on to say:
Such are the frozen spaces over which u
score of Indian half-breeds, and their dogs. .
carry and draw the letters and papers destined
for our amusement, and our information. A
man carries from fly to seventy-five pounds,
and walks thirty to fifty miles His two dogs
90 before him. with sledge. or sled. with
a fiat board bottom. and draw from $50 to 800
pounds.
This load. however. is not all letters and
packages. Allmen must eat. and an Indian
| in particular. He must carry a half-axe. or
Ratchet, plenty of blankets, and something
| for his dogs to eat, as well as himself. What
can be more desolate than such n iorrnevs-
Yet many persons from here make the trim
every winter. ON business. in conpanv with
the mail.
Sometimes they have the trail of a nreyious
party. but the snow. which falls every dav.
verv, soon obliterates tle;r foots+ans perbana
there IS a line Of blazed trees which thew fol-
low. but more often they are guided throuah
the forest bv the g make of the Ground or
nv fine SIM r. n sbould occas;onallv reen
| ont throuob the mists and snoIys ri. a. winter
skv.
Thus thew 90. from the first dawn of day
to the twilight of evening over lakes and
mountains, through swanps and thickets.
| that in summer would be impossible, but no
smootbed l1p level with snow.
The universal evergreen trees are bending
to the ground, with a load of snow on their
branches, that frequently obstruct the way.
This dismal procession of Indians. white
men. and dogs. in single file, a few feet apart.
and for hours they travel on, at the height of
their speed, without word or a laugh.
1t is too much of a task to clear away the
snow, start fire, heat the water. thaw the
bread, and prepare forest meal. to ston for
it at noon. But at evening. when the shades
of hyperborean night begin to gather among
the branches of the trees. and the northern
winds howl more earnestly, the company look
about for shelter-place in some ravine
where there is water, and some dry wood for
a fire, and there deposte their load of blan-
kets and provisions. They scrape away the
snow with their snow shoes, down to the
ground thus making wall of frost around
them.
Some cut wood for the night, Others break
off the boughs of the pine, balsam or cedar,
and lay them down for bed. Another pro-
cures some birch bark that is dry, and some
dry sticks, and some, striking fire by his flint
and steel, or his matches, has cheerful fame
with its grateful heat enivening the place. 1t
is also necessary to build a lodge or house of
boughs overhead to keep off the falling snow,
under which they all gather and cook their
supper with great glee. If camp of Indians
has been passed during the day, there win be
seen some fresh venison, that viii occupy the
best position around the fire suspended upon
the sharp points of timber sticks set in the
ground and leaning towards the fire. There
may be, however, only some salt pork or ham,
and flour, made edible by means of a short
handled frying pan, and some water.
1t would astonish city people to see tho
quantity of such materials that disappears on
such an occasion. The meal, or rather the
feast, is really intended for the whole of the
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