The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-23
Streets of Silence.

your correspondent has ndue every
effort to get substantial news con-
corning it, writes the Victoria B. c.
correspondent of the San Francisco
Examiner. but beyond the statements
of Professor Willoughby and the
word of one or two who had seen the
mirage, nothing tangible until yes
terday could be obtained.
BY the steamer Elder, which arrived
here on Saturday from the north,
came a miner, who left the vessel at
this port and did not go on to San
Francisco. as he at first intended.
From this miner, who is very in
telIigent man, a most remarkable
story was obtained by your represen-
tative, and the first description of the
silent city is here given.
George H. Kershon is the name
given by the narrator of the tale, He
says he is a native of England, but
left that country when lad for the
gold fields of Australia, where
several years were passed. New
Zealand, Cape Colony, and CaIifor.
mia were also visited, and in his
Tc>tthi[d year he Joined party of
miners WHO were bent on exploring
the secrets of ice-bound Alaska.
Kershon is a hardy looking man
with a we'll knit, frame. indicative of
an ability to withstand physical
hardship. while his clear. blue eyes
are surety that whatever he under
takes he will carry through.
Eyes," he said. II think l am the
first white man who ever gazed on
the frozen city of the north. You
would like me to tell you about it?
All right; you will be the first news
paper man VINO has the news. any.
way.
I'm the summer of 1888, KershOn
said, II was one of a party of six
who left here to go north prospect
ing. OF the other five, l know not
where they are. WetJok the steamer
to juneau, where we left her, buying
small sloop to take our kits up the
Yukon. Any mention of the troubles
we had in ascending that rapid
stream l need not tire you with, but
will say that after several weeks of
awful toll we reached fork.
II was for going up this fork and
prospecting, but the other five were
against it; but as | was determined
to 90 left the party, engaged an In
dian canoe with two bucks and start
ed off up this unknown FORK. We
had terrible time. The stream mar
rowed in between high cliffs and
shot with dizzy swiftnesS down the
gulches, making it necessary to tow
the canoe by means of a line from
the banks, two doing this while the
third man rested. Progress was ne
cessarily slow. and for many days we
tolled before the first range of cliffs
and mountains were passed. Once
100.foot waterfall barred us, and it
took three days to get around it.
After this it was bit easier. The
river broadened out and the country
was more level. The banks were
we'll wooded and game was plentiful.
We kept on like this, always going
north, when after six weeks range
of mountains was sighted. | believed
this to De the head of the river and
pressed on to reach it before the cold
weather set in. Snow was now fall
ing very often and it was evident
that the short summer was nearly
done. AT length we reached the
wild country again and the stream,
which had been subdividing itself
into lesser ones, soon became too
difficult to navigate. This was al
most at the foot of the range of
mountains spoken of. Here l deter
mined to camp for the winter, and
good quarters were found. Every
thing was made snug, as the weather
up there is something awful, but we
were in deep ravine. Overhung by
high cliffs, which broke the fury of
the winds, and the best was made of
1t. Game was plentiful, and large
quantities of elk and bear were shot
and frozen for use through the long
winter months.
Before long the cold came. and at
times it was impossible to stir from
cover. Especially was this the case
when the terrible winds blew. At
other times it was fairly comfortable,
although the lack of sun made it
gloomy enough, Toward the end of
winter 1t began to get lighter and the
gales were less frequent;
lone day I determined to try and
scale one of the mountains near US
as I got so tired and weary with be.
ing penned up in such a confined
place. This idea l put before the In
dians. One of them said he would
go with me >; the other would not
riPt< if sO hn was loft in nann