The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-10-19
APHASToM CITY.

APHANTOM CITY.
Remarkable Story ofa Frozen Mesrop.
oils.
| ISan Francisco Examiner.l
Since the great story of the Muil
Glacier mirage first became known
/ your correspondent has made every
effort to get substantial news concern
1 ing it, but beyond the statements Of
Prof. Willoughby aud the word OF one
or two who had seen the mirage,
nothing tangible until yesterday could
be obtained.
George III. Kershon is the name
given by the narrator Of the tale. He
says he Is native OF Engiand, but
left that country when a lad for the
gold fields of Australia. where several
years were passed. New Zasland,
Cape Colony aud California were also
visited, and ia his forty-thiFd year hs
Joined a party OF miners who were
bent on exploring the secrets Of ice-
bound Alaska. kershon is hardy
looking man, with well>kutt frame,
indicative of an ability to Withstand
physical hardship, while his clear, blue
eyes are a surety that Whatever he
undertakes he will carry through.
eyes," he said, 81 think am the
first white man who ever gazed on the
frozen city Of the North. You would
like me to tell you about 1t? Ali
right; you'll be the first newspaper
man who has the news, any way.
hardship IN THE NORTH.
ssIu the summer of 1885," Kershon
said, "I was one of party Of six who
left here to go North prospecting. We
took the steamer 10 Juneau, where we
left her, buying small sIoop to take
our kits up the Yukon. Any mention
of the troubles we had in ascending
that rapid stream need not tire you
with, but will say that. after several
weeks of awful toll we reached fork.
81 was for going up this fork and
prospecting, but the other Eve were
against it ;sbut as I was determined 10
go left the party, engaged an Indian
canoe with two bucks, and started, of
up this unknown fork. We had q ter
rible time. The stream narrowed ip
between high cliffs and shot with dizzy
swiftness down the gulches, making II
necessary to tow the canoe by means
of line from the banks, two doing
this while the third man rested. Pro-
gress was necessarily slow, and for
many days We toiled before the first
range of cliffs aud mountains was
passed. Once bundred.f0ot water
fall barred us, and 1t took three days
to get around it:
ssAfter this 1t was bit easier. The
river broadened out and the country
was more level. The banks we're we'll
wooded, and game was plentiful. We
kept on like this, always going north.
After elk weeks range of mountains
was sighted. T believed this to be the
head of the river, and pressed on to
reach it before tho cold weather set In.
Snow was now falling very often, and
it was evident that the summer was
nearly done. At length we reached
the wild country again, aud the stream
which had been subdividing itself into
lesser ones, soon became too difficult to
navigate. This was almost at the foot
of the range OF mountains spoken Of.
Here l determined to camp for the
winter, and good quarters were found.
Everything was made suug, as the
weather up there is something awful,
but we were in deep ravine, over.
hung by high cliffs, which broke the
fdry of the winds, and the best was
made OF it. 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, 1t was impossible to stir from
cover. Especially was this the case
when the terrible winds blew. AT
other times 1t was fairly comfortable,
although the lack of sun made 1t
gloomy enough. Toward the end Of
winter il began TO get lighter, and the
gales were less frequent.
sEErNGsTHE SILENT CITY.
aOne day 1 determined to try and
scale one OF the mountains near us, as
I got so tired and weary In being
penned up in such confined place.
This idea 1 put before the Indians.
One of them said he would go with
me; the other would not risk it, so was
left ia camp. A storm shortly arose,
blowing heavily for three days, but as
soon as the weather had settled, my
self and the Indian started of on our
trip.
1--WE went right up The line OF the
frozsn river, which, being solid mass
| of ice, made good roadway. Follow
ing this for about twenty miles, at a
| eg,ox> rico xya reachod q Mat 90 n