Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-08-14
Life In the Arctics.

Q
Alaska and on their long journeys
through a practically unknown land,
the members Of the boundary survey
party saw and heard many things Of in
terest which are yet to be related DIR.
Harry n. Kierulff, the young surgeon Of
the party, made the country, its people
and their customs his particular study,
and took many Photographic views OF
what he observed.
I'VE began the building of our main
camp about August -, 1889" said Dr.
Kierulff yesterday. land soon we had a
comfortable house for the winter built
Of stout logs, tightly rooted and parti-
toned into five rooms We called it
Camp Colonna. It was located about
half a mile over the boundary line on
British territory. When we started
home on July II, 1890, we turned the
camp over to the English missionary,
Wallace, who had moved with the trad
ers. He occupies the camp as a dwell
ing house, and has put up q school
building near by and begun work on q
chapel
"When the work of tracing and es-
tahIishing the boundary was completed
the party set up monument Of rough
stones about twelve feet high, as a visi-
bic mark of the dividing line between
American and British possessions. Or
course there is a check on this in the
shape of a securely concealed stone prop
erly marked, at the head of the base line
near the main station. When we were
about to break camp it occurred to me
that no photograph of the monument
had been taken, so took q camera mp
and sighted it and then climbed On top
of the rocks and had curious native
| shoot the machine.
MY experience with Alaskan winters
Was rather disappointing. The greatest
degree Of cold we experienced was 80 de
grees below zero, and that was when Mr.
Turner extended the trip north along the
boundary line to the Arctic sea. From
what traders and missionaries told us Of
previous years it would seem that the
winters OF 1889, 1880 and 1891 were ex-
ceptionally mid.
Even at the low temperature Of this
region the growth Of vegetation is sur
prisinglY rapid, but as there are only
three months of growing weather TINS
can be easily accounted for / found
grasses SIX feet high along The Yukon
and Porcnpine owlands, a more remark
able fact when you consider that the
Porcupine extends many miles above the
Arctic circle. There were also salmon
berries, bIueberries, currants and rasp-
berries in profusion and hundreds OF
acres of cranberries. or the latter fruit
the Indians store large quantities for
winter food.
up the great Yukon / found a color
Of gold at nearly every spot l examined
but nowhere was there any indication OF
the metal in paying quantities. There
may be plenty of gold there, but it will
take much capital and labor to mine it.
was reliably informed that the season
among the miners had been unusually
profitable
''Of what was known as Fort Yukon
we could find only part Of what seemed
to have been the foundation OF a fire
place. [ found among the ruins the
weather vane which was placed in III,
old fort at the time OF It's erection, 20(
years ago. It is in the shape Of a rooste,
and is carved ont Of oak.
The country seems to be inexhausti
bly, supplied with timber. The tremeu
dous freshets of early spring carry dow
70 Tue COdSt ullllODS UPON LiuCuS @
, feet Of timber, most Of it consisting o
sound, straight trunks Last sprins
the Yukum was not navigable fer SOM
time because of the vast quantities 0
I drift wood that it carried. For severa
t days the river was solidly blocked
|, The party enjoyed excellent health al
through the trip, and, indeed, most 0
us put on flesh in spite Of the fact tina
e our diet was chiefly canned meats an,
- vegetables, with variation in the wa
of game and fish at intervals" -SaI
Francisco Chronicle