The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-10
THROUGH DEEP SNOW,
The Hardships of a Party of
Seattle Explorers.
HUNTING FOR A PLACER MINE.
A Painful Walk From Hope, in British
Columbia, Into Whatcom County
Marrow Escape.

Cuiloch and B. ]. Savage, of Anacortes,
returned from lively trip to the junction
OF Ruby creek and Skagit river. They had
learned that a rich placer mine was
located on the creek near its mouths
point IN the eastern edge of Whatcom
county-and they started out to examine
it.
Mr.. Moore in speaking of his adventure
said: I'VE, from Seattle, were not ac-
customed to the hardships of mountain
climbing, but our Anacortes friends were
regular prospectors.
1--WE proceeded by rail to Hope. on the
line of the Canadian Pacific railroad. Dur
ing the gold excitement on the Fraser
river the town had several thousand in
habitants, and was port of the Hudson
Bay Company; but now it is practically
deserted, having but three white families
and about fifty Indians. There we were
joined by James Cushing, a Scotchman,
who went with us simply for the adven-
ture. Before we got back he expressed
his thorough satisfaction with the result.
Eat Hope we could gather no informa-
ton as to the condition of the trail we
were to take, except that a few inches of
snow lay on the summit of one of the low
ranges we had to pass over. Later on We
learned that there were few feet instead
OF inches of snow.
Having procured provisions, blankets
and other supplies, we left Hope at 7 in
the morning. expecting to have a regular
picnic. About nine miles out we came to
mountain, and there our trouble began.
If you can imagine an unbroken wilder
ness stretching for ninety miles over
nN oh
dense swamps, the land covered with snow
from three to five feet deep for the entire
distance, with no trail nor guide to mark
the way, except an occasional Glaze made
on the side of tree fifteen or twenty years
ago; if you can imagine that. you can
grasp in small way the terrors that we're
before us. 1 believe we should have pre-
ferred SANKEY'S African jungles to this
snowy labyrinth.
'In making the ascent of the first
mountain young Mr.. Noble showed his
metal, for he took the lead and broke the
trail for six hours. During that time we
made five miles. Then and later on in the
trip he exhibited powers of endurance
worthy of the most hardy mountain
climbers. MI. Culver and 1 acted as rear
guard for two reasons. First, because
those coming behind found the trail bet
ter broken; and, second, because we could
not keep up if we wished to.
when we were within mile of the
summit, where stood cabin, Mr.. Culver's
strength gave out entirely, and he fell
down on the snow in an unconscious con-
dition. revived him with some brandy,
carried for such emergencies, and wrapped
him up in the blankets. By this time the
rest of the party had reached the cabin,
and finding that we were missing they
started back for us with a hand sled.
With the aid of this we finally succeeded
in getting our exhausted friend into camp.
"Here we rested until noon the next
day, and each man employed his leisure
in making for himself a pair of Norwegian
snowshoes. Such shoe consists of
narrow piece of cedar about four inches
wide and six feet long, slightly turned up
at the front, and with a strap across the
middle for fastening to the foot.
with this addition to our wardrobe,
we left the cabin at noon on the second
day. Since all of us were noyices in the
use of the shoes our progress was neces-
sarily slow. But even going at a SLOW
pace did not prevent us from having many
falls, some ludicrous and others serious.
1t is safe to say that scarcely moment
passed when one or the other of us did not
have the position of head and feet reversed;
and greatly tear-judging from the words
used. and from those we should have liked
to use-that many of US utterly fell from
grace. Mr.. Culver and l sprained our
ankles, and Mr.. Noble blistered his feet
accidents which rendered walking an ex-
tremely painful process.
"The second night and several nights
thereafter we camped in the snow, making
fire by the side OF tree and sleeping in
our blankets.
"By the morning of the fourth day we
had exhausted all ofour provisions but a
a small can of corned beef, and we were
yet sixteen miles from a trapper's cabin.
With brave hearts and empty stomachs
we struck out, determined to reach that
cabin. At noon we divided the beef and
drank cold water for desert. By I in the
evening, drenched with rain, lame and
footsore, and nearly famished, we arrived
at the cabin of the trapper. whose name
was Gordon. Never were men so glad to
see shelter and fire as on that Saturday
night.
SUNDAY was strictly observed as day
of rest except that We mended our broken
snow-shoes, washed our socks. patched
our clothes and creased our boots. Cor
don was very hospitable and gave US COR
dial assistance in the work.
HE is q man who has had many adven-
lures Coming To the Pacific coast with
the forty-niners, he soon went into the
employ of the Hudson Bay Company as
hunter and trapper. In those early days
he married 4 squaw, and had three chill
dren, all girls. About ten years ago his
wife and two of his daughters died leav-
ing him but one half-breed darling TO keep
house for him. All went well until three
years ago, when an enterprlsing Canadian,
during the absence of the father stole the
girl, and thus formed the nucleus of an
other dusky family. Old Gordon now
lives alone attending to his traps in win
ter and in summer cultiyating a little
patch of ground which he calls his farm.
He is very anxious to have another wife,
and is not at all particular as to color.
Either red, white or black will do. | re-
gard this as a golden opportunity
for some young woman matrimonially
inclined-though doubtless on the other
side, when parted ones are reunited. she
will have her claim on her liege lord and
master contested by dusky matron from
the Similkimeen nation, who will use the
tomahawk and scalping knife as persua-
siye arguments for asserting her prior
right.
We'll. at Gordon's cabin we feasted on
bear and on wildcat meat until Monday,
when we again resumed our Journey, after
procuring from our host sufficient flour to
last US through. The remaining forty