The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03
A REMARKABLE TRIP.
Fifteen Hundred Miles Through
Alaska In Mid Winter.
-FOUR MONTHS ON sNowsHoEs.
Q. II. Hamilten Leaves ~ Ise-Dound
sstson and Arrives In eeattle.

ever undertaken was that recently COM
pleted by C. H. Hamilton. . young man
Of ~ years, who came down from Juneau
on the City Of Topeka and is stopping at
the Occidental. He made a journey of
800 miles on snowshoes up the Yukon
river In Alaska and over the divide to
Chilcoot in the dead of winter. Mr..
Hamilton accompanied Mr.. Weare and
his party on the Alice Blanchard last
summer, when Mr.. Weare shipped As a
deck hand and Mrs. Weare as . chamber
maid, the steamer having no passenger
license. Mr.. Wears took up forty barrels
Of whisky, which he sold at Forty Mile
creek for 80 . barrel, finding 1t in great
demand. Mr.. Hamilton told the story of
his adventures - follows:
On the 9Th Of last July the steamer Blanchard.
chartered By the North American Transports
ton I Trading Company, sailed from Seattle for
6k Aichasls, said he. On board were Portus
d Weare. Of Chicago; Capt John Healy aud
wife, Of Chilcat, Alaska, besides . number OF
carpsntsrs, machinists. engineers ETC., in the
picy OF the company. and in her hold she car
RED lumber and machinery for the construction
OF river steamboat, besides tie merchandise
Tor establishing new trading post on Forty
mile creek
We arrived a. st. Michaers on the ID OF
August This island lies some eighty miles
north Of the mouth OF the Yukon and close to
mainland. 1t IL . barren waste about seven
miles long and nearly a. broad.
On going ashore We found that the Alaska
Commercial Company laid claim to large part
OF the island and they had a great strip
Of land along the beach, including the whole
settlement fenced In, and we were for
hidden to land there. A landing was
made Just TO the north OF their site and claim
sfnked ont The town OF ST. Michaers consists
Of the Alaska Commercial Company's store and
warehouses, Greek church and some twenty
houses. A scow or lighter was built to bring the
cargo from the vessel. and at the end of two
weeks the last pound OF merchandise was re-
moved from her and she steamed sway to the
southwark. Tho new boat was launched on
the 18th day Of September and chrfstened
the "Portus B. Weare" II is expressly de-
signed for tho YUKON snd is the largest boat
on the river II 10 . s.ern-wheeler. IT'S feet
long, % feet beam, and has hold I feet deem
Light It draws only 16 inches Of water. and
when loaded with $50 tons the draft is less than
Z feet. After II was Launched the United
States revenue cutter Bear sailed for Una
alaska, taking Mr. Weare, the contractor and
fifteen carpenters Nine days more were re-
quired to line up the machinery and put the
cargo aboard The cargo consisted of some
100 tons OF merchandise, Q complete sawmill
At first It was well nigh impossible, and at
ali times difficult to hire native laborers; not
owing to their scarcity nor unwiilngness to
work, but because the Alaska Commercial CON-
pany. by brides and threats, did all in their
power to keep them from working for u.s. Be-
fore our goods were unloaded We were Obliged
10 pay them In silver coin. This, they were
told ct the store on the island, was worth
less and that 1t would not be accepted in
trade
On the 2sth OF September we babe farewell
to Fort Get There, ~ We had named our
camp, and the Portus B. Weare steamed
out from e. Michaers and started south to-
wards the mouth OF tho Yukon. On board
were Mr.. and Mra Healy and maid, Wilbur r.
Cornell. newspspsr correspondent, three car
psntsrs and myself, besides the crew. which con-
sisted OF Capt J. c. Barr. who for many years was
. well-known captain on Missouri river boats
mate, Timothy Long. formerly of the Bear;
chief engineer, William Coates: assistant en-
ginssr, Henry Brown, and two fremsn. 1. was
not until the 2sth that we were able to Gro . the
bars aud TO enter the north channel of the
Yukon.
The Yukon in its lower course 10 several
miles wide but shallow: the banks on either
side arc low, and low, fat plains stretch
away into the dim distance. where they are
skirted BY ranges OF hills No timber is seen,
but mile after mile OF brush. We run only by
day and lie at anchor during the night, for
there arc 80 many shadows in the river that
though We have native pilots il is deemed un-
wise TO attempt to run after nightiall.
We had difncuity In securing good
pilots, owing TO their being taken away BY the
Aiaska Commercial Company. Wood yards have
been established all along the river AZ conye-
nieut distances by the natives, and we expert.
enced but little difficulty In getting supply OF
fuel
We passed the mouth OF small stream called
the Andreivesky, on which 10 built small vii.
lage OF the same name, where the Alaska Com
sncrcial Compauy's boats. the Arctic and
the Yukon. tie up for the winter
There are now upon the Yukon river four
other boats besides the three already men
toned the Cora. owned by MI BEETLES, trade,
at Nnklskiet; the ST. Michaers, owned by the
Catholic mission: the Explorer. owned by the
Russian mission. and the New Racket, the prop
srty OF Mr.. Harper. a trader on PeiIy river
BY October we had accomplished about sec
miles Of our journey up the river and hoped "a
make considerable more progress before winter
should set in, but the next day the ice com
menced running In tho river and
though wa steamed ahead, by the time We
reached Nuia.o. on the 5th. the running ,ce
made further advance impracticable, so we nu,
back seven miles TO Nsgooley soket uhe mouth
OF the Nagooley r!verl, aud mare fest 10,
the winter Tho ice coming down was from
the koyukuk and Tsnanah rivers. and
continued running until the Yukon close,
over. on the tth OF November. Previous "a
reaching Nulato we had experienced 10 col.
weather and had bad only few iigh. snows
BY the fst Of November the mercury wa,
down TO deg below zero, ard from then
until Thanksgiving il ranged from above e
III below. Our steamboat viii remain a,
NaSooleskesss uas!i the river opens in the
spring and Is clear OF ice. probably about the
middle Of May. when the Journey Will be re-
snmed TO Forty Mile creek. which will IL
reached early in Jane Here large srsains
post viii be established. where a fun stock 81
merchandise will ne carried.
Il orier 10 comp lese srrangemeu,s for .e,s,
lbs supplies the coming summer IL was necss
sary that word be hre0g at out, for from Octot,-
until May the vas. lakoa ressop il isaistaa
from all civilization.
Ga the a6,h Of November accommodated hv
four Neiato Indians. started on snov.hoes 10,
Chlieeot = small village GA the eoss; SON,
elxAty miles from Juneau. A Journey of from
l,sa ~ l.st0 Tatiss lsy before me; never hsa
bean over nile OF II before. aud no one of nv
lsdlans had ever made more than a half OF II
Winter hsd fairly set Ia, tie GAYS grown so sseri
that in clear westher there were no more than
eve OF six hours ~ daylight had a good out
Il. weighing srea 80 20 Loo pounds. this va,
raesesi epon taree slssghs drawn by swenty-sus
aogs Twas warmly dressed Ia iurs, and m,
costume woali be quite novelty to any ons
unused to Arctic winters.
Ny course lay up the Yukon river and was a.
ways % soEae river or gake--excsnt when cross
log aivsae--fos travelling anywhere else /,
tS1 oas sud uncertain. There 10 less snow
aeoa the Ice AMI IL 10 harder. besides. the dense
brush along the chores and TIE woods osfag
many Obstacles 10 the trsveaar.
Tia rough and uneven Ice often rnsee the so