The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03


was plenty Of that The dogs were fed only
oncs day. and tina: was always At the end OF
the days journey. Our camp was primitive
aKair-no tents, nothing save . ~ to keep
OF the wind For . IRE Ne would fall
some trees and lay the logs side by side and
build the IRE on them: Ne would oftsn have
fire from twelve 70 fifteen feet long. After
melting some snow for water and cooking sup
Per, We would turn in for the night On top OF
some brush would spread my beafsk!n, wfap
myself up in . rabbit-skin robe and sleep like
top until morning. 1t may seem strange to saw
that / slept out OF doors on top of several feet
OF snow with the Thermometer down TO 80 deg.
below sero, and wss warm, Jet such was the
case. and NO night do remember OF having
suffered with cold. Al soon - daylight dawned
breakfast was eaten, our dogs harusssed and the
days tramp commenced.
On reaching Nuklakies found that the Epis.
copalian missionary there, the Rev. Mr.. Provost,
was anxious to visit some Indians on the
Tansnah river, and was glad to have him &C
company me- Our trip was not wholly devoid OF
comfort, and many little pleasartrtes marked
various stages. On Christmas day We con-
tinue0 our journey ~ usual, but made camp
at an early hour that We might prepare our
Christmas dinner. We passed several Indian
villages and At the last one secured an Indian
to guide US up the Jesa river and over the d.
vide to the head waters OF Forty Mile creek
This divide did not prove very difncult to cross;
the ascent was gradual and the summit not
more than 500 feet above timber line. At the
junction Of Forty Mile creek wish the Yukon II
situated the most important trading post OF the
interior. This We reached on the 18th day OF
January, Mr.. Provost having come through with
me.
There were about lS5 miners wintering here
in comparative comfort They had comfortable
cabins and many of them we're right cozy. Pro-
visions were sufficient though not abundant;
sugar and molasses were scarce, but beans and
-four were plenty. Perhaps the several stills
running there are accountable tor the scarcity
of sweets There have been two saloons rum
ming this season. though both were closed before
We arrived.
Last summer Was a very fair mining season,
and though no rich finds were made yet nearly
every one did well. Mr.. McQtIestion, who keeps
the trading post, said that he had taken in more
gold last season than ever before since he had
teen in the country. There have been no new
strikes, that o. Miller creek, one of the tribu-
taries OF Sixty Mile creek, being the latest. The
coming season is expected to pan out "big," I'M
less there should be scarcity of water. This
depends upon the quantity OF snow which falls
during the winter. and they have not had a
great deal this year. Nothing but placer gold
has been found as vet, but great many miners
think there is quartz up there There is nothing
to justify a stampede up the Yukon, but 200 TO
800 men can e. in and make a good living.
there IL no mining on a large scale with ma
chinery as yet, four or five miners simply join
ing and working their claims together
1t 10 mistake to suppose that many of the
miners up the Yukon are fugitiyes from justice.
There have been few hard cases up there, but
they have been told to get out ana keep On 60
ing. The men are hard working miners, rough,
but law-abiding, though o! course they have no
law but what they make themselves. They are
very good class, as good a. you will find n
any mining camp. The Indians of the interior
are not at all savage and very friendly to the
whites: in fact You would have to abuse them
very much before they would fight The weather
during the winter has not been unusually Sc
we're; in fact the old-timers speak of 1t a. a mild
winter, tie coolest weather having been only
80 degrees below zero.
left Mr. Provost here. but secured the com.
panionshfp o. John Reed. an old Yukoner, who
has been in the interior for the past six years.
bought several new dogs here. as the 800 miles of
travel had told considerably upon some of mine.
Some OF these were fine specimens: Jack, the
big fellow have with me, being one of the very
best shall take him back to Chicago. He
alone can pull sleigh loaded with 800 pounds,
or he can pack upon his back fifty pounds up
hill and down hill day after day. Good dogs
are getting scarce at Forty Mile, and are worth
&25 each. At Nulato they can be bought for $40
We left Forty Mile on the morning OF Febru-
AIRY For = week 1t had been very cold, and
when we left It was IS degrees below zero and
blowing gale. 1t took us thirteen days to
reach Harper's trading post on the PelIy river
On arriving here our stock OF dried fish was
nearly exhausted: we had only fifty salmon left
and were unable TO obtain more After this We
were Obliged to camp an hour earlier every
night in order TO cook supper for the dogs. We
fed them on porridge made OF oatmeal or -four
with some fish in it
When we left Harper's We had with us one
mi vnA Gal In hn1
the way with me, and an Indian guide called
Jim, who was to show us a short and easy cut
around the Rink rapids and Five Fingers of
Lewis river. About forty miles from Harper's
we left Pelly river and went up a small stream
called Fox river; then crossed . small lake of
the same name to larger lake named Indian
Trail lake. We questioned Jim closely about
the trail he tax ing US, aud got him to drawa
map of il. He had goue on ahead and marked
ont the trail across the lake and to a creek
beyond. The next morning when we moved
on Jim stayed behind to fix his snow shoes
hurried back to the place where We camped,
and from there I could see him some four or
FIVE miles down the lake and making tracks for
home. Why lie deserted Us could not
imagine, uaiess it was through fear OF getting
Into trouble by going into the country of SOM,
other Indians. We pushed on up the creek aud
after much search came out upon q lake, which
we named Lost lake. across this and three other
small lakes aud down small creek and we
reached river Of considerable sise. which We
| afterwards found to DO the Little Salmon. On
following il down five miles We came out upon
the Yukou We had been five days In making
the cut, and l believe saved AZ many more by
| so doing.
Our course was now up the Lewis and over
the chain of lakes until the head of Lake Lind
ermnn was reached, the route over which
nearly every miner in the interior has passed
ON reaching The Hootoluqua river We came
near mistaklng tt for the Lewis. 1t is broader
and locked like the main river rather than the
tributary. Had II not been for the rousa ice in
the Lewis river we might have made the mis-.
take. and very likely you never would have in
terviewed me had We done 90. The scenery
was monotonous-a never ending and scarcely
, varying succession OF snow covered lakes river.
aud hills.
On the night OF March is, At the foot Of Lin.
| derman, we fed our last bit OF Ash and lsst
! pound OF -four 20 the dogs, and those who were
too weak to finish The journey We were Obliged
Kill. We were nearing the mountains only
twenty miles away was the summit shous ws
10 able - mud the pass the next snxious
thought TIE next morning We move on. m
Lake LlndeFman. then three miles TO the ri.nh
line and now. ten miles away. giistening in tho
sunlight, ts the summit. Once over thar sns
We safe: but can We make IT.? To tie over
taken by a storm would mean suffering, per
hsps death and TIE weary toll OF rnonth.
wasted Reed had crossed /. BEFORE. never
Familiar Ia both Of Us was the story of the sal
fate Of poor Williams. the only white man nh,
has ever before attempted TO come out from
Forty Mile during The winter season He passe..
the summit, Only 10 lie from exposure and ex-
hanstson at Wilson'S There 10 no ,isns fo,