The San Francisco call., 1895-11-16

Such woman is Mrs. j.. F..Wills of this
city,, who has returned this week from a
MOST hazardous trip. to the very edge OF
Northeast Siberia, over Chilcoot Pass,
down the tTeacherous: Yukon, across Lakes
Le Barge and Lindeman, and down the
Grand Canyon. : -:
The .perllous journey of this intrepid
woman was. one few adventurers would
care to undertake. - :,
A. prominent Alaska trader had made
arrangements with Mrs. Wills to under
take the trip as companion for his wife,
but.the trader met Mrs Wills at Juneau
and. informed: her that he was unable to
make the journey contemplated.
Mrs. Wills was. not to be so easily
beaten, and on March 80. started, alone, to
penetrate region where white women
were unknown. The rigor of the northern
idea of drawing sled with $50 pounds OF
provisions worry her any.
The trip across lakes La Barge and
Lindeman is severe strain upon.a man,
but Mrs. Wills accomplished it easily.
A:party who had started soon after she
did overlook her, and, being in a hurry to
get over the lakes. before the ice melted,
travelled at an average of twenty to twen-
ty-fve miles day. Mrs. Wills was indie
pendent of the party, but managed to keep
within its wake regardless of its quick
travelling. sometimes going ahead, but
the oftener. following behind, and the most
thrilling part of her trip occurred while
following this party.
The party had passed her one afternoon
while she stopped to rest her dog, and on
starting to resume her journey she became
lost. The glazed ice left no sleigh tracks.
Night was coming on and the cold was in
tense, but she kept bravely on and soon
reached the main party. This experience
for a starter was something Mrs. Wills
says she will always remember-the terri
BILE loneliness she experienced.
Mrs. Wills camped at night on the snow,
with few boughs forming rude bed
She found that her greatest difficulty in
travelling was caused by being dressed too
warmly. and every step she made was
proof to her that she could discard some
of her cloaks and fu'rs.
After fifty-fye days of rough outdoor
life, up and down valleys, along rivers
with all the rigor of an Arctic winter
thrown in, she reached Circle City May
"a in better health and more Independent
than ever. This place. Mrs. Wills pre-
diets, will undoubtedly become alarge set
tlement on account of the deposits known
to exist there, and because it is on Ameri-
can soil.
After o short residence in Circle City
Mrs Wills started for Point Clarence the
only place on the American Continent
where reindeer are being /domesticated
and a most difficult place to reach While
on the river one day following the drifting
ice her canoe ran into a large floating drift
and came near being crushed by the I'M
mense pressure. The frail craft turned on
it's side, but the daring woman coolly
righted 1t and saved herself.
Her experience was becoming novel and
she rather enjoyed it. The sun was in
evidence continually through the day,
never hiding his face for more than ten
minutes.
Mrs. Wills made inquiries and studied
the question OF supplying the mining dis
perplexing question, and the main cause
why this valuable territory has not been
more fully developed.
The Alaska Commercial Company and
the Northwestern Transportation Com
pany are the only companies doing busi.
ness in the Territory and their service is
not satisfactory. the boats drawing toe
much water and consequently not being
able to ascend the rivers with supplies
for important distributing points. Steam
ers were abandoned seventy miles below
at Circle City.
Supplies come high--Flour So per l0(