The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-22
A HERO OF THE WILDS
Willoughby, the Man Who
Never Saw a Railroad.
BUT HAS SEEN OTHER WONDERS.
The Adventurous Veteran Returns
From Forty Years Wandering In
Alaska TO q New World.

Among the arrivals In the city yesterday
was = man who had never before seen
railroad train nor telegraph line. lie
was a white man, too: man OF intelu-
gence. and ore who had Travelled as many
miles as most men OF his age. II was Rich
ard WIlIeughhy, Familiarity known as Pro
fessorf' wIIIouEhby. one OF the most pic
t1.resque characters of the Northwest. He
came in yesterday from Juneau, Alaska
on the steamship Willapa- and after spend
ing a few hours in the city. took passage
on the FLYER at u:15 for Tacoma whence
he proceeded on his way 10 San Francisco
to consummate the sale OF the rich Tel
lurfum ledge. OF which he was the discov-
erer. on Admiralty island.
The sights and sounds OF a civilization 10
which he has been a stranger for nearly
half a century were OF course reveiation
TO him: nor was he himself a less Interest,"
ing object TO those who met him. His ap-
pearancs is such as 10 attract attention
anywhere. He is : feet IL inches tall. ara
weighs about is pounds. Though slim or
frame he is erect. despite his three score
years and ten. and his muscles have been
made hardy and vigorous by his many con-
ficts with Indians and wild beasts ana
wind and weather. He has a long gray
beard. and until yesterday morning wore
his hair long The latter he had cut here.
and when the white ends had disappeared
his close-cut hair was almost Jet-black,
making him look far younger.
Pioneer All Along the Coast.
He came out to California among the
fortv-niners but leaving that state before
its present name was adopted, he pushed
his way northward TO the Fraser river,
and has since mined and prospected from
that stream as far north as Cooks Inlet
He was in at Silver Bow basin, at the
head of Gold creek within two days after
the discoveries had landed there. He has
himself made discoveries OF no common
value and importance. He made the first
discovery Of coal in Hoona island, and al
so discovered coal on killiSnoo island, the
claim which he afterwards sold TO Charles
Bartlett OF Port Townsend. He built the
first trail I'D Gold creek into silver Bow
basin. He is known the entire length of
the Alaskan and British Columbia coast
as Prof Willoughbv." He is remarkable
for his success in dealing with the In
dians. He goes everywhere among them
alone. and knows all the chiefs personally
His only troubles with Indians have come
through an uprising when he would join
1.-The boys" as he calls them, and go into
the fight.
IL is needless to say that such a man
has had a variety of the widest kind of
adventures. one of these. of which he
told yesterday, will serve 10 illustrate his
romantic personal history.
w Ith ~
-Four years ago" he said, there was
an ugly bear in the interior, known far
and wide 'club-foot' on account of a
wound received from some hunter. The
bear was known to have killed four Rus
slams and nearly as many Indians. took
two Indians and pack of dogs, and went
after 'ciub-foot.' determined If possible to
get him. 1t was winter and the bear was
in his den. | brought him out by blast
ing with dynamite The dogs stood
show with him whatever, and he chased
them as he pleased. The Indians ano |
closed with him. and after a hard fight
we got him. / had his hide and his pecu-
liar crooked lame paw for long time in
my museum"
His Museum of Rare Curios.
This museum is one of the wonders OF
Alaska Prof. Willoughby lives all alone
in plain double-board cabin on the water
front, just to the right of CAROLS wharf.
at Juneau. one OF the rooms, his living
room, is fitted up with some degree OF
comfort. The other. though roughly fin
ished, contains treasures which are the
envy of many university museum. 1t is
one of the points which all tourists from
the East are sure TO visit. and accounts of
it have been published in several of the
Eastern papers. 1t contains a fine collec-
ton Of gigantic bones. rich furs and rare
hides minerals of many kinds. sea cow.
a Russian red sable, lot OF old guns and
fiintlock pistols and "A number of Indian
curios. most of them presents 10 the pro-
fessor by his friends among the Indian
chiefs.
In this plain and unpretentiOus dwelling
Nr. Willoughby has lived for many years.
lie has no family. and has slept alone un-
der this humble roof through many wild
winter night. Recently Sir. Johnson. who
accompanies him on his present trip. has
fix-af n "A IT q he IIa q lxag
little stock or part in the active affairs of
the town. His chief delight Is in some ad
venturous expedition With equally keen
relish he likes to talk over his adventures
around the glow OF the winter evening fire
side lie has marvellous memory. and
remembers the details and dates OF eXcur-
sions made forty years ago as accurately
+ as those of yesterday He has the peculiar
knack of raconteur in bringing out the eli
max OF an anecdotc, and his wild life gives
him a rich store 10 draw from.
Ills story OF the silent City.
0f All the stories he has tod. none per
( haps has 50 challenged the credulity Of
ordinary morta,s as that OF The Silent
city" as he calls il. Ninety miles north
west - Juneau lies great glacier. miles
in length, and with an abrupt face 800 feet
81 height. Standing on the summit Of 'his
Zee mouQtain at midnight some years go
the professor relates that be saw an in
f ol~flIFt Nguring N the water beneath
+ him which attracted his attention. lie re-
turned at noon the next day. whieh
CHANGED 10 he june - and there far below
the surface II the w3ter he saw plainly
the streets ana quaint buildings OF an an
Cie0t city. What Uas still more strange.
he saw. or thought no saw. the figures OF
people I'm the streets. He took companion
sack with him, but the city was no longer
- ho seen. Several times he returned 20
the spot, 5ut the strange view had van
! ishei once move. ana this time on June
+ - he chancc9 20 bc there and once more.
+ Ike John o. Fatnos. he saw the unearth,y
( city. II occurred 81 aim that only once
: wear 5ii the SIN reach the proper ac2ie
- give thr vision. The next clear ami
vers8ry % that day he took a friend, and
+ what was more. he took 4 camera To-
Esthe~ they Photographed the buried cl.v
/ and men who have SEE, them say that
. photographs from that negative are stiU
/ - ne bad IN Juneau. showing plainly the
/ "tar~ets quaint with ivy blent of many
/ ruined battlsmeut."
\ HARVEST OF STONE.