The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-29
THU MAGNIFICENT YUKON.

and vreefaEgosas. exhibiting everywhere
the effects 81 glacial action. Especially
do they bear witness 70 the stubborn con
Hlet they maintained In the past. when
the Yukon was lake struggling for an
outlet Countless ages have elapsed Stree
the ymkoa flrst burst through this ire
rren161s ssrzs5anxxneat- These ntasns
run back ff0-a the river IN long Lines.
They rise In cones, pyra rl4ds and bu;keS.
In endless variety Of form. The whole re-
gion Is 1raversed ~ gorges. gaiches and
raysnes whsch EntersecE or unite, isolzting
many peaks The submits OF these peaks
are usually gasn.snsi with "A great variety
Of trees, disposed In zones upon the sar-
face. IN auEunsn the action OF frost upon
Esese vegetable zones produces effects OF
in9escssDabSe beauty.
Indian villages.
we tied up al 10 o'clock "Wednesday
night al the mouth OF tsse Tanana river.
about SO mics from Circle City. We
passed several Indian villages during the
day. These villages consists of half a
dozen log houses and score OF tents.
The natives live by hunting and fishing.
They exchange their fars for provisions.
aud cut wood for the steamboats, We
passed Menook creek. Several miners had
located on the Little Aenook. which runs
into tie larger stream several miles above
IT'S mouth. These claims were 600 feet in
length, instead Of 500. as In most other
camps. A f.. had been opened and found
TO pay about SO day. Goad-beartag
quartz had been found on Hunter creek,
tributary Of Menook. ard IN several
other places n that region. The Black
Hawk was quite fiattering ledge, meas
uring tweHty-ssx feet from wal 10 waH.
The quartz carried q large percentage Of
suiphuress and was. generally speaking.
-4fz .F3a4
IN a tsEekly timbered region moi more
than Ave miles from the Yukon. Coal Of
seni-anfnracste character mas been
found opposite Hess creek. and VIII IN
douhtedsy be some day developed Tie
mineral resources OF mat section are
great.
Hafrbreadsh Escapes.
at this post we met Chequin. Row
land. Weir and Tom Crawford, who went
over the mountains last AprH from Mas
tadon gulch 20 the beadwafers OF the
Tanana river on prospecting tour. They
Travelled about fifty miles before they
struck a tributary OF THIS great river near
It's source, ard then as they went down
commenced a systematic search for the
yellow dust. They tod many thrilling
stories OF their hairsreadth escapes from
the enormous brown and fe9octous white
faced bears eight Of which were made 20
OF tire Tanana hills. Cariboo were plea
tlful. but they only killed enough for
themselves aud dogs. Wolves were there
also, following up the trail OF the cariboo.
bat they managed 10 keep we'll 81 the
background. They found now and then
few Indians, who were very friendly,
oamped on the banks. and who were al
ways willing 10 trade anything they had
for tobacco. tea and Hour. These boss
spent all the strsng ami summer on this
river. but did not succeed in finding any
thing worth working. They built RATS
and finally boats and drifted down TO the
mouth. prospecting as they went along.
Their experience In building boats with
out nails and with no tools but an ak,
shooting the rapids, running the canyons.
hanging upon the rifles, was very in
teresting. and had / time would go more
into detail. I have often been asked why
more paying creeks are not found in this
country. whore so much gold is scattered
about. The experience of these boys an
~wers that question They spent all OF
one season in one locality. and finding
nothing would naturally discourage not
only themselves but many others. Losing
a season In this valley means no dust 70
ray ones way out. or no outfit for the
next year without going IN debt for IL.
thing all miners dread. So 1t can be seen
that prospecting in this country Is not
only uncertain but unsafe; consequently
there arc not many new gufches struck
until tho boys are forced out OF the old
ones. Added 10 this are the difficulties OF
transportation, and the mosquitoes
'sThe fifth day out we reached Nh Lato,
about 700 miles from Circle City. This Il
the largest and most thrifty Indian vii
Iage vet seen on the river. There IS
cathoile mission established here. but II
is not In very fourlshing condition. The
United States geological survey party.
which came down the river in a small
boat some few days ahead OF US, Joined ~
here. and gave US a graphic and interest
ing history OF their adventures and labors.
battling Ground OF Monsters.
There Is a honeyard on an island OF the
Yukon. II Is literally the tomb OF extinct
animals that lived and fourished unnum-
hered centuries ago. The ley river was
then the Nile Of the north. rolling its
waters through plains rank with exuber-
ant and tropical vegetation. warmed by
torrld heat and swsrmtng with rnonstrous
life 1t was the breeding and battling
ground OF monsters.
'''rhe run from M Lato 70 snvic was
90 miles. we reached Anvic on the morn
ing OF oar sixth day ont. IL was the larg-
est Indian village on the river, but rot at
al thrifty. TIE people were all afflicted
wtth q terrible disease resembling con-
sumption. The distress and despair pa nj
/ 81 on every face was long TO be remem-
I bered. Infants dying IN their mother 5
T arms. the middle-ave1 leaning against the
I poles IF their miserable bowels. ard the
AGED. psuc he'd and wasted 10y long suffer-
! ing, showed how slender was the thread
Z holding them 10 earth. The AnvIc river.
/ hundreds OF miles IN length. discharged
! here. Is presented a pretty picture as is