The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1896-05-28
IS AN INTREPID INDIAN
Jimmie jackson, the Alaskan Mail
Carrier, Is Safe.
RETURNS FROM YUKON BASIN
Made the Round Trip of Two Thousand
Miles in the Dead of Winter-Met
the Gold Hunters.


famous for making d trip to the snow
bound regions of the upper Yukon river
from the Alaskan coast last December
to carry mail to the miners along Forty
Mile creek and other interior gold
streams, arrived on the Sound last
night from juneau via the steamer
Willapa, says the Tacoma News.
Hodge and McNelis, a printer and a
miner respectively, who started on the
winter trip with jackson, became ex-
hausted and perished in the snow.
jackson s two Indian companions were
not able to make the return trip. The
round trip covered a distance Of 1000
miles over mountain passes, down
frozen lakes and streams and through
snow clad forests. The wonder of it is
how the Indian stood the cold and ex
posure without food or shelter
The following interesting excerpts
from letter concerning the trip are
taken from the Alaskan News:
The American mail which started
for Forty Mile last December has been
safely delivered at it's destination and
the carrier had returned again to civil
ization. Jimmie jackson is quite a
hero today and as he walked up Seward
street, clad in his parka and moosehide
boots, he attracted as much attention
as circus.
Since the last of January jackson has
been heard from three times indirectly
through parties who have passed him
Tn, inc h11f
little could news be learned of the fate
party had become separated at Lake
Atlin and the Indians had proceeded
on down the river.
The party left Juneau on the 10th of
December, having an outfit all told
weighing between 800 and 900 pounds.
A large canoe conveyed them to the
Taoku inlet, thence up the inlet almost
to the mouth of the river Upon
reaching the inlet the weather was
very rough and the seas rolled SO high
as to almost swamp their canoe The
wind was fair and stiff enough to send
them flying, until their mast broke.
after which paddles and oars were re-
sorted to. The following day it turned
bitter cold again and the wind was
coming down the river with the force
of hurricane. Nothing daunted
Jackson so early in the trip and he
and the other two Indians set off up
the river with their dogs, sleds and
outfit. They had proceeded less than a
mile when the dogs began showing
signs of succumbing to the terrible
cold. The sled was quickly unloaded
and the faithful brutes were unhitched
and rolled up into blankets. Ahead of
the party about half mile was an
island heavily timbered, and to this
point the dogs were hauled on the
Sled. One died before the timber was
reached, but the others were soon
thawed out after a roaring fire had
been built. AS soon as camp was made
Alert, the, half breed, was left in
charge and jackson and the Chilkat
Indian returned with the sled to get
the discarded load.
Hodge and McNelis, who were sup
posed to have followed the Indians, had
Jagged behind, not daring to face the
terrible storm then raging. After the
departure of the Indians, however, they
evidently became frightened at being
left alone and quickly made prepara-
tions to take the trail already broken
by Jackson. Hodge had several hun
dred pounds of newspapers which he
was taking inside to sell, and these,
together with his entire camp outfit,
excepting a frying pan. kettle and
coffee pot, and all his surplus clothing,
he threw away just above the mouth Of
the river. In the storm it was impOs-
sible to see ten feet ahead, and Oh ac-
count of it they missed the Indians
camp, passing to the right of it.
jackson and his partner returned tC
their camp with the mail and the for
mer set out to find his lost companions.
The snow and wind had all but oblit-
i Grated their tracks, but they were
eventually found. ~ .., r..
The journey Of 60 miles across the
fiat summit was one round of bitter
hardships and terrible experiences.
The thermometer fell as low as IS de-
grees below zero. AS much of the
travelling as possible was done in the
timber, but in the open places they
were lett at the mercy of the winds.
Hodge and McNelis, realizing what
an impediment they were to the In
dians, resolved not to wait, but tc
keep on travelling and get as far along
as they possibly could before the In.
dians overlook them again. The route
down the lake was shown them and
they started off. The next morning
the Indians followed their trail until
a point was reached where they should
have turned off to get into Taiksh lake,
and there it was seen the two men had
gone astray jackson continued Oh the
right trail, presuming that the white
men, when they found they were
wrong would retrace their steps and
then follow his tracks.
On his way out and while at Dyea
Jackson met one Of the Indians with
whom he camped at Atlin lake. HI
said that week after the jackson In
dians had left their camp Hodge anG
McNelis had returned in an almost
starved condition. They bought anf
traded for all the meat they could get
taking, fresh, salted,. smoked or any
thing the Indians would dispose Of
Upon leaving they said they were go
ing back to Forty Mile and would fol
low Jackson's tracks. Since then no