Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-27
UNDERWRITERS.
CARRYING MAILS IN alaska.

One of the Carriers Tells Something
About Its Difficulties.
From the Alaska Searchlight.
The difficulties and hardships of carrying
the mail in the Arctic during the winter
season is shown in a letter from T. Con-
stantine Healy, manager of the Yukon Ex-
press and Transportation Company. The
letter, which was written at Dyea, Feb
ruary II, tells how the party started from
Juneau December 16, reaching Dyea two
days later. Owing to a disa greement among
the natives as to rates for packing, the
party had its luggage freighted to the head
of the canon by Healy & Wilson's pack
train, and then the natives were offered
$15 per 100 pounds to the summit, six miles
distant
The weather, which was northerly,'
says the letter, continued so severe and
clustering that they did not care to take
the job. SO between the head of the canon
and Sheep Camp we put in our time till the
middle Of January trying to move our out
fit. The weather was severe during all
this time. and we had but two days that
we could work at all. One of our dogs was
poisoned and the other one. while starting
back to the post from camp, was frozen to
death. Finally, by hard work. we got our
outfit to Stone House. Mr.. Gasch got his
feet badly frozen. On February / we man.
aged to induce the Indians to pack, offering
them Sc per 100 ponds from Stone House to
the summit, distance Of one mile.
AT Big Rock. on the other side of the
summit, Mr.. Gasch and l babe goodbye to
Mr.. Stewart and native, and started out
for this side. We reached the place where
we had pitched our camp at the head of
the canon, had our supper. and were COM
plimenting ourselves on finally getting
teams across the range, when about S
o'clock in the evening the Indian appeared,
surprising US very much. His statement
was that a north wind had sprung up,
which the dogs were unable to face. Mr..
Stewart tried to persuade him to 20 on to
timber line with the h1lf he
fused, and kept continually shouting:
Mahmaloose! Mahmaloose! ut is death,
it is DEATH, and holding his hands over his
face, which was freezing. He finally turned
back Stewart was compelled to do the
same, after piiing the outfit SO that 1t
could be found 1t was II pm. when Stew
art arrived in our camp. and 1t was indeed
pleasant surprise, as he was so far be-
hind the native that we had almost given
him up. He had his ears and fingers badly
frozen, and Joe. the native, had his face
frozen.
after holding council. Mr. Gasch and
myself returned to Healy & Wilson's post
that night. Here we found Harry Davis,
whose services We Immediately secured,
bought another dog from one of the ma
tives, and started out to try the summit
again. Davis and Stewart and joe the ma
tive, got over the summit on the 23d and
are now on their way down the lakes, as
the Indians report going good on the other
side.
This is only giving you simple outline
Of our difficulties. The wolverines got into
our cache at Stone House, and carried off
all our dog food, as well as Winchester
rifle. With this and much other bad luck,
you can judge what kind of humor we are
in We wish you and the people to under
stand that we bucked the summit of the
range from December 20 to FEBRUARY 2.
We did as well as any men could do, and
better than great many, finally succeed
Ing: We are trying to do the people of the
Yukon valley service in giving them a
again as We were this winter, as we are
going to have caches made at regular in
tervals Of seventy or eighty miles all along
the river, which will enable US to travel
much lighter"