The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-04-16
LAND OF MIDGES.
EST AND TERROR OF THE
ALASKA GOLD HUNTERS.
louds of Insects Make Life Almost
unbearable-Native Alaskans
and Their Houses
The Casinos.

NJ all agree, declares the New Or.
ms Picayune, that it is the toughest |
I'd TO live in on the face of the earth, |
d the unanimous opinion of those |
10 know what they arc talking about |,
that the man who goes there with.
1t an abundant supply Of health AMI !
sh will probably stay there for all 4,
Mahy men, lured by the wonderful
les of gold, have doubtless decided
join tho miners of Alaska. For
cir benefit few facts concerning
country will be given, SO that they
Ill know what to expect. From IA
imatic standpoint Alaska is easily
ltitled to the blue ribbon for having
10 meanest in creation. In winter
me the average temperature is 60 de-
wees below zero, while in summer it
jumps as high as 100 degrees above.
This is almost clean leap from the
north pole to the equator.
The rich placer mines on tho Yukon
River, which have given rise to all the
glittering stories, are not easily
reached. The "forty.nincr,' who
crossed the continent in prairie
schooners in the early California duys
had pleasant saunter compared with
be hardships of the journey TO the
Yukon. This latter trip Is only tribe
more than 100 miles, but il means
more concentrated misery than the
Imagination of most people can pic.
lure.
From Sitta the goll diggers must
travel by wagon or on foot II hundred
miles or SO over the divide, where
they must hew trees and build RATS on
which to descend until they are about
twenty-five miles to tho west oil the
boundary line between British America
and the United States. Here are the
small creeks and streams where the
gold is found.
To make the trip in winter is next
to impossible for any one not accus.
toned TO living IN the most intense
cold, and TO mako il in summer time
is torture because of the swarms of
every variety OF insect which infcst
the river countries. Volumes could
be written about these insects. II may
seem trivial to attach any importance
to them, but when it is said that more
than one miner has lost his mind on
account of the past some idea of their
torturing power can be gained.
On the suhie of these insc AZ
expert seat out by the Washington
I authorities reported: "When the
I waters OF the river come down in the
spring the mosquitoes, by far the most
annoying OF the insects, ccme alorg in
swarms. Gloves were worn Mt MI
times and the faces of the miners wer,
covered, but even then the mosauitoe.
would get to their flesh, crawling M
the wristbands of their gauntlets and
down their legs into their boots, until
the miners almost lost their sense.
from the continued battle with thci,
sma. poisonous foes"
From one end of the warm season
10 another there is no let up by tho
insects Indoors and outdoors, in
daytime and night, il is the same.
Clouds of midgcs penetrate every.
where, and ordinary netting is per
iectly useless MS safeguard, for these
insects pass through the meshcs with.
out difficulty. Out of doors one is
completely at their mercy. They ny
INTO the eyes and lodge under the lids
they cluster in the ears, crawl up tho
arms and down the neck in fact, omi,
no chance OF causing intense annoy.
ance.
But for these insects IL. in Alaska
IN summer tine would be bearable.
In winter time, of course, the intense
and lasting cold Is the great drawback.
Even the natives can scarcely stand it.
They are probably tho dirtiest race of
beings on earth. In their dress, habi.
tation and diet they arc utterly filthy.
There IS nothing too foul for them to
eat. They are always covered with
i dirt and vermiD, aud their houses are
truly like pig sites. None of them
can approach you unawares, as you
are sure to smell them from afar.
An Alaskal costume consists of q fur
parki and pair of long boots. The
! park Is long, loose garment, made
/ OF skins. II is provided with q capa-
cious hood, which is bound along the
4 edge with strip of the longest
FUR which they can obtain, that of the
4 wolf being the most desirable. When
the hood is drawn over the head the
long hairs of this band project out
ward, and thus it shields the face from
the torture caused by the flying snow
OF the winter storms.
In very cold weather the natives
wear second or over park made OF
fish skin. Although this is stiff arti-
Gle OF drese, yet it possesses one great
advantage, that in case OF necessity
the wearer can eat it. This proves the
superiority of Arctic attire, for no
broadcloth overcoat would ever serve
as lunch.
There is universal taste for jewelry
among the natives; all are very fond
OF adorning themselves with earrings.