The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-13
Famous Kansas Scholar and
Hunter, Home From Alaska.
Secured Il Mountain Sheep and
a Big Grizzly.
THE LARGEST MOOSE.
He Had Ever Seen, Fell a Vic
tim to His Proves.
Interesting Story Of a Sum-
mer's Trip in theArctic Circle.

Lawrence. Nov 13.-PrOf. l. /. Dyche
returned home last evening from a ven
turesome and tonsome expedition into
the mountainous interior Of Alaska,
whittier he went in search of the white
Rocky Mountain sheep
Like everything he has undertaken,
the expedition was successful, the pro-
fessor having secured. amid difficulties
quite appalling, II fine specimens of this
rare and beautiful animal He shot, al
so. the largest moose he has ever seen,
a grizzly bear that weighed at least L.
500 pounds and less noted animals in
considerable numbers. And he bore the
hardships of the trip with little dis
tress.
He hunted the white sheep in theAlas-
kan mountains a bOVe timber line IN the
midst of a continuous snow, sleeping on
the ground with a small sheet of can
vas set on sticks over his head and he
suffered no more than did the Indians
that accompanied him. lie made a
march of p miles in one days journey
over the Arctic SHOWS when he was
searching for Lieutenant Peary-
What I desired chiefly on this trip -
said Prof. Dyche. was a specimen Of
the white Rocky Mountain sheep This
sheep is, in every external appearance
except one. quite similar to the Color
ado mountain sheep The difference is
in the color Your familiar mountain
sheep here are gray, While the Alaskan
variety are pure white. so that in win
ter they cannot be distinguished from
the snow over which they move. They
are abundant in the mountains of Alas
la and they may be shot easily enough
by anyone who viii go after them. That
As something OF an undertaking.
In the first place the open season in
Alaska is short. The last boat leaves
Cooks inlet on September I, and when
that is gone there is nothing left for
the late slayer but a winter in Alaska
And that IS not pleasant
Emptying into the head of Cooks
inlet, 200 miles from the ocean. there
are several rivers that have not been
mapped. One of these. the Kanik river
I followed. 1t is a rapid stream. Ny
boat was tOWed slowly by Indians
stripped naked and plunging through
the icy water as if it was a delicious
tepid bath They tOWed me 20 miles
anc then went into camp above timber
line, which is, Of course, much lower in
that latitude than down here. From
that point began my search for sheen.
Coming UP the coast, I was told all
z bout the sheep, but when 4 got into
the mountains found that my inform
ants did not know what they We're talk
ing of They mistOok the common Alas
kan goats for my sheep learned the
difference soon
I've climbed and climbed. The for
nation of the country is basaltic and
the mountain sides are steep, broken up
into cOlumnar rocks which are treach-
erous under foot The rock crumbled
ment had a possibility of a long fall in
IT, Rain and snow fell Continuously
My three Indians slept in a sitting
posture with their backs together. ali
under a blanket stretched over three
upright sticks. I slept under a small
canvas covering AS a food supply we
carried hour already mixed with bak-
Ang powder, a little bacon and made
out with that and the meat of sheep.
The indians kept telling me that we
should soon lind sheep-up-avvav IN
they said The first assuring sign
saw was in little shelter built upon
piles sunk in a swamp The occupants
of the rude hut were out on some expe-
dition. but inside I saw the skin ~ a
white sheep. soon after that - acffa5
them The first band we dfscf-z-aral7
we're IN an Inaccessible place. TO shoot
them would have been to lose them nj
feriy. for they would have rolled down
the cliffs thousands of feet. The next
band were also I'm a preciptuous spot
and despite the protests of my Indians
let them go The next band were bet
ter located and we got five out of nine
My Indians shot two and I shot three
1t was running shot, too. in every
case, for the sheep did not waste any
time looking at US. I a marksman2
am compelled to be- I cannot afford