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
Unbearabie-Native Alaskans
and Their Houses
The Casinos.
LII the experts who have visit
ed Alaska say TINT there nrn

N
,tc ( \ ed Alaska say that there are
1HA tons of gold there. Some
Tc say that it is the richest gold
,rountry that the world has ever known,
lent all agree, declares the New Or.
ptlyns Picayune, that it is the toughest
sad to live in on the face of the earth,
,notf, the unanimous opinion of those
i ~ know what they arc talking about
= ! chat the man who goes there with.
nd NJ, 1t an abundant supply Of health anil
IL sh will probably stay there for all
riso Mani men, lured by the wonderful
biIi les Of gold, have doubtless decided
( n join the miners of Alaska. For
|, C,cir benefit few facts concerning
j.. o country will be given, so that they
o Ill know what to expect From n
her imatic standpoint Alaska is easily
yllntitled TO the blue ribbon for having
,hh ,ho TO meanest in creation. In winter
its me the average temperature is 60 de-
olyrees 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.
Tho rich placer mines on tho Yukon
River, which have given rise TO all the
/ glttoring stories, are not easily
reached. The "lorty.nincr," who
crossed the continent in prairie
lschooners in the early California days
had pleasant saunter compared with
be hardships OF the journey TO the
tNukon. This latter trip - only triie
more than 100 miles, but II means
tmorc concentrated misery than the
Imagination of most people cun pic.
lure.
From Sitta the goll diqgers must
travel by wagon or on foot hundred
miles or SO over the divide, where
they must hew trees and build RATS ON
(which to descend until they are about
Itwenty-tivc miles to the west oil the
boundary line between British America
and the United States. Here are the
sUall 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 make it in summer time
Is torture because of the swarms of
every variety of insect which infcat
the river countries. Volumes could
4 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 Jon
account of the pest some idea of thbir
torturing power can be gained.
AmtS2 thu HIirrFpTd6Gi FspT6GieM " of these inse sian
IVY WIZ '"'"N fHd upwards.
expert seat out by the Washinrton
authorities reported: "When tho
waters OF the river come down in the
spring the mosquitoes, bv far the most
annoying of the insects. ccme alorg in
s""rihs' bdOves were worn Mt all
tlmes,and the faces of the miners were
covered, but even then the mosauitors
would get to their flesh, crawling M
.he wristbands OF their gauntlets and
down their legs into their boots. until
the miners almost lost their senses
IRON the continued battle with their
small poisonous foes"
From one end Of the warm soooor
10 "hother there Is no let mp by tho
insects. Indoors and outdoor. in
daytime and night, it is the same.
/ Clouds OF mldgcs penetrate oycr,.
B where, and ordinary netting is Nor
iectly useless MS safeguard. for the.o
insects pass through the moshcs with.
out difficulty. Out of door, ono il
completely at their mercy. ThrG nv
INTO the eyes and lodge under the lids.
theY cluster IN the ears, crawl up the
arms and down the neck in fact. omit
no %hance Of causing intense annoy.
ance.
But for these insects II. in Aasl,a
IN summer tine would be bearable.
In winter time, of course, the inrenso
and lasting cold Is the great drawback.
Even the natives can scarcely stand il.
They are probably tho dirtiest race of
beings on earth. la their dress. habi.
tation and diet they are utterly filthy.
lhere is nothing too foul for them to
eat. They are always covered with
art and vermiD, aud their houses are
truly like pig sites. None of them
can approach you unawares, as Won
are sure to smell them from afar.
An Alaskan costume consists of a fur
park and pair of long boots. The
park Is long, loose garment, made |
oi SKINS. 1t is provided with q cana. |
clous hood, which is bound along the |
edge with q strip of the longest
iur which they can obtain, that of the
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 a second or over park made of
hsh skin. Although this is a 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