The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-21
MRS. PAT CALVIN ENJOYED LIFE
THERE, BUT IS GLAD TO RE-
TURN.
TELLS ABOUT THE KL0NDIKE.
THERE IS NO OCCASION FOR LONE
SOMENESS OR FEAR OF LAW
LESSNESS.
AFTERNOON TEAS NOT IN VOGUE.
Life at Dawson City and on the
Yukon, as Seen by a Minnesota
Woman.

With a charming naiy cite amount
ing alnic5t to enthusiasm, Mrs. Pat
Calvin tells Of a Woman's experiences
in the Klondike. AS mentioned in the
Clio re of yesterdays, Mr.. and Mrs.
Calvin left Minnesota a little. ever
four years ago for Alaska, to brave it's
rigorous winters cold and oppressive
heat Of summer, in the search for
fortune. Mr.. Galvin-or Pat" as he
prefers to be called-took up a small
stock of hardware, and locating at
Forty Mile, did thriving business.
When the gold discoveries on the Bo-
nanza were made year ago, they re-
moved to Dawson City, and since then
Dame Fortune has bestowed her sweet
est smiles on them. Mr.. Calvin be-
came interested in several claims, had
number of men working under him,
engaged in several other enterprises.
and the dust" accumulated at such
rate that he was enabled to live in
luxury, which the natives would term
riotous eXtravagance-he actually had
carpets on the floors Of his house and
wine in the cellar
In speaking Of this, that noted cor
respondent, Joaquin Miller, who is
visiting Dawson recently, wrote:
Most people think that the inhabitants Of
Dawson are devoid Of all the luxuries and
even some of the comforts of life. To show
the fallacy of this, several days ago 1 visited
Pat Calvin at his home and broke couple OF
bottles of champagne. 1t is worth only $50
a bottle here
Tho oyUyoo1, Of tho homo rafprra6 tO iS
the gentleman now visiting his old
home in Minnesota.
I'VE were very costly situated" said
Mrs. Calvin to G b reporter at
the Ryan, yesterday. 1--WE had every
thing in our house that we could ask
for, and nearly every evening friends
would drop in to play a social game
of cards. No, l did not get lonesome
| there for society, for with a tender
glance at her husband Pat was with
| me. l would pass the day knitting or
sewing, and l had to do all my sewing
By hand, for there wasn't machine in
the place.
"Of course, am glad to get back to
the states, and I don't think l shall
go to Alaska again. 1t gets most too
cold there. There were but few women
in Dawson to associate with and after
noon teas are unknown. The town is
very quiet and peaceable, and only
two rows occurred that l heard of, all
the time we were in Alaska. Since we
got back so many people have asked
me if l wasn't afraid to live in such
wild and lawless place; it really is
quite amusing to see how little they
know of the Klondike
1.-The Yukon seems like one great city,
near Dawson, for the miners cabins
extend along both sides of every stream
for miles, one cabin being on every
claim and sometimes each is occupied
by several men 1t is a scene of ac-
tivity for all are hard at work, patient
ly digging or washing out the gold.
"Of course you have heard that
everything is very expensive there, and
the stories are no eXaggeratlon in that
respect. [ bought some red bandanna
handkerchiefs for Pat and they cost e
apiece. Here you could get them for
five cents.
"The only thing I did not like about
the country-or perhaps [ should say
the thing 1 disliked the most-was the
absence of news. Practically no news
papers come in at all, and L really have
lost track of the worlds history for
the past four years. It's peculiar
feeling, to be cut off from the news
papers and not know what is going on.
I'VE left Dawson on Aug. 20, and
came down over the Dalton TRAIL a trail
which has been travelled but compar-
atively little. We travelled by horses,
or rather the men walked, leading the
pack horses, while 1 had one of the
animals to ride 1t was a very hard
journey for them and three Of the
horses gave out. 1 walked about one
hundred miles of the way. One Of the
men nearly played out, but he said he
was bound to stick to it, he wasn't
going to be outdone by a woman. When
we were in Seattle for few hours an
agent of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals called on us at
the hotel, and wanted Pat to use his
influence with the miners and drivers
on his return to Alaska for better treat
ment of the animals. Pat gave the
society few dollars, but said when 1t
came to a question between horses
life and a mans life, he was on the
side of the man.
st suppose there will be a big rush
to the Klondike next spring, but when
people ask me about the place L never
advise them to go; if they are deter
mined to endure all kinds of hardship,
they will all make money there.
should think there was gold enough in
the Klondike country for everybody
Mrs. Calvin is a petite lady and does
not look at all suited for roughing 1t
in the far northern country, or to I'm
dertake fatiguing trip over the trial.
but the experience seems to have
agreed with her, for she is in robust
health, albeit little tired with her
long Journey. AS she spoke of her
KIondike home, even though she said
she was glad to return to the States,
her eyes had a wistful look in their
depths as her mind dwelt upon the
happy days passed there with her huS-
band.
Mr.. Calvin is much more enthusi-
astic, and asserts positively that the
Klondike is the greatest country under
the sun and that there is gold by the
painful for everybody who is willing
to labor for it. He adds, however, that
no person should start out without
complete outfit and supplies for one
year and $500 in cash.
Among the evidences of the richness
Of that country, he exhibited mug
get. the second largest ever found
there It weighs thirty-one and a half
ounces. and is thus valued at not far
from $500. It is of a bright yellow
color, rather fiat and peculiar in shape,
and is nearly entirely free from quartz.
He also had two bags Of gold dust and
a number of smaller nuggets. Just
to show what kind of stuff we find
there" he said.
He expects large influx of miners
early next spring and says there will
be plenty for all. He estimates that no
less than $50 tons Of gold will be taken
out of Alaska next seasonal mere
bagatelle of hundred million dollars,
or so.
"You look incredulous," he continued.
sebut that is because you can have no
conception of the wonderful richness
of that country until you see it. Why,
when I left, gold dust was actually
standing around in the cabins by the
pailful ready for shipment and yet
hardly a scratch has been made In the