The San Francisco call., 1897-08-08

tionaI City backed out of the dock at Fol-
som street at o'clock last evening and
slowly struck her gait en- route for where
the Yukon meets an icy sea.
These Yukon expeditions are different.
Each has character and manner of its
own. All are eloquent OF adventure, b ut
some leave laden with La France roses
and with plush cushions for cabin passen-
gers, and some lack costly culls from the
gardens and the red plush. Some carry
passengers who bear silver whisky TASKS
and some don't. 1t depends on the vessel
and the crowd and the price. and the
crowd depends on the vessel and the
price.
Tie National City was the second of
the specially chartered vessels to get
away, the first being the Noyo, hence for
Dyea Thursday night. The National
City, however, was the first OF the bunch
of perilous expeditions by way of the
Yukon River.
She is a stout. dirty, steam schooner
that was yanked out of the coast lum ber
trade few days ago 10 make more money
in the coast gold trade. HERMAN &
Mills chartered her from Hooper & Co.,
planned way of getting people to the
Klondike and went to registering passen-
gers at once. AS the Yukon is the most
desirable route if it can be travelled at all,
these late expeditions by the river are be-
ing we'll patroniZed. The fare on this
vessel was placed at 1925 20 Dawson, with
the privilege of one ton of baggage and
supplies, aud so the fares should aggre-
gate $l4, f75.
The steamers appearance was as rough
and ready as her trip and quite appro-
pirate to an expedition to the world s
frontier. New lumber, mostly in the
rough, showed everywhere about her
decks, in contrast with the dingy white
of the rest of the vessel. On each side
amid ships an immense tin of coal lowered
ten feet above the rail, and tremendous
water cask rose higher still. A big, new
covered cabinway went from the forward
deck to the hold, and on deck on either
side were lashed the steam-launch Hett tie
B and great pine barge, pitched within
and without. All the wise men that came
and saw the steam launch said, '1'll bet
81 that when she strikes six-mile current
up the river, loaded down herself and with
that big barge piled full behind her, she'll
just quit going" But it was not the busi-
ness of wise stay homes whether the
launch and the barge got stuck in the
Yukon for the winter or not.
When the National City gets to ST.
MichAels, two weeks o. more hereafter, and
if everything is all right so far, the launch
and barge will be swung off into. the
water and quickly loaded down with the
passengers and freight, and the 1000 mile
trip up the river will soon begin. There
are sandbars and swift currents and a big
freeze is coming soon, but they are cour-
ageous fellows on the National City and
every body wished them the finest luck in
Alaska.
The bustling on board and about the
wharf grew into hot hurrying yesterday
afternoon and the baggage that kept hur-
rying up in express-wagons kept going
aboard, while carpenters and smiths
cracked ahead the work to be done on the
steamer.
The crowd was of several hundreds, and
few of the fellows leaving from the City
were so poor as to have no good byes from
mothers, sisters, cousins VI, sweethearts.
The departure came a. little after P. M,
instead of o'clock.
The old mans warning came few min
utes before they cast away. He sells corn
medicine and some sort of charcoal prep
aration about the water front, and he earn
estly shouts the same farewell warning at
the crowded side of every vessel that leaves
for Alaska. Just before sailing he gets
- a.
sengers are crowded ana, taking off his
hat, shouts: "'What shall it profit man
il he gain the whole world and lose his
own soul?' Prepare for the second coming
of Christ, which is near at hand. Read
the last chapter of Daniel, with refer
ences."
When the Willamette was about to sail
the other day he interrupted the swearing
at tie mules they were getting aboard,
and policeman grabbed him by the back
of the neck and hustled him back for dis
turbing tho peace.
Twenty minutes before they cast off a
young fellow ratified up with an express
wagon in which he had piled big bundles of
beans, bacon and what not that he had
hastily bought at a supply store. and was
soon happy amid the confusion aboard.
Then a corpulent German who is going
to be rich soon came down the gang and
oft kissed his fearful wife, and all was
ready. The ship slowly moved and they
cheered. Soon she squared away for the
Golden Gate, and they cheered again.
All was confusion on board at the leaving,
for the vessel is crowded and things were
hastily piled aboard.
OF the goldseekers who went a majority
were from various places about the State,
as is the case with all the expeditions now
getting ready to leave. Among those are !:
DR.. ALVIN Plummer, long editor of the