The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-11
FULL OF HARDSHIPS,
But at the End of the Long Journey
Land of Gold.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1O.-E. w. En-
glebrecht of Seattle, brother of r. r. En-
glebrecht, of this city, manager of the
San Francisco Launch Company, left for
the Klondike with the first expedition that
departed from Seattle last February. The
vessel he was was wrecked, and though
no lives were lost, nearly all the effects of
the passengers were left on the reef of
Bella Bella, and what little was recovered
was almost worthless. Engebrecht lost
his outfit and found himself destitute and
far from his destination, but help came at
last, and the party reached Dyea. In a
letter written from Dawson to his parents
here EngIebrecht describes graphically the
wreck and the rescue and the trip overland
from Dyea to the gold fields.
Here Cat Dyea)," he writes, 1--WE found
snow and a river covered with thin ice,
which rendered it unsafe and combined to
make things wretched, while it raned con-
tinually, and so, with our wet clothes cling
ing to our chilled bodies, we had to travel.
The trip was full of most terrible hardships,
and journey that many made in one day
took us ten-that is, to the mouth of the
canyon. Here we found nothing but soft
snow. The canyon was passable only in
places, so we have to build bridges from
here, nothing but steep climb, while the
trail is soft and never wide enough for a
sled. If L and many another had known
anything about the hardships and the ex-
posture OF this trip, we would not have gone
1t took me three days and half of the nights
to reach Pleasant Camp with my outfit
and L will only add that when l slept at
the foot of the canyon during the last night
| dWOk m
water. All my clothes were soaked and my
misery was indescribable. My feet especial
ly suffered, because the Skin had become
very soft from perspTing In the rubber
boots and sore from walking, so that |
suffered circulating pain at times. / also
suffered much from nausea, not being able
10 accuStom myself to the food. The ever
lasting door of bacon and beans that chung
poorest nut III civilization seems
palace, but people never know
when they are well off. think the
send its cOnVicts to the Yukon, and by the
time they arrived they would have re-
formed. OF one thing L am certain, if
were ever to undertake this trip again |
would take at least three or four dogs, for
every dog is worth his weight in gold, and
two of these animals are better than a
horse. Neither would l ever go again with
out a partner, because one could attend to
household duties while the other was pros
pecting. For this reason | attached myself
TO two brothers (Burk brothers) and found
II great advantage.
But to return to the trail. 1t is getting
terribly cold, for we are entering the noun
tains. l have worked hard all my lie, but
II is nothing compared to what one has to
accomplish on a trip like this. Snow and ice
all around wherever one looks, and ones
lace feels as though it We're being whipped,
out we had TO push on if we did not want TO
perish. At Sheep Camp we found about 200
miners, mostly from the Mexico and Al-Ki,
an oil whom were unable to proceed to
9S9tonehouse owing to the stormy weather.
However, the wind died out and now began
some climbing up steep mountain trail
with lOO ponds on the sled, as much
as the strongest man could pull, otherwise
ne would be dragged backward. | tell you,
ones limbs tremple with the terrible
ert1on Such Il trip takes from to three
hours, and we made three of them. We
frozen beans and Il pipe of tobacco-and
then forward again. Ii after such a days
work you pass through a camp you hear
no laughter, but see only pale, tired faces
Everything is quiet and you might kick
their hands and they would not move out
OF your way. FOuteen hundred feet up
stin incline, step by STEP with your feet
hrmly planted down and your pack on your
back, you push on. If you slipped there
would be no stop until you reached the
bottom. In descending you lie down in
a sort of ditch in the snow, shut your eyes
and before you know 1t you have reached
the foot of the hill, sometimes head fore
most, covered with dry snow. In this way
our journey continued for some time. We
had many narrow escapes, and suffered Sc
Verely from cold, but arrived eventually at
our journeys end--Klondike, the land of
promise and of gold. At the end of a ter
rible journey of $50 miles l am tired, but in
perfect health
The pay here amounts to SIS day, and
no trouble to get it. winter or summer.
Money is like sand. You will scarcely be-
lieVe me if ! tell you that gold is just tossed
about here with shovels. Quarter interests
in claims can easily be disposed of for $780,
600 without digging; nuggests as big as a
mans fist are common. This very night
| am going with two others prospecting
for claim. l have seen with my own eyes
how gold is packed off in sacks. and one has
actually to guard against having it pressed
upon one. The claims on the FL Dorado
and Bonanza were taken as early as last
February. but | am going to TOO Much
Gold creek, across the mountains about
seven days journey from here to take UP
a claim. If you should hear of millions be-
ing found on one claim you may believe it,
l am here and can see it done. II is enough
to make one dizzy 10 all this gold but
life is hardly fit for a dog here. The hard
ships are something terrible. / have seen
McCord in his shop. He has moved here
from Forty Mile. He owns good claims and