Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-08-02
MRS. sCHwATKA PRAISES TAkI
PASS, INLET AND RIVER.
HER HUSBAND DISCOVERED IT.
DARK SIDE OF LIFE IN THE kLoN-
Dixie REGION SHOWN.
Even Indians Succumh to the RigOr-
Gus CIimate-NOsquitOes Are No-
racious-WOrse Than Fool
ish to GO TO the Gold
Fields Now.


pass and Taku inlet and river. Lieutenant
ScbwatIza discovered this route. His wife
declares that the daring commercial ioik
have overlooked IL.
Mrs. Schwatka probably soon will publish
the result of her husbands exploration OF
this part OF Alaska, with those in other
parts of the country where gold had been
found or is likely to he found. A large part
of the work will be 10 make known pTac-
ticalIy unknown region.
According TO Mrs. SChwatka. who has
spent much Of her time N Alaska. ana
who is familiar with a large part of the
country. the Taku pass will prove to be
bonanza 10 the first trading company that
establishes a system OF pack trains from
the Taku inlet through IT TO Juneau. the
base OF supplies for the mining region IL
is besides the easiest route for the miners
themselves and shallOw-draft steamer
that could be brought to run on Taku
river would leave only ninety miles OF land
10 be crossed TO get TO Juneau from theFe
10 the inlet
Mrs. schwatka in Chicago.
Mrs Schwatka is spending the summer
at the residence OF Mr.. and Mrs }. IL
Strong. 262s Indiana avenue where she Is
engaged in reading the proofs OF her nus
! Lieutenant Schwatka explored the Taku
river and pass several years ago., she sald
Juneau to establish pack train line
through the pass, TO connect with a steam
boat on the inlet. That was before there
was much travel to Juneau. and the people
of the thriving village did not believe 1t
would pay then. Now Il certainly would,
but / have not seen a word about the pass
I'm any of the newspapers. and there ap-
pears to be almost no travel through II.
IN fact the pass contains an excellent
railroad grade, and il would cost a coInpar-
atiVely small sum TO bulld ana equip
road through the ninety miles between
Juneau and the inlet. The current OF the
river is strong and there are frequent
have no difficulty in ascending 1t and max
ing connections with the road 10 Juneau
Ii would be an easy matter TO get sup
plies from Juneau then. The Canadlan
Pacific comes so near to that country II
seems as if it could proitably build a line
through the pass and connect the Two
branches by steamer.
Lieutenant Schwatka made a map Of
the region which ] think ] shall nave pub
lished lie made the trip up the river by
canoe ana reported the current there very
swift and strong. ] am certain that the
Taku route is the easiest Tor persons going
from Juneau. however.
VoracIty of the Mosquitoes.
Mrs. Schwatka believes that the difficult
ties that gold hunters meet with and the
dangers of the country purposely have peen
kept out of sight by those interested IN
II haven't seen word about the way
the miners have TO fight, the swarmS OF
even. who are hardened TO them. have TO
go about in summer with their hands and
faces smeared with pitch and lampblack-
A mosquito netting is no protection. be
cause the mosquitoes force their way
through il. Besides the pitch and lamp-
| black. the miners have TO work in summer
with their heads in wire frame covered
with close netting / have known persons
who have died from the effects of the bites.
In the summer II is so hot in the river
regions that even the moose are driven
away. and il is practically impossible 10
Z . naHW
are sent out. II will not take very great
| Increase in the white population to XIII OH
all the game there IS. ne lndlans ar, ar
| pretty careful and don't Kill any more than
| they need for food, but il will not be that
way with the whites.
''The salmon do not ascend the Yukon as
| far as the Klondike. either, and fishing in
| that region is not nearly good as II is
made out to be. 1t would be taking a great
| risk 10 go there depending much on the
natural resources Of the country for food
Climate Kills Even Indians.
Prospecting in Alaska IS altogether DIFF
| ferent from what II was in California.
| There Is as much difference between the
| mountains in Alaska and the mountainous
parts of California as there is between the
| latter and the India-. avenue pavement.
California is a far us.in compared with It.
| All of the Indians up there die OF consump-
ton partly brought on by the climate and
| partly by the hardships they nave 10 en-
| dure.
used TO the country. come in with packs
| from the very same passes which the min
| ers are now crossing with welts across their
| backs from the pack straps almost as
| thick as my wrist. Their hands would be
| torn and lacerated horribly. The only way
| they can get through at all in the winter
/ IS by cutting steps in the ice
Suicide to Start This Fall.
| 1T seems to me like committing suicide
| for any one to start for the gold fields this
| fall. II is bad enough in the summer. but
| the winter there Is just like IT IS in the
a affsln. %
| doesn't freeze till September !. know the
! Yukon will be impossible except down TO-
| wards the coast by this time.
! Few of the miners who are going there
| Will believe that the first thing almost they
! will have 10 buy will be a $50 overCOat. and
from what / have read l DO not believe
/ much To keep from freezing il requires
! the same sort Of clothing that the Arctic
| explorers weaT-aN fUrs and no WoOlens.
| The fur coats are made by the EsquimauX
| from skins brought over from Siberia. and
| II is likely that they will cost a great deal
| more than they ever did before.
| Alaska is poor place for women and
| no place At all for children. OF course
| many women are able TO endure hardships
| and fatigue Just as well the men, and II
| might not be so bad for them to 20 there
| in summer. 1t is a fearfuliy hard life there
| at best.
! Il believe that great deal OF gold is
| going TO he found along White river also.
! That is in Alaska. and not much prospect
| Ing has been done there yet, / understand
| When I was last in Alaska. five years ago
| the so-Called 'klOndike' was an unknown
| and Untalked Of region and almost uu-
| heard of. Lieutenant SChwatka explored
| the country and brought back a good
| many photographs and maps OF It Wnlch
! ara very interesting ! believe the hlon-
dixie is nothing more than little creek.
! which, IL was about the rTst place IN
! that region where gold was found gave lts
1 name TO the whole region. and has assumed
| the Importance of the Yukon river itself
| in the eyes OF the people who read ahout
it.
| The Future of Junenu.
Juneau is hound to be the chief place
/ Of the country. as il Is already II Is a
| lively town. with over 2.0Go inhabitants. and
/ Vet II has no corporate existence. W ny.
| they have electric lights there and sewers.
| and Vet the town doesn't legally exist.
Some OF the laws that the people have 10
| live under are absurd The place is thr1v-
| ing without any help. Il Is q far more
| interesting place than Sitka.
There isn't very much said about the
kind of ground that the gold hunters have
to prospect over in the river regions. II y
| frightfully hard to travel. In the winter
! deep with driftwood and debris from the
spring floods Till il Is almost impossible.
| An the rivers are flooded every spring and
| fall and the waters carry of huge pieces
] Of frozen banks.
ing can be done there in the winter. Most
| everyone that have known who has gone
| there has been glad 20 simply live through
it. The cold is too great for much work
! outside and the ice and snow prevent any
| great amount Of digging
| Mrs SChwatka believes that the only
| professional men who could make living
| in Alaska are physicians.
There ought to be plenty for them "a
| do and their services would he well paid
| for in that country she said.