Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-27
DIGGING GOLD ON THE YUKON
Hardships Undergone by Fortune Hunters
in Northern Alaska.
TALL SAMPLES OF COLD WEATHER
Life Mt Circle City and other Mining
Cnmps-Where Horses Are VAL
liable - Two Political
Qualifications.

The Alaska News of February 4 reports
the arrival at Juneau City Of a party fresh
from the gold d~iggings on the Yukon. Their
appearance caused much surprise, as here
tofore the earliest such trips have been
made was about the first Of March, the
arrival in Juneau at that date necessitat-
ing leaving the d~iggings the middle OF Janu-
airy, after the heaviest storms we're over
and travel on the ice became possible. In
November and December the weather in
the interior is at Its worst, and it is only
the hardest who will start on a journey
during those months. The thermometer fire.
quently falls to 10 and so below zero, blind
ing snow storms and veritable billiards.
cut one as a knife would, and to those not
fully Injured to such climatic conditions their
death would inevitably occur before ten
miles of the country had been covered. Those
WHO have just arrived report the winter
along the Yukon not as severe as the one
of last year. The usual amount of snow has
fallen, but there has been a conspicuous
absence of that bitter, singing cold which
freezes the blood in ones veins. Last year
the coolest day registered was II degrees
below zero, whereas during the present cold
weather the lowest point reached was but
46 below. When properly clothed journeys
may be made and much outside work per-
formed in such weather with but little
danger from frost bites.
NICE WEATHER FOR TRAVELLING.
OF those comprising this first party of
intrepid gold seekers, Messrs. A. McComber,
Duncan ellis, and e. A. Carr left Cleric
City November 20. The thermometer the
day before their departure stood all day
long at forty-five below zero, and as the
winter was in the midst of its greatest fury
oil t1n old tironrc did thnir utmost tn npr-
suade the party to not attempt the trip at
that season of the year. Travelling up the
river to Forty Mile, $50 miles, was laborious
and full of rough experiences. They had to
break their own trail and the outfit taken
was much larger than would have been nee
essary under ordinary circumstances, owing
to the shortness of supplies on the upper
river and the consequent inability to re-
plenish their stock at either Forty Mile or
Sixty Mile. Two dog teams of six animals
each were employed to pull the sleighs, and
they, too. faithful brutes, Suffered mucn
through the rough ice cutting their feet. A
pause Of one week was made at Forty Mile
the town being found more or less deserted,
due to the numerous migrations to the
Klondyke. The latter creek. which is prov
ing the bonanza of the Yukon, is ffty-iive
miles above Forty Mile, on the opposite side
Of the river. Here, also, the McComber
party stopped two weeks, visiting and thor
oughly inspecting all the new strikes so
far made. p. c.. Richardson joined them
here. and j. ]. Mckay and Curly Monroe,
who had started with them from Circle City
for Juneau, becoming infatuated with the
prospects were left behind. No other stops
were made, excepting one of two days at
Pelly river, until Dyea was reached. The
weather experienced while on the upper
river was beautiful, IL such a term may
be made applicable when the mercury has
sunk out OF sight. There was not a breath of
wind. no storms, and the snow was not so
deep as to make the task of breaking the trail
one of much hardship. AS the lakes were
approached the glare ice on the lower river
gave way to a surface of great roughness
making progress less rapid and correspond
ingly more laborious. Chilkoot pass was
crossed January 26 at $50. 1t was quite
dark when the descent of the first pitch was
begun, and they had scarcely started down
the mountain when a furious storm broke
on the summit. Two days were spent at
Dyea waiting for a boat. and as none made
its appearance they decided to make the at
tempt to reach Juneau in an open canoe.
Three days were spent in traversing the 100
miles, arriving at Juneau safely and but ut
tie the worse for their tramp OF nearly LOU
miles on the ice from Circle City. Thirty
pounds of United States mail was brought
out which was deposited in the Juneau post
office. From the time Circle City was left
until their arrival at Juneau forty-seven days
were spent in actual travelling.
HARDSHIPS ON THE ROAD.
During the journey out several parties
were encountered who had left Juneau some
weeks previous and who were en- route to the
mines. The Thorpe party was found quar-
tered for the winter at the mouth OF the
Klondyke. With the exception of one steer
they succeeded in getting all their cattle
down the river last fall as far as Pelly
river. where twenty head were killed and
disposed of. The remainder were taken TO
the new town at the mouth Of the Klondyke
and sold for a good figure, the offal and
refuse from the carcasses bringing ten cents
a pound for dog feed. All were well notwith-
standing their trip of extreme hardship
Hugh Day. who left Juneau the first OF De-
cember with mail for Circle City, was met
twenty miles above Pelly river. He was
travelling with a man named Howe and they
recited a tale of continuous hardships and
privations since leaving Dyea. Before reach
ing Five Fingers their supply OF pro,
visions became exhausted and had
not the Nash party, who were in camp at
that point, been encountered they would I'M
doubteily have starved to death. Mash was
short In rations and could spare Day but lit
tie. and at the time the latter and Howe were
met they had but two days supply to carry
them to Pelly river. Their dogs were worn
out and had been cut loose from the sleighs,
the men taking their places in dragglnB
their outfit along. They were given sufficient
to take them to Harper's post, where they
will be enabled to get a little -four and some
pay streak bacon OF questionable esculence.
The Nash party consisted of Nash and two
Indian guides, Schwatka and Good Boy Char
lie. They left Forty Mile October 2S to come
out by way of the Dalton trail and the Chill
kat pass. Stormy weather early in the trip
had delayed them so greatly that their sup
ply of provisions was becoming very short
at the time they met Day in an almost starry
ing condition. He having broken the trail
from the Chilkoot, Nash decided to abandon
trying the Dalton trail and proceeded over
the more generally Travelled route. They
were overtaken at the mouth of the Hoo
t~alinqua and were in a most forlorn condi-
ton. They had been Joined a day or two
previous by Henry Hyde, Long Shorty"
and William Cowley, who had left the Klon-
dyke a short time prior to the McComber
party. Nash and his Indians were on short
rations and had become so weak they could
make but five or six miles a day. They
had abandoned dogs and sleighs and were
preparing to pack out when assistance for
tunateiy came to hand. The Hyde party
was also short in provisions. One dog had
already been killed to furnish sustenance
for the others and 1t would have been but
a question of a few days until other like
sacrifices would have been necessary.
LIFE IN CIRCLE CITY.
Circle City has been unusually quiet all
,.s..a, aan.fla.s,, Tho ,,n.t mount ~ gold