The herald., 1897-10-03

is the only story Of a boy Klondiker
written by the boy. Perhaps you will
say, as he didn't get all the way there,
that he should stand back and let others
talk. But right there you betray igno-
rance Of the boy. He wants to tell why
he didn't and he knows how to tell it,
too. Here is his story, just as he writes
it:
II left Tacoma August the 25th on the
ill-fated Mexico, and after very
pleasant trip north, arrived at Dyea a
week later Here our troubles began
At meeting held on the boat few
days before our arrival, II had been de-
cided that, as there was no wharf at
Dyea, the miners would take the freight
from the ships boats on lighters, and
carry 1t above tide water, and after all
the goods had been thus landed, men ap-
pointed by the miners would separate
the merchandise, checking off every
mans freight, and seeing that each re-
ceived his outfit entire.
I'VE were quite dismayed when we
found that on account Of the shallow wa
ter and rugged shore we were obliged to
land on the rocky point three miles from
Dyea. The unloading took about day
and half, during which time everything
was in confusion. With tons Of provi-
sions around, we had but little to eat,
and some of the men could not even find
their blankets. On the second day ev-
erything was assorted and 1t was found
that scarcely thing was missing.
From this point to Dyea the begin
ming Of the famous Chilkoot trail, we
were transported in canoes by the Ind
ians, at charge of one cent per pound
on our outfits. After our arrival at
Dyea we found that the price for pack
ing was twenty to twenty-five cents per
pound--since advanced to forty-the
packing being done by Indians, who are
very unreliable. AS the most of our
money was in our outfits, and horse
and burro, we started to pack our own
goods through. The burro proved of
little service on account Of the mud, and
the deep swift fords that 1t was neces-
sary to cross causing him to swim where
horse could ford. We lost the use of
the burro couple of days later through
fall from small foot bridge. Really,
most of the packing was done on our
backs, one horse not being able to carry
over 200 or 250 pounds, which does not
count for much in an outfit for four men,
weighing $500 pounds.
1--WE pursued the method adopted by
most of the miners, of packing our out
fit mile at time, a man packing from
SO to 100 pounds each trip. This packing
is very hard on man, and in order to
stand 1t he should be Injured to hard
labor, and even then the men get along
best who have packed before and are
used to it.
Il, being the boy of the party and, in
fact, the. only one who had not been used
to this sort of living, broke down after
two weeks of packing, and was forced to
| return, leaving my partners to go
through, which they intend to do be-
| fore winter sets in
1.-THE trail is very hard for packing.
For the first eight miles it winds through
a valley which Is nearly level, but sandy
making it very hard walking. In the
eight miles the river is crossed once by
ferry and forded four times, the water
in these fords being very swift and cold.
After leaving the valley the trail enters
a canyon and becomes rocky, and at
times very steep. This continues until
you reach Sheep Camp, fifteen miles from
Dyea, and in the trip up you have passed
as many glaciers.
From Sheep Camp to Stone House,