The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-21
THERE FOR ALL THE GOLD 1T
CONTAINS.
TRIP TO YUKON DISTRICTS.
HOW 1T is MADE AND WHAT THE
TRAVELLER MUST EN-
DURE
NEWS TRAVELS SLOWLY THERE,
This Gentleman Received Letter
Monday Asking Who was
Elected President.


with his brother, John Dodson, in
Alaskan gold mining at Circle City,
is at the Windsor. The two young
men are sons Of the late K. w. Dodson,
of Bloomington ILL.,, known in Illinois
political circles. Mr.. Dodson is an en-
thusiast upon the natural scenery of
Alaska, but says he would not live
there for all the gold in the country.
"Of course, that may be putting it
strongly" remarked Mr.. Dodson. But
what is the use Of living in a country
where you cannot buy anything for
the money you earn; where in summer
the heat and the mosquitoes eat you
] bodily; where in winter the mercury is
from so to so degrees below zero; where
in spring and fall the atmosphere is
so damp and moist that there are as
many kinds of fever as there are trees
in the endless forests? There is no
doubt but what there is an unlimited
quantity of gold in the Yukon country,
but l would not go there again to get
it. You probably know all about the
gold output, and will be more inter
ested in the trip and the hardships
/ one .endures in reaching the upper Yu-
kon mining districts.
! IF you leave Seattle by steamer on
a Wednesday, you will arrive at Ju-
neau on the afternoon of the following
Monday. 1t is very pleasant jour
ney, and until one gets into the colder
! climate it cannot be surpassed as
pleasure excursion. The pleasantest
part of the year is probably August.
| We took a sailing vessel from Juneau
| to Deyes, where we hired Indians to
/ carry our packs across the mountains
! 1t was a difficult and perilous under
! taking. You do not understand the
mountains of Alaska in the United
4 States. We were obliged to cross the
/ summit on foot The trail leads up a
! crooked and very precipitous defile 1t
went up and up, and for miles almost
! we were compelled to crawl over boul-
ders and ragged rocks on our hands
and knees.
Many times it became a hand over
hand climb, and it was a mystery to
me how the Indians did it with from
20 to 100 pounds of supplies on their
backs. On the other side OF the sum-
init we came upon a lake which is
called Crater lake. 1t was located at
DONNOAAA
below the summit. and at the bottom
OF very precipitOus Sides The lake is
supposed to occupy the bed of an ex-
tinct volcano
i The Indians are very expensive as
common carriers, as we call a rail-
ROAD IN the states. They charge IA
cents a pound. For instance. you pay
$l.5O for sack of flour, and then paw
50 to have it carried twenty-five miles
We continued our journey into the
| interior by easy stages and traversed
Lakes Llndeman, Bennett Mares and
others. We also passed through Lake
Iag1sh and saw the famous Tagish
nuts in which d declaration OF war
was made years ago between the Goa e.
and Stick Indians. While sailing down
Lake Marsh we were met by two diff
ferent boats containing a lot of half
starved, half-dead men who had lost
thelr way and run out of provisions
we were compelled to help them all we
could ana furnish them with food
MT Dodson has one experience IN
poaSt OF or which few others can He
shot the Grand canyon in his sail boat
with the crew on board, and narrowly
escaped total destruction. The canvon
Is hVe-elghths of a mile long with tow
er1ng walls on either side. IF hoe .
width Of from so to 100 feet "we
nailed the sail over the bow of the
boat to protect the supplies and keen
out the water" he said eft wos =
terr1tlc ride, and we struck twice hu+
fortunately escaped. We foated
through Lake La Barge. another IF the
chaln. The lake is thirty miles long.
1 shouId think, and is the last of the
group After turning up the Lewis riv-
er we met party coming down. the
first human beings we had seen in sew
eral days. We kept up the Lewis river
| until we reached the source of the Yu-
kon.''
Mr. Dodson's brother is still in Alaska
Monday letter was received from the
far-away young man, asking who had
been elected president.
Albert Dee, a wholesaler from Du-
buque, plunked his fist down upon the
railing of the Merchants hotel last
evening with considerable emphasis. as
he remarked: You can say just what
you want to, but l will say from Der-
sonal knowledge that North Dakota is
the pest state to do business in TODAY
that there is in the United States. and
l am doing business in nearly all the
states
Now, / will tell you just why I be-
Iieve this. North Dakota has had a
harder time of it than any other state
almost. She was forced to the plainest
kind of economy in living Last year
and the year before the people UP there
| were blessed with abundant harvests.
rms gave them ready money They
are not buying much, but they are nav
ing cash for what they do buy. and
| therefore L say 1t is the best state to
do business in.
In nearly every other state the Job
bers are discounting the bills they hold
against buyers, but the people of North
| Dakota are not asking credit these
days"
Ex-Lieut. Gov. Wakefield. of Blue
1 Earth City, was registered at the Mer-
chants yesterday.
G. S. Ives. of St. Peter, is at the Mer-
| chants.
R. c. GilOwsky, of Louisville. is at the
| Merchants.
L. Quackenbush, of LIE Sueur is at the
| Merchants.
S. F. Wishard, of Duluth, is at the Mer-
| chants.
William H. Warner, of Spokane, is at the
Ryan.
J. s. Brown, of Kingwood, W. Va, is at
the Ryan.
S. S. Lyon, Of Fargo, is at the RYAN.
William H. Kelley, of Owatonna, is at the
Ryan.
L H. Short, of Burlington. To-, is at the
| Clarendon
G. C. oNeall. of Carthage, is at the Clar-
endon.
! S. Maddox. of Chatfield is at tho C1or