The Topeka state journal., 1897-08-24
MILLER is OVER.
"POet of the SierraS" Sur
mounts ChilkOOt Pass.
Picked a Ripe Strawberry 10
Feet From a Snow Bank.
DAWSON In 10 HOURS.
A New Trail Has Been Opened
From Skaguay.
1000 Feet Lower Than Chill.
kOOt and Good For Horses.

New York, Aug. 24-Joaquin Miller
writes The journal from Lake Bennett as
follows:
Head of Lake Bennett, Alaska, Aug. 2,
via San Francisco, Aug. 21.-(Copyright,
1871 write by the bank of what is al
ready big river, and atits fountain head
the mighty Yukon, the second if not the
first of American rivers. We have crossed
the summit, passed the terrible pass and
Crater Lake and Long Lake and Linder-
mann Lake. and now, 1 sit down to tell
the story of the pass, while the man who
is to take us Gown the river, 600 miles to
the Klondike, loads his big scow with
cattle, brought from Seattle, Washing
ton.
We started very early from Sheep
Crossing to cross the pass, ,as it threatened
rain. The clouds closed right down upon
us and blocked the pass before us and
the sun above US. We walked briskly up
through mile two of stumps cut
higher than your head, where snow was
then simply granite, snow and raging
flood. The day and night had been sui
try, almost hot This had let loose the
babbling tongues of ten thousand streams;
there was a song in the granite world
above and about us; and more than that
it was not only difficult, but dangerous
to cross the floods before US, as we ar
lifted our faces to the cloud-blocked
granite pass. There has been more life
and action about here than the world
knows about. Thousands and thousands
of people have passed this range the last
six months going to the Klondike-men,
women and even children, and thousands
of tons of supplies. AS an example of
the activity along here a man named
Burns, a Canadian schemer of restless
IN ole aSt foil
and used it with great results, till the
snow faded away last winter He brought
things up the stream that debouches at
Dyea, past Sheep Camp, till right here
within mile of the pass; then without
horse power he raised it to the summit
on sort of street car sled where he had
it carried forward to the head of naviga-
ton on the Yukon near where we now
write our letters while waiting for the
barge that is to bear US to the Klondike
to push off.
So you see that this is only about a mile
where horses and mules do not carry. But
that mile is magnificent. We have scaled
the snowy, steep slippery, avalanche. We
have waded through tumbling ice brooks,
where we had to hold to one another;
but now, as we stood fronting that gran
ite built and clouded mountain pass be-
fore US, we felt that there was work, and
terrible work ahead. and especially if
the threatened rain fell
Resting little time, the clouds lifted
and we looked up. What glorious spec
tacle and what a splendid example of
American manhood. 1t made my heart
thrill and throb with pride in my great
people. Away up where an eagle might
pause and poise his daring wings with
care we below the clouds against
the clouds and even in the clouds the
brave men climbing with their packs,
pike in hand, holding with the one
hand, holding the pike with the other
so pounds, 70, 100 and in one case a giant
French courier with 200 pounds. 1 never
saw so exalted manhood, pure, unsel-
fish, brave and glorious American man
hood, in my life. All the pictures
that have been painted by word or on
easel or even in imag agination of Napoleon
and his men climbing the Alps, are but
childish playthings in comparison. We
raised a shout and up the line it ran, the
long, steep and tortuous line that reached
from bluff about us on and over and
up till it lost itself in the clouds. Aand
still down from out the clouds the shout
and cry of exultation from those brave
conquerers came back and only died
away when the distance made it impos-
sible to be heard longer.
And now we began to ascend. 1t was
not so hard as it seemed. The stupend-
Gus granite mountain, the home of the
avalanche and the father of glaciers,
melted before US as we ascended, and
in a single hour of brisk climbing we stood
against the summit, or rather between
the big granite blocks that make the sum-
| nit. AS 1 said before, the pass is not so
| formidable as it looks, and it is not half
so formidable as reported, for, mark you,
| it is no boys play. 1t is a mans, and a
| big strong mans, honest work and takes
| strength of body and nerve of soul. Right
in the pass and within 10 feet of a snow
bank that has not perished, perhaps for
a thousand years, picked and ate a lit
| tie strawberry, and as I rested and roam
| ed about bit, looking down into the
| brightly blue lakes that feed the head
| waters of Yukon, gathered a little sun
flower, a wild hyacinth and a wild pea
| blossom for my buttonhole.
Hardships, burdens, care doubt, all
these were behind US. We had crossed
the one dreaded pass in Alaska. at lit
| tie turn in the granite-walled pass where
| bacon, -four, beans and so on were piled
even more profusely than all along. We
! were asked to look down in and through
the pass by which we had come from
| the tide water. 1t was worth all we hao
endured.
On either hand there surged and
swelled the great white and broken wall.
of the glacier, and close by lay coming
avalanches. To get down to plain detail
on the left hand and back towards "God'i
country" there lay the remains and deb
ris of bold Mr.. Burns. who built the ele
vator till warm weather melted the SHOWS
and made his venture worthless; while t.
| the other hand and right near our fee
I lay the lakes.
Away down, mile distant over tn
| -
| the lake, lay a boat and the running gea
of a big wagon. This was Crater Lake
two miles long. and the bluest of blu
lakes ever saw-a sort of intense green