The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-16


ter Is contained In a letteE received here
from Alvin r. yinnedge. whose family re-
sides in this city. HE gives the following
details concerning the three men lost while
crossing tee portage between Sunrise and
Prince William Sound.
The men in charge of the mail and un-
deniabiy lost we're c. A. Blackstone. Geo.
Moliaue ard George ]. BottcAar. They
were ali fine fellows in the prime of life
Ar. Blackstone vas married. his wife he
Ing here. Mr.. Moiiqae was also married.
His wife and s-year-oId daughter 1--we IN
Siiyerton, Wash. Mr.. Butcher was single.
At one time ne lived in Montana and was
interested with Senator Sanders IN the Jay
Gould m!.le. Blackstone and Scttcher
were fellow passengers on the steam
schooner I.akme In 1895.
.EottcfseE was president Of the local lit
erary society. editor OF the Sunrise Sun
beam and & general all around gentle
man"
According 20 Mr. Yinnedge, there was no
actual shortage of food ST Cook inlet dur
ing the winter but a few lines in his ,es-
ter would indicate that they rsr pretty
close TO the wind. The Stella Erland ar
rived there on May "a While waiting for
an opportunity 10 board her they prepared
a feast In honor of the occasion, the first
news from the outside world In several
weary months. This meal Is described as
follows:
we brought cut the treasure Of the
iarder. sixteen small potatoes Not one
Was larger than a hens egg. and most of
them were no larger than marbles We
had been boarding them all winter Orig
inaiiy there were fifteen pounds of pota-
toes. Most Of them had been used In MAX
ing yeast. OF course We had had few
evaporated potatoes at intervals, anc they
are fairly good substitute for the fresh
article. We had eaten our last beans on
April -. and for two or three weeks had
been out OF bacon; in fact, out OF meat
of any description. Our last coffee had
been used In the morning Of April g. and
We were Intending TO get along on tea IN
oil We heard from home. AS 70 butter, for
all practical purposes We had been out
some time. True. We had a lump the size
of an egg that was now reduced to the
proportions OF thimbie. This We would
occasionally set on the table with an eye
to ornamentation. Now We were going to
eat IL, and without regrets. Our supply
of provisions was really about exhausted.
We have had fine light bread all winter.
We had one mess of dried apricots. one
of dried pruneS. a quarter can of syrup.
about ten pounds of sugar. q half pound
Of tea and three-quarters OF sack OF
-four. That IS the list complete II Is far
from starvation. Some of the items We
They had no potatoes. sugar. -four or
meat. everything almost having been
siedded up to the mines during the win
ter.
The stores have been pretty well clean
ed out by parties who sledded supplies to
their mines. II Is claimed that quite $780,
600 worth have been siedded up during the
winter. = Meat has been short here
all winter. Even moose meat was scarce
and never less than 10 cents pound. and
In one particular instance sold as high as
% cents
All the supplies from the Stella Erland
were taken ashore at low tide while she
lay fast in the mud. The writer explains
the situation as follows.
Where there Is no ice In the river small
vessels like the Eriand can anchor at
high tide near the town of Sunrise. whence
You can be transported in small boats.
But the river being frozen. the EFland was
compelled to breach at the mouth Of Six
Mile, where all OF her cargo was discharg-
&c. either to be sledded MP on the ice or 70
be taken up in small boats after the ice
Is all gone. and the high tides Of May
come. backing up the river course and
checking its rapid current so that small
boats can navigate. The ice was going
very rapidly, and you can imagine our
anxiety and haste to get our goods up be-
fore II should be all gone. We could see
II falling In all about us as we would pass
along going up. with a loud. crashing re-
port. Each trip over the distance necrssi-
.ated a change OF route. because of the
fast disappearing ice II our goods had
arrived one day later we would have been
compelled TO leave most OF them until the
high tide of May would permit their being
carried UP In boats. We had not made the
last crossing with our load to exceed one
hour when the ice went down with a
crash
In a later letter Mr.. vInnedge gives a
general description of the winter life at
Sunrise City as follows:
I'VE quit work In the mountains October
II, and huilf our cache. On the 18th we
broke camp. took down the tent and stor-
I'll Il. together with all camp utensils and
tools We still had large bundle each
tn pack 10 town. consisting OF bedding.
pals. tools and every conceivable article
YOU could think of almost. until the packs
were Of enormous size and weighed sew
enty-five 20 eighty-fve pounds. II rained
on as the entire distance down. II did
not rain: II simply poured We could not
turn back had 10 push forward. We
were eight hours on the road and at the
end Of the Journey were mud from head
20 foot, and as wet as water could make
us. For the last mile or two we were
compelled 10 stop and rest every 800 or 30
feet when We were once down the only
way we could get up would bee by laying
down rolling over until the pack was on
top then gradually rising un on our hands
and knees FIRST. nnaIly getting 20 an up
RICH; position. The next few days were
spent In resting and strengthening up our
camp.
''Six-Mila creek was bank fan and the
ferry used 10 cross over 70 Mr.. Wood
and Wakeileid's cabin was washed out 50
we concluded 20 build cabin Of our own.
Happy conclusion We selected site.
with reference 10 convenience to timber
aud water. on a slight elevation removed
from the center Of population. ard mark
INK TIE southwestern boundary % fts cub.
uroan settlement. II IL one az he best
building sites in the place.
ION October - the Kodiak. the little
steamer OF the A. c. Company. which
serves as lighter for deep draft vessels on
ghe inlet came in bringing some malt
This was quite unexpected. We had ex-
pec.ed the oiiAk when the Sophia Suth-
erlaud go, IN. but We did net expect her 10
bring any mall The Kodiak .ef, In thirty
minutes after her arrival
About the arst OF the year the Sunrise
Literary and So,,.ai ClQb' WAS organized,
consisting OF an1 comprising every man.
woman snd child IN Sunrise district. They
appointed a committee % three. consisting
OF Mr. Botteher and tao OF the executive
committee. 70 notify VIII and and invite
us Ia toiu. We Joined and attended every
tuaettug from the beginning unt;l the
close early Fl March. excepting the frs.
suA last meetings They met 81 frs. on
Thursday afterwaTd on Saturday night %
sen weck. ! took part In nearly every
meeting usually In short talks on various
touses We rad some good talent Tn tbs
suSiety-u 1Sn wno could render passs gps
from Shakespeare as well as I have heard
them rendered on the stage o. Eastern
tEuatsrs. sloentioris.s who could r@s5sr
rhatee ~afartxz,ssx with charming 81 t~-y,rpa-