The sun., 1897-02-28
MINERS LUCK IN ALASKA.
WORK, HARDSHIP, HOPE, AND
SOME FUN.
Sorrows or Teudcrfect IN tso Cooks rniet Ceun-
try-usrd Time- for tas Inexperienced snd
Not Too Many Good Thirss for Ola Hands
HIahuny necords and signs OF the Times.

Hiahuay Records and signs or the Times.
JUNEAU, Alaska, Feb. 12.--Miners are begin
ming TO come into juneau already IN preparation
for the rush which will begin very soon for tho
gold dlggings along the Yukon. Last seasons
work on the Yukon was successful In the
opening up Of new prospects and In the work
done on the old claims that there will be an un.
preccdcntod rush this summer. The experience
which a good many men had in the Cooks Inlet
district last year, however. will undoubtedly
prevent repetition Of anything like tho trouble
in that district year ago. Then hundreds of
men fiocked ovor TO Turn Again Arm long bc-
fore tho season was sufficiently advanced to war
rant any sort OF attempt at work. The result
was that there great deal Of hardship.
A groat many Of tho men who went in were ten
dcrfeet of the tendcrest sort, and the difficulties
which they found quickly convinced them that
mining. particularly in Alaska. was not their
vocation. They turned round and came back as
fast rs they could come. and thcy told all sorts
OF stories about the desperate hnrdships they
had endured in the bowling wilderness, and how
utterly barren OF gold the country was. Tho
hardship stories would not fool any practical
miner nor hinder him from taking flyer in the
Cooks Inlet country. But tho other stories have
undoubtedly operated to check the development
Of tho Kenai peninsula and the diggngs around
Turn Again Arm.
small number Of miners who werc thorough
ly familiar with tho country and Injured to It's
hardships passed tho winter OF '90-'98 In tho
Cooks Inlet country. There were enough OF
them to keep going the settlements at Hope City
and Sunrise City and Six Mile Creek. IL was
well along in April last year when tho first party
OF prospectors arrived at the head Of Turn Again
Arm by way OF Portage Bay and Prince William
Sound But II was still apparently midwintcr,
nd hc INT faat In the grin of tla iCo
king. 1t was not until pretty well along in
May that thero were any permanent signs OF
returning spring. by that time several
other parties had struck in and were
waiting for tho season to open up
so that they could get to work. When the inlet
and arm wcro sufficiently free OF ice to insure
safe navigation the prospoctors began to
como In very rapidly. Some OF the tcndorfeet
backed out without ever leaving the ships that
brought them ovtr from sitka. The whole shoro
was icc-bound. all the mountains In sight-and
there arc plenty OF them.-wcre covered with
snow, aud the wind whistlod down the inlet
thirty or forty miles an hour as II hustling a
special message straight from the North Pole.
That sort of thing more than good many
OF the gold hunters who had never hunted gold
before had reckoncd In their calculations, and
they gave up right away. Some OF them took
passage back in tho ships that had brought
them. Those who had not enough money to Luy
n return ticket sold their outfits for what they
could get. Some OF them did not even have out
fts, and had to rustic among their more fortu-
nate comrades for the necessary funds to pay
their way back. But tho majority were
plucky enough TO stick It out or make try at
10, and they went ashore 10 take their chances in
whnt tho wilderness might produce aftcr the
snow and los had disappeared.
Tho nj and mora ,,on ava tho,o
who had wintcrcd in tho inlet did what they
could to make tho new fellows as comfortable ~
possible under the circumstances. Many OF the
newcomers had very good outfits, tcnts, stoves,
provisions. and cooking utensils; every thing but
experience the one thing which Is most necdful
In that sort OF an undertaking. Somo OF them
had rather comical experiences with thci- good
outfits. For instance. they did not know how to
mako proper foundations for their stoves. and as
soon as they opened camp put down their stoves
on a foundation OF snow. The fire which baked
tho biscuits for the first supper disposed OF tho
snow foundation. and stoves. boiling pots. tho
whole outfit, disappeared In u hole. But most of
the newcomers learned tho little details which
10 To make camping reasonably comfortable,
and before long Ind their beds well made and
their tents banked up 70 as TO keep the snow
out, and were ready for n siege Of II.
Az the season op"ncd up they kept on coming
by tho hundreds. Tho beach and tn, streams
were lined for miles with motley crowd. There
were men and hoys and even women and chit
dren. There never WIS n moro heterogeneous
and Incompatible aggregation, sinsc. the early
days OF California, and u Ia doubtful II tho
old Forty miners saw such u collection of incx-
periencc and incomictcnCy a. cnmped along tho
arm md the streams Of the inlet country at the
opening OF last season. There were Mill men
and loggers. butchers, bakers and candle
s awscrs school 1s"ehSr 'hGSSnST SSeSmSn ami ami
doctors, bOokkecpcrs and ranchers, cooks
clerks, and hecksniihs. saloon keepers,
preachers ana musicians. cowboys. sailormen.
chants, newspaper men, gamblers and dudes,
Evcry'phy. II seemed had read about tho won.
dcrfuI riches of the Cooks Inlet country, and
Without ever S A sPnsss W In "sSS tho
motley 'rowd. and always as notable exception.
You anne g.ross miner ind inyHrrSHIy there
which was in striking contrast 10 the olhcrs.
y goes without SAYING that the very great ma.
last year were made by tho men whose only real
preparation for the. work they had cut out for
Almighty good thing TO have when you're solrs
placer S r, h'gRhng Sxh & nn no, to hnyS musG!s
@ To- so"aea s tn" s o pumssr m yGh I re wd" fSd@s
ness IL FAR different from The life of the rich man
fnll OF ease; 1t is full Of ,priyations and hard,
year It was not until the summer was
far along long that MI my sort scr! Of sstIsfostory work
WIS upnN 'He NOUk tnlcl country. Ns
u matter OF fact. the country had boon over.
ratcd. Experienced mon had failed to make II
pay. Some ~ the best men who ever set foot In
juneau put IN long hard, skilful seasons
work and failed To get any adequate return.
The great difficulty, most of these mon say. Is
hnt the season is 30 short during which effect
i've work can hc done that II viii take u long
time yet and n great donl of hard work to get the
country prospoctcd woll enough 20 that work
can I've put IN 10 its best advantage during the
short working season.
ono extreme difficulty arlsos from the fnct
that the high water does not come until aft or
the season has been opened up long enough for u
good deal of work TO he done. The peculiar CON
Formation OF the country is undoubtedly rrspon.
Hibc Tor this. Some weeks after tho season has
advanced far enough Ia permit considerable
work about tho inlet and tho streams that
cmpty into II, Il In stll cold ns winter up In the
mount aims and about the headwatcrs OF the
streams just about the time that II man has
hud chance 10 gct his wlng,iamminy fairly
under way. or perhaps ,complcIcd. It gets
warm enough MP In tho hills 10 thaw
things out. Then down comes tho high
wntor, ten or iiftcen feet ot 1t Mt
clip, md washes odt his WING dam and covers up
his claim Then ho docs some dNnning without
wings by and by when The country has hccn
prDaneCIpu and tnyy knpN aNnptlN ~ har