Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-10-27
.,'.''',, '.. 80, !, ! /, ,,.,
the PaCRyIs.
Amusing Incidents Among the Gold Seekers.
Especial Correspondence Herald 8 rrIDunel
TAooMA,. October 12, is.


The French bride was to be first
out" She was afraid Adolph-her
husband-would be attacked by the In
dians She also feared the Redskins
would steal the Frenchman' s $500 out.
fit, which included olives and case of
wine from the gay French metropolis
So madam sat upon the package at
Dyea as the package was unloaded.
Each time Wagon load of truck was
brought up from fhe scow-there are
no wharves at Dyea-madam would
climb higher and higher as the posses.
sions Of the bridegroom this French
couple had just been married and the
wedding tour was q trip to Klondike, J
were piled up in great heap. Finally
madam was enthroned eight feet high
on Adolph's outfit 1t was curious
picture. A French woman. fresh from
Paris. seated on .he top of a pile of
boxes and bags and Indians and miners
on all sidee, and 9 steamer, muddy
beach and dilapidated shacks in the
background.
Adolph was called away to parley
with the Indians about packing his
outfit over the mountains 10 Lake Lin.
derman, twenty seven miles away.
The boss Indian demanded 40 cents
per pound, and Adolph refused to pay
over thirty five cents. Finally, before
compromising upon thirty eight cents,
they became pretty noisy, and handled
Adolph roughly. He did not mind it,
but madam did. She thought hubby
might be scalped. All might be killed.
She shouted to Adolph to come TO her,
but alas, at that very instant the bar
gain with the Indians-there was fully
100 of them-was concluded, and they,
on being notified by the chief that the
Frenchman's goods were ready for the
p1ckers, made wild rush for the big
outfit. 1t was like street urchins scraIn.
bling for pennies. Each Indian was
anxious to secure the bag or box that
weighed the most, and which could, at
the same time, be handled easily on
the back OF 1.-THE packer. One hundred
indians attacked madam g throne Of
boxes aud bags.
Pres,o ch..nse
lna jiify che boxes and bags were all
gone and madam was on her back with
her heels in the air screaming for
Adolph.
Help, police, Adolph, murder.
But it was all over in thirty seconds.
Madam was daZed for thirty seconds
more, but Adolph's presence quieted
her. He explained it all. The Indians
scrambled for the choice parcels and
gave no thought to madam with her
heels in the air. They were not rob-
bers but merely packers. They took
the boxes to the weighing stand and
not to their wigwams. At the weigh
ing stand each received slip of paper
with the weight OF the package marked
upon it together with the Frenchman g
name. At the lake the bearer of the
package would have the slip marked
o. X. and when he brought the check
back to the weighing stand he would
be paid thirty eight cents of Adolph q
money for every pound he had carried.
There was no need of help for madam,
no necessity for police and no occasion
for screaming murder. Did madam un.
derstand? Adolph asked the question
and madam replied in fash:
"Oui, oui, OF course, of course, bu,
why not tell me that before. Then ]
would not scream. Stupid Adolph."
The next morning the Fren ,h bride
and groom, the Indian packers and oul
party moved forward, stopping al
Sheep Camp that night and arriving
at the head of Lake Linderman the
next night. Madam carried handbag
and an umbrella all the way and did
not feel exhausted when the lake was
reached. So tho Frenchman and his
excitable wife are in Dawson now un
less they turned back on account of the
reports Of starvation and shortage ol
supplies at the diggings.
This is only one of q dozen amusing
incidents on the journey from Tacoma
to Lake Linderman, but the native
brings out the important fact that peo
pie who have money to pay for pack
ing can get over tne passes withou,
trouble. Here was a Frenchman who
spoke little English accompanied by Q
tot of wife, who had never been q
hundred miles outside OF the great
city of Paris In her life, getting over
the Chilkoot Pass with, comparative
comfort inside OF forty eight hours
The Frenchman simply paid the
Indians for packing bis outfit over
and he and bis wife walked most Of the
way on foot and enjoyed the scenery
But that is the Pullman car route
compared with the struggles Of the
poor davi.J who undertak he packing
over Of the outfits witho1 my knowl
edge Of the packing busi
Take, for instance, O. who did
not know any more aboq pg thar
Adolph did. They would sir pacl
on the horse in q lopslt Pn, ant
when the horse flounde Y be muc
all the cinch ropes had NJ or tn,
horse had to be abandon ther,
we're men up there who7 ed th,
tenderfoot 50 to show him . ITO MAKE