The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-07-31
GOLD SEEKERS PERTLS
Hardships Endured by One in
Search Of the Metal.
MOST OF THE CLAIMS TAKEN.

Provisions scnrce-six Thousand Dol
lars washed ont in six Days "A
Claim That sold For sixty Thous-
ana Dollars.
San Francisco, July 3l.-A story OF
The hardships encountered on the trail
from Dyea to Dawson City is told in
two letters received by Mrs. Julia
Cook, Of this city, from her husband,
Charles Cook, now in Dawson city,
and who was more than two months
on the road one letter was written
in Sheep Camp, at the foot of Chilcot
Pass, and about II miles from Dyea.
The party had been y days in cover
ing this II miles, and were almost
worn out when the letter was written
Cook says in his letter, which is dated
April 12
I'VE have been packing our goods
over since the first of the month, when
we left Dyea We carried them from
mountain to mountain, travelling in
cessantly back and forth, till we now
have the 1900 or more pounds all here.
The mountains get sleeper as we pro-
gress, and 90 pounds at a time are now
too much for me to carry. Both my
feet have given out, and in each leg
I have a wound the size of a dollar
and a quarter of an inch thick, due to
the friction of one leg against the other
as / scattered under my load. l have
been lying in the tent here for two
days, unable to get any further. Others
are faring no better, however, as there
is a fearful blizzard raging above us
in the pass Tomorrow we shall try to
start afresh. May God help us overl
| Most of the travellers have their bag
! gage carried by Indians, but you know
4 that such a privilege was not for US.
"On every side the snow is from six
| to eight feet deep. and the sled tum-
bles from side to side, going over a
| rock only to slide down upon our tired
bruised bodies, giving us an extra blow
as it passes on. Still we are mounting
higher and higher, and not a word OF
complaint is heard. 1t seems to ms
that one watches the other, wonder.
ing how lie stands the fearful journey
Right opposite the tent there is
mountain about $4,000 feet high and 40t
feet wide. Perhaps it hides other anC
more terrible travels from US"
In the other letter, written in Daw
son City on June II, Cook tells of tn,
graves that mark the trail from Dyes
to the Klondll1e, the resting places ot
those who succumbed to the hardships
He says: at last! At last! w,
reached here today. What we have
lived through I viii not trust to per
and paper The many little crosses OF
the road here-they count up over {
hundred-speak only too plainly Of thu
innumerable dangers of this terribl,
journey. Let us rather pass over ou
experiences in all silence for surely WI
are fortunate to have reached here.
1.-THE news of the gold strikes, though
/ feared it might be, is not exaggerated
On the contrary, all the stories ar
supported by the facts. AS is alway
the case, however, the whole of tn
little gold bearing valley is from to-
to bottom taken up completely, ant
new comers are advised to make ney
discoveries in some other valley or hir
themselves out to those who own tn
claims in the old ones. We were in
great hurry to get here, and now lear
that for a month work can't be begu
in the mines. Although the roses an
, the most beautiful flowers are bloom
ing, still we can dig down but a fey
inches without striking ground froze
hard as a rock,
There are all kinds of work on i
this mushroom city, still there ar
plenty of idle men,
A letter from the Klondike in pos
session of a Portland mining man moi
in this city tells of some wonderfJ
finds in that land of gold. The lette
says:
There was a claim next to mine tha
sold for 100000 a few days ago. wi
not send out any gold this time.
washed out in six days about 5000
and I want to stay here another yea
or two. Provisions are going to
very scarce. If you will pack up an
cave Portland at once, and bring u
grub enough to last three of us on
year, We will give you half interes
in the biggest thing you ever strucl
AS you know. 1 am an old miner an
know what 1 say. My new partnC
- and have each got $4,000 piled ava
in a sack. 1 am sure that in one yea
RI we three-you, my partner and lea
I take out 100000 and not try at ALL"