The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1897-09-04
LETTER FROM ALASKA.
Frank Kress, Of Gnthrie, Writes His
Experiences.

AT SKA, Sunday, Aug 8. 1897.
will try and write you
news while we are en-
route to st. Michaels, where we will
be able TO send mail back by this boat.
We left Seattle the night @, the 5th,
about 9 p. m The steamer -veland
is about 1865 feet long by twenty four
feet wide, was built for carrying freight
and consequently is not as comfortable
for pas eng1ria as might be. The caein
accommodations are only for about
forty or fifty and there are l64 passen-
gers on board They have built a lot
OF temporary hunks or canvas stretch
ers down in the forward hold. They
are three tiers high aud there are
about l25 Of us tucked ir there pretty
thick We each have to furnish our
own blankets aud bedding aud we,
fortunately, had ours all rolled up and
checked as baggage The first night
had only my macintosh for cover
and caught some cold, and Yesterday |
was a little Bit sore and stiff in my
Joints, but took some quinine and am
feeling pretty good today. A great
many OF the passengers have been oea
sick / haven't had any symptoms yet
and think | will escape. have been
on the lakes some, where nearly every
one gets sick the same. and | always
escaped Well, ! am down in the
cabin and there are three young fell
lows with mandolin, guitar and
banjo making some very fine music so
I'll nave to put this away for time.
Later-You would be surprised at the
ass OF people en- route for Alaska.
Instead OF the rough class ot men we
expected to meet IL is entirely differ
eut. Nearly all are gentlemen OF re.
6nement, q good many professional
men, such as doctors, lawyers, etc
There are FIVE ladies OF board. Par
ties OF men from New York, Massachu-
sets, Connecticut, West Virginia, Chi
cago and several other states are on
| board. We are probably from the
tarthest south of any OF them, and the
only men from Oklahoma territory.
Afternoon-We are some over 600
miles from Seattle and the steamer is
going along at pretty good rate
| We have wind from the east and our
course is pretty nearly west, SO they
have put up the sail, which helps along
some Our distance from Seattle "a
81. MichRels is 2, 400 miles and we ex
Jays with good weather, but 10 we
should have rough weather IT may
take day or two longer The Port.
land, large passenger steamer, went
up a few days ahead OF us with about
900 on board She will return with
about four million OF dust under
stand she will have a revenue cutter tC
escort her When she arrives with
| A mi ha
! Alaska fever sure. We have haC
quite pleasant weather so far Th,
second night il blew some and th,
ooat rolled considerable The boa
stopped for a couple OF hours and. IA
they say" she stuck her nose under /
little, but was asleep and did no
know anything about It. am RfrAiC
you would have wanted TO 90 to tn,
cellar. We saw a number Of whales
the second day out, which was quite /
! sight for me We first noticed then
| spouting, some off tive or three miles
then commenced TO see them closer by
and at one time there was one on eacl
side OF the boat not 100 yards away
They lay mp out Of water as much Al
one-third Of them and then take a div,
like boy ia our swimming pond. W.
will probably see lots Of seal when we
get up to the islands. The excitement
over Alaska is wonderful Only abou
one.tenth Of the people go this way
the balance going bY Dyea pass anC
down the Yukon river We are verl
glad we were able TO come this way
The fare this way is 5000 and 10 cents
per pound Ter all baggage. We 90
free transportation for ourselves and
baggage, which left us more money L
use so we bought a great supply o
clothing but no provisions except som,
canned goods, but this company will
not take provisions. but have stores M
there and contract TO furnish all tn,
supplies anyone needs This boat hAl
/, 400 tons Of freight and provisions OF
board now. We will have TO transfer
everything on TO some river boat,
when we get to st Michaels. The
trip up the river will take about
twenty days. II Is about 1000 miles
and although we expect TO get al
there In plenty of time we won't havl
much time to play on, as the river viii
freeze by September IS to October
We are having breeze FROM Asterl
and are making good time, are havini
hne weather and considerable fog
which sometimes is dense enough L
zee uire MS TO wear our rubber coats I,
Keep dry. We saw a few more whate
last evening. They seem TO max
their appearance just before sundown
In all, this has been very pleasan
trip so far.
have thought great deal sbou
the probability OF party coming fror
Guthrie aud the feasibility of Mis-
Bureh aud Dora coming with them
think probably Cook, Psendler, Wi
son and Trotter, OF our company, ma
come 10 the spring aud hope they will
! will arrange for them TO get passag
on the first boat in the spring. Wi