The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-31

but the islands above US were recedinR.
and, work as hard as we might, we were
getting no nearer the village. After hard
work. however. we made a landing at
slight projection of land a mile below the
village and were surprised to find the camp
Of a white man near the little patch OF
quiet water afforded by the point. The
owner of the camp was Carmack. He
caught the line we threw out and pulled
our boat into his little harbor. He gave
US "a hearty welcome and showed us a
pleasant place to put our tents.
Then il developed that Carmack had a
family with him Two little dark-skinned
children followed him everywhere, and
presently ne pointed out his wife, who
was native, a woman Of the Stick tribe.
lie had been in this country eight years,
and much of the time had been spent with
the Sticks at Takish house, on the chain
of lakes that form the source of the
eastward arm of the Yukon. Now he was
making quite extensive preparations for
curing salmon, the annual run of which
was expected to begin any day He had
erected a birch recovered shed for the bet
ter protection of his catch from the
weather and he already had his nets out
al the mouth of the Klondike, a half mile
further down. Carmack expected 20 sell
his crop the following winter, principally
for dog feed, although In times of
food famine, as really occurred last win
ter, dried salmon becomes staple article
of diet for white men
"Carmack, who Is an intelligent man,
gave us much information about the Up
per Yukon. The Klondike had been
known for several years 20 drain a gold
country, and the first five miles of it had
been indifferently prospected, but the gold
hunters were generally run out by bears.
IF the miners had made any encourage
ing finds at the outset 1t would have been
different, but all other things being equal,
IN their estimation, they concluded to try
streams where the bears were not 80 ag-
gressve. And 1t happened that there was
a reason for the bears being so bad in
that particular place II IS possibly the
best stream for salmon of all the tribu-
taries Of the great river.
THE fish start on their annual run
some two or three weeks after the ice goes
out, usually about the beginning of July.
They come by millions. The river is tur-
bulent with them. They crowd each other,
and jump out of the water, and the In
dians-and likewise the bears-come long
distances 90 give them a welcome.
AT every tributary some Of the salmon.
turn aside, but the multitude press onward
at the speed of about a hundred miles a
day. Before the first of August some OF
them may usually be found above White
Horse rapids, 300 miles from the Delta.
but as TO the Klondke. the Indians
and the bears made a more or less har-
monious division OF the territory. The
redskins maintain their foothold at the
mouth Of the river, where they take the
salmon I'm nets and dry them In sufficient
quantities to last the whole year Bruin
adopts divers ways of securing the fish,
but they are so plentiful that he gets all
he wants while they last. After the sal
mon season his living Is precarious, and
he probably regards a stray miner row
and then-or an Indian-as a dispensation
of Providence.
"Carmack told us of his intention to
prospect the klondike as soon as the sal
mon season was over. Four weeks later.
as we afterwards learned. he took two
Indians and started up the stream. After
few miles of laborous polling against
a rapid current they turned into the first
considerable tributary that came In from
the right Here conditions were favora-
bic for prospecting, the water being shall
low, and they found gold In encouraging
quantities on the bars Of the creek. They
followed the windings Of this stream for
twenty or twenty-five miles before they
made locations and went TO work.
"The results were almost enough to
turn the brain of a prospector who had
searched for many years In the hope OF
finding gravel that would yield a few
grains weight OF gold to the pan. Hero
at a depth Of three feet In the low bars
a dollar 20 the pound In coarse. ragged
bits OF gold. Others have since found dig
gings tenfold richer.
LAS remote as their discovery was. they
were not long TO remain In sole possession
OF Il. With the exhaustion Of their few
days provisions the two Indians were
sent back to the village for supplies.
"rhere b. a steamboat the p. b. weare.
one OF a fleet OF three, belonging TO a
Chicago company, that makes three or
four trips during the short summer sea-
son from 81. Michaels, near the mouth
OF the yukon, 90 Circle City and Forty
Mile, the distance 10 the latter place be-
Ing nearly 1900 miles from ST. Michaels.
one OF these trips Of the Wearc-the first
usually-is extended about 200 miles fur
Their up The river 20 carry supplies TO
Sixty Mile and Fort Selkirk. where there
are trading posts.
About the middle Of August. when the
Wcaro arrived az the Indian village.
which is about half way between Forty
Mile and sixty Mile, the Indians were
waiting There fu Law fu their affnnIiaa