The herald., 1897-09-26

Vegetation and Native Fruits
the Miner an
Mrs. Della Murray Banks has just
returned from her second summer in Alas
ka. Her husband was a miner and was
engaged all last summer in prospecting in
Cook inlet Mrs. Banks accompanied him
on all his travels, roughing it with the rest
of the party. Mr.. and Mrs. Banks are un-
der two years contract to go to the Yukon
In the spring for the New York and
Alaska company, for which Captain Homer
Pennock is manager in. Alaska. Mrs. Banks
has written for the readers OF The Herald
the following story Of daily mining life in
Alaska, as 1t actually is. Mrs. Banks is vis-
tting her mother and sister in this city.
Sunrise CITY, situated about twenty
fiye miles from the mouth of Turn -agan
Arm, 10 the headquarters OF the placer
miners In Cook inlet, and Is the largest
town in the inlet. During the summer
there are not more than 30 or 40 people
there, but during the winter months
the populat tion swells to several hundred.
Last winter there were six families there
and there was no lack of partners for
the six ladies at the social gatherings.
The buildings consist Of hotel, three
stores and a dance hall-the last has
never been occupied-built Of lumber
and hundred or rsolog ca bins In summer
most of these cabins are closed, the
miners being out at work on their claims
and only coming down on Sunday. Many
of the cabins are made Of whip-Sawed'
lumber and logs cut in half, making an
attractive appearance, the bark being
left on the outside, while within the
smooth grain and soft yellow tint form
q good substitute for plaster or ingram
wall paper. During the summer there is
always floating population, and the
white tents are fully as homelike in ap-
pearance as the more substantial dwell
ings. The Alaska Commercial company
has a store and there are two others
These, with hotel and brewery form
the business portion Of the little town,
which etraggles along the right bank
Of Six-mile creek for over mile.
The main street, as shown in the cut,
IL filled with stumps, and the trees are
sawed in stove lengths where they fall
% the path winds in and out among the
debris and the miners use the logs as
seats, and here their town meetings are
held and the last strike Is discussed
Here they swap" yarns and talk over
their neighbors. News Is scarce, and the
arrival of the Perry on the 14th of each
month Is the occasion of great excite
ment
THE PURSER'S NEWS
The monthly mail boat from Sitka to
Unalaska touches at Homer, Coal bay,
the 10th Of each month. Homer Is about
It's miles from Sunrise, and the mail
for the upper inlet Is brought from that
point by the steam schooner Perry,
which has monopoly of the trade in the
inlet. All local news is brought by the
Perry, and the purser is expected to fur
nish information Of a broad and varied
character-and nobly does he fulfill this
trust. Like the famous revolver Of which
Mark Twain tells, the marksman didn't
always get what he aimed at but always
hit something. So with Purser Lathrop;
his news Is not always accurate, and oc-
casionally the stories are made up Of
whole cloth; but he gives news Of some
sort. And perhaps he Is not to blame for
manufacturing news, for II he failed to
answer any question in regard to any
man within range Of 100 miles or more,
the questioner would say "Lathrop
wasn't any hand for business" and the
Perry was not the boat for her work.
But all the sins of the little schooner are
forgiven her when the mailbag is un-
loaded.
THE KLONDIKE FEVER
On the 18th Of August last she unload
ed the precious bag about $3.50 p. M,
twenty-four hours late, and in an hour
more all Sunrise-or Six-mile, as it is
familiarly known-was wildly excited
over the news Of the Klondike strikes.
For days before everything had been
quiet. Sunrise Is not the typical wild
and woolly' mining camp, but Is rather
slow and quiet. Some fifty men had
gathered at Calligans store to get their
mail. AS fast as the letters were taken
from the bag the names were called and
eager hands were stretched out for the
precious papers. Many wistful faces
were seer, some disappointed ones; many
happy ores. My own mail consisted Of
eight letters and four packages, and
when my name was called eight times In
succession there was burst of laugh
ter not wholly free from envy. An hour
later, when the papers had been glanced
at everyone was talking Yukon, and
tfirty-six hours later two-thirds of the
population were planning for the trip
to Klondike. All Saturday and Sunday,
the 10th and 18th, wherever group got
together it was the one theme OF CONVEX
sation. Newspapers were borrowed,
and one man would read column after
column to listening crowd and almost
unanimously would come the exclama-
ton, I'm going" 1t is doubtful If over
seventy-fve or hundred people winter
In Sunrise. Many left on the next trip
Of the Perry to- catch the mail steamer
at Homer the last of August, while the
Stella Erland. a sailing schooner, which
was expected August goth, will be loaded
with miners coming to Seattle to outfit
It Is likely that the miners who remain.
In the inlet may be all the better off, for
this exodus. for good claims Will be de-
serted in the wild rush for the north
Men who have spent few seasons in
the inlet are not afraid of the Yukon;
they have learned to rough 1T in Sc
we're school, can do without all the lux
uries and comforts and find that real
necessities are few.
ISOLATION IN WINTER