The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-31
GOLD u ] !. SEEKERS PERKS
Hardshipa Endured by One in
Search Of the Metal.
MOST OF THE CLAIMS TAKEN.

lars washed out In Six Days - A
Claim That Sold For sixty Thous-
and Dollars.
San Francisco, July 31.-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 Chileot
Pass. and about II miles from Dyea.
The party had been IL 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 ~:
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 so pounds at time are now
too much for me to carry. Both my
feet have given out, and In each leg
I have wound the size of dollar
and quarter of an inch thick, due to
the friction Of one leg against the other
as l scattered under my load. have
been lying in the tent here for two
days, unable to get any further Others
are faring no better however, as there
is fearful blizzard raging above us
in the pass. Tomorrow we shall try to
start afresh. May God help US over!
Most Of the travellers have their bag
gage carried by Indians, but you know
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 word Of
complaint Is heard. 1t seems to me
that one watches the other, wonder
Ing how he stands the fearful journey.
Right opposite the tent there is
mountain about 1900 feet high and 400
feet wide. Perhaps it hides other and
more terrible travels from u.s."
In the other letter, written in Daw-
son City on June y, Cook tells of the
graves that mark the trail from Dyea
to the Klondike, the resting places of
those who succumbed to the hardships.
He says: "At last! At last! We
reached here today. What we have
lived through l will not trust to pen
and paper. The many little crosses on
the road hare-they count up over a
hundred-speak only too plainly of the
innumerable dangers of this terrible
journey. Let us rather pass over our
experiences in all silence, for surely we
are fortunate to have reached here.
THE news of the gold strikes. though
feared it might be- is not exaggerated.
On the contrary, all the stories are
supported by the facts. AS is always
the case, however, the whole of the
little gold barring valley is from top
to bottom taken up completely, and
new corners are advised to make new
discoveries in some other valley or hire
themselves out to those who own the
claims in the old ones. We were in
great hurry to set here, and now learn
that for a month work can't be begun
III LIE LlllleS. Although the roses ana
the most beautiful flowers are bloom
Ing, still VIC can dig down but 4 few
inches wltheut striking ground frozen
hard az a rock.
There are all kinds of work on in
this mushroom city, still there are
plenty Of idle men,"
A letter from the Klondike in pos
session Of a Portland mining man now
in this city tells of some wonderful
finds in that land of gold. The letter
says:
There was claim next to mine that
sold for $4,000 few days ago. I will
not send out any gold this time. I
washed out in six days about $1,000,
and I want to stay here another year
or two. Provisions are going to be
very scarce. If you will pack up and
leave Portland at once, and bring I'D
grub enough to last three CT US one
year, we will give you half interest
in the biggest thing you ever struck
AS you know, l am an Old miner and
know what | say My new partner
and have each got $4,000 piled away
in a sack. l am sure that in one year
We thres-you, my partner and lean
take out $500 900 and not try at a1ln