The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-12-08
FROM GEO. ". OTTERSON
HE Is NOW AT TELEGRAPH CREEK
IN ALASKA.
Reached There After Hard Struggle
VIII Get Into Klondike in January
No More Letters.
Especial Correspondence.)

z, after nine days of hard work and
exposure. / think my last item was
from Fort Wrangle. So | will here
give few of our experiences coming
up the Stickine river. We reached
Fort Wrangle September 10th to find
all the river steamers tied up for the
winter, and there seemed nothing left
for us but a choice between two
things-to return to Seattle and wait
until next spring, when the steamers
would start up, or build our own
own boats, and go up in that way.
We decided upon the latter course,
as we did not like the idea of turning
back 1t took us almost week to
build two boats large enough to car
ry our outfits-three of us-as we
have almost two tons of provisions
and clothing. At that time the river
was rushing torrent on account of
heavy rains in the hills above us, and
bringing down up-rooted trees. and
debris of all sorts. On September 21
we launched our boats. loaded in our
goods and started out, all three of us
in the first boat, which was rugged
with a sail, towing the other with the
most of our goods in it. | cannot
express in words the dangers which
we encountered in trying to keep out
of the way of logs, trees. etc, and out
of whirlpools and rapids. We had
hard work to keep our little crafts
right side up and there were times
that | thought we were gone sure.
We fought with the current for seven
days, putting lines to shore and haul
ing on them trying to get ahead a
few feet or out of rapids, and in that
seven days we made just ten miles.
BY that time we were pretty well
tired out, so held a meeting of the
stockholders and finally decided to go
back to Wrangle. We lost no time in
starting on the return trip. 1t took
us just two and one-half hours to go
down the same distance we had been
seven days going up. After few
hours rest at Wrangle, | hunted up
the manager of the steamboat line,
and succeeded in chartering the Alas
kan for $4,000. l then made out and
sold twenty-one tickets at 500 each,
to Glenora, which is twelve miles from
Telegraph. and as far as the steam
ers go up the Stickine. In this way l
was able to pay for the charter.
Within two or three days our ship was
loaded and ready to start. 1 retained
three officers who knew the river
route, and on September Goth left
Fort Wrangle with full cargo and
passenger list.
In the meantime the river had gone
down somewhat. but the current is
very strong at any time, and the riv-
err full of rapids and whirlpools. so
that our progress was very slow. And
sometimes we would be on sand
bar, and all hands would get out with
lines and haul away until we were
able to float, then again we would be
in so strong a current that with steam
on at high pressure we could not gain
more than ten feet an hour, and
sometimes would only move few in
ches in that length of time. Our pas
sengers had to work as well as the
crew, and each evening would tie up
the boat for the night, and everybody
go ashore and cut wood to run her
the next day.
1t was not exactly pleasure trip,
but there was plenty of excitement,
however, and no one can complain of
"ennui." We reached Glenora, 1873
miles from Fort Wrangle, on October
itH. anu llOt IL soul OH DOdTu tne 1AldS-
kan was sorry that that part of the
journey was over, and least of all my
self. At Glenora we had to pay duty
of 25 per cent on all outfits, except
that each man is allowed 500 worth
of provisions free of duty. We hired
Indian canoes at this point, $25 each,
and brought our goods up to this
place by attaching line to the canoe
and following along shore over rocks
and boulders, climbing up one preci-
pice and down over another, hauling
it up stream in that manner. 1t took
each man about three days to get his
outfit over the twelve miles, making
two or three trips day.
We had fairly good weather, howev-
err, and with the exception of some
rain had nothing to complain of in
that line. We have been at Telegraph
Creek since October 10th, and are now
waiting for snow, so that we can go
in with sleds, and in that way avoid
great deal of hard work in packing.
We may not be able to leave here be-
fore January LIST, but as we are very
comfortably situated here, we are in
no hurry to start, as we feel that we
have good start ahead of the rush,
and if we remain here until February
we will be in plenty of time, as the
streams do not open up for navigation
until June. We are heading for Lake
Teslin, where we will build a cabin,
and then build a house boat for the
river, and as soon as the Hootalinqua
river opens up will launch our boat,
and float down stream, prospecting all
the small branches. Of course we may
change our plans before spring, but
hardly think so.
This is very nice camp, probably
200 all told, and more coming every
day. So far we have good class of
men, all earnest workers. but as soon
as the traffic opens up along the river
we will get all kinds of men here. We
are all letting our hair and whiskers
grow, preparing for the cold weather
Strangers coming in refer to me as
1.-THE man with the head of hair" I
can hardly recognize myself.
| think this will be our last chance
to send out mail until January, as the
ice is beginning to run in the river