Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-08-02

| within the next twelve months VIII not De-
| gin TO exhaust the resources -
| 1t is considerable OF A venture for
! woman to resolve TO try 70 reacn DdNsol,
! City by the overland route. but l think
| can DO f. We viii start from Juneau the
| last of April. Mrs. Berry went over the
1 pass a year ago, and am anxious 70 nay q
| the experience. 1t j. no easy task but me
| dangers can he reduced TO a minimum ny
wise preparations. The thing 70 DO there,
| as every place else. is 10 do as the Romans
! do. II being a rather sensible cOrclusion
! that the Indians. who have been iUllcWlng
| the trail for years and years. have learned
| the best methods 1 shall try TO do very
| much the Indians do.
| The weather at the beginning OF the trlr
| is likely 10 he very cold. ! sha!l wear a
| bearskin bood and short skirts. There s
| then a serviceable garment. mace OF seat
| skin; with the fur inside. II l serN.S -is is
| stockings. The shoes are mOcc5SinS made
| OF rough leather, lined with thick Wooien
| insoles SnowshOes are indispensable LOT
part of the way. Gloves Of be3rskin can ne
| had from the natives and there Is no storm
| that can penetrate the blankets OF tlSe
| Siwash Indians. We shall carry smaH
| tent. trusting to the hemlOck boughs tor
| the beds.
! One of the hardships Of the long tramp
! over the hills and along the frozen lakes
| comes from the lack Of fresh meats. Game
| is scarce. and the Indians supply most OF
| the moose and caribou. The flesh Il frozen,
| and before il is cooked must be thaWed out
| and cleaned. The natives have the crudeSt
| ideas Of cleanliness. IL takes some time 70
/ get accustomed TO their ways. but neceSslIE
! breeds forgiveness ana forSetiuIhtS9 a.
| well. I fear nothing on the trip save the
| Chilkat pass. and at this time OF me Nedr
the chances are that we VIII have Dut hIlle
/ trouble. There will be much travel over
/ il during the fall and coming winter. ana
| the way will be greatly improved by the
time We are ready 10 undertake II.
Mosquitoes Are Terrible TOrmentOrs.
"One of the terrors of the trip will be the
| MOSQUITOES. They begin their work ABOUT
| THE last of May. and during the niShtless
| strong men lie down and weep like chill
! dTen- II Is a torment. and one OF the most
! frightful hardships the miners hdEs 10 en-
dure. They come in swarms ana hOsls
without number, and the great wonder OF
| the region is where they go 10 IN winter.
| They are enormous in size. and their stnSs
| raise. great bumps and welts over the body
| They get so bad at times that prospectors
are compelled to stop work .,..., .bo-,
This is the last winter i'll which there
| will be a chance for a famine. The steam
| ship companies are eXerting themselves 20
meet the demands. They were bringing IN
the winter supplies when 1 left. and other
boats are being chartered 10 carry WhOie
cargces of ProviSions had ietIet rem I'm
| said he thought the fear of a famine had
| been greatly exaggerated. The men VINO
| we're coming were bringing their own 1000,
| and the companies had made abundant ar
| ragements to bring supplies for the men
already in the mines. 1t became a rule in
| fbs last SHIPMENTS that no man was al
| lowed to take passage who had not ms
| winters kit with him. I'll,
There is but little doubt that there VIII
| be great suffering in the klondike TINS
| winter. from the fact that hundreds OF men
who had no right TO brave the hardshlps
| have been carried away with the prospect
| of getting rich at single e1ort. Inc
clerks. professional men and tenderfeet VIII
| fall by the wayside. but this seems 70 nave
been the lot of all adventures. The pay IS
enormous but. like the regular avenues OF
life the greater the pay the more the
risk 1t is no place for women VINO are
| not used 10 the frontier, but l think a
| woman who knows the ropes can get along
| as well a man. 1t takes courage IN ooth
| instances.
Predictions of Spring Exodus
1T seems to me that the rush of the last
week is only a drop in the ocean as COM
pared with the exodus that is 70 follow
| with good weather next spring. why, my
| mail has suddenly jumped from the week
| ly letter from my husband 10 q CORE
| spCndence of about twenty-five letters a
| day. People are writing me from every
| where. and there have been so many cdil-
| ers at the house that I am forced 10
| send word that | am not at nome 4 ne
| letters are full of pathetic sincerity. peg
| ging hints about clothing and prospects'
| and I have not the heart 10 refuse the m
| formation. I fear that tell the worst size,
| since 1t is not humane TO give the stores
| of ouick fortunes without telling also the
| possibility of absolute failure. These two
| certainly go hand iu hand in the hionGlke.
| and do not want 10 encourage any woman
| TO brave the tormenJs of the region unless
| she Is fully aware of the punishment fAe
| is iuficting upon herself
| Alaska Indians are not ferocious and
1 they are perfectly harmless. They are IKE
| ali the people of the far North-stunted by
| the cold. They are prone 10 nave large
| families. The mothers lug the pappooSeS
| around on their backs. tied up in soiled
| blanket about an inch thick. They are
| ilIst now in clover as the inroRd OF miners
! and tourists has created a rushing markeI i,eI
| for all their handiwork. They make the
| clothing which is best for the country,
| earning money while their lords are also
! earning money by carrying the loads over
| The masses There appears every once in a
| while yarns about tribal wars. but there Is
| no truth in such reports. The Indians are
| too much in demand at present TO nave
| snv time for war. They work in harmony.
| and a good strong Indian can earn any
| where from s. to SO a day. don Know
| why they want the money. nut they seem
| to want it and after they have earned II
| never have a cent.
Real Appearance of the Towns.
Alaskan towns are a good deal bigger
| and more attractive on the maps than in
| reality St. MichaeIs sounds like splen-
| did place but the expectation Will not be
| realized. II is an island. with the town con-
| fined almost exclusively 10 the Industries
| of the steamboat company. II IS scattered
| over considerable territory. but II must be
| confessed that il is rather dreary place.
| II is fairly pleasant in the summer and very
| exciting lust at present. Il Is icebound and
| cut of from the world for much OF the Win
| ter. . 4,
| the Klondike. but they are either the re-
| suit OF imagination or prevaricatiOn- The
| life is wild and without restraint. hut there
! is an uadercurrsnt of honesty which would
! grace communities closer home. II may be
! that the influx of newcomers will add a
bad element this winter, since many will
not be able 10 begin prospecting until next
| spring. I have found that the average
| miner IS a pretty honorable man. and his
| honesty Is a thing above reproaCh. There
| need be no fear from him. and he VIII be
| the first man 20 help the tenderfoot in To-
eating a claim or developing a lead.
1T will be worth the dangers Of the trip
| +o the field to have an opportunity 10 come
| back with the ones who will be successful
| this winter. I think l enjoyed the voyage
on the Portland more than any trip | ever
made It was as If a whole pack Of people
from dreamlaud had come 10 earth and
| that the day had arrived when men had
but to wish to have their hopes realized.
| There were groups of men who had hidden
for DAYS under the edges OF the cliffs,
waiting for the storms to cease. men who
had killed dogs for meat, men VINO had
worsted poverty in single conflict and
lifted themselves into affuenCe through a
| hard fight with dangers which threatened
TO kill at any time. There is sort OF To-
| nance that attaches TO such a w. os this,
| and the one who gets liking for frontier
| life rarely gets over it.
| Ms Gage is not going 70 get over Il.
| She is a firm believer m the future OF
| Alaska and she is to go back. Mr. Gage
| has found gold, and she rather thinks she
| can direct the work in the placer. even
| though she cannot own claim OF her
| own
GOLD IN MINNESOTA.
Richest strike That Has Yet Been