The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-03-02

kon, where they will cut wood all win
ter for their board. while from 400 TO
500 more have started ON the trip out
over the ice. This latter is a most peril
Gus joGrney. Until this winter il was
thought To he next TO impossible to
make the journey, even when we'll pro-
vided with food, robes and one or two
good dog trains. Few of those now on
the way are so provided. Many are so
poorly proposed for the journey that it
seems certain that many lives must be
lost this winter.
IL will be readily seen what a serious
state of affairs presented itself TO the
weary traveller when he reached here
when he preferred to face the dangers Of
such trip rather than those which they
found here. 1t is difficult for one in New
York TO realize that a man may have
plenty of money and yet starve to death.
We are so used to looking at the stores
with their heavily laden shelves, the
contents of which may be ours if only
we have the money with which to pur
chase them, that it is difficult to under
stand the extraordinary condition which
presents itself when a man may offer
ten times the value of pound of food
and yet find no one to sell it to him.
Money More Plentiful Than Food.
Such has been and to a certain extent
still is the condition here. 1t was only
after many who had outfits sufficient
for two or three months realized the
seriousness of the situation and resolved
TO brave the dangers of the trip over
the ice TO where there was plenty, and
so were prepared to sell portion of
their outfit, retaining enough only for
the journey, that food could be bought
at $l.25 per pound. Flour was selling
at 800 per sack-50 pounds-when
arrived, and little later it went to
1925.
Some of the richest mine owners here
had only one sack of -four TO last them
until the first boat is expected-some
time in June. These bought eagerly at
these prices. But what of those who
were already hungry and who had spent
their last dollar on the way in! These
were thrown on the charity of those
better provided, and it will be readily
understood that charity in that case was
colder even than it has the reputation
of being. True, no one so far has starv-
ed, but many have gone hungry, and
some are still being fed by those whose
kindness and sympathy exceed their bet
ter Judgment, for it is rare indeed to
find one who has more than enough TO
last him until the boats arrive.
At present writing the situation
seems to have been relieved, for it is
$50 per sack III one or two cases. But
know that there are many still here
who have sufficient only TO last them
for from four TO five months, and who
must procure more In some way or take
the long journey out, as others have
done.
Clothing Scarce Also.
Nor is food the only thing that is
scarce Blankets, socks, moccasins and
in fact clothing of all kinds are unob-
tainable at any price And these are as
sorely needed as food We were unable
TO believe, until we had experienced it,
that the weather was so severe here as
reported. But already the thermometer
has stood at % degrees for four days in
succession, and if this winter is as cold
as the average here it will go as low as
80 degrees below zero before the end of
February.
find it almost impossible to keep my
hands warm when outside, and my face
has been frost bitten several times al
ready. Nearly every man one meets has
several black. ugly looking spots on his
nose, chin and cheeks. These are caused
by repeated freezings. One cannot put
on too many socks TO keep the feet com
Portable, and yet Of this very necessary
article there is scarcity-there are
none to be had at any price.
Wood is plentiful in the vicinity of
the mines, but at Dawson it brings $50
per cord. And there are few who care
TO cut and haul it at that price. This is
not because they are in such circum-
stances that they can afford to be indie
pendent III the matter, but because it
involves such hard labor and so much
suffering from the cold. After it is cut
it must be hauled from four TO five
miles, and with the exception of few
horses-I think eight in all-tbe only
power procurable for this is man power.
Dogs are so scarce that an ordinary
one will bring $500, while good Els
kimo dog will command $3.50, and a
buyer is easily found for him. So great
is the demand for these dogs for freight
ing purposes and for the trip out that
few of their owners care TO use them
for hauling wood even at the seemingly
high prices ruling
To the man who will say after read
ing this, Il could make good money
there at cutting and hauling wood at
that price, will say you do not know,
nor can you understand without having
experienced it, the many reasons why
you could not make money at this work.
They are many, however, and the mon
ey so earned is, like that earned at
working in the mines here, small re-
ward for the labor and suffering neces-
sary to procure it.
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