Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-29
WINTER IN ALASKA
Lieutenant Walkers Experience
Travelling Through Snow and
Storm Under Arctic Circle.
HEARD OF WAR ON JUNE 1S
Duties of Commander Of the Reservation
Numerous-Trouble Between Trans
portation Companies and Passen-
gers-More Troops Needed.

More troops NEEDED.
Lieutenant E. S. Walker, of the sth
[. S. infantry, detailed for service in
Alaska, has written his father, Judge
j. Fl. Walker, in this city, as follows:
Fort st. Michaels, July This winter
has been a long blank, as no news from
the outside world has reached us since
last November. Our mail is on the
steamer Alliance, which has nou yet
arrived, although long since due. She
is lying at Dutch harbor awaiting the
completion of a boat that she is to tow
up the river. 1t is a shame to delay the
mail simply for the benefit of private
interests. My health has been good
throughout the winter. In fact there
has been no serious sickness on the
island except among the natives.
managed to get in two pretty good trips
around the country, and that helped to
make the time seem shorter.
My first trip was to Golvrin bay, after
the reindeer herd. We had orders to
use the animals up the river to assist
destitute persons. The herd was or
dered to report to Colonel Randall, but
it failed to do so. We waited until
February, and as the herd still did not
appear, it was necessary to take some
action. So the colonel sent me out tc
procure deer and then to proceed up the
Yukon. | travelled to Golvrin bay with
u dog sled and had a pretty hard trip
| having to walk most Of the distance, 21t
miles, besides pushing and guiding thu
sled. When night came we were glat
to get to a warm native house and turn
in among the occupants with their sea
oil, filth and vermin. The natives ar
very hospitable, but horribly filthy
There was only IL person with me
Polite, the owner of the dog sled ant
team.
The first night we laid out all nigh
long in a storm. No food, no fire, n
water. We simply could not face tn
storm, and it was impossible to pitcl
the tent on account of the high wind
We had plenty of food along, but di'
dare take off our gloves to get it for fea
of freezing our hands. We upset tn
sled with it's load to break the wind, sa
down on the tent and pulled it over u
for shelter, then kept our hands ant
feet moving all night long to keep iron
freezing. We got out all right, excep
that u faces, noses and wrists wer
frosted. That was the worst time o
the trip, and we were 90 hours withou
anything to eat or drink. But I got tn
deer, and brought the herd, about 60
head. over to Hualaklik, and from ther
started across the portage to NulatC
The snow finally became so deep an
soft that the deer could neither trave
nor find food, and the trip had to b
abandoned, and l returned to the fort
having made about 210 miles by do
sled and 240 miles with reindeer, an
was out altogether 80 days. We wer
delayed several days by storms.
In May / again started for Golvri
bay, to look after some miners who wer
working claims Oh the government re
servation, as we thought. | went up t
the bay with reindeer. and from Their
to the placer locations with a dog SLED
as the snow was too soft and deep 70
deer. We travelled at night to take ad
vantage of the crusted snow, and slep
in the daytime. My return trip, as ia
as Norton bay, was by dog sled, then i
a skin boat (vomiak) to Shaktalik, an
from there in a sail boat to this place
reaching here on June 3. This wa
really a harder trip than the other, a
though the weather was not so sever
The snow was melting, and the waite
was running so that we were wet all {
the time.
On June 10 the first boat of the sea
son, the Hattie l. Phillips, appeared
She brought the news of the war wit
Spain and of Admiral Dewey's victory a
Manila. OF course great excitement ha
prevailed since. Other boats followe
in rapid succession, until at present tn
harbor presents the appearance of
great seaport. Colonel Randall ha
been made a brigadier general of volur
teers, and DR.. Edie a brigade surgeon
and both left yesterday on the st. PAT
for San Francisco. Lieutenant Be
and myself are the only officers lei
here, except Lieutenant Richardson
who is here temporarily, and DIR. Greg
DRY, a contract physician, who relieve
DR.. Edie. So l am in command of thi
big reservation, 100 miles in every d
~rection from the flag staff. We hav
only rs men and there are many con
ficting business interests represented
Ny hands are full of work. In fact W,
have more than we can do. All kind
of questions arise, the landing Of pas
sengers, the locating of different com
pantes, settling or attempting to settl,
violated contracts, ETC., etc. Many 0
the wildcat" companies can not carr,
out their contracts and their passenger
are angry. Some of them told me tina
If the troops would not interfere the,
would settle their own difficulties. O
course that was squelched. But ther
is liable to be trouble. Everybody /
provoked over the delay of the mail, an
those people certainly would hav
trouble If the troops were not here
The troops are behaving well. If /
were not for this state OF affairs | woul,
ask to be sent to my regiment, but ther
is serious work to be done here, an
Bell. Richardson and myself think 1t !
serious enough to stand off any imputa
tions in the event we do not apply to b
sent out. / thought some n wOul
certainly be sent In Colonel Randall
place, but no one has come and we ca
get no information, We need NOR