Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-06-17
BELLOWS FALLS.
4 Good KlondilIe Story
Told In Letters Received from the Bel
lows Fails Contingent.

citizens in the klondike country as far as
known, and any news from them is always
interesting. Fred l.. Thompson, Gus
King and George w. Rowland left here
during the last days of January and have
practically been travelling further from
their home and friends since until about
six thousand miles lie between them and
Bellows Falls,
Letters were received from them Mon
day, having been written ON various dates
mailed at Lake Bennett, b. c., May %,
and postmarked at Seattle, Wash, June
9Th, reaching here the 18th
They were intending when they left
here to go into business at Skaguay, Alas
ka, and not go into the gold fields at ALL
but circumstances have changed their plans,
and they have stopped only a short time at
any point, even at Skaguay. They push
ed on over the mountains from there, tax
ing the White Pass route instead of the
Chilkoot Pass, where the terrible disaster
occurred, when over 100 lives were lost by
an avalanche of snow. They had passed
that point, and in sending back for some
supplies King was to come on to them via
the Chilkoot Had he gone along as rap
idly as expected he would have been where
the slide was when it occurred. As it was,
he passed it a little later and saw some of
its results.
When they wrote they had been nearly
six weeks on Lake Bennett waiting for the
ice to go out, and building two boats with
which they were to go down the river Yu-
kon to Dawson. Their large boat was
ready and launched March 18th. They
named it "Great Expectations" 1t was
of the skow style, flat bottomed, and would
easily carry 5000 to 5000 pounds but
they were to take but 3,0OO which was
principally their provisions, tools and
clothing Their boat was 30 feet long, 9
feet wide and feet deep. In addition to
this they had built a small boat to work up
the small river on exploring expeditions.
This was a regular bateau like those of the
rivermen here. The ice went out of Lake
Bennett about May Goth, but they were
not to start till week or two later. The
exact point in British Columbia where their
camp was situated was longitude 1852, lati-
tude co.. They were to make the trip
through the lake, and down the various
rivers which have their source in that lake,
to the Yukon and Dawson, about 900 miles,
but were to make numerous side trips for
the purpose of prospecting. They may
later 90 down to Circle City, 800 miles fur
Their down the river The trip will take
some months, if not all summer.
They have added another man to their
party, making four. They have all been
perfectly we'll and claim not to have been
homesick at all, except perhaps one morn
ing when they had to crawl into clothing
frozen stiff Thompson writes: Don't be-
lieve the stories of danger and hardship of
this country. No dangers but those run
into by foolhardy men who venture into
danger on thin and rotten ice, and no hard
ship except hard work, if that be called
hardship. We have been a thousand times
more comfortable than we expected.
George fixes things up good and makes it
pleasant for us from his long experience in
the Maine woods. They say there is
party from Brattleboro on this same trail
about six miles from us, but we have not
seen them vet. One of them formerly
worked at the Brooks House. There are
also party two miles from us in which are
two Nermonters Thornberg and Osterhaut
from Derby"
There are about 600 boats already on the
lake to 90 down the same route. Thous-
ands will go during the summer. When
they went through the City" of Lake
Bennett six weeks ago, when they went
into camp, the city numbered but 80 in-
habitants On the day the last letter was
written Thompson went there again and
found $500 people. There were 900 tents
pitched there. At various points along
their route over the mountains they had
paid from 80 cents to ST. get letters car
ried to a post-office. They had Just seen a
paper dated in March from which they had
learned of the war, and for which they had
to pay 80 cents. They wondered if the pa
per mill boys were hiding in the old bleaches
to avoid going to the war. There were a
number of long letters containing much
Al. 49, E Al
except one short one from Rowland to L.
j. Royce, his former foreman, which is
given below:
"Lake Bennett, British Columbia, Sun
day, May 22.-Friend Lee Although 5000
or more miles may be the distance between
US ! have not forgotten my friends and will
write you as | promised. This trip was
not one-half so bad as l expected, and at
no time have l wished myself back in the
gate house. There are one or two things
that miss very much one of them is my
bike They are building boats on the lake
of all shapes and some of no shape at all
Some put me in mind of collins and no
doubt they will answer for that purpose.
There are boats built here that | would not
take as gift nor think of getting into my
self. They may go through all right and
hope they will, but my fears are too we'll
GROUNDED 10 nave any hopes IN them, only
a few days ago we laid two men in their
last resting place because they thought to
save two honrs by going across the ice in
stead of taking the time to go around. Our
boat is built skow shape, 30 by by feet,
and all we have to put in her is about four
tons.
"The trip from Skaguay l will now de-
scribe to you. When leaving Skaguav YOU
follow in winter the river till you get to
place called Porcupine and there your
troubles begin, six miles from Skaguay.
The first hill is as bad as "Horse Heaven"
hill only three times as long. Then from
there to the cutoff it is very billy in places.
but not so bad as Porcupine hill. The "Cut
Off is so named on account of going over
the tops of high mountains in summer, but
in winter they follow along the stream.
One mile from the cutoff the timber limit
is reached, and two miles further is the
fort of White Pass, 10 1-2 miles from
Skaguay. From the cutoff it is very
billy for one and one-half miles
"White Pass is like Kerry avenue hill br
sleeper in places and about one mile long,
J then one mile to Summit lake where it is
quite level. Summit lake is a mile long,
then two miles of regular canyon to Middle
lake, nine miles long. When going one
mile down Middle lake the timber limit is
reached. On the other side they call it
( timber, but | call it shrubbery. From tim