The Philipsburg mail., 1898-12-02
TRIP TO THE KLONDIKB
A Phi|ipsburger Gives an Interesting Recita
Of His Hazardous Journey.
IT'S ANYTHING BUT A PLEASURE JAUN7
The Boat Ride Down the Yukon and 1T
Tributaries Exciting and Danger
Ous-Many Lives Lost While
Shooting the Rapids.

A letter of unusual interest has been
received by The Mail from former
Philipsburger, who is now engaged
in business at Dawson City, N. ". r.
Although the existing conditions are
described very similarly to what has
been written concerning the gold fields
up north. this letter differs from any.
thing yet received. Our correspondent
departed for the Alaska mining re-
gions not for the purpose of shoveling
in the gold, but to engage in legeti-
mate numbering business, and from his
letter it will be seen that his Judgment
has not misled him and that he believes
Alaska to be all right. His description
Of the trip down the Yukon river from
from Lake Bennett to Dawson will be
read with much interest, and his exper-
fences are related during a period dat
ing frcm the early spring until after
the fire at Dawson in October Follow
ing is the letter:
Dawson, Yukon Ter, Aug. "A, 1898
Editor The Mail: The weather is so
warm and sultry that even writing is
disagreeable work, for, verify, the per-
spiration runs down ones face, even
while sitting still, The sun seems to
have greater effect than July in Chica-
go, and everything grows rapidly un-
der It's influence, except glaciers and
snowdrifts The latter soon disappear
before twenty hours of sunlight out of
twenty-four, but then the rivers grow
mighty and the land mas more water On
its surface than any other part of the
world that | have seen, and it would
be queakirg bog but for the frost
rot far below grass roots, that is al
ways there, and gives it stability l
referred to the heat and long days as
my reason for not writing before now.
When the evening twilight Or "gloam-
ing begins at midnight, retiring to
ones bed is only d make believe, and
many people stop on the streets till the
wee sma hours and First avenue is as
crowded as Main street Butte, is at 7
p. m. Consequently very few people
write, as that is a solitary occupation.
and man is classed among the gregar-
ioys animals, ] think, and runs in herds
or walks the streets in he-ds and drinks
bad whiskey, here-nOt champagne, as
has been reported-and tries to believe
that he is fortunate to be at Dawson,
where there is so much gold, although
he has not seen much of it. The news
papers say il is here, and that is
sufficient.
Before proceeding further let me
suggest that a censorship be exercised
over this epistle if it is worth scan-
ming, and the editor use scissors and
paste pot freely, to condense, enlarge or
embellish, to make it presentabe; and
having accomplished this, ascribe it to
one of the fellows who Went to Alaska.
which many who have left here dis
gusted consider is the same as going to
the dogs.
Leaving Vancouver on the 9th of
April in an overcrowded and overloaded
steamer there was little chance OF it
being pleasure trip, and every one
was well pleased when the vessel
reached Skagway four days later
OF the scenery along the route, it is
surprising that so little has been writ
ten regarding such splendid views. Its
grandeur and BEATTY We're sufficient to
keep the passengers on deck, even dur
ing heavy rain. One object-a glacier
immense and majestic, fixed the at
tention Of all, and field glasses Were in
demand till it was far astern. The
vessel lay at Juneau for several hours,
awaiting a favorable stage Of the tide
to pass the narrOWs, and then raced
through with such strong current
that the can-buoys marking the chan
mel were drawn almost under the
water. At Wrangel - who will say
there is nothing i'll name. The only
trouble occurred owing to confidence
man taking passage for Skagway on
the steamer, which had left the port
fully one hour before the captain saw
and by some means discovered his char
acter and Immediately put the vessel
about and on reaching Wrangel order
ed the shark ashore. He went, I'M
gracefully, accompanied by hoot from
the ships company. The captain re-
marked that his passengers should not
be victimized. During the night |
heard an alarm rung to the engineer;
the engine reversed promptly at full
speed and | felt the vessel touch rocks
gently-not hard enough to break her
plates. did not rise, but number Of
other passengers rushed on deck III
alarm.
At Skagway the narrow harbor and
mountainous shores seem to indicate
that it is safe one, but three large
ocean ships wrecked and on their beam
ends warn mariners to look out for
gales, against which no anchor will
hold
If Chicago" means "skunk's den, !"
as some translate i, Skagway ought to
be named Chicago. There is nothing
interesting or striking about it and il
has now lost it's most notorious resi-
dent-one "Soapy' Smith. 1t is built
on spruce bog-that's all.
l had intended crossing the Chilcoot
pass, but the disastrous snowslide in
the early part Of April, which was fatal
to so many men, etfecoually barred the
way, and reluctantly ] went over the
Whi4a mass T.o0kiop at the man If