The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-10
Lou and ST Regret Having Made
Their Plans Public.
ONCE THEY ENJOYED LIFE
But Now. Since 1t Is Known That They
Are Going to Klondyk g, 1t Is One
Continual Round of Terribles
and Horribles.

I
venes between the first announcement
! of departure and the actual sleave taxi
/ ing. The lives of these two good men
were quiet and peaceful until the Stand
| ard informed the public of their pros
| pective departure for the gold fields.
! They knew no trouble and no care.
| Life was one grand, sweet song and
| dance vfor them and they enjoyed 1t
| from early morning till their decent and
! respectable hour for retiring from the
| toll and labor of the day. They ate reg
! ularly and their meals were not dis
/ turbed. They were able to devote their
| working hours TO their legitimate du-
| ties and were not annoyed. When work
was done they could meet with friends
! and enjoy an hour or two with nothing
1 to mar the pleasant converse. In short,
theirs was happy life, indeed. They
/ had no cause for complaint and they
made no complaint. Health, strength
and happiness were theirs and they
/ enjoyed the splendid possession with
out any question. They had no kick
/ coming.
| But. in an evil moment. they decided
! to go to Alaska and to leave this Ar
! cadian existence that had been theirs
for years. They presented their resig
/ nations. which were accepted with re-
greet. and thus the matter became pub
I lie. 1t was then that the troubles of
| the two began. From the quiet. un
ruffied existence that they had led pre-
! vious to this time. their lives were
! changed into a continuous chain of an
| noyances and Vexations that gave them
| an insight into the woes of a newspa-
| per man. Not an hour of their time has
/ been their own since the public became
| aware of their plan to go to Alaska.
! AS soon as they arrive at the store in
the morning. they find waiting for them
line of men and boys with sugges-
| tons. requests. advice. counsel, bar
gains, companions and all sorts OF
! things to offer. They cannot escape,
! and they are compelled to face the
| music. AT first they evaded the throng
| of nuisances by entering the store by
! the back door. but this was off after
| day or two. for the crowd divided into
! two parts and each door was guarded.
! AS soon as they dispose of this first
| mob, the women begin to arrive and
! they stick as close as the men--that is
all that makes the thing endurable.
| When they leave the store to go to
| their meals they find people along the
| street lying in wait for them. While
they are eating they are visited by those
who could not get away at any other
! time. you know" and on the way back
| to the store they are obliged to run
the gauntlet of another horde of dog
| owners, miners. prospectors, anxious
parents and other necessary evils. AT
scores of callers and. even after they
| have turned in. they are aroused by the
knocking at the door of somebody who
has missed them earlier in the day.
! The worst nuisance that they have
4 is the men and boys who have dogs to
! sell. Ours that have heretofore been
| considered worthless. even for sausage
meat. have suddenly become valuable
and are worth from IS to $50. Expe-
rience in harness cuts no ice. A dog
| that can pull even a bone possesses a
phenomenal value in the eyes of these
men with dogs to sell. Color, age.
! length of hair. size. strength, breeding
+ all these cut no ice with the statesmen
4 of the dogs. Anything that is dog is
! Just what you want. and so cheap.
This thing has gone on till the boys
are in danger of hydrophobia. At the
/ sight of a dog they become nervous
and their friends are fearful that they
will not be able to endure the strain
unless some means is discovered of
abating this nuisance.
Next to- the dog owners come the
friends, who have to discuss the plans of
4 the travellers that are to be and to offer
advice and suggest improvements. Then
comes the inevitable expression OF opin-
ion as to the wisdom of the change.
4 This man thinks they are foolish, and
| this one says that ii is the best thing
\ that they could do. This woman pre-
ulRlS llial iutS VIII hIt anu AiiiS 'iiN
that she wishes that she We're only a
man so that she could go with them
I This discussion all takes time and nerN-
4 Gus energy. and both could he used by
the gentlemen to better advantage on
/ the Stickeen river trails.
Then there is the anxious father OF
/ mother who has a son in Alaska, no
! particular location being known, 10
4 whom the fond parent wants the boys
/ To take few hundred pounds of pro-
( visions and clothing. Some one else
wants them to send the first nugget
that they find as souvenir and token
/ of affection. and this with gold at from
! SIS to SIS an ounce. Men who We're in
the stampedes of early Montana mining
| call to tell the noyices what supplies Ia
take. Lyon started to keep list OF
what he was told to buy for his pack
but he stopped when the total weight OF
the articles suggested had reached 234t
pounds. AS to clothing and blankets
they have received advice that is SINH
lar. 1t would take a railroad train tc
carry all that they have been told tC
be sure to take.
Lyon was just dropping Off To sleeI
Friday night. after a day unusually full
of annoyances. when there was loud
knock at his door. He did not answer
thinking that the knocker would &
away But he did not size up the situ-
alton correctly. The knocking con
4 tl0ueu I'LL the occupants OF otnel ioOIfls
in the Hammond block began To pro
test and then the coming Alaskan mer
chant prince left his downy couch anc
went to the door. clad only in his nigh
shirt and an angry frown. At the dooi
vas a woman and boy. At the sigh
of the female Lyon added to his attir,
modest blush and asked what wa;
wanted. The boy was pushed forward
He was a nice boy-at least his mother
said he was-he didn't look il. He wa
big and strong-at meals. His expires
sion combined the look of a sheep ano
that Of load of hay. He was ambi
tious. his mother said, and wanted L
go To the klondyke. Would not Mr.
Lyon take him along with him. HI
would be useful and would not be muci
trouble To him and ii would please tn,
boy SO much. BY this time Mr. Lyoi
had begun 10 realize that his modes
blush did not afford much protection
from the night air and he cruelty shu
- 4 ha I'll inf n his he'd