The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-04-29
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Bennett, B. c., April Attn. 1895

Bennett, B. G., April 4th, 1898.
Editors OF the PIoNszR ExraEss:
Just got back from Dawson City yes
terday, and have to start right back to-
morrow morning, so you see they don't
give us much time for rest. am so
hardened to it now, that walking or ruiz
ming all day is just the same to me, and
do not mind it any more.
policeman just brings in word from
Dyea Pass Of snow slide, and thirty
three persons have been dug out so far,
and only one alive. Snow is coming
down SO fast, that everything is being
covered and tents broken down.
When we left Tagish post about fif-
ty-five miles from here, you could look
up the trail and see an endless stream of
people, and when you got to the turn
you could look up and down the lake
and see another endless stream of crazy,
foolish people. am drawing it little
strong, but in three hours travelling we
counted about two hundred outfits, with
from three to five sleds propelled by
dogs, man power and sails. Those out
fits represent good many men. The
wind blows very strong from the south,
and sails are very good. Some have skis
on, and stand in front of the sled and
steer it with a gee-pole. had all want
ed of a gee-pole, Ipretty near froze hand
Id IS <1,a
time, and very roughly too, and would
pick myselfup badly bruised and shaken.
have such dislike to it that will not
try to describe it to you. We got rid Of
them as soon as we could and put Stats
on our sleds, which was great inprose.
ment.
We had very hard time going down
to Dawson, we almost froze to death.
1t was very cold during our whole trip.
Our first severe cold night was 63 below
and we slept out without tent that night.
In the morning thought would freeze
starting the fire. The next night it went
down to 70 below, and it was blowing
little that day, so when you exposed your
face, it would be blistered as though you
put hot IRON on your cheek. We all
got bit more or less. Coming back we
had lovely weather, but very dangerous
travelling, owing to air holes in the ice
on both sides of the road, and twice we
broke through, but got out with only our
feet wet. dread tomorrow's trip as the
ice is getting bad at the mouths of the
lakes and rivers.
Dawson City is study for an artist.
A person going in there in the spring
stands good chance of getting some
thing good 1t was quite lively when we
were there, though we were told it was
quiet and dull. went round for two
nights to some of the saloons, gambling
dens and dance halls, but as we have
had no pay since on the force we did not.
blow ourselves. Drinks were free to all
mail-carriers and good many took adj
vantage of it and had some pretty good
loads on board. Bill of fare reads, tea
and coffee 50 cents cup, doughnuts rs
cents, cut of pie IS cents, sardine sand
witch Is cents, beef steak 81, whiskey
glass full OF beef tea so cents, SIG for one
pound. Everything is paid for in gold,
you see no money in circulation. A per-
son comes in, sets down to the table,
puts down his bag of gold and receives
few chips and starts gambling. When
he gets UP from the table with his gam
bling propensties satisfied he gets slip
of paper with his losses marked down
and his bag of gold which he takes over
to the gold scales and has his loss weigh
ed out, and when he receives his bag
back with several hundred dollars the
ess, you cannot see that the size of the
bag has been diminished. did not see
anyone leave the table winner. One
man won $4,000 in few minutes but
lost it in less time.
There are quite number of good
claims, but not as many as reported;
there are about one hundred good pay
ing claims. One of our boys went out to
see some of the claims and was shown
two large plates heaping full with large
nuggets, and was told that they only had
few left as the rest were in town for
safe keeping. Another had ten-pound
lard pail filled with nuggets picked from
the hole during working hours. There
are few more like these, enough to
make person eager to start in and
work for himself Food is not as scarce
as reported; the police live very we'll and
are in good spirits and most of them
have three or four claims on tn. best
creeks. sometimes wonder if the in
ducements are sufficient to warrant
person in risking his life for the few
thousand a person can get out with.
When you consider how much you short
en- your chances for long life think a