The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-01

for the Alaska Commercial Company.
The letter Is as follows:

for the Alaska Commercial Company.
The letter Is as follows:
DAWSON. Dec 2e-Jesse Cochran, one
of the best known sign painters on the
Pa citic coast who made his home at Sc
attic for a number OF years. has just
passed through an ordeal that TO the or
binary man would mean death.
Mr.. Cochran contracted the popular
fever raging along the Coast during the
summer and joined the wild rush for the
klondike leaving Seattle on August 81
and arriving IN Dawson nineteen days
later having made one Of tho quickest
trips on record. He remained i'm Daw-
son only ten days. business calling him
10 Circle City. AT the time he left here
he expected 10 return immediately but
was detained In Circle City until the
river vas frozen over, so was compelled
20 make the return trip over the ice.
He could no, purchase a sled, and with
nothing but jack knife. gimlet and
handsaw he proceeded TO manufacture
one which would answer his purpose. He
succeeded In building a good sled Is inches
wide and six feet long, with which he
made the trip. When he had his outfit
loaded On the sled he found that he had
80 pounds to drag over the ice and snow
Tor a distance of 4eo miles: the mere
condemnation III SlNH an UHIrflAklllk
would stagger the ordinary Individual
but Mr.. Cochran had been reared in n
school which did not know the word fall
ure."
ON the morning Of the 81 Of November
Mr.. Cochran. in company with William
Roberts. Of Seattle. started on their peril
Gus Journey IN the Yukon, drawing their
own sleds For a distance Of 30 miles
they had to break their way over and
through the terrible banks OF ice and
SNOW with which the Yukon ia filled
They encountered two Of the ffercest bi.z-
yards which wire eyer known on the
Yukon. ard il was during one OF these
blzzaris that Mr. Cochran came nearly
freezing 10 death. His forehead was
frozen badly. both Of his checks were
froz-n and he was SO benGmbed that
Re WIS scarcely able to keep awake long
enough 10 make camp aud build ire.
One nieht while the blizzard was raging
,ha mercury registered - degrees below
zero but TO stay in camp with their lin
tied SUNNY Of provisions meant starva-
llon before they could reach their des-
tirasion. ard they were therefore com
PEELED 20 push on
After for;v-slx days Ct this terrible bat
tie with the storms they reached Dawson
mere dead than alive
MIR Cochran Is sevcnty-fogr years 81
axe. has served his country IN both tie
Mexican aud civiI wars. crossed the pla4as
To- California in - amt was in the Black
Hills mining excitement, bn; he says That
the experience through which he has Just
passea was tire worst in his career. Tie
is badly broken In health. and viii 10
6oubt De very feeble for a long time. out
r1atwi1 rs.anasuE all this ne Is very chet =
fal ana saws ne s. st,a capable Of hoii-
imx his ewn in a tight for a fortune.
sir. Cochran says that there are about
tNo hundred people at Circle City. The
rnlnes are turning cut fairly vel averas-
inr ahoas sSa per day 20 the man. and
TIE miners who are thee seem % be sat-
lsfed with their prospects
American rlYsv IS attracting consider
able attention "a that i9cals1y, as some
Gae prospects hare been f0aH1 on that
stream THIS fall and winter, ard quite an
excit.rns ~ IS expected theEe next season
EuEkss cstek promises 20 Dc TIE bannSr