The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-22

uamn, with extras, they would have |
understood and said a bigger damn
with lot Of extras more, and we would
have parted good friends. This shows
tnat at the present time they have their
choice and why they don't improve it,
its bard to tell as next spring will be
their harvest, if ever, and later on wag-
es here will be higher
The wharf has come to a standstil
for some time. but hear to-day that
they are going to commence on the Goth
OF this month with a day and night
shift and push it right along. I think T
shall try and set on the night shift,
so can make eighteen hours a day and
Will not have to soil one of my silk
handkerchiefs wiping the sweat off my
brow. 1t would be like the washerwo-
man on one of those cold days at home
when the clothes freeze dry. That's
the way the sweat from honest toll
would do on that night shift.
There is not as much wind break ON
those tide flats as you would get behind
New York dudes cane. It's a lovely
place, but this dock would be noted for
one thing, at least; they will have to
long to get out where steamer could
land freight-Dyea miles, you know. 1t
will have to be an immense long wharf
and will cost a pile of money! Tt Is
only started now and has cost, they
claim, $6,000
A man from Salt Lake City named
Kenney seems to be at the head of the
work. He has, so they say, spent all of
his money and now he. is looking for
suckers Oishing, you know, and he
has got them, too, for he has the sweet
est talk of them ALL If they could only
| find big quartz mine near here, this
! side of the pass, where there will be
! two or three feet of raging torrents
next spring. in freshet time, and they
! think it a bonanza, too, and the gold
| strike we had the other day, this has
all gone forth to the world (namely,
| Seattle).
There is a canyon right near us
about four miles long. It's something
grand for scenery and owes it's source,
apparently, to an immense glacier We
We're up there two or three times, more
to pass away time than any other rea-
son. Did not see a color of gold, nor
scarcely any formations that would in
4 dictate any.
| The other day report went forth
that strike was made there at the
head of the canyon. Well, such a
rush, and they staked 1t out from head
to foot in twenty acre placer claims in
little less than no time, and not a
sign of gold has been found there
either. To hear them talk about their
gold mine would make mule laugh.
They will want to sell them, too, and
will fish for suckers. Anything for ex-
element. I suppose they must do
something besides sleep and eat.
And now few cold facts about the
weather Ono pun meant here) In Seat
tie last August and September there
were such terrible reports and heart
| breaking letters about the incessant
rain and mud on the trails. This / be-
lieve, and it blasted the hopes of many
a poor fellow, besides running the health
Of many. and the same thing is likely
to occur next season. AS near as can
find out from the Indians and others
that know, it rains about all the time
| here on the coast for several months;
but then these reports went on and
said thousands would have to winter
\ all along the trail, and many of the
poor fellows would suffer great hard
ships and freeze in their tents, and find
4 a nameless grave and a lot of other
4 bosll like this. In October, when we
came up, lots of the pilgrims were re-
turning to Seattle on every steamer,
and they, or at least some of them,
said there was two or three feet of
snow at Dyea and Skaguay.
Some OF the prospective Yukoners at
the hoted where / stopped would listen
to these stories and fairly turn pale at
winter; and their tales went from Seat
tie all over the states.
4 Well, / did not get too much fright
ened and started with my two part
ners for Dyea. I expected when / got
there to find a lot of more snow and
thought 7 would have my shovel all
; handy and expected to have to clothe
myself like a mummy; did not know as
, it would do to leave my nose out even
Well, we got there and found just
about such weather as you find ir
New London at the same time, an6
up to the present time we have had less
j, than four inches of snow, and the cold
est we have had was the three days
have already spoken of. The thermom
eter registered the coolest day four de
grees below zero. We got here abou
!, the tail end of the rainy season an(
had few days of it, Now the fact is
that here on the coast of Alaska the
Japan current gets in it's work the sam.
as below us on the Pacific coast and
the winter here is just about the same
so far, as at home. We may have il
colder here at some time during the
winter, but only very short time. The
winter is the best time to live here
and barring the lack Of room between
tent and a house, never lived more
| comfortably in my life, and both o.
may partners are wearing about tn,
same clothing all through as they have
worn all summer. The wind down tn.
river off the mountain is the most dis
, agreeable thing, and one working gu
in it has to bundle up a little warmer
No one is freezing nor dying nor suf
) fering very much unless they come vi
) here without anything to eat, or plac,
! to live in, as few do, trusting to lucl
| for job to provide for themselves
. l will tell what I know about tn,
Z trail as far as I have seen it, and from
IL L