Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-19
FROM DAWSON CITY.


FROM DAWSON CITY.
Thirty-Three Days on n Beaten Path
in the snow, $50 Miles Long.
From the Kansas City Star.
F. A. James of Clinton, Mo-, passed
through Kansas City six months ago today
| on his way to the gold fields of Alaska.
This morning he sat in the lobby Of the
Midland Hotel, and as he toyed with gold
nuggets he talked about the Klondike and
Dawson City. 1t was a fascinating story,
made realistic by the clink of the little
pieces of gold as they fell against each
other
MIR. James arrived in Dawson City on Oc
tober l. with party of four men and left
there on December ID with another party
Of the same number. They walked over
the snow and ice from Dawson City to
Dyea, distance of $50 miles, in thirty
three days. Then they took the steamer
Alki for Seattle. arriving there last Tues
day. The news he brings is therefore the
latest from that part of the world.
The rush to the Klondike country has
begun said Mr.. James. THE trail from
Lake Bennett to Dyea, a distance of
twenty-eight miles, is now almost a con-
tinuous line Of tents. In some places there
are canvas towns. The people are moving
SLOWLY, SO as to reach the gold fields by
the time spring opens. Then there will be
suffering. Most of the people who have
gone thus far have had some experience
in land like that. but when the clerks anu
business men, who have spent NOSE Of
their lives indoors, strike that climate and
attempt to cross the path there will be
death.
''All the way from Dawson City to Dyea
the path is tramped down. For over 300
miles We walked on lakes and rivers, frozen
solid. The thermometer was 10 degrees be-
low zero most of the time In the middle
of the short day it rose to 40 degrees be-
low. Aid yet the old settlers in that
country call this mild winter We car
ried our supplies on two sleds. drawn by
seven dogs, which l bought from a friend
for S4I5-a great bargain. The price of
dogs up there ranges from 500 to $3.50. We
had stove with us. and when darkness
settled down we laid some branches and
twigs on the snow, set the stove over them,
put up our tent around it and built q fire.
We Travelled twenty-eght days and rested
five on the way. We met hundreds of peo-
pie going in, most of them just starting"
From what Mr.. James said there is no
rlobability of any one in Dawson City
starving this winter, ard, though food sup
plies are limited, he says there is enough
there to last until the river opens up and
the boats arrive in the spring, if 1t is used
economically.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Their
n ometer is from 80 to 40 degrees below
zero in Dawson City, there is no rest there.
Every one is working night and day. The
days are now six hours long. the light COM
ing on about o'clock and darkness setting
in between = and o'clock. But the work
of taking out the gold goes on when it is
dark just the same as during the day, and
people do not sleep any longer than they
have to. The amoung of gold being taken
cut is enormous.
Just before l left Dawson City" con-
tinued Mr.. James, "a friend of mine asked
me to come over to his claim and wash
out a pan. His hole is about twelve feet
deep, and when l reached the bottom i
picked up a double handful of gravel,
washed it in a tub of warn? water. and
when / lifted my hands out of the water
just so worth of solid gold lay in them.
Then L washed out one pan and it weighed
S535. 1 found several large nuggets on my
claims. one worth $50. These l sent on to
my wife in Clinton"
How do you stand the intense cold?'
'tOh. we dress in warm clothes. We wear
extra heavy wooden underwear and wooden
suits. Over all this we put on what is call
ed Parkie, Queer-looking garment made
of bear skin or other fur. which has much
the appearance of the fur coats the grip
men down here wear. The main difference
is that the Parkies have hoods. On our
feet we wear moccasins, and over them
sealskin shoes. 1t was pretty cold some
times while We were coming over the trail
to Dyea, and that trip is one that will test
the strength of any man in the world.
Without the little dogs it would be almost
an impossbility to accomplish it. They
are wonderful animals. Four of them can
draw sled loaded with Loco pounds, and
if you could see the steep grades, covered
with ice and snow, and the jagged hills
they have to draw the sleds over you
" ould marvel at them. Then, as soon a
stop is made no matter what time of day
or night it is, they lie down in the snow
with their feet under them and their tails
over their noses and go to sleep. When
they are called not one of them will get up
until the leader rises Then they jump up
10 be harnessed, and start out with de-
termination that might well be copied by
some men.
Life in Dawson City this winter has
been mostly work But men are never too
busy to indulge in little pleasure, and
after a good days work little groups come
together in the saloons or the log cabins
and discuss the latest find the rich
strike that Niger jim or 'Dedway Dan
made last week. The best of order prevail
ed in the place while 1 was there. The men
are too busy to quarrel. While two men
are arguing over some trifie two more men
may be taking out several thousand dol
lars, and ii there is any place in this world
where men are made to realize the value
of time it is in Dawson City. And there
are so few women that gossip is scarce.
and people have little else to talk about
other than the gold and the proyjsfons