The Dickinson press., 1898-04-16
The ARGoNAuT OF 1898
He Is Honest, Frank, Simple
and Generous.
HIS HOPES AND HIS STRUGGLES.
Fesrs Il Little IAwlessnsss Along the
Trail, and the Gold Seekers Are Syn:
pathetic and helpful One 70 Anothei.
Some Amusing Incidents.

Trail, md tho Gold Seekers Are 6yue
pathetic and Helpful One 70 Anothss.
Some Amusing Incidents.
rFrom Our Special Correspondentl
SHEEP CAM, March 81.
Let me give you some impressions
concerning tho personality Of the gold
seekers who are now pushing their way
but, oh, 80 alowly-into the interior.
I have talked with hundreds. learned
their history, listened to their hopes and
fears and in some cases have been the
recipient Of condolences that It would
not be right - reveal.
The genuine argonaut Of 1898 is a. q
rule honest, frank. simple, generous,
temperate and obliging. In at least two
cases out of three he halls from west Of
the Mississippi and has had more or less
experience in mining life. What strikes
me most impressively is the tender. al
most childish heart that beats In his
rugged breast.
II have left my wife an little girl
to go away many times before" said a
sturdy six footer to me yesterday, ian ]
always held up until this time. but !
broke down an cried like q child when
I left home to come out here. When my
little girl saw it, she jest yelled, but ]
had to break away an leave her" And
his strong frame shook as he turned
away to hide his honest face. .''But
want to get some money to take my
wife back to Scotland to see her old
father an mother" he continued, after
a pause, ian, by thunder, I'll do It OF
I'll never go back aliver"
One of the passengers who came up
on the steamer from Seattle in the steer.
age told me he could hear the men sob
in their hunks near him at night.
Tho Other Side.
But there is amusement as we'll ii
pathos in this experience. recall an
instance of q Boston man who is out
here to study life and character as he
finds it. He is one of the kind that hal
a penchant for Stunning and is real
" a fine fellow. Before he left the States
on the steamer he told me with modest
pride and mild enthusiasm that he had
engaged to go In the storage, but from
choice solely.
II want to imbibe the atmosphere Of
the hoi p%olloi," said he in choice Bos'
tonese. land I think it will more than
balances the discornforts and hardships
Of the uip."
We had not been out two days before
I met him among the saloon passengers.
CLOVIS this?" I asked. "Have you
got steerage atmosphere enough al
ready?"
"Oh, yes" said he. 1T was simply
awful being down there among the
dogs, the mules and the horses. The at
mosphere was a little more than ! could
stand. I'll 90 hrst class the rest Of the
way"
Here at the camp discouraged men
are selling their outfits at half price
every day and going back to their
homes.
just a word in passing concerning
the reports about stealing and outlawry
on the trail. I have thus far seen abso.
lutely nothing Of the kind, and there ia
very little drinking Of intoxicanta. The
camp is literally strewn with goods at
every hand:s There are no locks or keys
or any one to watch them. They are ap-
parently as secure as If they were in the
vaults Of a safe deposit company! True,
the punishment would be summary and
severe If mi were caught pilfering, but
whether the absence Of thieving is due
to this more than the inherent honesty
Of the argonauts I know not. I merely
state the fact. A little later in the sea-
son and farther in on the trail, when q
lack of forethought or some other mis-
fortune breeds want or perhaps despera.
tion, the situation may change.
In one instance only has thieving
been reported. In this case the two
thieves were apprehended before they
had made way with their booty, and 9
half dozen men started after them. One
fred back twice at his pursuers, ani
finding escape impossible turned hi
pistol at his own head and killed him
self instantly. The other was caught
and it was decided to give him 10(
lashes. After receiving II blows on hi
back with q knotted hemp rope some
one interceded in his behalf. He wa
then ~plaoarded with the word thief
and turned back toward Dyea, ster1
men Watching him until he had disap
peared from view.
The spirit Of mutual helpfulnes
abounds everywhere. II 1t be wood tina
is wanted, there are several pairs O
strong arms and keen Q ready to sup
ply it at any time. When q tent is Il
be erected, assistance oar always b
readily found. And, by the way, it /
no easy job to put a tent up In four fee
Of snow when the wind is blowing A
miles an hour and the ground 10 frozel
as hard as flint.
I am waiting for some Of our good
which got sadly mixed up; ~in'transit Z
Dyea, but I expect my next letter viii
be dated from the other side the pasa
A. a. HUI
Tho Necessary H.
A query in the Paris edition Of th
New York Hera1d aukino - Tho 4 /;