The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-02-17
MAN FOR HIMSELF.
THE SELFISH OLD PRoVERB
GOES IN KLoNpIKE.
Pettr Meanness aud CFusity-Ns One
Trusts = FsiieS-BsinE -Aa Existence
which RrlnEs Out the Worst That
IL In .HamAn nature.

Nobody who has spent the winter
In the Klondike will ever want TO try
II again" said Thomas Harmer 90 a
Denver Republican man. THAT In. un-
less he has a certainty OF making
enough money to partially repay him
for suffering hardshlps such as we're
never endured In any mining camp on
earth before" Mr.. Harmer went into
Alaska two years ago. and says that he
left there last August never 10 return.
Il would not go back there and remain
Ave years for s250OOO." he continued
When | speak OF suffering. do not
mean actual bodily pain or
sickness. because think that
II n man goes there pre-
pared AZ he should and abstains from
excesses no can keep in reasonably
good health. but TO live during the win
ter season In those close cabins and
see the horrible selnshness and cruelty
OF human beings toward each other,
the result Of the rush for gold which
many Of them, even after they have
secured Il do not hesitate TO throw
away, Ia enough 10 make one lose all
faith In the fitness Of men TO live on
the earth. When ! was coming out !
saw men refuse a nail or the Use OF
an Ak or even the use Of tin cup to
men who were IN need Of these tribes.
Every man there seems 10 be- afraid Of
his fellows afraid that they will steal
something or have better success In
hndlng gold. spent last winter from
september TO April with eight other
men. We having gone together 10 save
labor In keeping warm. Each OF us
had a claim or part Of claim. and
went out every day that the weather
was not too cold 10 work our claims
In melting the frozen gravel We nearly
always found one or more nuggets In
the dirt. but during the entire eight
month"; that We worked together / do
not remember Of single occasion
when one Of MS Acknowledged that he
had found any gold. Each OF us had
a buckskin bag which was carried on
the person. and the ingenuity Of all
was taxed 10 the utmost TO devise some
scheme whereby that bag could be con
cealed from the rest There was no
stealing In the camp A man caught
stealing would have had a rough time
OF u. but every man seemed TO think
that every other man wanted 70 stall
from him. and ! do not think that a
single one Of MS knew WHERE any other
man carried his gold. ! remember one
night lying awake and seeing ave men
OF our company at different times put
ting away the nuggets found during
the day. and In every ease after putting
them In the little buskskln bags they
would thrust the bag under the blan-
kets. and could So from the FUN
bling that they were conceallng II
about their persons We always had a
man sitting mp 10 keep the fires. and
the men were afraid that h. might So
where they put their gold There was
no absolute cruelty but the total In
difference 20 the welfare OF others that
characterized everybody was simply
horrible. was In the cabin one day
reading. with two men. one OF whom
was sick. the rest being At work. The
SICK man had a terrible cold and fever.
and asked one Of us 10 hard him a
drink. The other man went over "a
the buckle, In which We kept our melt.
ed snow. and. with the remark. There
Is no more than ! want myself. drank
Il all. This. 81 course. was exception
ally brutal. but there were many In.
stances almost a. bad. Every man Is
for himself, and many Of them are "a
constantl.' thinking % their gold that
they become insane. or partially 40.
came out with one man Who was 40 ~.
cited over about 10000 worth Of gold
that by the time We got to san Fran.
cisco he was almost an idiot. and II
was with dihlculty that We could In.
duoe him 20 deposit bis gold In the
bank and 80 10 a hotel. There Il plen.
~ Of gold there. and think more field,
will be found. hu, all man Il likely
10 get will not pay him Tor the horrl.
bic experiences he Is called upon "a
endure. was not particularly lucky
though I brought out enough to pay
me fairly well Tor my two years In
! 49,. h..l 10 L ~ ..-mr.A - 40 10.