Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25


piled up ice and to stretches of open
water where the river runs rapidly.
Thus thsy wait for tho ice to break
up on the lake. As they wait they
spend their not very precious moments
in conjecturing whether it will go out
in three days or three weeks. We rath-
er demur to their statements that 1T is
useless to try to cross Lake Lebarge just
now, and they reply by saying that If
there had been even the slightest chance
of getting through they would not have
waited in many cases for month, eat
ing up their precious provisions when
there is so much to be gained by rushing
on However, we resolve to make the
attempt and our start is not only watch
ed with interest, but it spurs Others up
to follow US.
Partners Who Quarrel and Separate.
This question of starting or remain
ing has figured so prominently among
argonaut partners that it stirs up some
foolish quarrcls. In ono case l see two
men who have the appearance of pos
sessing ordinary good sense and intelli-
gence fight like demons simply because
| two of the party of four wish to make
the attempt to 20 on and the others de-
sire to remain until the ice goes ont of
the lake, claiming that the start now
will be too great risk.
Il have got my provisions in so far,
| said one of tho two combatants after
| they had been separated, land l can t
! afford to lose them now. "
AS it is impossible to effect recon-
citation, tho crowd of gold seekers
| quickly form circle about the two
men, each tells his ia e of woe, and tho
matter Of division is settled by COM
mittee. i dislike to report such ca SEES of
physical encounters and personal quar-
rels, because to an outsider it can but
reflect upon the character of those who
come in here, but it should not be for
gotten that such cases are rare and arc
not any more frequent than might be
expected, considering that many of the
men are worn out with the self imposed
hardships Of their journey and that
partnerships i'll many cases have been
formed hastily. l have really seen a
dissolution of partnership over ques-
ton of no less "pith and moment" than
as to who was eating the most bacon.
But we resolve to go on over the lake
or on the ice, or both, as the case may
be, oven tlaugh it be IL difficult under
taking. In some parts of this sheet of
water of some 40 miles in length the
ice is four feet thick, and in others it is
not four inches. and there are great
stretches of open water here and there
!, near the shore, the season being at least
II 10 days earlier than usual In some
places we must use AK and pike pole &c
get through, and high rubber boots arc
IN absolute necessity for the purpose OF
wading. Beginning with where we
start, there is narrow channel of wa
ter near the shore, and through this We
carefully and slowly pull the boat until,
after getting around IA bend, we find the
way INSTRUCTED by thick ice which
must be cut and pushed out of the way
Wading in the ice clogged water up tC
ones middle to clear q passage for tho
boat is not decidedly pleasant occupa
ton, but / have yet to experience the
least i'll effects from practicing 1T.
Over Ice and Through Water.
In some cases part of the load mus
be removed from the boat and portrayed
along the shore to point where thu
way is easier. Thus we "plod our weary
way" not homeward, like Gray's tray
eler, but little farther from home
Finally, after some eight or ten miles O
progress, we come to place where TIT
ice is apparently in good condition ant
strong enough to bear our entire boa
and ontflt. Then we unload our good
upon the ice, drag mp our boat after
good deal of Juggling, place it upon fou
sleds or sleighs, making crosspiec
for the two front ones with rud
swivel, so that the vehicle may b
turned easily if required, load up an
start across the lake diagonally. w
have not gone half mile before we ar
confronted by crack, or assure, in tn
ice about foot wide, then space c
ice about five or six feet wide, followe
by another similar assure running pal
allei to it. We hesitate about crossing
The ice is apparently two feet thick c
more, but there is weight of four {
five tons to be put upon it, and IT we d