The Dickinson press., 1898-04-02
Our Alaska Letter.
EIsvea Former D-icaiasoaaaas Reach Dyea
FreM Jsaeau cad Set Ont For Sheep
Comp. Jerry Helps the Party to Lend at

Comp. Jerry Helps the Party to Land at
Dyes.
EDITOR. PREss:-At last we have
reached Dyea, the Mecca of all the pill
grims, the gateway to the golden Klon-
dyke! Our party of eleven North Dako-
tans came up from Juneau or the steam
er Wolcott, Saturday night, March II.
Upon arrival here the next morning, we
found it toe rough to land in the small
boats, 70 remained on the boat and went
back to Skaguay, intending to come over
on the ferry in the afternoon. When we
reached Skaguay the wind was blowing
a perfect gale and we had to climb a
ladder twenty feet high, from the deck
of the Wolcott to the top of the wharf.
UP this ladder l crawled, with the gun
and my satchel strapped on my back
and my umbrella in my hand. The first
person l met at the top was Jerry Hayes,
who exclaimed, al he grasped me with
both hands and dragged me up onto the
wharf, "Well, Mrs. Cunningham, you'll
do to go over the Chilkoot pass, all
right" He had watched my progress
up the ladder with great %edifcation, no
doubt, and had recognized me instantly,
in spite of my Yukon disguise. We had
a general hand shaking, as the rest of
the party came up and then we all start
ed OF to see the city. Skaguay is a
much larger place than Iexpected to see
all new, implanted wooden buildings
and the mud a foot deep in the streets.
Through this we stalked stolidly, u
rubber boots and short skirts rendering
us impervious to a little thing like that.
When we stopped at a restaurant for
dinner we lost track of Jerry; but in the
afternoon we went down to the wharf
again and saw him on the deck of the
little ferry, yukon" Instantly we de-
cided to 60 to Dyea on that boat; and
then ensued a spirited pantomime, in
which we %gesticulated and brandished
our arms wildly, while Jerry pranced
madly back and forth on the deck of the
little vessel, lodging into the door every
other minute to confer with the captain,
and then lodging out and shouting unin-
telligible information to us on the other
side. The issue at stake was, would the
captain leave the float and come over
after US, as we couldn't reach the boat
any other way. 1t finally seemed that
he would, for he steamed over alongside
the Wolcott, where we all rushed down
the ladder again, across the deck and
fell over the railing on the other side,
into the arms of the interchangeable Jerry,
who was waiting to receive us. So USE
full did Jerry make himself on the boat
that the strange passengers respectfully
addressed him as Captain" under the
impression that he was running the boat.
We find Dyea much the same as Skag-
uay, a rambling helter-skelter mass of un
painted, new buildings, except that the
streets are dry and sandy here. There
are outfits piled up everywhere, men,
dogs and teams throng the streets night
and day, and everybody seems busy and
cheerful. Our outfits were unloaded at
Skaguay and lightered over here the
next day. We haven't been able t o get
them unloaded yet, as there are not men
and teams enough to handle the freight.
We are staying at the Palace hotel, and
if the immortal William were here he
would exclaim, "What's in a name?'
more than ever On the evening of our
arrival here we were shown to our
"rooms" on the third story, two perfect
ly dark, 7 by 9 dens with two hunks
built in, one above the other, like a state.
room. These hunks contained some
very dirty blankets and pillows guiltless
of cases. This comprised the entire fur.
niture of the room, except a board shelf
in n corner on which to set the candle.
We procured some hot tea and ate from
our "grub-box" In our room, Mrs. Cana
van, Charley and l sitting on the edge OF
the lower bunk, doubled up like jack.
knives and Willis enthroned on a pillow
against the door. 1t was quite a saving
of grub, as, owing to our doubled ur
positions we were unable to eat as much
as we otherwise could. The satchel con
tanning my toilet articles was accident
ally left on the ferry, so l crept into my
bunk that night attired in a ~Aannelettt
wrapper and my Klondyke hood. tn.
latter worn partly for warmth and part
ly to protect my head from the accumu
lation of dirt which gave strong evidence
Of much former occupancy. But these
are only minor incidents and are a nee
essary part and parcel of this great ane
glorious rush. We watch the men drag
ging their sleds through the dry and bare
streets up to the river, from whence they
sled their outfits to Sheep Camp. Al
that we have seen look determined anc
hopeful, but we hear, every day, of PEG
pie selling their outfits and going back
We are going to have our outfit taker
to Sheep Camp tomorrow, and Mrs Can
AVIAN and l expect to walk up, The dis
lance is sixteen miles and we have tt
start at five o'clock in the morning ane
keep up with the teams. At the presen
rates, it costs two cents per lb, to Sheer
Camp, three cents from there to tn
Scales and two cents from the Scales Il
the summit. Our party tomorrow vii
consist of Mr.. and Mrs. Canavan, Messr
Kilmartin and Dan Brislin, Willis ane
myself. Messrs Jim Mcdonald, Null
holland, Kember, Little and Dan Nc
Donald are shedding their outfits up tn
river. 1t will take a little longer, bu
there is no doubt but they will get then
up there all right, as hundreds of other
have done and are doing the same thing
A man was murdered for his money, tn
night before we reached here, and hold
ups are of nightly occurrence. But sue
things always happen in new, crowded.
towns and l should think Dyea is n