River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-08-04
From Alaska.
UNALAsKA, May 20. 1898

Yukon gold fields finds US landed here |
on these wild volcanic islands, waiting |
for the break up Of the ice in the |
Boring Sea.
When the heavy overland express |
landed US in Seattle after an uneyent- |
full run Of three days across the coun-
try, we settled down to months |
hard work in getting together and
packing our outfit for the next two
years.
After many visits to the leading
houses in Seattle and Tacoma, in
specting the quality of the goods and
methods of packing, our orders were
finally placed and the supervision Of
the weighing and packing apportion-
ed TO different mem bers of the party.
Mr.. Bliss saw to the groceries in Ia
coma, and some idea of the work
necessary may be gathered by remem-
bering that we had one hundred and
forty-one packages, each package
weighing from forty to one hundred
pounds, with total weight Of ten
thousand pounds.
The hardware list, comprising over
two hundred separate articles, includ-
ing all necessary tools, cooking uten-
sis. stoves, sleds, lights, etc, weighed
about two tons.
Tom Brown attended to the pur-
chasing and delivery of lumber and
coal for our little boat, and the writer
selected the clothing outfit for the
party. This included the heavy wool
lens. mackinaws and fur robes That
nv former trip proved to be necessary.
All told we had about ten tons, be-
sides our coal and lumb Der, and when
these were properly marked and de-
liyered to the White Star Docks, we
felt that we had made good begin
ming on our journey
The few remaining days before sail
ing we spent in climbing the steep
hills on which Seattle is located, visit
ing Lake Washington and other
points of interest, riding on the street
cars that race un and down Iil'ss's
SJeep hills at break-neck speed, or
lodging bicycle riders who here own
both street and sidewalk, and who
seem to delight in running down un-
wary pedestrians.
Like all new western towns Seattle
presents many incOngruOus appear
ances. Here is a fine siX-story stone
| building on Second Avenue with an
| Irtshman's tum ble-down shanty on
one side and a vacant lot on the
| other where twenty feet below the
| level of the street the tide washes
| away the otIal dumped into the water.
| A large portion of the business sec
| ton Of the city is built on made land,
| the tide flats having been filled with
| slabs and sawdust and then covered
with gravel and soil from the neigh
| boring hills.
Railroad Avenue is built wholly on
billing: the entire space for several
miles is planked over, but during the
hard times of the past few years TINS
! has fallen into most woful state,
and many a pitfall is awaiting the
careless wandeTer, and more than one
mysterious disappearance might De
| traced to the yawning holes through
| which some unfortunate has been
quietly dropped after being drugged
and robbed of his wealth.
With the millions pouring into her
Ian in consequence of the Alaskan
trade the CITY will, no doubt, awaken
TO a sense of her duty, but at present
she seems to be rubbing her eyes in
| bewilderment as to whether her good
fortune is all a dream or reality.
The ship-building industry, already
large. has received a great impetus on
| account of the demand for vessels for
! Alaskan waters and it is reported that
| more than fifty steamers are building
| in the vicinity of Seattle alone. The
| Moran Bros, the largest ship-buildlng
! firm on the Pacific coast outside or
the Union Iron Works at San Fran
| cisco. have fourteen river steamers
| for the Yukon river in process OF con-
| structiOn near the StetsOn Post Mill.
We met many parties OF eastern
people bound, like ourselves; for the
north and made many pleasant ac-
0uaintances among them. one party
organized in eastern Ohio by the
| Spellacy Bros, we'll known oil men,
| have impressed US very fayorably ana
| we hope to see more Of them, especi-
ally as their destination is the same
| as our own.
we would liked to have secured our
| TRANSFORMATION with one Of the two
old companies established on the
Yukon but when approached with
proposition they refused point blank,
| so among the score of new com panies
with their lurid prospectus and maps
we decided TO cast in our lot with the
| Boston and Alaska Transportation
| Co, who claim to have discovered a
new mouth to the Yukon whereby
several hundred miles in distance
and several weeks in time might be
saved.
Accordingly on the morning Of the
| 9TH of May we boarded the good ship
| BriXham. Capt. Druie in command,
and steamed away for the north, hay-
| ing in tow one Of the Co. s river boats,
| "Gov. Pingree," on which our little
| launch 1.-The Potlatch'' made brave
showing. For safety's sake we took
the inside passage as far north. as
Dixon Entrance. The mild spring
like weather we had enjoyed in Seat
tie accompanied us north and every
one was on deck enjoying the 0eautl-
| full panorama Of mountains, forests
and rocky headlands. At Port Town
send the U. S. Government is making
extensive preparation for any possible
invasion of the enemy's 1leet. Inc
Revenue Cutter "COrwin" steamed
mast us on her way out to the entrance
Of the straits where she was on patrol
duty. We all cheered her and the
Brixham dipped her colors as 'Old
Glory" floated to the breeze from her
masthead, We all felt a thrill OF
patriotism as we watched her out or
Sight and | venture to guess that had
the unpleasantness between Spain
and Uncle Sam occurred a little
sooner, in case of some OF US, our
destination would have been south
rather than north.
The largest party aboard the Brix-
ham was the Vermont Klondike
Mining Co., composed of genuine
Yankee farmers, who rather guessed
it would be hard country on cows.
They have several doctors in their
party. one Of whom (Dr. Brigham) is
accompanied by his wife.
The Dey party of six known as the
triangle d are from Newark, n. }.
The Dexter party, diamond d, hail
from New York. Massachusetts is
represented by the Athol party head
ed by Mr.. ingalls,, who is to make a
special study of the ornithology and
Mr.. Morril the geology of the country.
We have already found many points
of mutual interest with the latter
party and promise ourselves that the
acquaintance begun will not be light
ly dropped. ~
The personnel Of our own little
party you already know. Messrs.
Brown, Bliss and Torrance hail from
Minneapolis while Conrad and my
self try to maintain the dignity Of the
Badger State,
Every morning the first duty was to
glance astern to see if Gov. Pingree"
was following safely, then breakfast
followed by a lively promenade up
and down the deck.
rTIo a f+1, dow yua reached Dixon En-