The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1898-07-28

Dyea, Alaska, Correspondence New
York Press: When ta.a pilgrims of
madness put on a have front
they do not in the loaat deceive
the agents of the three or four
nrst-class steamers that ply be-
tween Puget Sound and Alaska. II
you offer an agent a deposit he spurns
1t. He is too busy, he says, to make a
note OF such details on his books. He
ask you either to pay for the ticket in
full or else he will reserve it for you
on your word until three days before
sailing. If you do not appear then
why, there are others who will be glad
enough OF 1t. If you complain that the
steamer is late, that you cannot afford
TO spend a whole day waiting to have
your baggage checked, he ~scornfully
tells you to transfer your patronage to
other steamers, which demand large
deposits and never sail at all. AS he
you fairly in the eye you know
that you are beaten, and you admit as
much by your actions.
Our steamer was billed to sail on
Wednesday. By Friday morning the
agent had written in pale chalk for the
benefit of the passengers an announce
ment that she would sail on the NOR
row at 9 a. m. By daylight Seattle
was witnessing the customary sight of
300 passengers seated upon their lug
gage waiting for it to be checked. Be
hind them was a long row of teams
loaded with belated freight and sides
of beef.
At 8 o'clock two men began the work
OF checking. They were energetic, but
independent, ordering that the long
canvas bags which the pilgrims use
instead of trunks for the more personal
portions of their outfit be taken into
their staterooms. Well might a fat
passenger with five or six such bags
ask where he should sleep. The bag
gageman did not take time to reply
but hurried away. After the baggage
came the dogs, led by or leading the
pilgrims who owned them, and the
sides OF beef, which were hung from
the ceilings of the decks in such mum
oers as to impede the opening of the
stateroom doors. Alaska must be fed
Inc the fresh meat for it's increasine
white population is additional freight
which the steamship companies care
for in an original manner.
once all things animate and mani
mate booked for passage were aboard
the onlookers, who have come IN fin
pier out of curiosity or for sadder rea.
sons, closed around the gangwav. b,
common accord the alread,
called "Klondike widows" get into tn,
front rank. They look up into tn,
confident faces of the men on the deck,
above, murmur "Good-bye!" and watcl
the vessel until it is far out into tn,
stream, until handkerchiefs becom,
specks and specks are blotted ont
There is shouting, there is cheering
there is glamour, and to follow-th
wait of six months, a year, perhap
two years, without regular mail com
munication, for the outcome Of a haz
ardous venture, ending perhaps in un
heralded death holding it's secret il
the mystery which heightens miser,
with fiuttering hope and fear for montl
on month.
Not a few pilgrims are leaving fami
lies at home ~unprovided for'unless sue
cess should almost Immediately re
ward their sacrifices. The wives ar
pilgrims of madness at heart as well
They cannot resist taking a chance a
the luxury attendant upon wealth. Blu
the infatuation is not limited to tn
poor and lowly alone. Just before tn
gangplank was pulled up the wife of a
ex-governor passed me a letter for he
husband, who is neal Circle City. Sh
had not heard from him or he fror
her for three months.
That night the steamer lay at tn
pier in Tacoma, and the chug-chug
chug of the donkey engine taking O
ton upon ton of outfits hammered tn
sleep out of sensitive heads until
o'clock in the morning. At Victori;
B. c., an already overloaded hold RI
ceived still more freight. Every bert
was taken and the capacity of tn
steerage had been increased by a pre-
cess of crowding which admitted of n