The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-10
ROUGH EXPERIENCE
Howell and Mullen Return From
Their Klondike Trip.
WITH THE SCURVY
Too Much Salt Meat Did b Businsss.
Nearly Knocked Then Out-They
Have No Words Of Praise for
tina Edmonton Route.

IAlCudIu flOWSIl anu J0uIct Muilcu.
two of the Butte party that left here
last fall intending to 90 to the Kiondike
via the Edmonton route got back yes
terday not very well pleased with what
they saw Of the much talked Of Edmon-
ton route. Both men show by their
appearance that they had a pretty
rough e~xperince. and neither would care
to repeat the trip. nor woul they rec
ommend the route to people intending to
go to the Klondike.
The party, composed Of Messrs. How
ell. Mullen. John johnson and James
Beck, left here the 23d of last Septem-
Der. When the party left Butte they
journeyed to Edmonton by rail, and
there took teams for Athabasca Land
ing, a distance Of 100 miles, which was
reached without especial incident. There
they built boats and started down. the
Athabasca river. They passed through
the Pelican rapids and reached the head
Of Grand Rapids on October 5, where
they went n camp for the winter. be-
ing unable to proceed further owing to
the low water. They found a deserted
cabin. which they pre-empted and oc-
cupied during the winter. 1t was their
intention to put in the time trapping
md hunting, and did so. but with very
poor success. as the country had been
hunted and trapped out. Still. the oc-
cupation served to fll in the time. and
had not two of the party contracted
scurvy they would have put in a pref
ty good winter, and would doubtless
have gone on in the spring. From eat
ing too much salt food Messrs. How
ell and Mullen become victims of sour
Wy, and IL became necessary for them
to give up the trip and com home.
In speaking of his trip last evening.
Mr.. Howell said:
II do no think that / ought to give
the route a black eye. as we were treat
ed so nicely by everyone we met, and
we met a great many fine people who
showed rs the greatest consideration.
the Hudson bay people especially. but
! would not attempt the trip again, and
i would not recommend II to n
intending going to the Klondike. for the
trip cannot be made inside of a year.
and 1t is a difficult road to travel. as
a great part of 1t has got to be made
by tracking anoes. as they call drag
cling a canoe up river by a rope. Then
the weather gets very cold. and alto
gether the obstacles one must
are too many to make it a good route
to take.
I'VE took two years supplies with us.
and would not have Jared so badly had
we not been taken sick, as we really
enjoyed ourselves up to that time. In
the middle of November Beck. Johnson
and myself started back up the river to
accompany a young man named Fred
Mayweather to the Landing. who had
made up his mind he had enough. and
A., decided to leave his party and come
back. We tracked a canoe up the river
until the river froZe, n then made
the rest Of the distance on foot. From
the Landing we took teams, and went
into Edmonton, and there purchased
some additional supplies We had found
we needed. and started back. On the
way we got our feet wet, and froze
them, and suffered greatly until we
reached the cabin of an old Indian
named Dog Tooth. where we rested up
and got our feet in shape. and We then
went on. reaching camp on Christmas
night. johnson did not return with US.
He decided when we reached Edmonton
that he had had enough. and stayed
there for the winter. j did not see
him on the return trip. but l suppose
he is there yet.
when We got back to camp we found
Mullen. who had stayed there during
our absence. pretty glad to see us. and
after we had rested up and recovered
from the effects of the trip we went to
hunting. and set traps and put i'm the
time very pleasantly until about the
middle of March. when Mullen N I
commenced to experience peculiar sem
sations. Our teeth got loose, and we
had all the other symptoms of sour
Wy. but we did not know at the time
what it was, and we kept getting worse.
until il was only a question of a little
time before we would have gone over.
One day an old miner. who had seen
scurvy. came along. and hen he saw
our condition he told us we had sour
Wy, and gave up very generously OF
potatoes and other vegetables he had
among his supplies. We doctored our
selves as best we could. and by the mid
die Of May we were able TO be out. Our
experience had been such that we con-
cluded not to take the chances that con-
tinuing on the trip would involve. and
we turned back.
I'VE hired a man who was coming out
TO pull us up the river. as we were only
able to walk about a mile at a time.
and by slow stages We ~journeyed until
we were able to make a longer walk.
and we eventually reached the landing
and came home"
Mr.. Howell says the weather got very
cold at times during the winter. the
thermometer registering below 40 de-
not greatly felt. as the air was so dry.
grees for long periods. but the cold was
When Messrs. Howell and Mullen de-
cided to give up the trip. Beck made
ARRANGEMENTS to go on with a party oil
Englishmen, and remained behind. Mr..
Howell says he was pretty glad to ge'
back to Butte. and that he thinks he
will stay here now.