The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-20
MINNEAPOLIS NEWS.
COLD AND YET HOT ENOUGH
FOR THE MEN WHO BRAVE
ALASKAN PERILS
Burt Van Antwerp TOfIing by Day
and BurrOwing in the Snow by
Night-Meeting All Sorts of
Hardships in His Trip Across the
Rivera Shot at Alaskan Liars.

w. ]. Hughes, druggist at 300 Contra
avenue, Minneapolis, has received a lettel
from friend Burt Van Antwerp, of th
city, who started for the Klondike. Feb 16
His story of the hardships of the trip should
be enough to cool the ardor of any would b,
gold seekers who are anxious to woo forum,
in the far North The letter follows:
Camp on Glacier, South Central Alaska
March, 27, $685. W. ]. Hughes, Mime
apo,is, Mimi. Friend Hughes: AS I am not
as tired as a horse tonight. will write you
line. l say horse for every one here
works like one. 1t is pack or pull from
morning till night. We have had 20 inches
Of snow since yesterday, SO much, in fact,
that we did not work but two hours. Then
it blew gale down this canyon. The
mountain Is 5000 feet high and snow slides
all day, and the roar can be heard as
write this.
The steamers dump the people on the ice
a mile from. shore; then they have to haul
sledges into piece of timber and pitch
their tents ON 10 feet of snow. Some peo
pie dig hole in the snow, and you can
hardly see them till you get close to them.
There is not horse or COW here, but three
log shacks where s4uaw men live; the bal
ance tents. ---'
We had a pretty tough time at sea. The
ship was lost nineteen hours. We were
sick and, you bet, they treated us like a
drove Of cattle. mush, soup, nnush
soup; still the people come. The steamer
FdiGHCe uEftdu6Q oOU pass SuSerS mere. 1 ney
stopped Gown the bay and wanted to IN
load them there, SO they would have to
hire a small beat to bring their gods here,
and then charge them four cents a pound
But it did not work. They got together
in body and told the captain that they
wanted to be landed at Valdss. He then
came to time.
He ran his ship as close as he could.
launched the small boats, loaded the goods
and passengers in and waded through the
Ice cold water, push, pull, any way. They
have been four days unloading goods. Tons
Of 1t was lost at sea. In sixty hours they
shot and threw into the sea seventeen hors-
es and twelve head of CATTLE They had to
do 1t, for they were loaded on the bow and
the ship rolled so badly that sometimes
she would wash and sweep the deck MY
experience In coming here was more ter
rib.e than 1 can tell you in words. 1t
storms so much AID is SO bad on the
gIaciers, and blows very hard.
This is the way glacier is formed. Take
valley from one to four miles wide with
mountains from $500 to 5000 feet high.
Then turn loose river and fill up the val
ley:> Let it freeze. Some of it will melt
and break off. and then more water to
NIL up the bad place, so 1t leaves it rough
to Climb :, IN places: | have noticed on the
Is on the Ice East when it goes out In the
spring.; So. that IS a glacier.
Will tell you more as l advance over It,
l have gone but ten miles so far. Five
miles OF 1T Is gradual slope about like
the bridge slope on Main street northeast
to Central. Some of it Is very bad 1t makes
man smoke to walk and carry himself.
though 1t Is not as bad as pictured. The
beauty OF this country Is that it Is not so
cold. We pack from so to Is pounds Some
try to do too much. You can see them on
the trail, get warm, pull off their coats and
set on them, then they sleep with the cold
WIND blowing over them. That is what kills
them off. This is how 1 work it. When
I, get cold l., or warm keep on my coat and
keep on the move. l am standing it well
and only have light cold.
man by the name Of Oakdale, of Mar
snail Mimi. died here. He was a Mason.
and 500 of them turned out to his funeral.
lE said he wanted to be buried by them.
him on hand sledge. They dug through
the snow to the earth and made quite a
nice looking grave. L. R. Murphy, of
Sleepy Eye, MIMI. was shot accidentally by
that wasn't loaded. There are lots of Min
nesota people here and lots of them are
leaving every day.
By the way, I saw the Pacific Steam
Whaling company's ticket agent here the
other day, and he was here for a purpose.
strike that has been made. Now, let me
tell you, don't believe anything you hear
about this country, for there is nothing
good in it. And another thing, Copper river
Is 135 miles from here; in Minneapolis 1t
was only 35; at Seattle it was 80 When
there is a strike made will advise you as
soon as possible. There are lots of strikes
made in their heads by the wheels So
you can bet that from an honest and truth
full friend you'll get it straight
1t does not come so hard with me as it
would come on others, for they say | am
small. That is true, but l do a little and
stay with it.
Burt Van Antwerp.