Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-19
A WHITE SHEEP HUNT
STRANGE CANE OF ALASKA BAG-
GEp FOR THE FIRST TINE.
Mr.. MaIterner's Trip to Cook Inlet
and His Adventures I'm Search of
the Rare Animals I'm the Mountain
ous Region There.
ous Region There.
Canton On. y Letter.)

, pursued more difDrent kinds Of big gam
than Mr. Siias No Malterner, whose HON
is in this little Adirondack town, thoug
most OF his time is spent In following tn
trails Of the wild Northwest. Malterner
huntsman of the old school. who ha
followed the chase for more than twenty
FIVE years, purely for love OF It. lie ma
lust returned from trip to Cook Inle'
Alaska, undertaken year ago, In searcl
of the white sheep Of that country, which
no white man had ever succeeded in bag
ging.
IT was during trip through Oregol
! that Malterner heard of the famous Alas
kan white sheep. Coming to him through
the Indians, the stories at first appeare'
to have little foundation, and nine per-
sons out Of ten would have passed then
| over as legendary, an example Of the Ter
| tile "big talk of the northern red men
Not so with Malterer; the prospect,
vague though It was, Of being the frs
| white man to secure specimen of so rar'
an animal appealed to his love Of ad
venture. Two facts rewarded his inquiries
among the Indians and the Few whites
who had heard something concerning the
subject The first was that the white
nesses of Alaska, in the neighDornood OF
Cook Inlet a region 80 difficult or access
that even the natives themselves seldom
hunted them. The second TACT was that,
although seen by a government ofnclal
professor Dalls) during his trip to Cook
Inlet, not a single specimen OF the animal
had been obtained for mounting, nor dld
any of the existing natural histories con-
tain a comprehensive account OF TINS Pc
culiar variety of mountain climber.
Resolved to obtain one or more or the
sheep. or TO prove their existence but an
other of the many Indian rabies MATER
ner went to Sitka preparatory 10 pushing
further north into the mountains or Aas-
ka. Fortune favored him at the outset, for
. in Sitka he found Professor L. L. Dyche,
= OF the Kansas State University, who had
heard OF the white sheep, and had gone 10
Alaska 10 obtain, if possible, specimen
for his collection. Joining forces, the Two
proceeded northward TO Cook Inlet. Tho
success which attended their efforts Is
told by Mr.. Malterner In the following
story, the notes of which he maze whHe
on the trip: ,.,r.
from Sitka on the steamship Dora, we
reached Tyonic, 7e0 miles north. and stu
ated upon the Turnagain arm or COOK
Inlet. Here we embarked In a nshing
sloop for Knik station. solitary trading
post 125 miles southeast from Iyonlc' ana
lying near the base Of the MOUNTAINS IN
which, we were informed, the sheep were
to be found. Remaining for two days at
Knik, we procured the services or an IN
dian guide and, taking such provisions
as were required for the expedition, EN-
barked in his canoe for our DESTINATION
the plain lying at the base OF the hnlk
Mountains.
Fifteen miles from the station we
in shore that we might pitch our tent
for the night, and on the following morn
ing begin the tramp across the plain to
the mountains beyond. Through my grass
the elevation appeared plainly before mo,
a range Of sombre mountains covered
with patches of snow and ice, scanned
with assures, rock ridges, and belts OF
of timber 1t was 4 O'Clock in the after
noon when, having tramped Tor hours
through the tall grass q the Level plan an,
pressions we reached the timber me-
which ran parallel with the base or the
as far as the eye could reach
We were completely used up Dy the eAeI-
tons Of the day, and at Dyches sugses-
ton that we 90 into camr / threw down |
my fifteen-pound pack with sigh or re-
lief. Not so our Indian guide. He point
ed out to us that yet another tWo-nour |
tramp was necessary 10 bring us TO a |
point whence the feeding ground or the |
sheep might be easily reached in the |
morning IL being our purpose to gain a |
position as far up the mountain as posi- |
De so that at daybreak we could begin
he hunt without miles of walking ana
climbing before us.
Making our way through the belt OF
imber, we continued climbing upward, /
he slope becoming more and more pre-
,ipitous, until ii lay at an angle OF forty
i've degrees. The Indians two hours
stretched them selves into double that |
lumber and II was close upon darkness
When we reached a small plateau, less
han fifteen feet square, but which afford
d sufficient room for sleeping-place.
"As we rounded the rocks which flank
90 hGlf oil fqr |
he mountain drew our attention. Look
ng in the direction from which the noise
anne, L saw a score of white animals |
INNING along the rocky ridges 1000 feet
boVe our heads; they were the famous
heep of the Knik mountains, who gaZed
or a moment upon us in alarm, then,
8king 10 their legs, vanished among the
istant boulders. Exhausted by the days |
ramp, | slept soundly until morning,
, awake stiff with the cold, for the wind
ierced my blanket like knife. and the
rst light revealed the mountain side,
% feet above, covered with a thin layer
f snow. which had fallen during the
light.
"Arousing my companions, / set about
taking preparations for ascending to the |
pot where we had seen the sheep on |
he previous evening. Dispatching a |
asty breakfast, we started on a tire
,me climb of 1900 feet, which brought |
5 within sight of the quarry, but so y
IT away were they still that it was I
clock before we reached a rocky ledge
ON which the Indian said I've would ]
'obably have the chance Of getting n Z
Tot at them. Wishing 10 hunt alone, s
asked Dyche and the guide to 80 on I
fore, and / would make for a point ,
me forty rods to my right, where ii
emed to me Il shot could be obtained.
i've minutes later l heard the report
the Indians gun; this was followed by $
QDH 1g.glrf Inn h.. |
IT, along the dangerous edge OF which
was climbing. / could see a sheep roll Il
& headlong down the steep declivity. Z
Half an hour later came upon a herd | =
the animals grazing among the rocks ,
feet below. In order to get a
tier view and satisfy my curiosity, / a
swung my glass and, lying fiat upon the p
ound, watched them for five or ten 4
nutes Then L started on once more, (,
lowing the narrow path along the face a
the cliff. This, my first experience in y
Q hunting ground OF the Alaskan sheep, '
Is the most dangerous / had ever en- +
So steep and slippery was the c
tn / followed that il became necessary | 81
remove my shoes, and In many places | X
lere the cliff fell In a sheer descent Of al
ing on hands and knees, dragging my | i'
Il after me. To add 10 the danger OF | n
; situation, the rocks which / was "
'oed 10 clutch for support crumbled be- a.
ath my hands. At times bank OF fog :,
uld sweep down from the mountain =,
}. completely enveloping me. Then no. "
ng was to be done but to exercise pa al
noe, for with ones eyes blinded by Al
mist step might be in the right di- II
tion, or, what was more probable, over G.
DreGipice. =,
When the shadows lifted, a view came a.
ich would have made any enthusiastic pc
er of nature wild with admiration
what nature thisl It's beauty and
ny. derived from icy crags. a limitless