The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1898-04-23
WOMEN STRONG AS men
They Are the Sort Seen on the
Trail.

Trail.
AS USEFUL AS THE sTERNER SEX.
Work They Do-They Have Quite ~
Much Courage as Their Husbands and
Moro Hope-Like the snails.
tFrom Our Special Correspondent.]
LAKE LINDEMAN, March ~.
Like snails, we carry our houses on
our backs, but we envy the snails their
easy housekeeping. Every one says the
first camp is the hardest on the green
horn, go Twill tell about our first abode
In the wilderness at Sheep Camp. We
landed in snowstorm. Every availa-
BILE spot in sight was occupied by tents
or piles Of goods where they had been
dumped by their owners. The people
who have oamped for a summer outing
know. nothing Of camp life on the trail
in winter. First the snow must be SHOW
eled away, tent poles cut. logs hauled
for the four sides and nails driven in to
hold the stay ropes. Then boughs must
be cut to be laid on the snow before the
sleeping bags and blankets are spread
down. There is ~ insomnia along the
trail. One is too tired at night to long
for spring beds or clean sheets. The
hard ground and warm blankets bring
the sweetest repose possible for mortal
man, or for woman either.
In the morning new complications
arise. The air is biting and frosty. The
water which was dipped up through
the ice from the river in the canyon the
night before has frozen thick, and it
must be cut with hatchet for use in
making the morning toilet. jChe camp
stove is to be put up and wood chopped.
The latter is green and wet, and it re-
quires bit Of ooaxing before it will
take fire. Nothing short Of q lighted
candle and thorough drenching In
kerosene will induce it to give blaze.
By this time the appetite is sharp
enough to eat anything, whether it be
raw or cooked. Sacks and boxes are
piled In the snow where they were left
by the packers the night before, and the
article most needed is usually at the
bottom Of the pile. Our first breakfast
was oornmeal mush with diluted con.
densed milk, pilot bread and coffee
without sugar. This bill of fare does
not sound tempting, but it tasted as
good as the best meal ever had.
An Elaborate Dinner Menu.
Here is the most elaborate dinner
menu We have had thus far:
Fried ham.
Dedicated potatoes and onions
Hot corn bread.
Rice pudding with raisins.
Black coffee.
It was feast fit for the gods. Blessed
with the sharp appetite that this noun
tain air gives, we sigh not for home
dainties and long not for modern ouli-
nary conveniences. A sack for seat, q
box for table, no servants to bother,
no Disappointing dressmaker, no dust,
no worry as long as the provisions hold
out-who can ask for more novel ex-
perience? The chandelier which gives
me light to write this is tallow candle
in a discarded tin can, suspended by q
string from the center Of the tent. An
other empty tin can bent into an angle
makes an excellent funnel for filling the
oil stove. When we discard our five
gallon oil can, some one will out off the
top, boil 1t in soda and use it for wa
ter bucket. Empty tin cans are also used
for Yukon stove legs.
Women Strong ~ Mon.
I have not met as many of my own
sex as expected to. Those whom I
have seen are quite up to the average in
intelligence, character and modesty.
Their husbands are in most cases with
them and they are as ambitious to make
themselves useful and do their part as
are the men. In tent adjoining ours is
woman who is using a orosscut saw
and az to provide firewood for the stove,
while her husband packs their goods
piecemeal along the weary way. The
woman seems to be as strong as q man
and she is certainly quite happy in her
work. A Swedish woman of unusually
strong physique is assisting to pack her
own goods. We passed her with sled
upon which were at least 400 pounds Of
provisions. The men stopped their own
work to admire not only her courage
and physical strength, but her hand
some face.
II think, the women, as rule, have
quite az much courage and rather more
hope than, their husbands Whethep
either quality be we'll founded time
alone will show. One reason for their
cheerfulness is doubtless owing to the
fact that they accompany their loved
ones, while most Of the men have left
their. wives and children at home. This
1pafatioh Of families is far more try.
ing beoause Of the uncertainty and in-
feaueeaniGGy Of the @ails Few men here
now have heard from home since they
crdsjed tile Ohilkoot,i and trey have lit
tie reason % expect letters under at
Least three months. This no doubt. is
sometimes the cause of discouraged argo,