The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-09
LEFT ON THE TRAIL.
THOUSANDS OF DAWSON LETTERS
sAlD TO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED.

III eho BCehter pdrt OF the distance
Along the trails by river and lake and
mountain pass from Dawson City al.
most to Sheep Camp the course of many
weary footed caravan is marked by
bits OF paper which have come from
letters that have been torn to pieces.
30 says Andy Christensen and some of
his fellow travellers of Albina, Or.
Christensen and few friends came out
a short time ago. Christensen makes
the positive assertion that thousands of
letters from people ON the Yukon never
reach their destination. To receive a
letter from Dawson City, they say, may
be accepted as piece of good luck.
There are lots of places on the
trail, " said Christensen the other even.
ing, where you find quite pile of pa
per in shreds. An examination shows
that they are letters which have been
destroyed wholesale. They have simply
been torn up and thrown away, but you
can ascertain that they were letters in
tended for mailing at Skaguay.
mo, it is not vandalism, but de-
spair. OF course there are many miners
around Dawson who never expect to
hear from home, aud these men will
never know that their friends or rela-
tives never received letters sent them.
The missives are started in good faith,
and the man going out agrees to put
them in the Skaguay postoffice, but when
he Is struggling on the trail nearly dead
from exposure and fatigue, hurt by ac-
cident or anything like that, the situa-
ton resolves itself into question of
life or death for many traveller. In an
emergency he goes into his pack and
throws away everything he can possibly
throw away-probably leaving nothing
but few provisions and his outfit. Co.
ing over the passes and lakes, with their
attendant perils and difficulties, is too
much for 80 out of 100. They simply
give up. 1t is crucial test of strength
and grit. The few that pull through
know what it means.
"Couriers leave Dawson City with
great packages of letters, fully intend
ing to carry them through. On the way
they give it up in despair, and so, to
prevent the letters being found and
read, they are torn up or burned. When
] came out, was told of it. Dozens
have tried it with this disastrous result.
"a man can get $3.50 or 50 for
bringing letter out or taking one in.
At this rate there is big money in it,
but few undertake 1t. One fellow at
tempted it in December. A hundred
miles from Dawson he met with an &C.
cident that disposed of the question as
to whether he would see the coast till
spring or summer.
There is government mail carrier
who is advertised to make the trip from
Juneau clear through once a month, but
I give you my word that be had not TAX
en- out any letters from Dawson in No.
ventcr or December. These stories
about newspaper couriers and others
who make quick trips out am inclined
very much to doubt altogether. From
my experience in that country believe
these letters about Dawson City are fax
ed in Sheep Camp cabin or near the
head of the lakes and then sent out AS
for ourselves, had we advertised our
start from Dawson we could have had
all kinds of offers to carry messages. In
Alaska all man wants to think of car
rying is q piece of bacon, blanket and
a pick.
lake the experience of Thad Vree-
1ond,c ,,avfv fpr incfanca That cbou,o
what you must contend with. There
were but two partners. They had dogs
and sleds. Vreeland fell into crack in
the ice and went in over his head. The
dog followed him. By miracle Vree-
lands head came up at the right place,
and his partner pulled him out of very
dangerous place. BY the time Vreeland
was ON the ice again his clothes were
frozen stiff, and he was nearly done for.
AS the sled had remained OH the ice his
partner quickly lighted fire in the
for fire always being
laid beforehand-and cut and tore off
Vreleand's wet garments on the spot.
vreeland was nearly stripped in an air
where the thermometer registered about
% degrees below zero. Part Of their out
fit was lost. If the stove had gone in, it
might have been all day with him. Aft
er that they lightened their packs.
81 met men who had made trips over
the trail times without number. They
said the fact that letters were destroyed
was not unusual-in fact, that under
was had by the parties. The
guides who agreed to try to carry q
package Of letters accepted the money
for the service, but said that if it came
10 q pinch they would throw them
away. On this basis of chance do the
Yukoners conduct their correspondence
with the outside world.
~ should not be surprised If the
would be just as delighted
10 receive mail and papers as food,
which Is said to DO short there. They
nave had no mail since last August.
The only news they know is by word
rom incoming people. - Portland
Evening Telegram.