The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-20
To The St. Paul Globe.

To The st. Paul Globe
DOUGLAS, Alaska, Feb 10.-"A dis
lance of 300 miles, over tremendous
obstacles, and with many adventures,
I have just carried a consignment of
letters from the Dawson miners to
their friends in the outside world. 1t
took me two months and eight days to
complete the round trip, which I claim
is the longest journey made by any let
ter carrier in the service of Uncle Sam.
I have grown to love my adventurous
life with its attendant perils.
'I started on the trip I speak Of pos
sessing the essential qualifications of
good health and plenty of backbone. My
first trip into the Yukon dates from
June, 1894, when, with the assistance
of boat and a long pole, / made my
way up the Yukon river. [ came out
in September. The summer of '96
spent at Cook Inlet In the winter
left Juneau with the United States
mail, which consisted of 1,643 letters.
On a small steamer carrying about sew
enty-five passengers 1 was taken to
the head of the Lynn canal, a distance
of 100 miles. We could not land on &C
count of the low tide, so spent the time
in Skaguay bay, four miles from Dyea
landing.
1.-THE next morning we sailed for Dyea
and landed on a scow, which my part
ner, John Brauer, and 1 got to the
shore by means of poles. We were
then in the strangest situation that
in. Many days journey away from us
was our destination. Between it and
us was q wild stretch of country where
habitations and white men were almost
unknown. Indians, there were, how
ever, and Of the right sort. We en-
trusted our priceless freight to the care
of the natives with instructions that
they take 1t to the spot where canoe
navigation began. Then, with a sheet
Of canvas between US and the weather
and stars, we made camp for the night.
The next day we continued our trip.
Three days travelling by canoe on a
difficult and dangerous river followed.
An icy wind blew in our teeth, and we
shivered beneath our furs day and
night, as, taking turns at the pole we
pushed our way up the river. We had
been warned by the Indians that we
could never make the trip alive, but
we pushed on, and reached Lake Lyn-
dernan on the fourth day.
Here we were ferried across to the
head of Lake Bennett, where we bought
boat, and proceeded down the lake
With fair wind, of the usual icy favor,
1r1 T. 1+,y
six miles long, but we made the trip
in four hours and thirty minutes. At
p. m. we camped for the night
1--WE were tired nearly to death with
our severe eXertiOn, and, although the
wind hOWled around our fimsy can
vas sack covering, and storm Of
sleet and snow battered down on our
shelter, we slept the sleep of exhausted
men, Indifferent alike to disturbance
and danger.
1.-The next morning, with the binding
snow still beating down, we started to
cross another lake. The wind fortu-
nately was in our favor, and we sail
ed over in splendid style. On the west
side q river began. This river is fifty
yards wide, with a current of three
miles an hour.
after considerable effort we reached
land and camped for the night at the
head Of White Horse rapids, two miles
below. The whole of the next morn
ing we spent in guiding our boat
through these rapids with the aid of
ropes and poles. Then we continued
our journey, reaching Lake La Barge
at o'clock in the afternoon.
This was one of the worst obstacles
that we were called upon to face. La
Barge is thirty miles long and ten
miles wide and fierce winds are a
feature of it. We well knew it would
mean trouble for us, but we had no
way out of it. 1t took us the entire
day to cross, the only incident being
that, as we pushed off from the bank,
an enormous brown bear waddled
down and gazed at us with the air
of one who has lost a good thing and
was just beginning to realize it.
Passing Five Fingers Rink rapids,
Stewart, White and Sixty Mile rivers,
we landed at Dawson, where we stay
ed until o'clock the next afternoon,
delivering our mail. Dawson is To-
Gated at the mouth of the Klondike on
a marsh, which makes it very un-
healthy. Money and whisky is found
In abundance. Those going in this
spring must expect to prospect for
something new, as all the claims are
taken up around the Klondike; but the
country is large, and undoubtedly
there are places just as good on the
Yukon.
1.-THE following day I started for
Circle City alone, 800 miles below, Only
three white people did I meet on the
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