Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-01-21
The Mysterious Klondike.

Mr.. Editor: The numerous and incesss nj
accounts OF the rush to the Klondlke" seem
to be a striking confirmation OF the asser
ton, THAT the last shall be first and the
first last" That is, ii the accounts are true.
Until about year ago, all reasonable peo-
pie were ready 10 conclude that Alaska
next to the North Pole, was about nothing
Even the innocent writer effervesced untold
abuse against a certain Administration for
the purchase and payment Of seven millions
Of dollars for the boundless snow and gla.
ciers of Alaska. The papers, if we can be-
lieve all they say about the KlOndike, would
have us believe that the civilized and en-
lightened portion ol the United States in.
habitants would soon be transplanted TO
Alaska.
When very dminutve boy, your cor
respondent, through the advice and encour
agement OF the "big boys" took some very
exhaustive expeditions to or toward the end
OF the rainbow, in order to capture the pot
of gold that was, Enthusiastically, buried
there. If the boy could have reached the
rainbow's terminus he would undoubtedly
have got his pot of gold, and the same thing
can be said Of the North Pole and the Klon
dixie. But o, 1t is the getting there
Pollock says something like this "Gold
many hunted, fought and blcd for gOld."-
Then why should the boy be blamed for
rushing for pot OF gold at the end of the
Iainbow2
don't believe there is any gold in the
X londike believe this howl about the
Kondike gold was raised by the industri
Gus and useful women of the country TO in
duce good for nothing, lazy, nusanCcal
husbands to get frozen to death and thus re-
lieve them of the burden of their support
And now, after these honest women bad,
like Saphlra, deViated Oustifiably) in or Ter
TO get rid of their miserable membranes,
the government OF the United States is going
to bring them back. Why didn't the gov
eminent let them die in Alaskan am sure
that if they had frozen in Alaska, their poor
wives would not have had to pay their funer.
al expenses You say that should pity
the deuded gold hunters. NY sympathies,
sir, are with the industrious, tOiling, loving,
heavenly women 1t does seem to me that
MIR. Mckinley and his cabinet don't love
women at all.
There are some things about KlOndike
that "Y" don't understand. One fellow says
that when ne fed down the Yuken his way
was INSTRUCTED by running ice, and the Their
mOmeter stood seventy one degrees below
zero. What kind of water il there In the
Yukon that flows under such temperature
as thaL2 What kind OF Il thermometer Is
used to register such IA temperature? The
thermometers used in Alaska must be diff
lerental thermometers, AS another fellow de-
cares that his thermometer has shown but
six degrees below zero thus lar
repeat il, don't believe there is any
gold in the Klondike. Those men who
showed their thousands OF gold were only
the abscondiDg bank deiaulters who sneaked
TO Alaska to enjoy their steaings, got frozen
out, returned and made some people believe
that they dug their gold In the Klondike-
They dug il out of a bank, and then "dug
out" for Alaska.
We are almost afraid TO say anything
about the passes in Alaska, for fear that
some of the gold hunters may get offended,
as a neighbor grew furious over our com
ments on the Comus Pass, made in the Sem
tiysei few weeks ago. There are the White
Pass--a very appropriate name at this sea-
son-and the Skilpot Pass-spelled little
different from the Russian--but the Skill
pot" Is very slow reptile and hated OBJ
ject 10 every boy that ever bad one TO re
move from fish hook.
Now, the woman who runs millinery
on the Skilpot Pass contends that that is the
best road, as she wants To get all the bon
nets TO trim. But the man who runs a
SPEAK easy" on the White Pass says that
pass is as smooth and level as Pennsy vanla
Avenue, while the pot Pass beats 10
roughness the Rockville and Georgetown
turnpike. We believe that the woman is
right The Skipot Pass is the better.
Comus, Jan. 9, 1893 Y.