The age-herald., 1898-07-31

l OOA Oolu hiiiHS COHupdHy ol luS Clty. Their travels from the time they left Bir- | mingham until they reached the summit of Chilkoot Pass have already been told l in the Age-Hera1d. The letter is from Will Ansley to his brother, H. L. Ansley, in this city. The writer does not say what | happened to the party between Chilkoot | Pass and Tagis Lake, but it is supposed | that the trip was an uneventful one on sleds through the snow fields to the lake, where they built their boats The letter l is in the form of diary, az follows Down the River in Boats | Sunday, May 29-A strong wind is blow | ing out of Windy Arm and the ice is melt | ing and breaking up fast About 100 boats l on other side of the lake arc caught in the | ice, where they were trying to go down along the shore, where the ice is melted. | We have our boats nearly completed now. Tuesday, May 31-Got everything loaded and left at o'clock. Meyers and Mercier took their places at the oars and looked after the sail while I controlled the boat by regular rudder connected with wheel at the bow. There was a very good wind and 1t was not necessary to row. We have 2x6 inch slab nailed from one end of our boat to the other and it will take hard blow to puncture the bottom. We named our large boat Birmingham Ala.," and the little one "Lottie Viola'' for my little girl. Had a good wind from Takoo Arm and the Birmingham, Ala," being a fast boat, we ran by several boats that passed us whie we were rowing. A great many large rocks stick up out of the water, but we have passed them all right Arrived at Tagish Post and had to have our GUS tom papers stamped and the boats and con- tents inspected by the police. There are about 1000 boats here After crossing the "Chilkoot I went back to Dyea and bought GOO pounds more of provisions as we heard no one would be allowed to proceed with out ,095 pounds each. We have since learn ed that this was a "Klondike Lie" gotten up by the merchants in order to sell their goods. The inspection was farce, but we were delayed nearly twenty-four hours by it. The police get tips and consequently do not examine the boats in their turn They are making great deal of money out of this rush. Our boat was finally given a number.
 & June 1-After a great deal of kicking" we got our boats inspected about 12 o'clock and left. We tried to land in Mud Lake but the boat stuck into the mud 200 yards from the shore We ran across the lake and landed at point about half way down. Mosquitoes were so thick we could scarcely breathe; we named this place Mosquito Point.
 June 2-Left Mosquito Point at 2 a. m. and found ice jammed about two miles be- low and we had to wait until noon for the river to open. We then rushed through the broken ice and reached open water. We struck Thirty Mile river at two D. m. and wanted to stop and wait for wind, but this river is so crooked 1t would take a whirlwnd to blow down it, so we had to row all the way. Wanted to make the can- yon today, but had to stop for supper. We caught some nice fish coming down the lake.
 June 3.-Around a sharp bend in the river found large StOpk in the sand Boys forgot to row while looking at it and we drifted on a sand bar also. We put on our rubber boots, got out to push the boat off and our boots got full of water up to the hips. This is a bad river. We ar rived and made a difficult landing one mile north of the canyon. We should have gone one mile below Tramway Cabin and landed on right side of the mouth where an eddy affords good landing place, but We didn't know of this place. Walked down and had a look at the canyon. Meyers is very scary and can't row in dangerous water for looking to see what is ahead. He will take our pictures we shoot the rapids. Pilots here charge $25.00 for taking boats through the canyon and White Horse Rap ids, in all distance of about four and half miles. They charge higher for boats that draw more than twenty inches as the river between the canyon and the rapids is studded with rocks, and sand bars are very numerous. A person has to be very
 
 to pilot boats safely through, for to lose control of the boat for an instant means the loss of the boat and contents and per haps your life Two men were drowned in White Horse Rapids Friday and two in the canyon Sunday. Boats are going through very close to each other and some times they run together Others 'shoot the rapids" as they call 1t, so I think I can too. We turned the little boat loose and let her shoot the canyon alone, for o,,tf f0x., fl, ,% with steering. Got through the canyon safely, but it is too late to go through the rapids today.
 Shooting the Rapids
 June 4-This morning Mercier said he didn't believe he wanted to take the trip, and took Meyers off with him to see about l.'portaging' the stuff around the rapids. But they were unsuccessful and Mercer came back to make the trip with me, for I had determined to go 1t alcne if necessary. We fell in with man whose partner had deserted him who agreed to help us. The wild trip then began
 You have read in books the vivid descrip- tions of shooting the rapids of the St. Lawrence and of other rivers, how great rock looms up directly in front of the boat, threatening certain destruction to the unfortunate craft and its unhappy occu- pants, but the pilot by skillful stroke, turns the boats head, the rock is escaped
 
 raising adventure a few hundred yards further on. Well, that's what happened to us. However, we got through safe and landed about two miles below at o'clock at night.
 I wanted to stay and pilot boats for few days, as I could have made $100 per day at it, which was a Klondike in itself, but the others wanted to go on. There is a large rock above White Horse, the top of which is about level with the water A great many boats are wrecked on it, al- though the river is about 200 yards wide and the rock is only about two or three feet across, but seems to be very sharp, as it splits the boats open from end to end. great many people have been drowned at this rock. I really enjoyed the three trips through the canyon and two through White Horse Rapids. Any one would that likes excitement. If anyone will be sure and strike the canyon straight and in the middle of the stream, they will get through all right. Our boat was strain ed little coming through the rapids and sprung a leak. l swapped our dog to some