Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-04-20
ON THE WAY TO GOLD FIELDS
lewis hier Writes OF Ills Experiences
Ehroute 10 Aiaska-The Stories of Con
aihons are Greatly fxaggerated-liy-
ing Is Not Excessive or UncomfortabIe

49,, DYEA, ALAsyA, March e.. lsQs
AS TINS IS sunday and ase are WAITING "a,
our goods to be unIoaded ana; serted at III
VIII Improve the time in writing n iel WI,
SNOW now we are getting along, / Will fell
Spu apont our trip up this far. We left home
nialC " on, went 10 summer, Iowa visited our
relatives there and had a very nee time linen
Mehi 10 MlnneaDolis, bought our clothiny
o m..,t, ana left there March 9th for Tacoma,
washington, where we arrived rho 10Th W.
hau very pleasant trip across the stars
nrluay night we were stopped on Ton az the
SS IA ., mountains TO wait for the track 10
% tI.treu OF a train that had been wreaIxad
IN q .unnel, a short distan "a ahead W.
STAYED there about four or Ave hours. When
~ got daylight We all got of the cars ana
wen Wen. up the mountains on the snow, which
WIS ABOUT hNe or SIX feet deep with crl,st
hard enough to walk on The tunnel is abo,1t
Two miles through Ii is lighted by eIectric
Ny, there - some fine scenery along the
anything green in the line of vegetation was
IN the western part of Montana There the
road runs through very pretty valley and
i saI LAS ass AM fall grain were green and
dragsing and seeding. There is also some
very pretty scenery through Idaho and
washington. Spokane Falls in Washington,
IL Ilae incest town we passed at least it
npokeu SO from the train. We remained in
Tacoma, saturday, and ran DOWN into Gem
traliia In the evening. That is fifty miles
SCUM South OF Tacoma Stayed there with our
PACK TO Tacoma. bought our groceries and
hardware, and boarded the steamer ss(Jitv
81 seattle March 18th, reaching Seattle in
the afternoon the same day, where we were
until the next evening at six O'clock The
next morning we woke up and found our-
selves In Victoria, Van Couver Island The
wharf Is about one and one-half miles from
the main town, where we all had to get our
miners license before we could mine In Brit
lsh territory. Victoria Is q very pretty
place. IL seemed peculiar to have It cold
N fHna Il -
full OF flowers in full bloom. The next Mace
OF Importance we landed at was Vancouver
Ihat Is also a good town. After stopping
there three or four hours we started an our
Journey and arrived at Juneau March %
That ~ great town. Streets are Just wide
cHnueh Tor two teams to pass, but there ore
some quite good business places there fshat
Is good for this cuuntry.) We got tired OF
blat fare and went out and got Il a good
square meal. They Dut ua just as good a
n cal for nifty cents rs / ever sat down to,
Good meals can be had for twenty-five cents
Leaving juneau, the hext place of Importance
is Skaguay That is q town of several thou
sand people, who live I'm all kinds of little
nuts u ana tents. signs are out representing
all KINDS OF business lawyers, doctors, mer-
chants and dress makers The town also
supports one church, that [ saw, don't know
how many more. It's surprising to see the
nuts some of the people live in-without any
windows and so small that they can hardly
tnrn around. The W oodmans log cabin we
used IN Viroqua last Fourth Is a mansion by
the siue OF hundreds o. nuts that people 1--we
In here. Nearly every other bin in town
Is restaurant or hotel Leaving Skakuay
on q scow towed by a small tug, we start for
Dyea: The reason for transferring to the
ScoW Is that the water was so shallow the big
steamers can't run any farther than Skaguay.
We reached Dyea Tor rather got as far as the
scow could go) about o'clock in the after
noon The scow can't get within one and a
hair miles of town and that only when the
tide Is in. We either had to stay out there
I'LL the tide went down chat would be about
SIX o'clock or pay twenty five cents to get
fowed to shore in a small boat. We chose the
atter got in the boat and got as near as
The boat could go, then went the rest of the
way on the oarsmen'S backs, so they landed
is on dry land.
Dyea is quite a town. 1t has several thou
sand inhabitants The houses are much bet
er than they are at Skaguay. Everything
s much cheaper here than person would
suppose. We get hunks to sleep in for
twenty-five cents each; meals from 20 to so
'enuS. A very good meal can be had for 81
'ents. Wecan get our goods delivered at the
summit of Chilkoot Pass for cents per
pound. Think we will have GUS hauled up
here. There is no steighing h> We but the
1ass is good from the summit the oUh er way.
The weather is fine, and if we can get our
goods out OF here before it rains we will be
I'll right and am in hopes we can. Think we
Will be ready TO start Tuesday morning
bright and early
Now about the reports of the big rush at
seattle, Tacoma Portland and those western
owns, there Is nothing in it. Board is very
reasonable. Clothing and ever thing is very
reasonable as far as | could see. r. nspor-
,ation can be had on any OF the boats the
morning before they start. Seattle is getting
more than half Of the Klondike trade.
ALI along the way from Tacoma we met dis
outraged klondikers returning-the same as
from all other. excitements. All the towns
ire filed with half starved dogs running at
arge. People have found out that there
sn't any profit in taking them into the in
terror. They have turned them loose to feed
OFF the people of the town. | saw two goat
teams go out from here yesterday, one of
eight goats and the other of six. Judging
from what saw they are more bother than
they are worth.
We have had a very pleasant time since we
eft home. Have seen enough to pay us for
our trip; but | am more anxious to get into
5he interior than l was before | left home.
The reports we heard before leaving are ter
ribly exaggerated about everything Ernest
and myself are feeling excellent and enjoy
ng ourselves. / want you to tell Peter Nc
Intyre to get a iine suit of clothes ready for
me when | return, He bet me a suit that
wouldn't get out of Seattle for q month after
got there. He believed the newspaper re
ports about the blockade. Give my best re-
cards to everyone at the hotel, also any other
friends. suppose this Will be the last letter
will be able to write you for some time
You can address me at Dawson City. n w. 7.