The record-union., 1898-05-01
SAFE BEYOND THE CHILKOOT
SOME OF THE AWFUL TRIALS
OF THE PASS.
DR.. Look Writes an Interesting
Letter From His Camp at
Lake Linderman.

The following letter from DR.. H. H.
Look to j. B. Stocker of this city, dated
at Lake Linderman, April I'd, will be
read with interest. All of DR.. Look S
letters printed in the Record Union"
have been far above the average in in
terest, as he not only gives faithful
descriptions of the country through
which he passes, but also illustrates the
incidents by the way with pen pictures
that cannot fail to please:
Lake Linderman, April 2, 1898
| J. B. Stocker Sacramento-Dear
Friend: 1t is with the greatest salts
faction that I look back upon the diff
culties passed and realize they are no
more. He who can surmount the Chill
koot with 1,500 pounds of supplies is
capable of overcoming all difficulties he
may meet thereafter.
| The last letter / wrote to you ended
at the Stone House, a convenient point
to cache supplies between Sheep Camp
and the Scales, the base of the pass.
There is no house there, but the place
was chrstened that through grim irony.
| There are huge, rough boulders scat
| tered around, on which the sacks are
piled so as to be above the snowdrifts.
| At Stone House begins the herculean
task Nothing in my recollection equals
the labor of that pass. Few can realize
it while engaged in the undertaking, so
| intense is the strain of both body and
mind, and when once over the memory
is clouded and 1t appears like dream
| The labor expended on that pass will
never be intelligently described, for
| those who merely look on can never
realize it, and those who enlist in the
war cannot They would rather forget
than to go over painful memory.
| A painter might impress on canvas
the strain of muscle and sinew, the deep
| burrows on the face, and the almost
animal glare of the eyes as they pulled
| and tugged at their loads or bent to
earth under the weight of heavy packs.
Under such strain mans nature con-
| tradicts itself. 1t was at times intense
| ly cruel, tenderly charitable. He would
| laugh at the misfortunes of another,
and at once fly to his aid. He would
receive indignities and injuries at the
| hands of others, and then for trivialtieS
| fight like a tiger. His language be-
comes curses, vulgar and laconic, his
profanity beyond belief.
There were, perhaps, 5000 people on
the trail, and the jostling was great
All seemed to be in hurry and in
earnest. They were going to Alaska,
| but no one would have known it from
their conversation. One thing was very
noticeable, and that was the absence of
all mention of the gold fields. By tacit
consent they were hushed as to the
prospect and it would have seemed
sacrilegious to have spoken the words
| Alaska and 1.-The mines" When one
wished to convey any idea of them he
merely mentioned the interior. No one
dared to enlarge upon it unless he was
devoid of all delicacy or wished to in
dulge in a sort of grim humor.
The distance from the Stone House
| to the Scales became the deciding point
| in every gold seekers career. 1t brought
out the true qualities of the man, and
determined his fitness for the country.
| Alasi how many who have left home
! and friends with golden visions, and
hopes as bright as the morning sky,
| have found graves for all their ambi-
| tons on that fatal two-mile road. Sac
ramento has furnished it's contingent
and it was sad sight to see them de-
pressed in spirits, relinquish all and
returning to their old life again. Par
ties who had been friends for years go
all to pieces, and friendships end in
smoke.
| 1 saw one man alone in his tent sing
| ing. / asked him what was the mat
| ter, for to sing in this country Is a sure
sign of some disorder. He said he was
| happy-he was alone. There were seven
| in his party. Four went home, two
split up, and now he had no cranks to
| bother him. He never felt SO happy
and 1 could appreciate to the fullest
extent his mental exhilaration from
the wrangling I witnessed in many a
camp.
One man was shot in Sheep Camp
while l was there in dispute over a
sack of -four The jury, I believe, ac-
quilted the man. I am inclined to
think it was to be rid Of the case, and a
desire not to interfere in family mat
tiers, which certainly these domestic
quarrels resemble.
From the Stone House to the Scales
there are two very steep and long hills
| to climb The wind blows with terrific
| force, and sometimes one cannot keep
his footing. In the jam you would be
pushed into snowdrifts out Of which
| you would emerge in various states of
mental excitement. Sometimes you
would continue the dead march, ex-
employing the patience of job and
again you or the other fellow would
have cause to regret your unceremon-
| ious meeting.
Once at the scales with your provi-
sions, you have established a belief in
the sincerity of your undertaking. al
| though the ''Hill,'" as the summit is
called, presents more dangers and to US
no less hardships, although many would
/ not agree with me there. There is
$500 feet, and one elevation of 100,
with a little shelving place about two
thirds of the way up. 1t is sleeper than
the roof of a very steep house, and you
ascend by steps as big as your foot,
one after the other. There is a, rope
to hold on to- and at intervals there are
inches cut in the snow alongside, large
enough to plant your feet and recline
! against the snow at your back for
breathing spell. If once you were to
lose your footing you would roll down
the hill like ball, and your neck would
be placed in jeopardy. The hight is
dizzy but one soon becomes accustomed