The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-10

on the summit 80 we rolled ourselves
IN blankets. pulled a tarpautn over IN.
and lay Down upon the ground. Tho
temperature Was below 1eFos and iii
the night it began to snow very heaN-
ilN. 1t seemed 10 us the next morning
that We were buried 1T least Two feet
under the snow. We could MOI make a
IRE, 50 we breakfasted on raw paFk
and bread
we made our way back 10 the
Scales and then ii showed for tnree
days. and we could not cross the SUM
init A. last ii cleared. and we got all
our goods across. our next stage WAS
10 Deep Lake. SIX miles from the sum
nit frem there we went six miles To
Lake Iindermau, where we expected 80
build our second boat but found that
we could not get timber big enough. so
We had to pack To Lake bennett There
We got ptenty ~ timber and lots Of conf
pany About 50 boats we're being built.
All the men here we're inpatient. every
thing was dome in a hurry.
the second day were there d man
completed his boat and started ont
alone in mis- a very dangerous thing 10
d. in hat water When ~ was d little
way ont his boat capsized and all his
goods were lost.
Ht could swim, and he struck ont
FER shore which lie reached without
trouble MI pitied MIN. though no hal
committed this folly in spite Of warn
lftGS4 sun there were many VINO EttFII1I
have Helped him, but he didn't pay any
attention 81 anybody. lie seemed not
Ia see as, Certainly he didn't say n
word except What viii Susie say
spoken as il to himself. Then with il
movement a. stiff and steady as a
machine he pulled revolver from his
pocket and shot himself through the
head falling dead a our feet-we that
didn't even know his name or where
that woman lived that he couldn't
help thinking of when the time came
That he had u give up.
We took much needed rest at Lake
Bennett before building our second
boat, which WAS 30 feet long. five feet
wide and about 80 inches deep. 1t took
us five days to build her, and we weres
all glad when we had her done and
could start On our journey down this
lakes. We didn't know what was going
t. happen to us.
We crossed Lake Bennett, "a miles,
in one day, and the next morning we
shot the Caribou rapids two miles
long The rapids lead into Lake Tagish.
10 miles long. which is connected with
Lake Marsh by a river six miles long
After crossing Lake Marsh-19 miles
we went - miles down a river and came
IL the White Horse rapids. a very dam
gerous water. We had to take out our
goods. and let the empty boat float
down the rapids on the end of rope.
Then We came to Tahkeenah river,
II miles long. leading To Lake 6eDafse
---3l miles-and SO on to Thirty-Mile
river. but We could go no further. as it
was freezing up. We had to make camp
for the winter-Camp Poverty We
called il. We were not really short of
provisions, bur as we had to wait till
spring anyhow. | thought I'd be better
OFT ia Gods country. and / reached
Seattle Oct. H..
That il the calm way in which Mr..
Purps speaks of IL. Only in a post
script do We learn of his experiences
on the return trip-in the fearful
avalanche which destroyed the goods OF
zoe miners al Sheep Camp.
But ayalanches are Incidents. the
impressive thing Is the idea of that in
termnable packing. and boat building.
and Wallowing in mud, and struggling
with rapids-all endured practically for
nothing. To see ones golden visions
come to such an end.
Wen. what's the use of Kicking
since Mr.. Purps himself seems able to
stand it, Yet many of the hundred men
who now ON the verge of similar
pilgrima ges-so many of which viii be
as barren Of gold-how many will bear
their disappointment with Paul Purps'
calmness. and how many will end III all
as did that unknown unfortunate on
the shore Of Lake Bennett?