The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-06-02
like Keller's hill. We worked all day.
The weather was cold with cold wind

all day. 1t showed or rained without
a stop. About all we can do is to
mend socks and clothing or wash out
small things like them. April 18th
we worked about two hours then had
to quit for snow storm. Iput a main
spring in a watch for a man and got
81. IS for it.
Thursday we did the biggest days
work SO far and put everything within
a quarter of a mile of the scales, that
is at the foot of the summit. 1t is
called the scales because the packers
weigh their packs there before going
over the top.
Friday, April 18th we couldn't do
any thing for snow. There were sew
eral small slides near the scales but
no damage was done. Thacker had a
birthday and took me along with his
party out to dinner.
Saturday the weather was still bad
so Buesing and 1 walked to Dyea and
back, we made it in ten hours, were in
! Dyea four of them. The distance was
thirty miles and the farthest I ever
walked in day. April 18th we had
every thirg at the scales and started to
rope up Peterson's trail.
We have worked every day since
until today. 1t is raining to day so
we can do nothing, but it is just as
we'll as we wanted to take a day to do
some writing and buy few things.
Take the trip clear through we have
been very lucky. We haven't lost any
thing, have good health and have had
no accidents, but [ never worked so
hard in all my life. The farm work
was snap. We would get up at five
or six in the morning when the weather
was good and take our lunch to our
work which meant a walk of six miles
when we were working at the summit.
We would then work until seven in the
evening, walk home get supper and
get to bed about ten Or eleven o'clock;
but it is all overwith and we are proud
of our work, as SO many turned back
and many others had their work hired
done. We didn't have to do much
packing but when we did do any I
carried from IS to 100 pounds and
did it easily. Yesterday I carried
over our mess box weighing Is pounds
wish you could see the Summit, it
is a sight you would never forget.
From the scales to the very top is a
distance of 1900 feet, and so very
steep that you can't walk up with
out the aid of steps cut into the snow,
and rope on one side to take hold of
About every 100 feet there is place
cut out to the left from the path where
a man can rest.
The Indians are great packers.
Boys of 10 or IA years carry so pounds
and the crack packer of the tribe
carries 26O pounds. They get a cent
and half pound to carry it from
the scales to the summit, and they can
make about ten trips a day. There
are good many women on the trail.
I saw one who is packing fifty pounds
every trip and making five or six trips
day. Most of them wear dresses
reaching just below the knees, others
wear boomers and I have seen six or
seven wearing mems clothing. There
is one couple going over on their
honey moon. They are both working
their stuff over alone.
You wouldn't know me as 1 am
tanned black as an Indian. We have
to wear glasses all the time or get
snow blind. A great many are blind
as bat because they wouldn't wear
them. g."
You can see by the pictures I send
that there isn't tree in sight at the
summit. Wood is worth three and a
half cents pound, hay is four and
five cents pound, and poor at that.
They have the tram way working from
Canyon City to the summit, but I'm
afraid they have an elephant on their
hands. wish had my guitar, could
have brought it just as we'll as not.
We were very lucky with our duty.
1t only came to $1,000 each, the custom
officers are perfect gentlemen and
treated us as such. There is no duty
on clothing or bedding, on the rifles it
came to S2' each. They don't go
through anything you have unless one
gets mean or they think you have
whiskey along. One man was turned
out of the country the other day for
stamping a dog to death. If they
catch him in here again he is liable to
i get hung. By they mean the people
along the trail. We will keep. moving
down the lakes as far as we can and
then stop and build our boats. We
Twill make two of them about six or
seven feet wide, and twenty or twenty
five feet long.
We have got now where we can take
our time and don't intend to hurry a
bit.
& i