The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-28
ANACONDA NEWS.
A VERY PLUCKy WOMAN
An Anaconda Heroine Makes the
Trip to the Klondike.
NARROWLY ESCAPESDEA1H
Mrs. LISA Kirvin Went to the Gold
Fields to Meet Her Husband - She Is
the First Woman to Go Alone.
Prefers klondike to Montana.

Mrs. LISA Kirvin of Anaconda is the
frst woman to go to the Klondike
alone. She went there to meet her hus-
band, who is the owner of several rich
claims. She made the long voyage
safely, but she had several narrow es-
capes from DEATH
Her first letter which she has written
about her voyage was yesterday ie-
ceived by Mrs. John Mckay of this
city. 1t is dated Claim No. II, Eldor-
ado, July 81 and reads in part as fol-
lows:
Il arrived here April 5. / and a lady
from Tacoma, Mrs. Mills, came over
the ice together. We had no man es-
cort and no Chinaman. We We're NIL
alone and got here both sound and we'll
We came in with a horse and part OF
an outfit We beat most everyone get
ting here. We got in several days
ahead of many of them
I'VE were the only women who ever
came over the ice alone. i must say
that it was much harder than L ever
anticipated. / got very tired, but grew
stronger every day, and | can truth
fully say l never felt better or stronger
happy. Mrs. Mills had been in here
twice before. She is wonderful wom-
an, courageous and capable. l never
would fhave undertaken the trip if she
hadn't encouraged me as much as she
did. She even admitted she had no
idea itNwas such an undertaking.
1T is all over and l am not any the
worse off for it. l am so glad 1 came:
now that it is all over ! am really glad
to have had the experience. 1t was
such a lesson to me in a great many
ways. 1t was certainly lesson of
patience, perseverance and industry,
and even unselfishness. I tell you that
the trip really set one to thinking.
Everyone was very kind to us. 1t
was universal kindness all the way
through. Everyone seemed to want to
do something for us.
Zone thing we had in our favor was
the weather which was delightful 1t
was nice and warm excepting in the
early morning until the sun came over
the hills.
Had we have been of the betting
kind we would have made money, for
so many We're so positive we never
could make the trip with a horse and
alone. They all told us to sell our out
fit, horse and all, and get a few dogs.
We told them we would not. We had
started with horse and we were not
going to leave him on the way to die.
II we went could, ana so ne aulu.
Everyone said that he came in looking
better than any horse in Dawson.
we SURPRISED themsau beyond rneas-s
ure OufThofse got through the snow
slides fine, while other horses went in
out of sight. We got up very early in
the morning and got over them before
they thawed, and as our horse was
light he got over them all right, eS
cepting once. We had many miles of
them to make, and just as we got to
the last one our horse went through.
1t was then getting quite warm and
the sun was pretty hot. He went al
most out of sight, but we got him up
finally. 1t took some little time to do
the work.
I'VE managed in the same way over
weak ice. We knew it was anything
but safe, and as we were all alone we
had to rustic. We had to work hard
on the ice, which was very rotten. Mrs.
ellis went ahead, holding the horse
by the head and / remained behind.
watch ns the sleds. They all got over
in safety. Just as the last sled went
over the ice gave way and my foo
sGnk in the water up to my knee. Il
n-ade a jump and caught the sled. II
was done very quickly. i consider that
u narrow escape from drowning.
"All this time Kirvin knew nothing
about my coming. / hadn't heard from
hBi for months, and did not know .;
] eNtr would find him alive. That wor-
ried me all the time. You never saw
anyone more surprised than he was. |
came Tight up to him, where he was at
work. He acted like a boy of 16. He
was so perfectly delighted to see me
he hardy knew what to say or do.
- would rather live here than in
S,untafa a. The scenery is much pref
1icr: the side hills are one mass of wild
flowers of all hues and shades, and the
grass is nice and green.
I'VE hove everything nice to eat
here. We have fresh meat every day.
1t costs from IS cents to 81 pound. Be
frrn the beats came in people paid as
high as 81 pound for sugar. Milk per
can is SIPS to s1.50: butter, 81. Every
thing is cheaper now. Sugar is down
to 80 cents.
Il shall only be here couple Il
weeks longer. Mr.. Kirvin has bought
a claim on Gold HILL two miles from
here and he wants me to go there and
do his cooking. He has only been there
two weeks, and he is working pretty
hard He has done remarkably we'll
since he came. His claim seems to be
all right. He and another man Ianned
out 1929. 50 in one day. He had several
pans run as high as 50 to S12. He put
a man to work in the poorest spot on
his claim, and from o'clock a. m. to
$50 o'clock p. m. he panned Sl6.25. II
ii keeps up at that rate we will be all
right. He will only work his claim dur
ing the summer months, as wood is
very scarce, and it would make 1t very
expensive, for wood will probably be
as high as $50 cord.
There are lots of good property for
sale, and he may get another piece if
he can purchase what he wants. There
is a great deal of property for sale,
much of which are worthless. 1t is very
hard to know what is in the ground.
and one has TO be very careful what
ne buys. Mr.. Kirvin got his for 81 900.
He owns a half interest, and thinks
that he got ii very reasonable. The
men who owned the claim did not un-
derstand mining and knew nothing of
what it contained
WENT THROUGH POCKETS.