Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-12
FROM TIE kIONDKE.
Will q. Egerter Arrived in the City
Yesterday,
AND WAS GIVEN A HEARTY RE-
CEPTION BY HIS OLD FRIENDS
HE HAD SOME ROUGH EXPERT
ENCES, BUT CAME BACK SOUND
AND HEALTHY-WILL RETURN.

Will H. Egerter arrived in the city
yesterday morning via. the Handle
from st. Louis, through which city he
returned from Seattle, on his way home
from the KlOndike, as announced in the
Register several days ago. He was
met by number of friends, and during
the remainder of the day was kept
busy recounting his experiences in the
Alaskan gold fields.
Mr.. Egerter looks none the worse for
his experiences, but naturally has had
a rough time of it. He has not been
intimidated by his experiences, howev-
er, and will probably return north
about September 1st for flying visit
to his claims, getting back, if he has
expected luck, by about the first of the
coming year. He brought with him a
number of specimens of gold, including
nuggets and dust, but lost most of his
best specimens, which he hoped to have
assayed, by an accident in the Copper
river, on his way out He and his
companions had log raft, on which
they embarked with their earthly pos
sessions, but in going through some
rapids the logs were turned on end and
then upset, throwing everything over
board. Mr.. Egerter and his compan-
ions escaped with wetting in the cold
water, but lost considerable amount
of property.
Mr.. Egerter has located several claims
on the Tonsina river, branch of the
Copper, and operated largely on Quartz
Creek, tributary of the Tonsina 1t is
wild and rough country, previously
but little explored and previous to their
entry the Indians said they had never
seen white men. Mr.. Egerter believes
the country to be good for mining op-
erations, and is of the general opinion
that the real work of exploration and
mining has yet to be done, the efforts
so far having been but OF preliminary
nature. His variations of hardships
and experiences, as recited yesterday to
number of frienss, were very inter-
esting, and yet he says man with a
capacity for roughing it a little can get
along very well. During the past win
ter he experienced temperature of
seventy below zero, with snow any
where from fifteen to twenty feet deep.
He says the cold and snow is not as
bad as the mosquitoes in summer, which
swarm in unnumbered thousands and
settle on the face and hands in clouds.
He says he has frequently drawn his
hand across his face and brought away
mingled mass Of blood and mosqui-
toes. There is no adequate means of
protection from the insect pest in what
they call warm weather, particularly in
swampy regions of country.
Mr. Egerter says the means of COM
munication have vastly improved of.
late, and by following the government
trail he can reach his claims without
trouble, on horseback, after he lands.
The Canadian authorities have given a
great deal of trouble to American min
ers, and are very aggressive. He looks
for serious trouble sooner or later on
that account, as the feeling is very bit
ter. The Canadian policy is to crowd
the Americans all they can, hold them
up for high taxes and licenses, and
push them back as far towards the
coast as possible. They have extorted
some millions of dollars from the min
ers so far, and evidently intend to pur-
sue that policy unless checked by force
Mr.. Egerter met with very warm
and cordial reception in the city yester-
day, and was given many hearty greet
ings by old friends.