The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-24
MANIA FOR SNOW EATING.
A Habit That Threatens to Guido Opiu m
Eating.

| Every great discovery in the world S
history has brought with it an accompa-
nying aff1iction, and it has remained for
the Klondike to develop peculiar mania
that threatens to outrival opium eating.
Among the residents of the Far North
it is known as the "snow habit" and it is
said to be incurable. Henry Barnum of
Great Bend township has returned from
the Klondike and tells strange story.
There are many strange things in the
Klondike.'' said Mr.. Barnum, but per-
| haps the strangest, and that about which
nothing has been written SO far. is the
dissipation caused by eating snow In
the north, when the thermometer reaches
30 to 40 degrees below zero, mouthful
of snow is like molten metal. 1t brings
an Inflammation to the palate and tongue
and it is impossible to quench the thirst.
The first advice the old-timer offers a
| newcomer in the region is, Don't eat
snow. There are men in that country,
once hearty, robust miners, now weak,
effeminate creatures, whose fall can be
traced directly to the time they began
munching snow.
1.-The matter has been but little investi-
gated. but lne scientists who have exam
ined the subject say that the waters of
the north are rich with mineral deposits,
which are being constantly washed down
from the mountains. "A certain per cent.
of this mineral is taken into the air when
vapor raises, and the snow becomes i'm
pregnated with it. There have been sew
eral falls of red snow near Point Bar
row, the deposit being of reddish brown
color, due entirely to minerals. Thus it
can be seen that person eating large
quantities of the snow takes into his sys-
tenn a corresponding amount of miner
ais" za
While coming down the Copper river
last spring Mr.. Barnum came upon par
ty of miners where one was dying from
the effects of eating snow. He had been
a hard drinker, but had run short Of
whiskey His thirst became uncomfortable
and as water was scarce in midwinter, he
had taken to eating snow. Soon he
claimed it relieved his appetite for liquor
but his companions noticed that his APP
petite for the snow increased, until he
was consuming enormous quantities.
Gradually his skin, which was a dark
bronze. grew light, his rugged stature be-
came bent, and even his harsh yoi3e
| changed to the effeminate squeak of an
| old woman. His strength gave way and
his companions tried to break him of the
habit He would lie on his pallet and
moan pitifully for a mouthfu1 of snow,
and when opportunity offered would steal
| unobserved to the doorway and gulp
| down large handfuls. AT last seeing deain
was inevitable. his companions allowed
him the snow, hoping to prolong his life.
1t proved unavailing. however, and one
morning just previous to Mr.. Barnum s
departure the man was found dead.
| There are some spots on the Copper
| river where the snow. when melted and
| strained through cloth. shows percepti-
| Bile signs of minerals, and often gold is
found plentifully intermiXed, but. of
course, not in paying quantities. Where
this comes from is a mystery, but it may
| be brought from the far north by the
| heavy winter gales that sweep over this
part of the country. 1t has been said that
| If the snow could be melted away it
| would leave deposits of millions of dollars
OF gold dust on the ground.
| Mr.. Barnum had a close call himself
from falling a victim to the snow habit.
1T was in the winter of $685." he said
land I was new to the country. An old
miner near Dawson had warned me
| against eating snow, but |, with my part
ner, had gone back in the hills on pros
pecting tour and had got caught in a
| blizzard. We were shy of provisions. and
on the way up lost the package contain
| ing our cooking utensils. This we rene
! died by broiling our cooked foods but we
had nothing in which to melt the snow.
| It is claimed that melted snow is harm
| less. as the metallic deposits if contains
|
decided to try it raw and we did.
| Whether it was the food or the snow, I
don know. but during the week we wait
| ed for chance to get out we had an
ever-increasing thirst, until, when we
| We're finally able to strike the trail, we
were consuming snow at a frightful rate.
| When we reached our companions we at
tempted to assauge our thirst with water,
| but it did no good. We had acquired a
| taste for the frozen water, and it seemed
to have invigorating qualities. At night
we could not sleep unless we took our
snow. We were fast approaching the de-
| generate stage when ! reached a realiz-
ing sense of our condition and undertook
to break off. I began by degrees, and
worked down. but up to the very moment
| lief. the country the sight of snow al
ways raised in me an inordinate craving
1t cost me many sleepless nights and
weary days to restrain myself. Had
given away to the habit ! would like
many another poor fellow, have lost al
ambition and filled an unknown grave in
that frozen wilderness. '-Cleveland
Leader