The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-27

met at Fort Smith Funston started in
to take sides in murder case, and
Judge Parker, the famous hanging
jndSe who has sentenced over Il hun
dred murderers, called Funston into
his study one evening. ostensIbly to
talk about the case in question. The
judge opened the conversation by tell
Ing Mr.: Funston in confidence that Jour-
naiism wasn't his profession. and closed
the incident by intimating that the eli
mate OF Arkansas was very unhealthy
ut that particular season. Not desir-
ing to go to jail for contempt Funston
got out of town on Il night train, and
the owner OF the paper found I new
man the next morning. But Funston
had enough money saved up to go to
school another year. ard so went back
to the university. AT the end of the
year he took the civil service cxamInu-
ton. and got 4 place In the agriculture
al department at Washington, and was
sent TO Montana ana the Dakotas max.
Ing botanical collection OF grasses.
After that he joined the government en-
petition that made the first official sur
vey OF Death Valley, the famous Cali
fornia death trap.
The rigors Of this undertaking may
be inferred from the fact that Funs-
ton. the youngest member Of the cx-
petition. is the only one alive and sane
to-day. After the work in Death VAL
ley was completed. Funston made one
OF the party OF live that effected the
first back-door entrance into the Yose-
mite Valley down the sheer sides Of the
mountains.
In the minter Of 1891 90 his mans work
began when the government sent him
n Mn cha n m a a botanical n
certain parts OF the coast Later, in
1893, he returned to Alaska to make n
botanical survey OF the Yukon river.
To-day the trail over Chilkoot pass
Is as famous ms the walk along Broad
wav. But In 1898 the pass was known
only to Indian guides. and It's devious
ways had been found only by the feet
Of 4 few daring miners and fugitives
from society. Then II was that Funs-
ton and two miners went up the pass
and over the Yukon. The Indian guides
struck one day, and Funston tells about
It in one OF his letters:
1.-The Indians carried away the loads,
while We dragged the empty slcds and
did the swearing. The snow fell IN
cessantly for five days. and II lay along
our route from five to fifty deep 1t
was day after day OF wallowlng and
struggling through snow as we worked
our way gradually to the summit OF
range. One cheerful little diversion
occurred on the second day. The low
proved cx-cannibnl who was chief
packer. and seemed to have charge OF
the other Indians. threw his load into
the snow and announced that unless
their pay was materially Increased he
and the other packers would get them
selves back to the villages, and thus
leave us In pretty pickle. My temper
had been Mt white heat nil day, and
without thinking what might be the
consequence OF such n move. like n fool.
I showed the muZzle OF Il cooked Win
chester into the face Of the advisory
committee Of that strike, and the way
that the Most Serene Grand Master Of
the Amalgamatcd Order OF Chilkoot
Salmon Bitcrs reshouldcred his sack OF
beans md tugged along through the
brond expansd OF the beautiful snow
shows that II is sometimes good thing
for every regulated family TO have
n gun In the house"
He went down the Yukon TO the mouth
OF the Porcupine river, where he left
the miners and went up the POrcup!ne
10 Rampant House. an abandoned Hud-
son Bay colnpany's trading post, sit
uated far to the north OF the Arctic
circle, where the Porcuplnc river crosses
the eastern boundary OF Alaska. Here
Funston and II missionary namod Pratt
ty wintcrcd.
Probably no other man on earth ever
paid Rudyard Klpllng the compliment
that Funston paid him; for on this
long Journey UP thousand hills, over
the backbone OF the continent. down
the lakes nnd up the river where Fun
ston dragged hts boat up stream. walk
Ing along the bank, he carried in his
mack, where every ounce Of weight be-
came torture during the long days
Journey. copies OF the "Barrnck Room
Ballads" and the stories OF Mulvaney
and his friends.
An tho night OF winter decpcncd II Is
probable that the good brother .Pratty