The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-19

like iuillr.ce. Many toatmen fear IL
more than the rapids. We did not know
the dangerous features until We began
to seq wrecks OF boats scattered along Its
oourso.H May of them WEI Q broken right
In two where they had lodged broadside
against rock. We were almost out of
Thirty Mile. Frank WAS steering Sud-
denly he called out, Row hard, we are
drifting onto big rock" rowed hnrd,
but IL was too late. The powerful cur
rent setting towards the rock was too
strong, ard In moment we struck and
lodged brcadside on Had it been fraiI
boat it would have been broken in two
by this current which reared hercely
against bow and stern, while the rock
was In the middle. But had good lum-
and after two or three vain attempts, a
strong push against the rock and our boat
shot intot he stream with only scratch
to show. When was building the boat
told the boy, mails ara all 1have good
to fastan her with, aud l am going to
use plenty" Only day or two after
wards another boat lodged against the
same rock In the same way and was
Broken In two, one man being drowned,
and the goods all lost. We ara now past
all such dangers. From here on we may
get stuck on sand liars, but there is no
danger of loss Of life or outfit
The government has reserved four
miles front and two miles tack for a
town site here at Fit. Selkirk with view
OF making this the capitol Of the north
west territory. At present all there Is
here are two dczsn lo9 houses &C.
cupisd by Roman Cathcl'o mission,
trader and Indiana. The Indians are all
awav now and their houses are padlocked
aud { ,e windows boarded up. The build
ings all have dirt roofs ana the walls are
ohinked with moss or MID. 1t get 80
degrees here sometimes. They can raiSe
vegetables in the short summer. The
sun sets now at about 9l5 and rises
about 4. So much sunlight makes things
grow very fast.
Our trip from Seattle to Lindeman
was an uneyentful one. from Seattle
to Dyea, nearly 1000 miles. we took the
inside passage. 1t Is a narrow crooked
passage, hemIned close In by mountains
which in many cases rise straight from
che waters edge, Nearly all the time
during that long trip we were travellin g
through pas ages so narrow that ycn
could almost have thrown q stone from
the steamers deck to either shore. AS
you locked behind you 1t looked as
] though you must have come through q
mountain. As you looked ahead there
seemed no way ont except you passed over
or through solid mountain. Sometimes
| 1t would seem as if the steamers nose
was sure TO touch the mountain ahead,
wien suddenly she would swing around
| W thc Ifkut UT ltlO into eufno DhrrOW pas
| sage you bad not seen and so on throGg h
that long distance.
| Ne stopped at Juneau, passing close to
the famous Ireadwell mine on Douglas
Island. IL Is the biggest quartz Minis in
the world. grinding up ore only worth
about 81 90 per ton, but handling it SO
O ieaply that kthey are able 10 make a
profit of about half a million year.
juneau Is right at the foot Of noun
tain. There Ia not much chance for Ii to
| grow, as all the level land is taken up
and many CT the houses are perched mp
like birds nests now. 1t supplies a large
mining district and appears to be very
prosperous place Of perhaps 5000 people.
Dyea and Sksgway, rival towns, are
both mushroom cities built up of tents
| and shanties and dependent altogether on
the mining in Alaska for their existence.
From Dyea we had our stuff taken 90
the top Of the summit Of Chilcoot pass.
From Dyea part way up the cannon it
was hauied In wagons, then fastened onto
the hacks of pack animals, and taken up
over the summit on a tramway. From
there to Lake Lindeman l hauled my
STUN on sled. So there is my trip up
to now. am in company at present
with two moro South Omaha men, MIR.
Crosby, one Of South Omaha's best men,
and Mr.. Mullen, Maybe MIR. Crosby and
viii continue together. 1t is reported
that men are leaving Alaska by thous.
ands, already, but am not discouraged
yet. must make success out OF this
some way.
Your loving son,
EP1rn u ERrgrka A ~