The Florence daily tribune., 1899-02-03
SNOW EATING MANIA.
A PECULIAR HABIT THAT DEVELOPS
IN THE KLONDlKE.

and TO Indulge IL Means q short
Cut TO the Grave.
Every great discovery in the worlds
history has brought with il an accom-
panying affection and it remained for
the Klondike to develop a peculiar mania
that threatens to outrival opium eating
Among the residents of the far north it
is known as the ''snow habit and il
is said to be incursble. A returned
klondiker tells the strange story.
There are many strange things in
the Klondike, said the narrator. "but
perhaps the strangest and that about
which nothing has been written so far.
is the dissipation caused by eating
snow. In the north. when the ther
mometer reaches 80 to 40 degrees below
zero. mouthful of snow is like molten
metal 1t brings an Inflammation to the
palate and tongue and il is impossible
to quench the thirst The first advice
an old timer offers a newcomer in the
region is Don't eat snow There are
men in that country, once hearty. ro-
bust miners now weak effeminate cres-
lures, whose fall can be traced directly
to the time they began munching snow
The matter has been but little in
vestigated. but the scientists who have
examined the subject say that the wa
ters 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 rises and the
snow becomes impregnated with it
There have been several falls of rel
snow near Point Barrow. the deposit
being of reddish brown color, due en-
tirely to minerals. Thus it can be seen
that person eating large quantities Of
the snow takes into his system CORE
spending amount of minerals.
While coming down the Copper river
last spring the narrator came upon
party of miners where one was dying
from the effects of eating snow He had
been hard drinker but had run short
of whisky His thirst became unendur-
able and as water was scarce in mid
winter he had taken to eating snow
Soon he claimed it relieved his appetite
for the liquor. but his companions no
ticed that his appetite for the snow in
creased until he was consuming enor-'
nous quantities. Gradually his skin.
which was a dark bronze, grew light
his rugged stature became bent, ana
even his harsh voice changed to the
effeminate squeak of an old woman
His strength gave way. and his com
panions tried to break him of the habit
He would lie on his pallet and moan
pitifully for mouthful of snow and
when opportunity offered would steal
unobserved to the doorway and gulp
down huge handfuls At last. seeing
death was inevitable. his companions
allowed him the snow. hoping to pro-
long his life. 1t proved unavailing
however, and one morning the man was
found dead
There are some spots on the Copper
river where the snow when melted and
strained through cloth. shows percep-
tible signs of minerals, and often gold
is found plentifully intermixed. hut of
course not in paying quantities. Where
this comes from is n 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 in gold dust on the ground
The narrator had close call himself
from falling svictim to the snow habit
at was in the winter of 1867. he
said, land | was new to the country
An old miner near Dawson had warned
me against eating snow, but l. with my
partner. had gone back into the hills on
a prospecting tour and had got caught
n Va Cl, ~
visions and on our way mp lost the
package containing our cooking uten-
sils. This we remedied by broiling cur
cooked foods. but we had nothing in
which to melt the snow. 1t is claimed
that melted snow is harmless. as the
metallic deposits it contains sink to the
bottom of the receptacle
I'VE decided to try it raw, and we
did. Whether it was the food or the
snow | don't know. but during the
week we waited for a 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
trightful rate. Whom we reached our
companions, we attempted to assuage
our thirst with water. but it did no
Rool we nAu aCa ulreu taste 1Or tnB
frozen water, and it seemed to have in
vigorating qualities. AT night we could
not sleep unless we took our snow.
I'VE were fast approaching the de
generate stage when | reached realiz-
ing sense of our condition and under
took to break off. | began by degrees
and worked down. but up to the very
moment left the country the sight Of
the snow always raised in me an inol
dinate craving 1t cost me many sleep
less nights and weary days to restrain
myself Had given way to the habit
would like many another poor fellow.
have lost all ambition and fixed an m
known grave in that frozen wilderness -
Cleveland Plain Dealer