The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-01-27
Clas / ntla Writes lnn he
Golden Nertl.
Ne MAS MAD ADVENTURES
Some Cold Weather : sickness,
Prices for Produce = search
for the Mother Lode"

Mr.. Charles l. Helm. of Washing ,on,
who will be remembered by many as
a visitor In Honolulu during the win
ter Of 1898. has written a long letter
from Dawson City. N. w. T., to his
son, G. ID. Helm. Of this city.
Mr.. Helm left here the last OF March
and made Immediately for the KlOn-
dyke going over the Chilcoot pass, and
shooting the rapids between Lakes
Lindermann and Bennett. a trip full Of
wild experiences and excitement. How
ever, Mr.. Helm claims that the adven-
lures were insignificant compared with
early life In the West handing cattle
on the plains and tracking Indian war
riors. there was one hand to-nand en-
counter, Tor IN that way questions OF
dispute are settled in q new country,
in winch Mr.. Hem came cut best man.
The wealth. OF The kiondyke, Mr..
Hem says, has been greatly exdgger-
ated ana misrepresenled. However, ne
has visited many mining regions ana
beiieves Lnat unis Is the richest mineral
belt yet discovered. soon after ms ar
rival there, ne began studying the riv-
ers with the purpose OF tracing the
placer gold to It's source, arguing That
the loose gold must be washed from
some ledge rich with the metal. With
this in view. he started for the head OF
the McQuestion river the first Of last
August. His friends advised him not
to make the attempt as no one had
ever made the journey. There was
no trail whatever. About one hundred
miles from Dawson he would have ia
cross the big Flats" covered with an
almost impenetrable growth Of under
brush. However" he writes, 81 hired
some daring fellows to make the triI
with me and We started. Three days
after reaching the Flats we had cut
our way through twenty-five miles OF
brush as thick as brush can grow, and
were walking most Of the time in water
above our knees. After crossing the
flats, We began the ascent of the Rocky
mountains Most of the time We wert
above the timber line and were with.
out any profession from the cold winds
There was plenty OF grass for our two
pack horses and we had no difficulty
in killing bear and caribou. took my
kodak along and secured some FINE
hunting pictures. One of them show.
u hard fight which one OF my men hat
with a big bear.
Well, after having Travelled 225 mile!
from Dawson, climbing mountains ant
wading through swamps, a heavy fol
settled around us and We were unabl,
to go any further. Turning back, WI
got within $50 miles OF Dawson whel
a heavy snow-storm began. hav,
never seen anything like it, We wer,
at the time above timber line ant
pushed our horses as fast as we coul,
that we might have the protection o
the trees and keep from freezing. w,
set camp in some scrubby timber
There was not a blade of grass for th'
horses to eat, and yet for two days W,
could not move on, the storm was S,
heavy. At last, the storm abating, VI
struck camp and finally reached goo,
wood and some grass. My, but 1t wa
cold that night. When we got up tn
next morning one Of the horses wa
standing near the tent. We put GU
combined weight against him but h
didn't move. He was freezing to dealt
SO we had to shoot him. l went below
camp about one hundred yards to Sc
the other horse. The poor little fellow
started toward US and fell to tn
ground. We couldn't get him onto hi
feet again and told one OF the boy
to shoot him. Then We put fifty pound
apiece on our backs and started 10
Dawson. The tents we left where the
were, still standing. tell you it wa
the trip Of my life. Fifty pounds o.
my back, heavy hip rubber boots or
travelling through snow In the noun
tains and wading through swamps Il
the low country. For three days "
lived on nothing but beans straight
not even anything to season them with
But, finally we reached our destination
all we'll. but completely exhausted.
have been rustling ever since lOokin
after mines. Haven't made a forum
yet, but will before leave the coun
try.
Dawson Is quite a city. ! have I
elbow my way along the streets, the
are SO crowded with fortune hunters
AuO oticcto otC NCIy iutCICo INV q
they are filed with dog-teams runnin
In every direction. The drivers wea
heavy furs which are white with fros'
They yell at and beat their dogs brut
ally. The sleighs are hauled by fror
three to twelve dogs and are loade
with two hundred pounds per ANNA
DOGS are much better than horses her
In the winter time as they will trave
twenty miles each day, live on tw
pounds OF food given them once a da
and sleep out in the snow when tn
thermometer registers so degrees be
low zero.
Inere are a good many hardship
In this country to endure, but, still, IN
health Ia good. have gained twent
pounds In flesh since leaving Homo
lulu. 1t Is getting cold now, So belo,
yesterday and IS today. This is IN
dreariest country in the world to wII
ter In. So little daylight. Every tim
you look up you see the cold. blue moo
and II always looks the same an
d..