The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-13
WORSE Than
DRINK HABIT.
The Eating Of Snow in the. Far
Northern Regions.
PECULIAR KIND OF DISSIPATION.
When the Mercury Is Below Zero a Mouth
fuI Of Snow Is Like Molten Metal
WRECKS SYSTEM OF THE STRONG.
Habit Easily Formed but voy Difficult 10 Break or.
Fate Of a Miner Who Turned From
WHISKY 10 Snow TippIs.

Every great discovery in the worlds
history has brought with it an accom-
panying ahliction. and il has remained
FOR the klondilie To develop a peculiar
mania that threatens To outrival opium
eating. Among the residents OF the far
North il is known as the snow habit"
and IL is said 10 be incurable Henry
Barnum OF Great Bend township has
returned from the Nlondike, ana tells
the strange story. says the Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
There are many strange things i'm
the Klondike," said Mr.. Barnum, 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 Their
mometer reaches 80 TO 40 degrees below
zero. Il mouthful of snow is like molten
metal. IL brings an Inflammation TO
the palate and tongue. and IL Is impos-
sible 90 quench the thirst. The first
advice an old-timer offers q newcomer
i'm the region is, Don't eat snow
There are men i'm that country, once
hearty, robust miners, now weak, ef-
Terminate creatures. whose fall can be
munching snow.
"The matter has been but little in
vestigated, but the scientists who have
examined the subject say that the
waters of the North are rich with min
eral deposits, which are being con-
stantly washed down from the noun
tains. 4 certain per cent. OF this min
eral is taken into the air when vapor
arises, and the snow becomes impreg
mated with it. There have been several
fails of red snow near Point Barrow,
the deposits being Of a reddish brown
color due entirely TO minerals. Thus
IL can be seen that a person eating
large quantities of the snow takes into
his system "a corresponding amount OF
minerals"
While coming down the Copper River
last spring Mr.. Barnum came upon n
party of miners where one was dying
from the effects of eating snow. He had
been hard drinker but had run short
of whiskey. His thirst became unen-
durable, and as water was scarce in
midwintcr he had taken TO eating snow.
Soon he claimed 1t relieved his appetite
for liquor. but his companions noticed
that his appetite for snow increased
until ne was consuming enormous
quantities. Gradually his skin, which
was "A dark bronze, grew light, his
rugged stature became bent, and even
his harsh voice changed to the effemin-
ate squeak OF an old woman. His
strength gave way, ana his compan-
ions tried to break him OF the habit.
He would lie on his pallet and moan
pitifully for a mouthful Of snow, and
when opportunity offered would steal
unobserved to the doorway and gulp
down huge handouts. At last, seeing
death was inevitable, his companions
allowed him the snow. hoping To pro-
long his life. 1t proved unavailing,
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 n cloth, shows
perceptible signs of minerals. and often
gold is found rlenti!ullv intermiXcd.
but of course, not In paying quanti-
ties Where this comes from Is a mys-
terry. but il may be brought from the
far north by the heavy winter gales
that sweep over this part or the coun-
try. 1t has been said that II the snow
could be melted away Il would leave
deposits of millions Of dollars in gold
dust on the ground.
Mr.. 8arnum had a close call himself
from falling a victim TO the snow
habit. 1T was i'm the winter of 1896
%, he gaid, "and | was new 10 the
country. An old miner near Dawson
had warned me against eating snow.
but /. with my partner had gone back
i'm the hills on a prospecting tour, and
had got caught I'm "a blizzard. We were
shy of provisions, and on our way up
lose the package containing our cook
ing utensils. This we remediSd by
broiling our cooked foods but we had
nothing i'm 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.
We decided 10 try IL raw and we did.
Whether IL was the food or the snow, |
don't know; but during the week we
waited for n chance To get out we had
on ever-increasing thirst. until, when
we were finally able TO strike the trail.
we were consuming snow at frightful
rate. When we reached our companions
we attempted To- dssuage our thirst
with water. but IL did no good. We had
acquired taste FOR the frozen water.
and ~ seemed TO have inVigorating
qualities. At night we Cou,d not sleep
unless we took our snow. We were fast
approa ching the degenerate stage.when
I reached a realizing sense OF our con-
dition and undertook TO break II off I
began by degrees and worked down. but
up 60 the very moment ! left the COun-
try the sight OF snow always raised i'm
mo an inordinLta craving. II cost mo
many sleepless nights and weary DAYS
to- restrain ntvself Had I given vav 20
the habit I would ike many another
poor fellow. have lost all ambition and
hued an unknown grave I'm that frozen
wilderness"