The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-30
Phenomenal Walk From Koyukuk
to the Coast.
ALL THE WAY WITHOUT SIGHT.


One &c the NEST remarks bic trips in tie
history OF Alaskan trayel has just been
fsnlsEea ~ ShGtsEf Nich5ls. bind 133n,
whs walked al The way frcm the middle
forg u5 tire hoyokux ssvers north 81 the
Yukon 1875 Eai-es TO the coast crossing
a.x rAzgez 81 mountains. lie arrived on
les City OF Seattle last algs4t. after an
absence 81 several years.
Tie has leea mining along the Yukon
river All Is tributaries, and the glare OF
the sun upon tae tsrsds Ok ice ana snow
during last spring came nearly ending his
eyes.gi7t. Eacn day Of the past summer
!agssd him hoping for the return os MS
s.gaI. and as late as the arsi snow in the
fat ne was STU hoping to see hts way
again. Tie winter csule on, and his eyes
becoming ,ao better. lie determined 20 cross
the aye Ranges of mountains TO the Yu-
ken frosn his home Oh the middle fork OF
the kDs okuk river. tramp IL on. TO Skag-
way, aod 10 reach Seattle for treatment
Tie story OF the TIP was last night given
by Dir. Sicaols as follows.
+My companion, ". T. P1illips, and I,
concluded 10 secure al the mali We could
ard carry Il out a. s. per letter, 10 assist
In expense meney. We had good placer
grsana, but iStle ready cash. We secured
s.sky-five pay letters and about Is many
more thanks letters.
We Jeff the North American Transpor-
tation and Trading headsuar.efs on the
SEINE so miles up the koyokuk river. and
struck up the south fork OF the koyo-
kuk TO Jim river. then up the latter for
sixty miles. when We struck across coun-
sion OF the Davidson range OF mountains
and dogn again 70 Fish creek valley. then
as .a ms ,sss. valley to Benanza creek creek
ne struck across Old Man mountains, an
oSher level valley. then Old Woman noun
tafns to Old " omAn's valley; then on 10
he aF Afzn
creek.
THE Indians who roam this hunting
ground gave Us . fanny account of how
these valleys came to be I'D there In the
mountains. They believe that a former
chief OF their forefasaers had great power
over the earth and Its inhabitants. An
They We're scelding and fighting each other
and causing much trouble. Finally in a
ight they accidentally killed their young
child. The chief. In hts wrath turned
tains, and likewise the man, and between
them he put the child. in the shape OF a
level valley. which Is fun Of lakes and Is
to be fine hunting grounds during the
proper season.
Continuing oms Journey. we came over
the Yukon range and struck the Yukon
river about 30 miles below the Porcupsne
river. We then came UP the Yukon 70
Dawson. While on the Yukon a wolf took
one of our dogs away from the sled at
night AT Dawson I lost one OF my dogs
and this left Us with but four dogs, that
had then Travelled over 900 miles. Mr.
Phillips sod his two dogs and ran ahead
of the North American Transportation ard
Trading Company's mail team out. and
helped along We came from Dawson
II nineteen days running time 10 Skag
way.
''The trip although II covers nearly 100
days az travel through the snow and over
the fee was void OF accident or great in
convenience There is nothing remarkable
about making the trip. We were laid up
three weeks. all told. by wind and water
anu rising ne aogs; our totaI Walk was
grees below zero. We had three weeks
of an average OF - below. day and aight."