Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-08
CAPE NOME MAIL
BY DOG TEAM.
"JIB BOOM METCALF'S RIDE OF
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED
MILES.

Tacoma. Dec. S.-Captain c. r. Metcalf,
messenger of the Nugget Express, Is in
Tacoma and will start next Monday. Dec.
II. for Nome. With mail and express for
all points in the far north.
He leaves here on the Cottag City to
Skagway. thence over the White pass
railway to Bennett. where he takes a dog
sledge. carrying 700 pounds, with a team
of ten dogs, for Dawson. From Dawson
he proceeds down the Yukon to a point
below the mouth of the Kayukuk, thence
over the mountains to Golovin bay and to
Nome, where he expects to arrive on
March Is.
Captain Metcalf is we'll known on the
Dawson trail. where he has acted as pilot
of White Horse rapids for two seasons,
in which time he has piloted hundreds of
steamers through those dangerous waters
and where he is we'll known as "Jib
BOOM" a name that was given to him in
jest, and stuck.
THE road TO Dawson is easy" said
Captain Metcalf. w shall not carry
dog feed, as there are road houses all the
easy. We will take a team of ten dogs
from Bennett and run to Selkirk. where
We will nut on a new team and run to
Dawson, Where ] shall arrive in time for
Christmas.
"On the Dawson trail I shall have no
Ole With NE, bul at DaWSoI lIy Iil
Missouri Jack" will join me when we
start for the north.
II have a lot OF Christmas goods for
Dawson and some mail matter, and shall
get a good Tote of mail at Dawson for
Nome.
From Dawson we shall have to make
our own trail through the snow. as there
will be no broken track, as there is be-
tween Bennet and Dawson. We shall
have to take some dog feed with Us, and
a little for ourselves, and with a fur
sleeping robe apiece. start out for the
trip.
Fat Rampant, Circle City and other
places on the line we can get dog feed
and provisions, and will deliver and pick
up mail and express.
Twenty miles below the mouth of the
Kayukuk We strike off over the old trail
across the mountain range To Fish river,
thence down that river to GOlOvin bay.
we don't 60 to st. Michaels, or near
there. but keep to the north on the main
land. through to Nome.
tit viii be a long trip, but then we get
good rates. The rates on ordinary letters
of an ounce or two are $4 through to
Nome. This will generally be prepaid.
but we will take letters z. @. ID. and get
our pay al the other end. ! don't know
how much the trip will make US. / have
70 idea. but we have now about 45O
pounds and expect more mail.
1--WE have all the mail for the big trans
portation and trading companies. and
this is the only opportunity they will have
of sending to Nome now before n%aviea-
ton opens in May or June. ] expect a
good trip back, to arrive here before the
season opens
s. captain Metcalf is an old-tilner in the
rorth and knows the country well. At
the kayukuk they will taken an Indian
guide or the trail through the mountains
to Golovin bay. All the rest of the way
the captain is familiar With the country,
though there will be no trail, but only the
wide eXpanse of snow of an Arctic winter.
Vienna saloon. II? south Main street
Choice wires, liquors and cigars. See
our new orchestricn. the only one In
Butte. Ai5in Sisters. Tsoprietors.