The times., 1899-03-10
The Quaint Old Poet MournS
for Meridian Hill.
A Word Picture Of Thrilling En-
periences in the klondike.
4 Termination 10 Warm His Feet on
the Stnrs-ThrouSh White
Horse Canyon.

Washington. after an absence of nearly
thirteen years. The bard of snow, Of
wind, of pine and OF mountain has changed
little since his last visit here. The long
flowing hair is slightly tinged with gray.
the strong face is more rugged and weather
beaten his beard Is now snowy white.
The old poet is attired in a suit of brown
corded velvet, and wears a great slouched
hat From a waistcoat pocket hangs
quaint chain Of colored Alaskan diamonds
with big gold nugget as charm. The
attire includes top boots. but the trousers
are not tucked in as of yore.
Many Changes Here.
Yes. / find many changes in Washing
ton," said MIR. Miller to a Times reporter
last night. but the greatest and most dis
graceful change is that which has taken
place in Meridian Hill. at the top OF Six
teenth Street This hill has ben mutiiated
by the grading Of the street. and big
slice has been taken out of it Now, when
| lived on that hill it was magnificent
place | built my cabin there because 1t
was the highest point in Washington, and
row they have destroyed it. Had known
that the hill Was mutilated / would have
kept away from Washington. Then the
granite column TO mark the meridian has
been taken away. This column was erected
by President jefferson, and his idea was to
mark the American meridian ana GO away
with the British meridian IL this country
When the column was erected silver dol
lar was melted and poured into hole IN
the shaft. have learned that the meridian
shaft is now being used rs a hitching post
at the Boys Reform School or the Bia-
danburg Road.
Yes. everything is changed My Old
cabin. where | spent three happy years, Is
row a ruin. II looks like a birds nest
beside former Representative Henderson 5
castle. Captain Du Bois who is now STA
TONED at the White House has purchased
my cabin for S5.l0O and it Is falling into
decay. One Of the last things | remember
while / occupied the cabin was Senator
John A. Logan coming over to borrow my
saw, which he wished to use in building
j bookcase. General Logan was not proud.
He worked like farmer
My first experience in Washington oc-
Cured some twenty-six years ago / ar
rived in town and met Gen Lew Wallace
and Mrs. Winnie Ream Hoxie. the latter OF
whom carved the statues OF Lincoln, To-
Gated in front Of the City Hall. and Farra-
gut. in Farragut Square We bought some
red apples and walked along the street
rnunching them. Next morning about
twenty papers had funny stories about us
eating apples, but | still fail to see where
the fun came in.
Il went OF TO Meridian Hill today to
visit ny old home and | was greatly broken
m over the way it has been cut up. l would
need a ladder TO get at my cabin. The
hills Of Rome and Athens are sacred Why
not save those in the Capital. They have
scalped my hill and ! shall not forget it.
E!ondIlse Experiences.
About my experience in the klondike
Wei. 1 put in one year and ten days in
that region, and am not likely to forget
it / went TO Alaska in 1897. We left
Seattle and reached the head of the Yukon
River by steamer. Then We commenced
the labor OF crossing the ChilkoCt Pass.
We were heavily laden with packs and the
climb was no fun. The trail ran up the
side Of cliff into the clouds and out again
Beneath was Crater Lake, black, bottom
less. and fatal. Above / could see blacf
specks OF men who had started days before
while all along the trail lay discouraged
men who had given up the battle. Come
on / cried out to one. Come on 'YoJ
are crazy, old man, he answered. Chicago
is good enough for me.
These are the men who have made tbs
Klondike synonymous with suffering anC
disaster. / would advise no man TO go Il
the Klundike unless he is young. has plen.
~ OF backbone. and has nothing else to do
The Klondike is not new country by an,
means. / met an old Irishman there VIII
had RATED miners on the Yukon for twen
ty-two years. And no man knows tn
glory and the wealth of that country.
When We had crossed Chi!koot on
troubles began. The Canadian govern
lnent had forbidden the passage OF Whit
Horse Canyon but We had TO make il
sad we did, on a raft. There were fe'
police then, and we were not held Up unit
vge got into Miles Canyon. named afte
Gen. Nelson i. Miles Here we were ha [
ed by the yellow legs. or Northwes
mounted police. We went on, however
dozen men who made the passage. Tn
water whirled and boiled, and the passag
Was made in black darkness, as the suI
never reaches into the sheer depths.
The American Flag.
Going into Lake Liudeman we display
ed an American Tag from the raft. tn
first think, in the history Of the regior
- ours was the first boat through the can
gon- We had long, long voyage to Daw
son. and arrived there in September. Th
Yukon Is 1900 miles long, and empties
volume OF water nearly as large as thf
Of the Mississippi. At Dawson We f0un
tens Of geld Baskets and boxes stoa
around the landings, full to the brin
Even tomato cans were utilized to hol
dust. II is 4 wonderful country-if 1t ,yeI
lot so cold.
When the news of the war with Spal
arrived, which was many weeks after
had begun, II made us all brother
although the feeling was very good at a
times. We celebrated the Queens birth
day as heartily as we did the Fourth
July. We went away up the river an
staked out claims and built our mos
cabins. One feature Of these cabins va
the lack OF a chimney, as ii was tco col
to permit having a hole IN the roo
Winter came on like 4 black streak u
were caught but were bound 10 get bac
10 the United States. Men laughed al
and called us fools 10 make the attemI
10 cross 1900 miles Of frozen, dark spac
never realized the meaning of lunac
untn We experienced winter in the Are:
Circle. There vas no horizon and h
great stars seemed within a few feet
as The great moon roamed around in
circle until the head became giddy and II
brain affected. Four men committed su
eide while | was there
Homew-rd.
Finally I got Canadian and an India
10 agree 10 accompany me- We secured
dog train and some provisions. There ":
10 dog trail and We had to hack our va
through the ice on the river 1t was q
awful journey. We were helpless TT
stars seemed close enough 10 allow one
warm his feet on them. The poor do;
were cut and hacked up by the sharp ic
and the Indian led the way hunting &
holes in the ice. We lived on tea al
frozen beans, and the dogs slept on top
us TO keep US from freezing. For weel
We saw no light. All was black night. !
last we saw faint streak which gre
wider as the hours went by Daylight HI
returned. but too late. Nearly all OF o.
dogs had died. The Indian died and !