Evening star., 1900-11-24
LIFE AT CAPE NO N e
EXPERIENCES OF WASHINGTON
BOY ON THE BEACH.
Twenty-Five Dollars q Day for Haul
ing GOods-A Trip TO the
Interior.
'ritten for The Evening Star.

|
So much has been said and written about
| this now famous corner of the world that
| il is rather difficult to know just where 10
| begin N order not to take the reader over
| cft-traEeled ground. l shall, therefore.
| pass over the restless days spent in Sea-
| tie while We were awaiting the long g-pron-
| ised departure of the ships the peaceful
| trip over a gentle sea to Dutch harbor ani
| the anxious days spent in fog among the
! forbidden coasts of the Aleutian Islands.
| and commence my story from the night We
| first sighted ice off Nunivack Island three
| hundred miles north of the Aleutan group,
and from which time proper our troubles
| began.
To u, lose who have never before encoun-
| tered this northern ice no experience can
| be more uncanny than to stand upon the
steamers deck and watch the apparent
| approach of the advance guard of the
| arctic ice foes they come trooping. one
| after the other, out of the darkness 10
meet the advancing vessel. The feeling IS
Gis .nctly one of warning, as though they
were saying: Turn back while yet there Is
| time. Before our brothers Swoop down
| upon you in their resistless numbers and
their overwhelming strength"
We did not, however, heed any such
| warnings. but steadily pressed forward
until we were within one hundred and nifty
miles of Nome. At that point we found ice
! t. which even Uncle SANS intrepid Sear.
| the famous old enemy of these ice foes.
1 vas forced to bow. and against whose cruel
| sides vessel hesitated to hurl her haf
| inch of steel.
About US the seals and walruses played
| in fearless joy. No sound broke the abSp-
| lutte silence: the sun provided us with !!Sht
| for twenty-four hours, and the world lay
| somewhere far to the southwark
| No human being who has not faced ma
| ture in her own Businesses can appreciate
the wonder of this northern ice. When
| you see a great vessel crushed like an egg
| shell, when you see her people take to the
| ice when you but few miles away. yet
| held III the same merceSs grasp and are
| utterly unable TO stretch forth a hand 10
aid. then you begin to feel your own little
| ness.
On the Beach.
| But l want to get you to Nome, so 7
| shall pass over the events in the ice, and
| let you imagine that YOU have passed
| through the breakers fiat-bOttomed
| barge, have been dumped down upon an ut
| terIy barren coast. and are thrown upon
! your own resources as to Where You VIII
| pitch your tent for the approaching hours
| of needed rest.
| Tents were 50 thick for several miles that
| their gray ropes interlaced and it was diff
| cult to find a space large enough to pltch
| my seven by seven tent, SO | made the best
| OF a bad matter and, without asking queS-
| tiUnS, pitched upon the first piece OF vacant
| ground | found.
Into its scant shelter | invited six friends
| who had no roof over their heads, ana
| we We're trying to get dry over my little oil
| stove when a voice from without called
| out: where's this man Aspinwall | want
| to the fellow who has pitched upon my
| ground" With visions of revulverS in my
| mind / crawed forth and assured the irate
| owner that | would hold myself in readiness
| to vacate at his orders, as l only desired
| a place where we could find shelter from
| the cold driving rain. Two days later. AZ
| his command. pulled up stakes and STOCK
without a shelter to my head. Not so with
my neighbors in the next tent. for they dis
| puted his rights to the ground and finally
| had to be forcibiy thrown off the ground
by the sheriff nd his men. which fight en-
joyed greatly. it being my first experience
| with the rule of might being right.
| The night following our ejectment heavy
snow storm came up. and We lay upon the
sand with canvas drawn about for
shelter.
Making Big Wages.
For the transportation of my own goods
along the beach l had taken up with me
push cart, just such a ole as the fruit deal
| ers use in the streets at home, and while
| waiting for the arrival of my partners,
| who came on another ship. harnessed my
self by means of my pack strap to this cart
and made much SD day hauling
freight for other men. With all Difference
| to the ladies. it remained for one of the
| fair sex to get ahead of me there. for |
| tackled one job which the fair one assured
me only step but which took me
| half day and only paid $50, and | had
to haul the cart twice through a swamp:
Like the majority, l first tackled the
| beach Its wealth had been sounded in
| our ears until were ready to stake our
| all upon it, but l found out that it
had been well cleaned up during the pre-
| vious year. my best efforts not bringing in
| over 50 per day, and even that could not
| be depended upon.
The scare of smallpox soon broke out in
| the camp. which enabled me to sell my
vaccine points for s. apiece, the same hav-
| ing cost me 81 per dozen in the states. but
| saved few with which to vaccinate my
| partners and myself.
| 1t was our desire to build a boat and
| coast along the shore nOrthward prospect
! ing We went. and with this in view We
| invested $50 in nine boards. from which We
| constructed boat. The value of this boat
| at home would probably have been about
S15. yet We had an opportunity to sell the
same for 800 before it was fully completed.
| so great was the demand for boats during
| the first few weeks.
Later on L Joined a large camp, with my
| companions and We decided to move about
thirty miles into the interior to claim
| upon Hungry creek which had been pic
| tured to us in bright colors.
| The Trip Inland.
| Four wagons were necessary to move our
| goods, and for these We paid $50 day. I
was with the last wagon, in company with
the driver. After tramp of Seven miles
| along the beach the others turned the wag-
on up the bed of Penny river and struck in
| land while l in cabin securing some
| food for the party. l followed as best [
| could across icy rivers and streams and
heavy, swampy ground, but L never caught
| them again until L found them. stuck in L
fearful bog hole. some ten miles further
| on among the mountains. We finally, after
some angry words had to unload the wag-
| on, lift off the body, take the running gear
| of the wagon to pieces and draw the wheels
| out one by ole.
| That night the ground was bright with
| phoSphoresce ace, like the sea, and when
| about midnight We reached camp / fell
| down like tired dog and slept with my
| head upon a bag Of salt the sweetest slum-
| bers you well imagine.
| 1 could go on telling stories for hours.
| but l will close by trying to answer the
| question which is always asked, nar,elv
What are the chances Of making money
| at Nome?"
My advice to any one going there would
| be to provide himself with tent lOxl2
| feet, stove, a couple Of weeks provisions
| a couple of blankets and warm clothing
| He should save his money till he gets on the
| ground The idea of laying in stock OK