The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-09
TEXAN IN THE KLoNDIKn.
W. L.. Mcdonald of NevaHota Tells ol
HIS Experiences.


Navnsota, Texas September s--'Mr, WIN
L. Mcdonald, son of General j. 6. McDon.
aid, has recently returned from the Klondike
country
upen being requested to give some OF his
experiences he said In substance;
Il left Dallas April IS, 1898. and went by
rail to Seattle, Wash. with party Of
about 295 we took chip In sailing vessel,
the Haydn Brown, and were continually
on tho came vessel. stopping ten days at
Dutch llarbor. where the ship was re-
plenished with provisions ana supplies made
up by the passengers paying the money DIS
an advance. which was afterwards retund-
cd. The delay at Dutch Harbor was also to
await tho breaking up of the Toe farther
north.
After landing at St. MohaelB our party
chartered or bought little steamboat. We
had carried boat along. but It was not
suitable to 10 UP the swift river. This MAS
IT St Miohaels on tho Yukon river Our
trip was slow up the river caused by sew
erol delays. After sixty days We landed at
Dawson City on the I'D day Of September.
We were then in the mining country In
Yukon Northern Territory at this umo 1t
waa practically winter, We started out to
build w a cabin cut of loss, Jut most OF
my party became aenoral1ed ana nearly
all returned, leaving me almost alone. 1
obtained the logs GU the mountain about
one mls OH ana hired horse los SO and
y man for $40 per day TO help drag them
down over the ice. After the logs y ose put
up the cracks were chlnked with moss, winch
grows CA tho ground like oloVer, Tue voof
Was covered wlth poles anu dlft, me moor
Was made Of planks which cost at the rake
Of so per 1900 Goot, my stoYo cost $40
having plenty OF wood, 1 kept fairly COM
Portable. The one-halt sash OF my Que N.n-
dow tslN hghtsl cost me SlS
Tho winner Was spent IN prospecting,
hunting up vacant mining claims, atter itgst
oUtan'ng PERMISSION OF the government
Rot hold oi several claims by giving GER
tam interests In my claims 10 Canadians Who
assisted mo with Inc government
"Of course, like every MINING country,
Goa aust passed like legal tender by GUS
tom,
"For many days during midwiutor you 10
not see the sun, but can often see the se-
neetion thereof as our twihghE
Notwithstanding this, most OF the min
ing work 70 done ut this season, the people
frozen docs not bother by running into tho
mines, Tho ice freezes from two TO four
feet thick on tho river, poss are used as
common earrsrs. the native dogs, When
are half wolves. aud other common doss
drawing on sIeds about 200 pounds each o7ar
tho leo or snow.
ipg two seasons In the fall aud wlnter on
clear nights, The mock suns or sun dogs can
DO often seen,
There arc ia this section the Siwasl.
Malanlutes aud Gsqulmaux Indians, an
peaeeaele ana semi-clyili2ed, They aunt
hsh aud trap, hy4ng ON fish ana game. sell
ing their hides ana furs to the pale iaees,
They have taken on many oil the vices OF
the white man since he has been amous
them, but few, II any OF his ylr'"ess: ia a.
have learned 90 lmhhe freely OF hre
water" and dissipation and exposure while
in this cendtson Is telling Their health.
many DYING OF pneumonia aud consumption;
ana, no doubt, Ike the American lAdlan,
they win gradually become extinct.
Tho oommen wages OF lRpofer is 70
per day add board 1t was moN several
years ago, but y is not always constant eu-
pljymept, and s. per day here is equal or
better than s. there. because all, at The
necessities are higher in proportion 80.
u loft Dawson Ca the 9Th Of June. 1900
on the steamboat jobs G. Barr Cop.ng down
tho Yukon river we stuck on n sand bar Tor
nine days In the Yukon flats, The river az
this point Is ninety miles vide, but ~ Iuu
home OF the wild soose. duck and a'Asr
same We spent the time very pleasantly
here. hunting Wild geese and ducks ana mold
ing farce courts, dancing, etc. AZ this point
We were In the artic circle aud had q snltn-
did view OF the midnight suns-a sight worth
a trip across tho eontiuent 20 see
"Eaglo city, Alas-se, U, 5. ~ was the
nTst city we passed In tho United states,
the government having fort at this point
We next passed Circle City, and from there
to St Michael thence 20 Name. whore
spent tive, weeks prospeotns found Meme
very much ovsrrated aud ovordone in every
respect Dawson, the metropolis OF the klon-
dixie district Is Roed town, snrronaaed
by rich mining country, About S5o,Qoe,0m
has been taken out Ia four years, and the
mining output will be increasing FOR several
years 70 eopie. There has boon, as yet, 70
quartz discovered IN the immediate vicinity;
copper and coal have been discovered In
N Alaska near Eagle City. Circle city ana
Rampant