The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-09
Left That City Eight Years Ago
to Live at Seattle.
SHE HAD GOLD FEVER.
Reached Dawson With Only
S1.75 In Her Purse.
Became a Waiter in ReStaur-
ant at $25 Per Week.
Recently Sold Two Claims For
SIO,OOO-Will Soon Return.

There is visiting in Atchison this week
probably the only Atchison person who
ever gained anything by going into the
Klondike: Mrs. Minnie Murray. of Daw-
son City, Alaska, who is a guest of her
mother, Mrs. Ell. starr, at 1121 Paral-
lei street.
Mrs Murray left Atchison eight years
ago with her husband, a man named
Jones, and settled in Seattle. Three
years ago she found herself a widow,
and compelled to earn her living by
sewing The gold excitement developed
at this time, and the plucky woman in
vested her capital in a ticket to the
Klondike. 1t required more than ordi-
nary courage to do it. for when she
reached Dawson she had only $1.75 left
She secured employment as waitress in
a restaurant at $25 a week, and while
engaged in this employment, through
the influence of friends who became IN
terested in her case, she staked out three
claims. One of these claims proved
worthless. and the other two she recent
ly sold for $4,000. A year ago last June
she was married to steamboat captain.
The position of captain on a steamboat
in Alaska pays well. Mrs Murray's hus-
band gets $4,000 for four months work
during the summer.
Although Mrs. Murray Travelled 1900
miles to make the visit to her mother,
she VIII remain only Two Weeks, DIS sic
wishes to get back to Dawson before the
freeze-up begins. 1t required 1215 days
to make the journey. AtchiSOn people
have probably imagined that in the
Klondike no one steps outdoors all Win
ter. and that if the fire goes out at night,
every one in the house freezes to death.
Mrs. Murray laughs at such notions. She
says that fires are not always kept up
all night; that on the coolest day in her
residence there of three years, she went
for drive of 80 miles with her husband
Though the thermometer gets down to
IS below zero, the weight of underwear
worn is not much heavier than that
worn in Kansas, but greater protection
is given to the feet and hands, and the
nose is always wrapped up.
Two pair of heavy hose and felt shoes,
or moccasins, are always worn in the
cold weather. Neither is the city of Daw-
son in total darkness during the winter,
as the Biographies teach. Late in Octo-
ber the winter twilight begins, and con-
tinuing till spring, the people keep lights
in their houses until about 10 in the
morning, and relight them at or in
the afternoon. At the present time the
people take daylight walks at IL o'clock
at night.
There are very few cats in Dawson
City; Mrs. Murray has one that cost her
SO Cats are so rare there that no one
throws boot at a Tom that comes Wis
iting- Mrs. Murray'S cat recently gave
birth to two kittens; had the cat been
living in Kansas, there would have been
eight or ten kittens to drown. Mrs Muir
ray thinks that woman who can cook
stands the best show of making a living
in the Klondike- Board is very high
there. and a woman engaged to do the
cooking in a restaurant or mining camp,
makes about S125 q month, and her board
has particular reason to be
proud of its representative in the Klon-
dixie; Mrs. Murray not only made a $10,-
OOO strike, but she is a fine looking young
woman, and is well posted on Klondike
affairs