Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-23
A Region Of Wonderful Scenery and
Great Mineral Wealth.
TIE "TRIP UP FIFTY NILE RIVER
Early Prospectors Showed a Woeful
Lack Of Intelligence.
FINE OUTLOOK FOR MINING
Copyright. 1900. by Cy warman.)
item for The Evening Star.

written Tor Inc Evening star.
At White Horse Rapids. homeward
bound. we had our first rainy day since we
left Chicago. Even at Seattle and all the
way up the sound the sky was blue for US.
Jim Thompson. my travelling companion.
said 1t was not that the region of the
north was so favored but because we were
good. that the sun shone always on our
trail. Well. somebody must have been bad
at White Horse. for it rained furiously for
an hour. Furthermore We were comforta-
bly, tucked away on the Australian, and
while we were enjoying a hot dinner she
pulled out for Bennett.
All that afternoon she trembled up the
Yukon. idotically called Fifty Mile River"
here. All the water from the summit of
White Pass, from the chain of lakes that
make the connecting links of the river
from Taku Arm and the Atlintoo river.
that drains Lake Atlin, come rushing
down the Yukon, which, at this point, is
only about half as wide as the Missouri is
at Omaha. AT Miles Canon il is as narrow
as the Arkansas is where 1t rushes through
the Royal Gorge So it makes the Aus
tralian, with her powerful engines, CULVER
to go up against the current. At first you
think she will shake her seams all open
but she Is made of steel, and, if we except
the butter on the Victorian, is the stoutest
thing on the Yukon.
Wonderful Butter.
mat butter deserves more than a pass
ing notice. 1t is the same material that
Sampson. ST., used on his hair. being a
part of crock that Delilah held out when
she and the strong man broke up house
keeping. 1t was purchased at the sheriff's
sale by the house of Dunraven. brought
over on the Valkyrie and presented by
Lord Dunraven to Mr.. H Maitland her
sey OF the Canadian Development Com
pany, who own and operate these splendid
steamers.
Jennings, the chief engineer on the Vic
tor1an. has been trying it on his engines.
He finds that few drops in each of his
iubricators will increase the speed of his
beat by two miles an hour, up stream
IT would appear, therefore. that the fact
that the Victorian makes better time on
less fuel than the other boats is not due
TO her equipment. nor to the care or eff
cheney OF her crew, but to the strength and
vigor Of her butter.
Because of the conflicting reports of the
Atlin district. and because Garland, after
three months Of the terrors and fortunes
of the trail. grew rapturous over the
scenery of that section, / determined to
make a side trip to that camp.
Captain Richie, the superintendent of
the steamboat line. graciously offered to
nail whatever craft we CHANGED to meet in
Lake Marsh bound for Atlin. and throw me
aboard. 1t was away along toward mid
night when the whistle sounded, little
screwboat with lamp like a lightning
bug came out Of the shadow of the hill and
lay rolling on the gentle waves in hailing
distance. She proved to be the William
Ogilvie. bound for Attn, and after hastily
bidding Thompson goodbye 1 went below
where the ever watchful Richie stood
waiting to hand me over to the master
of the Ogilvie.
Eight Dollars for Half a Sleep.
After few hours, when 1 had become
hardened to the petrified mattress l fell
asleep to wake at the elbow of Taku Arm
The sun was blazing over the brown
broken. splintered or snowcapped hills. The
rain of the day before had washed the
earth and the air all clean making a
morning as fine and fair and glorious as I
have ever known. The air was delightful
the water calm and clear. While l walk ed
the Scant upper deck, revelfng in the grand
eur Of the scenery. the japanese gentle
man. who was the tar Of the kitchen
served breakfast so stealthily that / knew
nothing of 1t until 1t was all over and We
we're making fast to the floating wharf at
Taku City. The purser was the only per
son who took any interest in me. He took
s. for half q sleep.
A three-room cabin. called a hotel. faced
the wharf. Here ordered breakfast. The
man brought me beautiful fish, half cook
ed: real Canadian bread (also half cooked)
and coffee that I could not swallow.
asked for cup Of tea, and got a weak
1 could not eat the boss" charged me only
% cents. misdirected me. and let me 60
took his advice as point against the
wagon road that he recommended. walked
the towpath on the tramway and found
walking not only good. but the run about
mile shorter than the other route. The
man was concentrated liar-"one of a
SERIES" as Mark Twain would say, land
Alone"
On the Crest.
A low ridge separates the waters Of Taku
Arm from Lake Atlin. and over this ridge
runs a fine wooden railroad. but no cars
Atlintoo river. deep. narrow and swift. cuts
through the ridge, connecting Atlin Lake
with the Yukon through Taku Arm. Taku
City Is at the mouth of the river that
rushes out so swift that the ripples and
wake Of the current can be seen half
mile from the Shore
The moment you reach the crest Of the
low divide you begin to get glimpses Of
beautiful Lake Atlin.
Two steamers were waiting at the wharf
Captain John Irving's Scotia and a little
battered tub called the Ruth, which had
been hauled up over the rapids of Atlintoo
only the day before. This was to be her
first trip across to Atlin. which we could
see sleeping in the sun, six miles away.
The Scotia was not going until the after
noon. but Captain Spencer. who knew me.
offered to cast off and take me over If I
had any doubts about the Ruth reaching
the farther shore.
The Lady and the Freight Agent.
thanked him and strolled over to the
Ruth. A lady in Nile-green dress, trim
med in fur, was putting crimps in freight
agent.
IF you hadn't lied to me-" she was say
ing. f1ercely. Il wouldn't a-went to Skas-
way at ALL"
Ida, didn't mean to He," said the man