Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-03-15
NEWS FROM OUR Correspondents
A VERY iNTERES TING LETTER
FROM ALASKA
Amador City People Return From Corea
Rev. Hadix of Plymouth Given
Party.-St. Patrick's Ball.
ALASKA, Feb. Is, 1901.

region about 60 miles from Skagway is
attracting much attention and |
thought it worth while to investigate,
so | sent prospec;or and his accounts
were so tiattering | decided to see for
myself. Came from Skagway to Haims
az mlles) in the evening, on a Seattle
bound steamship. Next morning at
the hotel breakfast table was FORUM
ate in meeting two miners who were
starting for Porcupine which was also
my destination. They had 400 pounds
OF hams and sugar on sled drawn by
three dogs and l got them to also carry
my bundle which contained lunch
box, a pair of long topped rubber boots
and 'parka," which is an overcoat
without buttons and is put on over the
head like shirt and also has a head
piece like an old lady's night cap, sewed
to the collar.
Our route lay along the east shore of
Pyramid Harbor and up the Chilcoot
River which was frozen over to within
mile of its mouth. The weather was
clear and calm, mercury little below
zero, and the ice was smooth. The
sled had a shaft nailed to the side of
the front end at an angle of about As
degrees. A man walks in front of the
sled and by the shaft guides the load
or assists the dogs in hard places. The
dogs are harnessed tandem, in front of
the man, and pull the load by a cord
passing between the mans feet. The
valley is about two miles wide and has
but little timber but the mountains on
either side have a thick growth of
birch and hemlock.
The vapor rising from the water and
drifting over the snow, shrubs and
trees congeals wherever it touches,
until it forms crystalline feathers,
beautiful beyond description, covering
the snow with dainty carpet and
every branch and twig with fairy
jewels.
About o'clock we reached large
tent with the sign ''Queen Road House,
Coffee and Cakes % cents, Meals so
CENTS" where we enjoyed dinner of
stewed mutton (canned), bread and
butter (butterine) coffee and cookies.
The river was now open in places and
the trail runs along the bank and is
quite rough and crooked. l began to
realize that my legs were unused to
travel and the last five miles of that
days trip was positive torture. We
passed a party of twelve English and
Scotch miners bound for Bear Creek.
They had ton and half OF outfit
on five sleds and were drawing them by
hand about fifty miles. At dark we
reached Klukwan, an Indian village
across the river which was open at this
point, which is where the Klaheena
joins the ChilcOot and is about 25 miles
from HaineS An Indian came across
lor us IN a large canoe which he
awkwardly overturned and l had the
exquisite pleasure OF ducklng, added
to my other comforts. We saved all
the goods and were soon shown into
ABOUT IL oy IO Ieet, had large heat
ing stove In the centre, cook stove in
one corner ana seven comfortable beds
Piac9u against tne walls. ne 1aoles
6 XII vacated tne premises we took
On en our Sio.nes, nIng t9em near the
nre, rupoeu ourselves ury, ana /! at
once roneo lnto peu; spen6 most OF tine
n1 onans PosiIlons anu repehtlng
vi my SINS. toward morning was
Sole w sieep anu vi waxing saw tnat
MI M nUetos:oo moio piop%rlhs ureahiasC;
L no slCuaI.on was llIule peculiar SO l
iay lo" uuSil my coaraues arose ana
began dressing as II they were entirely
aione, linen l. IolloWea suit, no one
seeming 10 notiee US. we had break
last OF nam ana eggs, biscuits, coffee
ana CAKE all Clean ana well cooked.
1oilar eacn l0r our entertainment
ana Sil5 20 Genus Tor the ducklng settled the
OIL and started up the Klaheena in
advance OF the rest. was pretty sore
on starting out soon llmbered up. Just
ABOVE hl4k Wan came to a small house
with the BRUSH nag over 1t. This is
twenty miles nearer tide water than it
used TO De under Russlan control and
steamers can run above this point. An
oHcer came Out and asked my name
and destination. Igave them and then
enqulred his name and business. We
laughed a bit about the shrewdness of
the canadians and the weakness OF
Uncle sam In giving up this 20 mile
strip OF the richest part of the country,
and SAID goodbye. The route now lay
up the hiaheena which we had to ford
hve times In our rubber boots and
carry the 1reight IN our arms. The
water was rapid but not more than two
1eet deep. Our course was southwest
ana before DARK we reached Porcupine,
ABOUT 10 miles from Halnes. The town
already mas hotel, store, saloon and
about two dozen tents and is less than
mile from the creek. This is not an
easy creek TO WORK as from II to 40 feet
OF gravel lies on the bedrock, but some
OF the prospect holes yield pay dirt
ron rom 1eet oelow the surface to the
potion. Only prospecting has been
gone YET pun tne creek and also the