The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-05-28
ARRIVED FROM NOME.
MAIL CARRIER BAYLES' PERIL
Gus JOURNEY
Brings News OF Death From Stam-
pcdcs to Reported New Gold
Fields


walk over the desolate snowy reaches
Of Alaska In 'mid.wlnter with the
weather 40 cold that the thermometer
refused 10 register; without food Or
blankets. living "a best one can on
those deserts Of ice and snow. with here
and there the hOsDitablc hut OF lone
ly settler In which 10 obtain sustenancp
and shelter. not a pleasant prospect
perhaps but II II only fragment Of
the pcrilOus trip accomplished by l.. L.
Baylcs, VINO arrived In Astoria yesier-
day on the steam schooner Despatch
from Nushagak.
B1yles Ia veteran Of the klOndlke.
Short and 10 appearances. frail because
~ his slender physique. his hair liber-
ally besprinklcl with gray one can
scarcely believe he went through what
he "a and lived 10 tell Il. Yet for
eighteen years BaYes has been covering
this selfsame Journey from the heart
~ wintcr-frozcn Alaska 10 the clvli-
zailOn of the states. There was an
incentive to urge him on In the
pouches slung over his shoulder were
private mail for half a dozen big cor
poratIons. letters and papers TO be turn
ed over to the first pOsiciiice and spec
'al dispatches Of importance 10 the war
department AZ washington
Baylcs started for Nome City on jan
uary 3. with others bound for the
frozen Interior he dlsembarked al
Cooks inlet and made ready for The
nerllous trip overland At T.llanina
bay an unfortunate accident befell
member NJ the party. Fred Bishop, an
cmploye NJ the Alaska Commercial
Company. was caught on a foe ~ ice
~ !. q. foam hs rTNa
body and was being hurried u the
open sea by the swift current. He was
forced ~ abandon his mail pouch, five
dogs and TWO slals and In order TO
save his own he was compelled to jump
into the Icy waters and swim 10 firm
Ice. From TllinanIng tay the party
struck out for the headwaters q the
Kuskokwlm and proceeding on, crossed
the Yukon al the Holy Cross mission.
The route then lay up the Snviak river
until Nortons sound was reached on the
other side Of which lay the city Of
Nome
Bayles reports conditions In Nome az
being In every way favorable. PrOvis-
ioas are plentiful in the city and good
meals are served f1r n Quarter. Houses
are 10 be had for the clretaking and
very little want or suffering had been
reported out on the trails, however
| the story was different. Men and wom-
en- were frozen To death along the way
| side and In lonely cabins. During the
winter two stampedes were started by
irresponsible persons. from each Of
which large loss Of life resulted. One
rush was TO the Point Hope district.
some six hundred miles northeast OF
| Nome. on the Arctic ocean. Hundreds
made the trip only % find the country
| barren. with no timber and no gold.
| The other stampede was to a district
some six hundred and fifty miles north
west where Il was reported that the
| yellow river had been discovered. A
| legend current in the camps Of the north
Is In effect that one of the tributar-
leg 10 the Kuskokwim is so rich In
metal that il is deservedly called the
| yellow river Many parties have
searched for II but nothing has so far
been found Government officials
warned persons intending to make the
trips not 10 make the attempt unless
| literally supplied with provisions and
clothes. and those who disregarded the
| warnings came 10 grief.
| However some good strikes were re-
ported by Bayles. At the head of the
south fork Of the Kusk1kwim, in the
| Kongallion ilstric: a good prospect was
| found showing quantities Of coarse
gold. Unfortunately water is found at
depth of ten feet and it was impos-
sible To get to bedrock. The field is
a promising one and when capital Is
| Invested. and the expensive machinery
that will be necessary Is installed. IL will
undoubtedly pan out big. Another strike
was reported on the Ahkalik. about fifty
miles from Good News bay. At this
point gold was found from the grass
roots down in fine colors though buy lit
tie free gold appeared. About twenty
five people are spending the winter
there and others are expected in the
spring, Good reports were received
from Bonanza creek. where the pans