Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-09-11
SNOW EATING MANIA.
4 PECULIAR HABIT THAT DEVELOPS
IN THE kLONDikE.

Is Extremely Dtmcult to Control
and ia Indulge 1t Means a shora
Cut TO the Grave.
Every great discovery in the worlds
history has brought with it an ACCOM-
panying affection. and it remained fox
the Klondike to develop a peculiar manis
that threatens to outrival opium eatinE
Among the residents of the far north u
is known as the 'snow habit, and II
is said to be incurable A returnsk
Klondiker tells the strange story.
"There are many strange things in
the Klondike, said the narrator. "ham
perhaps the strangest and that abons
which nothing has been written SO far,
is the dissipation caused by eating
snow. In the north. when the Tb1
mometer reaches 80 to 40 degrees belop
zero, mouthful of snow is like moltez
metal. 1t brings an inflammation to tbt
palate and tongue and it is Impossible
to quench the thirst. The first advice
an old timer offers newcomer in the
region is 'IA)n't eat snow There aTs
men in that country, once hearty, ro-
bust miners, now weak. etfeminate crea~
lures. whose fall can be traced directlT
to the time they began munching sn,w.
1.-The matter has been but little IN
vestigated. but the scientists who haps
examined the subject say that the Wa
tiers of the north are rich with mineraa
deposits which are being constantly
washed down from the mountains. 4
cor< n NOV cont If fhio mineral 10 70 boy,
into the air when vapor rises, and the
snow becomes impregnated with it.
There have been several falls of rec
snow near Point Barrow, the deposit
being Of a reddish brown color, due en-
tirely to minerals. Thus it can be seer
that person eating large quantities q
the snow takes into his system corre
spending amount of minerals.
While coming down the Copper river
last spring the narrator came upon Il
party of miners where one was dyi1.
from the effects of eating snow. He hais
been hard drinl1er but had run shnrt
of whisky. His thirst became unerldu-
able and as water was scarce in nlsts|-
winter he had taken to eating snow
Soon he claimed it relieved his appetite
for the liquor, but his companions ns
ticed that his appetite for the snow IL
creased until he was consuming en1r~
nous quantities Gradually his skin.
which was a dark bronze, grew light,
his rugged stature became bent, anG
even his harsh voice changed to thu
effeminate squeak of an old womz-
His strength gave way, and his cus-
panions tried to break him of the haiku
He would lie on his pallet and mcsx
pitifully for mouthful of snow and
when opportunity offered would ste=,a
unobserved to the doorway and gn1t
down huge handfuls At last. seeing
death was inevitable, his companions
allowed him the snow, hoping to pre-
long his life. 1t proved unavailing.
however, and one morning the man WE
found dead
There are some spots on the Copy
river where the snow, when melted 4
strained through cloth. shows pel~~ r.
tible signs of minerals, and often GOLD
is found plentifully intermixed. but *
course not in paying quantities. Whe.s
this comes from is mystery, hES Il
may be brought from the far north iyf
the heavy winter gales that sweep over
this part of the country. 1t has been
said that if the snow could be meltas
away it would leave deposits of millions
Of dollars in gold dust on the ground
The narrator had close call himself
from falling victim to the snow hahit
ut was in the winter Of 1867 IN
said, land was new to the country.
An old miner near Dawson had warmed
me against eating snow, but |, with my
partner had gone back into the hills N.
a prospecting tour and had got caugTs:
in a blizzard. We were shy Of prs
visions and on our way up lost d.
package containing our cooking uts,
sis. This we remedied by broilins our
cooked foods but we had nothing liz
which to melt the snow. 1t is oia'YMsl
that melted snow is harmless, as thst
metallic deposits it contains sin, to In
bottom Of 'he receptacle.
"We decided to try it raw, ans ~
did Whether it was the food or It y
snow | don't know. but during liz
week we waited for chance to get or
we had an ever increasing thirst, until
when we were finally able to strike thu
trail, we were consuming snow at
frightful rate. When we reached OF
companions, we attempted to ass1a1e
our thirst with water, but it did 90
good. We had acquired taste for the
frozen water, and it seemed to have iy
vigorating qualities AT night we osuad
not sleep unless we took our snow.
1--WE were fast approaching the de-
generate stage when reached a reabz
ing sense of our condition and unier
took to break off. began by des,yessl
and worked down, but up to the VERY
moment left the country the sight at
the snow always raised in me an ipsr-
dinate craving. 1t cost me many sseey-
less nights and weary days to restraz1,
myself Had l given way to the hssSs
l would like many another poor fellow.