Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-02-21
KLoNDIKE's FIRST PIANO.
IL Across the Mountains 10
Dawson city.

''The first piano in the Klondike dis
| tTict reached there in the fall of 81,
said a music house drummer who is on
periodical visit TO the New Orleans
trade, TO a Times-Demecrat man.
There is rather an interesting story
connected with it, which / happen to
know, as / had something to do with
the transaction myself. The instru-
ment was ordered from a firfa in Mil
waukee by a hotel keeper at Dawson
City. He paid $3.50 and the house
agreed to defray transportation 20 hrs
premises and deliver it by or before
| November ]. That arrangement was
based ON a contract with the railroad
company, which undertook to send
the piano from Milwaukee to Dawson
within the specified time for s125 cash.
making the instrument net the dealers
S5zs, or the regular list price. So fax
everything was all right, but in max
ing his calculations the freight agent
had counted on being able to forward.
the piano by boat from Seattle to ST
Michaels, on the Alaskan coast, and
thence mp the river to Dawson. As bad
luck would have it. however, the ice
appeared unusually early that year
and before this consignment reached
Seattle the river was closed to nayiga
ton for the winter. The only remain
ing way 70 get into the country was
by the overland route from Juneau via
Chilkoot pass, and the job of Juggling
grand piano across that horrible arc
tie barrier was appalling to think
about.
AT that time Neither the railroad
nor the aerial traInway were in exist
enee and every pouzd Of freight had 10
be packed over the pass sn the backs
Of Iadians, who charged about what
they pleased. So, even admitting the
undertaking 20 be possible, the cost
was certain q be something enormous.
The company understood al this but
aside from its east iron contract with
the piano people its pride was involved,
and il deterndned 10 carry out the
agreement to the letter, regardless of
difficulties and expense
.'iEhe piano vas accordingly sent by
boat from Seattle to juneau and
gang Of expert packers were engaged
to carry it across ChilEoot. They be-
eun by stripping the body of the in
strument of everything possible. They
took off the legs and cover, swathed il
in tarpaulin and mounted it, litter
fashion. on "a couple OF stout poles.
Then . dozen or so stalwart Indians
laid hold at each side and started up
tire trail. Chilk0ot pass. as you prob
ably know, is not pass at all in the
common acceptance Of the term, but
is simply shallow gutter on the crest
of a range that lifts itself clear up into
The clouds. The whole ascent is in
deseribably wild and rugged and at
that time of year il is storm-swept,
bowling wilderness. of ice and snow.
How the piano. ever got across is
past human understanding. a hun
bred times the Indians stopped and
swore they would go no further, and
their worst mutiny occurred at the
very top. While the agent in charge
was cursing and beseeching them by
turns a big, hairy prospeetor came
along. pulled the tarpaulin off the keys.
squatted down in the snow and played
classical music until his fingers got too
stiff to move. They say he was fine
performer and while he played the
/ struggling procession Of human ants
toiling over the summit came to a
standstill and formed dense semicir-
Gle behind his back. IL must have been
a weird scene-chat concert in the
oloads. with the wind screaming over
the mountain peaks and the arctic
wastes spread out below them like
map. but that iatermission saved the
day. The Indians rested and tackled
the Job again. and, to make a long story
slsort, they finally landed the piano
safe on the other side. From there or
to Dawson was. terrible journey. but
the worst was passed and they reached
the town away inside of the time limit.
I never heard exactly how much the
brip cost the railway company, but IL
is safe 10 say i was far in excess of the
value Of the instrument. When the
partx arrived Miller gave big ball L
his hotel and the piano which furnished
the music was the admiration and envy
of tkewhole klondiSe region. There are
plenty of others there now, but they
came in taraely by either the river or
the railroad. Millsr's is the oaly one