The Washington times., 1901-09-15
WOMEN In THE KLONDIKE.
Many Avenues Leading to Fortune
Open to the Woman Who Dares.
There Is IN General Demand for
Cooks, Nurses, and DrcssmaLers,
All of Whom Can Get Prices Tint
Seem FairyIilSe From Here.


Talk about new occupations for wo-
men, a." exclaimed Mrs. katherine Nor
rell. when asked regarding women in the
klondike, there is no demand for them
at Dawson. The women there find that
there are fortunes to be made at the old
occupations. and they are making them,
and making them fast
Mrs Morrel who has just returned
from the Klondike,y and who is now pre-
pairing for a triprto Honolulu, Russia,
China, Japan, New Zealand, and Aus
tralia, is a woman who IS familiar with
every city in the United States and she
declares that nowhere else can so much
money be made in short time as in the
Klondike, and she especially c0mmends
Dawson.
THE stories one reads and hears told
seem like fairy tales until you visit the
country and see for yourself, said Mrs
Morrell to the san Francisco Bulletin.
Women make money there in various
ways. Some of them take up claims and
work them themselves. One woman, the
wife of New York travelling man, hled
upon a claim, and in five weeks b,tJre
her husband Joined her washed out sl',voo
worth of gold. Another woman conceived
the idea of searching for pearls along the
Yukon, and her find amounted to $4,000
Such work is not really difficult, ana the
hardships have beo1 reduced to I MINI
mum. 1t is a fact she added tn one
can travel from the States to Dawson,
now that the railway ras been construct
ed. quite as luxurionsly, provided ,.u
have the money. as you can go to Chica-
go or New York.
oT,, 10
hire washerwoman, and young Mrs
Pullman. of Chicago. with many another
tourist. found it necessary to wash out
her own clothing if it was to be washed
at all. Women who do the most ordinary
work receive wages which seem incredi-
Bile A laundry has recently been started
there by woman, and although the
plant cost several thousand dollars, its
owner expected to pay for her entire out
lay with her first two months business
Any woman is supposed to be able to
do plain cooking. and the woman who
COOKS for a camp of six in the klondike
receives $50 "A month. All that is re-
quired of her is that get the meals for
SIX men. keep the camp clean and main
tain her self-respect. A school teacher
who had saved but little after years of
teaching in California went into the klon-
dixie and cooked for such a camp. She
went in on the first boat and came out
she brought out $1,000 net profit. If wo-
man hasn't the means to reach the klon-
dixie she can engage as cook with
camping outfit at Seattle and have her
way paid in All that is really necessary
is pluck. Men may not always succeed
in locating paying claims. but woman
can find lucrative employment always.
There is big demand for nurses at
Dawson at present. A nurse in the hospi-
tai is paid $500 month, and her board.
Dressmaking Is another line of work
which is well paid. A dressmaker can
make many times as much money there
as in the States without working half so
hard. The women OF Dawson dress well
and are willing to spend money freely for
most common commodity they have there,
and If | were to tel! you of the way in
which the gold dust and nuggets are han
died you would be incredulous. The wo-
men think little of paying $20G or $500 for
gown. and novel articles of wearing ap-
parel bring fabulous prices 1t would pay
a woman well to buy up pretty pieces of
China silk and make it UP into soft fiuf
fy garments. to supply herself with hand
some silk skirts and with various novel
ties and striking garments and to take
them TO Dawson. She could dispose of
them at an enormous advance in price
Jcweiry. too. finds a ready market, and If
the tourist happens to possess fine dia-
monds which she is willing to dispose of
she can more than make the expenses Of
her trip and replace the diamonds upon
her return.
The excess to which the wearing Of
silks and diamonds is carried in this min
IlB region is something remarkable, ana
IT reaches Its eliminating point, where it
becomes a caricature, in the canneries.
Do you know what a kluteh is. No?
Well, klutch is the Indian name up there
for women. and those who work in the
salmon canneries are all called klutches.
The men catch the salmon and do all the
river work, but the actual canning is done
by klutches, and they actually wear while
at work silk dresses, diamonds in the ears
and on their fingers, and high -heeled
French shoes for which they paid S. and
IS pair. and which they never lace up!
If you suggest the propriety of gingham
or print dresses for such work they will
tell you in plain English that their dress
is their own affair.
THE salmon canneries are among the
most interesting Industries of the region.
The men who work in the river driving
the fish receive $40 and $50 day. On the
docks the salmon lie tub deep, and II is
one of the sights of a lifetime. The men
work throughout the season. but the ac-
tual canning occupies but few weeks of
each year.
II visited Bennett. at the summit of the
Chilkoot Pass, where the Union Jack and
the Stars and Stripes wave together. The
British and Americans are said to have
buried the hatchet there, but | stayed long
enough TO discover that the handle still
sticks out"
Mrs. Morrell made the trip on the City
of Seattle, with Captain Connell who
knows how to entertain his passengers
royalty. Five meals were served daily on
of spending much time in sleep, fearing
that they might miss some OF the sights
of the voyage.
"One of our unique experiences" con-
tinued Mrs. Morrell, was witnessing the
all day. as it is called up there. They
told us on the boat going up that at that
season the chickens actually walked
themselves to death. and that people
erected shelters for them which could be
darkened during the night hours. But we
found that the people we're almost as bad
as the chickens, for there was so much
for the tourist to see that was new. and
the experience was so unusual that we,
too. nearly walked ourselves to death
Captain Connell is an old sea captain
and has had all sorts of experiences, but
one of his Alaskan experiences beats
them all He, with all his passengers.
quarantined at one of the mining camps
for three months. When you know that
some of the passengers were men who
were on their way to their claims you will
realize what the delay meant. But Cap
tain Connell was a host and kept them
entertained and, in so far rs was possible
under such circumstances. satisfied. Some
| of his methods of entertaining Were uni
que, to say the least. Just before they
were released from quarantine he, with a
party of men. visited an Indian graveyard
and took from 1t the elaborately carved
| token pole which had stood for no white
| man knows how many moons. He took 1t
| back with him to Seattle. The Indians,
| upon discovering their loss, donned war
paint and feathers and started for Seat
| tie Upon reaching there some sort OF
settlement was effected which was salts
| factory TO the townspeople at least. for
| the pole was retained, and now stands in
| the public square of the city. 1t is 20t
| feet in height and is the finest one ever
| taken from the Indians.
"Of late people have heard less of Daw-
| son City than of Cape Nome, but | be-
| lieve Dawson to be the best camp of the
| entire gold country. The people there be-
| lieve the same and they do not attempt
| TO advertise it to the outside world, since
| they are content with their present popu-
lation and are all making money. The
| business men know that it is a high