The National tribune., 1902-07-17
l,200 MILES ON DOG SLED.
-~sss'rsrs >fuHr.ug ...ys.
Thrilling Experiences of Minister of the
Gospel ia Alaska

Rev. NJ. Egbert Koonce, one of the
young men engaged in missionary work i'll
Alaska, under the leadership OF DIR. ).
Hall Young, at a meeting of the Yukon
Presbytery last Summer, was chosen its
Commissioner to the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church in New York.
An account of his experiences during a
,20O-mile journey by dog sled, in order
to reach the coast, as related by DIR.
koonce, appears below:
.'On the 18th day of February l started
out with my dog team from my station
at Rampant, and laid my course in the
general direction of New York, distance
Of about 5000 miles by the route Travelled,
| 200 of which lay over the frozen rivers
and snow-cowered mountains of interior
Alaska.
"Rampart, my starting place, where |
| had been preaching to the miners for
three years, is placer mining camp Of
! some importance, situated on the Yukon
| River about 100 miles west of Dawson
and about 800 miles east of st. Michael.
My route of travel lay up the Yukon go
miles to Forty Mile Post, thence up the
Forty Mile River over the Ketchestock
Divide, across the upper Panama Valley,
over Montasa Pass, down the Salina
Copper to Valdez, on Prince William
Sound, whence steamers make regular
monthly trips to Seattle.
"In anticipation of this trip / had Sc
lected, during the Winter, a team Of three
strong young native dogs, for which l
paid $50 each. l had frequent oppOrtuni-
ty, during the Winter in my long timer
aries TO the outlying camps, to test their
speed and endurance, and l felt confident
that with my own robust health, we
should have little difficulty in averaging
| 20 miles a day on Our long trim
Early in the purple dawning twilight
of st. Valentines Day, while the quiet of
an arctic night still rested on the little
village, l turned the key in the little log
cabin that had been my home, and took
up the burden of the trail. The ther-
mometer stood at 80 below zero-just
right for travelling; the frosty air was
clear and sparkling and the stars looked
cold and very far away-almOst as far
as New York. 1t was 4 o'clock in the
morning and no one was stirring; the fare
wells had all been said the night before,
and even the good wishes and earnest
solicitude of kind friends seemed a long
way off in the chill and lonely morning
gloom.
Frequently snowfalls and drifting
winds keep the trail pretty well covered
over, and there were many miles where
no signs were visible by which a traveller
might find his way. So was glad when
the mail carrier overlook me, shortly af-
ter l had entered this trackless wilder
ness, and favored me with his company SO
long as l was able to keep up with him.
A volume might be written regarding
these sturdy heroes of the trail, whose
deeds have never been sung. Each car
rier has his own division, usually about
100 miles, with cabins where he can camp
for the night every 30 or 40 miles.
Il continued travelling with the car
riers for about 200 miles, stopping at
night in their cabins, which were usually
bare of any furniture except a stove. We
occasionally crossed the track of moose,
but never caught sight Of this noble ami
NAL. Once two wolves pursued me for
my revolver sent them fleeing into the
shadows Of a neighboring forest.
AT EAGLE CITY.
ION Saturday, March S, / reached
Eagle City, having covered the GOO miles
in II days, two days having been spent
at Fort Yukon and three at Circle City.
Circle is the oldest mining camp in in.
terror Alaska, and some 500 OF 600 miners
are to be found in that region now. They
have no minister and no opportunity for
public worship, SO l arranged to stop off
for Sabbath. Nearly every one in the
town turned out in The evening, and al.
though the thermometer stood ut 81 be.
low zero, We had pleasant and enthus
iastic gathering.
Five days Of hard travelling, with the
thermometer standing between 40 and &C
below, covered the 100 miles between Cir.
Gle and Eagle and brought me to the
home Of Rev. and Mrs. ]. w. Kirk, whom
l had not seen for two years, although
Brother Kirk is my nearest neighbor
Eagle City, besides being a mining camp,
has large military post, with two com.
panies of soldiers, and is also the head
quarters of the Third Judicial District.
Il had expected to continue on by way
Of Dawson, whence comfortable stages
connect with the White Pass and Yukon
Railroad, 375 miles further on. After
consulting with Mr.. Kirk, however, we
thought it best that cross the country
i bZ the Valdez route. which is about 575