The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02

He purchased pair of scissor-proof sus-
penderS, and went.
| For nearly a mile the beach swarmed
| with the camps of sanguine. amateur gold
| hunters. whose feet were so tender they
couldn't wear muffS, all engaged in build.
| ing river boats, many of which might have
! impeled Noah to institute infringement
proceedings.
But our water gazelle was to be the
queen of the fleet Down stream she had
a guaranteed speed with a tonnage regis
tered at the postoftice Anyway. her. gait
letter; especially when you are waiting
| for the money Her engines had been
borrowed from laundry. and would NOT
run after p. m. nor on Sundays. The
engineer, who had gained most of his ex-
perience on the wheat fields of North Da-
kota, stuck with the engines, as far as
| overtime was concerned.
The entire works of the steamer saw
mill and dredge had been dumped upon
the beach like pile of jackstraps. In
! their haste the impatient argonauts fire.
| quently boted together parts belonging to
each. and 1t sometimes appeared as il We
! were going to speed to the gold fields in
composite creation that would feel quite
as contented in lumber yard as in the
| water.
Every minute lost meant just so much
| gold.
1.-The delay was making us poorer ev-
cry !.F day so.so - ,,
| dering our chances for getting up the river
| center OF September when the smoke first
| warmed the stack of our steamer, and she
started on her trial trip across the har-r
| Dor.
| Late that afternoon party of college,
pred PRED pr9spectoTs arrived at St. Michael
from nt na, Golo dial Bay They brought news
( after consultation which lasted about as
! long as a resolution to save money we
| unanimously decided to abandon the trip
! up the Yukon for the purpose of making
an onslaught against the newly discovered
diggings.
.Golofnin is some distance from st.
Michael, and corner of Boring Sea had
| TO be crossed in order to get there but
| as our steam gondola had behaved like a
| perfect lady on her trial trip we thought
| there was no reason why we should not
| give her run for the money we expected
| to be worth.
| Final preparations for our departure
were made forthwith, most of the provis-
| ions and outfit being loaded on a boat we
had obtained from a discounted expedi-
| omers and similar dare-devils.
| AT this time of the year in that region
4 the elements begin to Timber up for their
winters orgy. Thin ice forms. and the
] wind blows with such cratic force as
| would make an aeolian harp play rag
| time.
at being more than Sabbath days
! Journey over to Golofnin. we left st. MI
| chael on Saturday evening, having in tow
the boat that carried our stores.
AT little past eight bells of the dog
1 found wanting. Then. after q flourish of
| the whistle. which had a penetrating fall
setto screech. we, at last got under way for
| the spot where it was said that q blind
man could find gold.
with the exception of certain Nocturnal
rhapsodies, enjoyed while under the spell
1 of my first love affair this was the most
beautiful night 1 had ever seen. The
moon was full enough to excite the envy
| of a gold cure relapse, and the water
was devoid of ruffles.
| THE engineer. imbued with the feeling
| OF enthusiasm then prevailing, had the
| steamer going like an old maid to for
! tune teller's.
"The next morning we were few miles
| or Cape Darby, at the entrance to
Golofnin bay. right in the dentistry of
ferocious northeast gale. The sea had
| sprung up like Missouri statesman, but
| no one had to explain to us what We were
| up against.
| "All that day we tried to make the lee
| side of the. cape. which is a massive and
rocky promoEtory.. But we stood no more
show than one-legged man in a ladder
| climbing contest.
| "At noon the sea had gone down some
what, and you can then imagine our feel
| ings when We sighted a steam schooner
| bound for Frisco coming toward us from
| the direction OF Golofnin. L had not taken
| her captain long to make cut that we
| were in the worst kind of distress, and In
| few hours he towed us safely into tho
| bay.
For growing youth, had then quito
! enough of the gold nightmare. There
i wasn't sufficient grub left to last month,
/ and my outfit was gone. so l took pas
/ sage for Frisco on the steam schooner.
which, by the way, was about the size Of
/ a grand piano.
1T was during the first chapter of Oc-
| tober that our little steam schooner rub
| bed compilations with the dock at Frisco.
! Il walked down the gang plank, looked
| up at the clear California sky and made
a solemn OATH with splints around 1t.
| that 1 would never play another long
shot
| How do 1 like Frisco?
Better than money Only Frisco Is
| larger than any dough ever had Frisco
| isn't the most popuious settlement In the
] United States. but the pasturage there Is
SO different.
LET US again to the bucket; I'm as dry
as an auctioneer."