The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-03

" benefit Valdez; wagon road all Ct
the way would be of immense valas to
Eagle, but of more immediate importance
to Eagle would be system Of roads
extending south and west, twenty-five to
fifty miles, into the Forty-Mile mining
district. This district Is on the Ameri-
can side and naturally tributary to Eagle,
an American town, but owing to the fact
that the Yukon government has already
constructed a road from Dawson to the
boundary line near the Forty-Mile els
trict the trade goes TO Dawson, because
supplies can be transported so nncn
cheaper over the Dawson road than they
can be carried over the miserable trails
reaching back from Eagle.
The senatorial party arrived at Eagle
on Wednesday, the 18th. Here, as at
Dawson, the stretches Of the river below
were scanned eagerly with field glasses
every day for a glimpse Of the Sarah
Four days passed and yet no sign OF the
missing boat. It happened, however, that
the United States army transport, "Jef-
ferson C. Davis in charge of Lieutenant
Kalde, was lying at Eagle waiting orders
to proceed to Dawson to convey General
Funston down the river on his tour OF
inspection of the Alaskan military posts.
Inasmuch as General Funston would not
gust, arrangements were made to have it
convey our company to Rampant, $50 miles
further down the river, where Judge
Wickersham Of the central division was
holding court, where there would be OPP
portunity to see men from all parts OF
central Alaska and where it was hoped
some boat might be found in which to
continue the journey.
WYE left Eagle Saturday at noon. The
w river here maintains about the
same characteristics heretofore
noted. 1t grows wider and carries
larger volume of water, but is confined
within reasonable limits for the next 100
miles At II o'clock at night we sighted
the town of Circle, once a place of con-
! siderable importance, and altho 1T was
nearly midnight when we arrived, the
leading men Of the place presented them
| selves to offer any courtesies which the
senatorial party might be pleased to &C
cept Among the objects Of interest ex-
hibited here was a field of oats nearly ar
rived at the 1eading-out stage. not a very
heavy growth, but still Of good color and
not unpromising. Experience is, how
ever, that this crop cannot be successfully
rIpened in that country and is valuable
only as forage. The midnight was SO
light that the visit to Circle was made
without any inconvenience on account OF
the time of day.
A short distance below Circle City the
river begins to spread out and at the
widest point it is probably twenty miles
in width. Navigation thru these Yukon
flats is attended with great difficulty. The
stream is necessarily shallow, being
spread over so wide an area, and it keeps
the navigators guessing to follow the
channel. The channel shifts continual!
) and while it may be in one place at one
; time a month later or next year it may b.
| ,,,i1a
: cons and the pilots. who are often Indians
, read the water and tell by the appearance
, where to go, altho the boiling, muddy f1oo'
looks about the same everywhere to tn
l inexperienced eyes.
The next morning after leaving Circl
, we were called early that we might a,
= see a. large, handsome river steamer lynn
8 on a sandbar at one side of the channe
Y On her pilot house we read the nam
! Sarah" We learned latter that she ha
been on the sandbar for three days al
v ready and her situation indicated that
E would probably be many NOR
: before she could escape, and it was. Sh
e reached Dawson, however, about Wee
y later and from there was sent out the re
= port which gave the false impression tina
: our senatorial party was stranded for
Il week on a sandbar in the Yukon. w
e were delayed by the misfortune Of tn
+ Sarah" but we never boarded that hand
If some steamer and never saw her again.
s BOUT II o'clock of Sunday, July L
d n we crossed the Arctic circle, an
% the whole party lined up on tn
lie unrer deck for a photograph taken witt
10 in the frigid zone. Everybody tried har
to imagine what it meant to cross tt
d Arctic circle and stand within the real
y supposed to be qiven up to perpetU
Is ice and snow, but 1t was hard thing
= do. There were no shivers running dow
= our backs, no frost in the air as v
lie breatIed, no rubbing of noses and ear
g hut rather he balrny air Of bright o.
Ii | tober dey in Minnesota. 1t was at noe
Of such a day when we touched at Fo
3. Yukon ar abandoned military post abol
a. six miles north of the Arctic circle, ar
" the most northerly point on the Yuke
le liver. At one time it was important
J. the fur trade, and the old buildings OF II
* trading post are still standing, but II
l. fur business has disappeared ann M n;
In left only a small Indian village. 81
he decline OF the f. trade under the cru
he game lews of Alaska, which rob the Il
re dian CT market for his flirs at the sc;
or son when they are most marketable q;
go left these people without any means
n support adequate to their necessities. X
On Iiglous exercises were in progress IN u
ch log cabin near the landing, lay raadf
er a full FLOODED Athabaskan, conducting t!
og service. Indian oratory as exempllhed
We William Loola is anything but dranat
and vociferous. In a quiet and devo
manner he read the lessons Of the d;
til and led his fellow parishioners thru
in Episcopal service, Winning up MIN
re HYMN, and all, of course in the l
III dian language. The missionary was
lth at home; he was on the Sarah" bou
I'M for Dawson, for which he had start
he three days before, but towards viii
err he had made but little progress. I
to wife and children, two small boys WI
ey +ba traders family. were the only VIII
all people in this settlement
MS The remainder Of the day was sps
led on a monotonous waste of the Yukon fla
W The next morning, Monday, July 20.
all arrived at the village of Rampant, VIII
is was to be our abiding place for the nt
1t three days altho we mad not planned
ell. long a STAY. How we finally escaped to
A sea must be told next week
at ~. 8. McLain