The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-28

"a happy thought Of the doctor came
to me and I decided to see what my
woman's strength could accomplish
with the supernatural aid. At GER
tain signal We all bent over, took firm
hold Of the sled and then raised. Upon
my word. the runner came out of the
slush as if there was no weight what
ever, and the sled glided out upon the
firm ice. Fl
Did the men give me credit for the
rescue. No, indeed. They tolerated my
offer of assistance rather patronizingly,
but 1 know that it was the little doctor
who,s through my arms, lifted that
sled from the rut. OF course, said
nothing about my unseen companion,
for the men would have laughed in
credulously, but after that de-
termined to travel alone entirely to
avoid any more narrow escapes and
delays. <a
After two. years Of nursing, doctor
ing and studying in Dawson City
without any nearer approach to the
gold mine of my dreams, I deter
mined to reach Nome at any cost and
look about. , was going to open a
restaurant there, but upon arriving in
the mining city found that many 9TH
ers before me had Ventured upon the
same business with utter failure, SO the
idea was abandoned. / had no money
and must have food and shelter.
'"The men in the mining camps of the
Klondike and Nome are rough, but
good-hearted on the whole. They have
little respect for women, because. with
the exception of the wives Of the miners
the female inhabitants Of that country
are low, common and soon degenerate
into creatures scarcely better than
beats. kept entirely aloof from them.
Sat this point talking about a sick
man in a camp down by the water, so /
made up my mind to see him and do
what I could to nurse him back to
health. The door lad, whom / found
lying in water soaked blankets, with
boots and clothing. damp and soggy
was suffering from pneumonia His
partner had done all he could. but he
had no knowledge Of medicine They
needed a woman's help Together we
pulled the boy through the sleeg, and
to show their gratitude they offered
me partnership in a claim they had
just staked out on the Colorado, 60
miles from Nome If it pans out, they
said, 'there'll be plenty for three, and
il it doesn't-well, it's just the chance
+, every miner takes.
Here was my golden opportunity,
and, backed by the spirit doctor, there
seemed every chance for striking II
rich. Summer had just begun, SO the
three Of us jousneyed to our claim on
the Eldorado and put up temporary
tents. The first months were easy, and
we got the mine working in good shape.
Meanwhile winter was coming on.
Snow piled up around us and blizzard
succeeded blizzard. It was the hardest
winter during the seven years I spent
| in the Klondike. For days we had
nothing to eat. Then between blizzards
when the snow would stop falling so
that / could venture out without freez-
| ing to death would go down to the
water and fish for tomeod in the ice
| hole. Sometimes the fish would bite,
| and again could not get SO much as
| nibble. When this source of food
proved a failure was reduced to des-
peration. Time and time again the
| fierce wind blew our chimney down,
filing the tent with suffocating smoke,
and then I would run to the neighbors
| impIoring help. Relief always came,
| however, In one form or another Once
| I covered lot Of frozen potatoes which
someone had thrown away, marking
the spot, and I went back at night and
gathered them in. These kept us alive
| for several days.
| why didn't + call on my spirit
| friend? did, and he never failed to
respond. I lent him occasionally to my
partners, and more than once they
owed their lives to him.
"one OF them set out on a long snow
| shoe Journey, and as he started from
| the cabin felt a promotion Of danger,
| 50 offered him the protection OF my
spirit doctor. I knew his disbelief in
| the supernatural guardian, but / bade
| the doctor accompany him and said in
| the last extremity my partner must re-
member that the little West Indian
| could be relied on. My cotnrade pro-
tested and started off. 3.5
aAll day missed the unseen compan-
| ionship of the doctor. but felt that he
was with my friend. SO made the best
| of my lonesome vigil. The rescue of
| my friend may sound incredulous, but
| 1t was told by him, and he is ais great
| a scoffer at spirit aid as anyone. When
| he had Travelled part of the distance
his snowshoe snapped and there he was
| helpless in the deep snow. He made
several attempts to fasten the broken
shoe together with a handkerchief, but
| il would not stay. Then he took both
of them off and f1oundered about help
| lessly. Each minute he grew colder
| and colder, and death by freezing
stared him in the face. His heels and
toes were nipped by the icy winds, then
| he felt a nulnbing sensation creeping
up his limbs. He had not lost his bear
1 ings and was perfectly familiar with
| the surrounding country, and the
nearest possible relief was several miles
| beyond. He must either mend the
| shoe or perish. s. = .<Isg Ss@ys@
with despairing cry to the little
| doctor, my ever helpful guardian, he
| bent over again and endeapored to tie
| up the broken snowshoe. This time it
stayed, and then as he raised himself
to start on the long trip he saw before
him the glimmer Of a light in a cabin.
| My partner does net attempt to explain