Amador ledger., 1906-11-16
Travels in
Alaska.

CATER a four days. wait at Kinlk,
my heart was gladdened by the
arrival of a coal oil launch from
Sunrise, with two passengers bound
for the gold fields of the Yentna.
Although Kinik began to seem quite
home like, l was not sorry TO leave
it as soon as the tide turned. In
company with another outcast and
the captain, we went down the Arm
at fine speed. AS we neared Fire
Island, a storm arose and the wind
was so strong as to make it unsafe to
round the point and venture into
Turnagain Arm, so for safety, we ran
into the bay, which the Indians had
failed to enter six days before. AS
the storm promised to be hard one,
we went ashore with our outfit. We
had sleeping bags and a waterproof
tarpaulin, and with a mattress of
evergreen boughs, slept in lamb-like
innocence in spite of wind and rain.
Next morning the storm had grown
to first class gale, and we brought
all our supplies ashore. We had
potatoes, bacon, crackers, rice, tea,
sugar and four gallons of water, and
no knowledge of how long we would
be compelled to stay, for this is one
of the worst places for storms on the
coast. There is no fresh water on the
Island. We boiled potatoes in sea
water, which made them just salt
enough to be good, but when we
cooked rice the same way, we found
it too bitter to enjoy. Wild currants
we're about half ripened, so we made
sauce to give relish to our butter
less crackers.
On the morning of the third day the
steamer Tyonic lay at anchor across
the bay, having come in for safety.
We went across in the launch, and
succeeded in getting two gallons of
water, the steamer being also short.
The fourth day the storm was subsid-
ing, but the waves we're still running
high. We had had enough of Robin
son Crusoe's experience to be willing
to run some risk, so we ventured to
start. The trip up Turnagain Arm
was one of the first l ever enjoyed,
and although it was across a very
rolling prairie of water, had no
touch of seasickness. We reached
Hope Just as the tide turned, went
ashore, and while we had not suffered
for food during the past five days, we
astonished the woman who kept the
restaurant, by the size of our appe-
tites. In the night we went with the
tide to Sunrise, twelve miles. The
violence with which the tide 1oars
and PUSHES through to the narrow
places IN Turnagain Arm is little
hair raising. The waters are far more
turbulent than the Rapids of the
Yukon. In the morning the captain
took us, and four more passengers to
Glacier Creek, on the north side of
the Arm. fourteen miles from Sunrise.
Glacier Creek is at Mile 70 of the
railroad, and has two large sawmiIls,
cutting timbers for the railroad.
There are several hydraulic mines up
the Creek. The heavy rock along the
grade is more than half completed.
July 10th, after a most enjoyable
visit and dinner, at the home of the
K. K. Dir, superintendent, he took
me in his launch as far as Mile 68,
which was as far as the tide permit
ted, and started on foot along the
grade. The walking was
excellent, through rock cuts and
along light entertainments, until l
reached Twenty Mile river at Mile 65
of the K. K. Here is trestle 1900
feet long and an average of 20 feet
high. The bents are u feet apart,
the permanent stringers and ties are
not yet laid. Two poles, side by side
and slightly fiattened, are laid for
This was not so bad, |
but in many places one pole would
be missing, and nerve testing ex-
oerience it was to walk a II foot pole !
hat had tendency to turn at every
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