The Western news. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1890-1977, 1906-11-28
BITTER ROOT GUIDE
in ALASKA
FRED PRiNTZ RELATES HIS EX-
PERlENCES WHILE WITH
DR.. COOK.

Fred Printz the Alaskan guide has
returned to his home at Darby after
mother arduous six months trip III the
wilds of Alaska. He guided the Cook
party of six TO Mt. Mckinley, the
highest mountain in North America,
of which they made successful ascent,
this being their second trip for that
purpose. They made a trip III 1902 to
Alaska but were not successful. Pure-
ly by accident they reached the top
this trip, they having given il up and
another way to reach the mountain
next year, when DR.. Cook aud Ed
Barriil found an apparently easy
ascent which they attempted and &C
complished easily. Speaking of the
trip Mr.. Printz said:
The mountain is 20, $50 feet high
and covered perpetually with glaciers,
ice and snow which makes it very dan
gerous. There are great assures in
the ice which is almost impossible to
cross and snowslides are a constant
menace. Earthquakes are of frequent
occurrence. One which thev exper-
fenced while on this trip being SO
severe it made the ground shake until
it made them sick as on board ship.
! The trip is one to be remem bered by
all of the party for its hardships.
Fording frozen streams on the oacks
of unbroken horses, behind packs,
losing horses in swamps, being eaten
up by mosquitoes and in rain twenty
days of every thirty, this being the
wettest part of Alaska.
THE Doctor and three men went up
the Sushitna river by boat to the
| Yentna, up the Yentna to Youngs-
| town new mining town just started
| his year near where they pan from
| S15 to $,37 to the pan on seven different
claims. This is about 200 miles from
Tyonok where ocean steamers land.
accompanied by two men l went
overland with pack train to Youngs-
| Town "LS1S we Icll DOdl anu dll ana
proceeded with pack outfit. The boat
was a gasoline launch, forty feet long
seven wide feet wide and twenty five
horse power. While on the trip we
rescued man that was lost, who had
! neither bedding nor food, 40 miles
from human habitation. Big game is
very plentiful in parts of the country
moose, caribou, bear and mountain
sheep. We found two moose heads
with horns locked together where the
animals had fallen fighting. Two OF
could not be done. We brought the
heads down to juneau but could not
bring them any farther, as we would
have had to secure permit from the
government. The heads are worth
$500 in the states.
while at Sushitna on our return
home five men were brought IN who
had been rescued by two men in {
boat. They had stood on a big rocl
six days and six nights, only twelv,
inches of the rock being out of tn,
water. Their boat had capsized OF
the rock. Only one man could swim
and after being on the rock four day
he swan ashore and started for help
but has not been heard from since
All he had on was a pair of overall
that reached to his knees. The other
were in terrible condition from ex
posure and want. Their legs wer
badly swollen and beginning to 70
and the flesh dropping off. DIR. Cool
administered surgical aid.
| Going up the party sailed on tn
Santa Anna which later was wrecked
in storm near Post Townsend. Th
boat they returned on was the Berth
whic h came near being wrecked in tn
same Storm