The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-11-18

RACING ON THE
YUKON RIVER
Rivalry is Great and the Bet
ting Runs Very
High.
A RACE AND INCIDENTS OF A
TRIP TO WHITE HORSE RAPIDS,
ON THE WAY TO DAWSON CITY,
IN THE ALASKA GOLD FIELDS.

River steamers, IKE locomotives,
may all look alike, but they are not.
Piece for piece, bolt for bolt, the VIC
torian was like the Canadian, and the
Columbian was precisely the same,
yet the last named steamers would
each use a hundred dollars worth OF
wood more than the Victorian would
burn on the four days run from Daw-
son to White Horse Rapids.
Naturally there was good deal of
jealousy between the crews of the
three boats, says the Washington
Post. Not only did the Victorian
beat them all in the fuel record, but
she outran them all and carried the
broom" which meant to all the other
boats that she was the pacemaker.
But there was some racing, never
theless. AS we were coming down
the river we met one of our sister
boats hung high on a sandbar, but
with new broom nailed to her flag
pole. The captain of the Victorian
expressed the hope that she might
wriggle off before we reached her, fol
he did not care to humiliate her by
hauling her from the bar. That was
before he saw the broom. After that
discovery he bore down on her at full
speed, wearing a cruel smile and
chewing vigorously at the stem Of
his big pipe
They saw us coming. We knew
that by the running about, by the fran
tic signanlng to the men who were
taking a line ashore, quarter of {
mile away, and by the furious whir
of the wheel. Oh, but she did twis
and wriggle and kick up the sand
but she couldn't leave the sandbar
The captain, walking the wide upper
deck, waved us away, but our cap
tain would not understand.
We swung alongside, threw them &
line-which they could not well re
fuse. seeing the superintendent was
on the boat-dropped down with thu
current, and the stranded boat wa!
afioat again.
Sailing away, we whistled then
gOodby, but they made no answer.
Rival Company Busy.
From this stranded boat and other,
that we spoke to going down, W.
learned that rival company was OF
the river with fly steamer that wal
claiming record of three days ant
something to the rapids When W.
reached Dawson we found this rapiC
runner with still another broom
There were three champions on tn,
run now.
In less than an hour from the tim,
We landed our crew had wagered al
their earnings on the Victorian. Tn,
Dawson papers were full of detie
and notices Of thousands of dollar
deposited here and there to be GOV
cred by the opposition boat and VOL
or lost, in time race to White Hors,
Beating on the turn of a card wa
not even pleasurable pastime now
In all the gambling halls men wer,
| putting their money on one or tn,
other of the river racers.
All this betting and bluffing CAV,
rise to rumor that the Victorian, OF
the up trip, would try to make a rul
that would shut off all argument. TIL,
officials of the company said Their,
would be no race, but officials alwayt
say that.
The crew were all nervously alert
For two days the black letters on /;
strip of canvas had been screamin,
that the Victorian would sail at 2 D. m
Wednesday. At 1:50 every man o
the crew was at his post. At 1:55 tn,
general manager of the line came ant
stood beside me at the ratings. HI
opened his watch. l spoke to him
but he made no answer. All the PEG
pie who had come to say good bye t
friends had been hustled ashore.
AS the last second licked off tn,
captain above us called to the men t
cast off, and Immediately the boat be
gan to drop down stream, driftin,
slowly from the wharf. When sh,
was two or three feet from the land
ing pretty woman came running dow
the sloping bank, lifted her skirts TIT
least bit, and without stacking he
pace, leaped gracefully aboard.
The great crowd cheered wildly a.
the pretty woman turned and kissed
her hand to her father, who had fol
lowed her down to the boat to say
goodbye.
Against Five-Mle Current.
At Klondike City we touched again