Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-01-17

woman, a teacher of music in the
town, and the choir consisted of four
persons.
Such a wonderful trip as we had
over the White pass! Skagway and
Dyea, situated on either arm of Lynn
canal, unheard of in June, 1897, were
towns of some thousands of inhabit-
ants the following October. They are
the gateways respectively of the
White pass and the Chilcoot pass.
The only two convenient entrances
to the Yukon country, these passes
were made known to the world by the
misery resulting from the rush
through them when gold discoveries
were first made in the KlondilSe re-
gion. AS the White pass was selected
for the railway, Skagway steadily
grows.
Returning from Skagway we had
large number of passengers bringing
their gold out. The terms 'in" and
out" are used exclusively in regard to
going into or returning from Alaska
or the gold fields. The superintendent
of one of the large mines was bringing
down in four small wooden boxes and
several little chamois bags 100000
worth of bullion, the result of a single
cleanup of the mine He had two
guards with him. Everyone carries
a small chamois bag more or less full
of nuggets. The habitues of the gold
fields are marked by their nugget
iewelry, the men wearing watch
chains cf it and the women indulging
largely in necklaces. There were a
number of women coming out"
My attention was attracted, on the
passage up, to family disembarking
at Juneau. The man. the proprietor of
shop, after two years alone in Ju-
neau, was returning with his family
The little wife appeared very much
dissatisfied with the first view Of her
new home. | noted that 1t was the
women of the middle class who seem
to object most to life in these wilds.
The poorer women accept the discom-
forts as pertaining to their life any
where and the few women of the high
er class who find themselves in this
country rise superior to the small
daily trials of life in a new and un-
formed community. The wife of an
old army officer who surprised her
son in Alaska by visit found herself
compelled to pass the winter in log
cabin IS feet square, which was the
best habitation her son and his two
partners in the gold fields were able
to offer her. She found the quarters
rather limited for four persons, but
she not only accepted the situation
with equanimity, but went to work
| with will, making her family of three
young men very comfortable.
The wife of a river captain, who
was also the daughter Of a clergyman,
was coming out" after having passed
the winter with her husband in his
boat tied up at the mouth of Stewart
river, which empties into the Yukon
about rs miles from Dawson. She
| seemed very superior woman and
| her experiences were most interest
ing She told me that she had abso-
lutely enjoyed the winter, although
| she had not seen human being but
her husband and the five employees of
the boat through the entire season
! The captain and herself had read
aloud to each other and played end
less games of piquet and other games.
They had walked regularly twice a
day on land, although snowshoes were
necessary. She had done large
amount of beautiful embroidery, nee
essarily by lamplight, and had busted
herself in the care of house plants
When she determined to pass the
winter on Stewart river, finding a
great demand for weil-lnade dresses in
Dawson, this lady disposed of the
greater part of her wardrobe at prices
far beyond cost. On her return to
Dawson in the spring a luncheon was
given her by a number of friends, and
being asked what special delicacy they
could provide, she expressed a wish
for something fresh alter her long
season of canned goods. A water
melon was the result of the confer
ence, which later she was startled to
learn had cost $3.50,