The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-03-03

said Mr.. {, 3. Heller, Of Council City
Alaska, recently. Mr.. Heller is a former
Washingtonian, who came OUT as the
Alaskans call il, ION BUSINESS connected
with his mining interests in the far
North"
Council City he continued, is only
about los miles south of the arctic circle.
So you will understand that conditions
there are favorable TO business in the
blizzard line. Often, for weeks at time
it Is hardly safe TO venture out, and the
almost Unbrolzen arctic darkness is a fea-
lure of our billiards. which adds good
deal TO their effect upon the mind OF one
who has never had the pleasure Of their
acquaintance.
Probably the dangers OF far Northern
existence are exaggerated by those who
live in temperate ATTITUDES. To be fore
warned is forearmed in the cold of Alaska
as we'll as in the heat of the tropics. A
man can take as dangerous chances on
the streets Of a crowded city as along
frozen trails Unlooked-for accidents hap
pen everywhere. 1 can instance the case
of a miner who almost gave up hope on
account Of an unfortunate circumstance
which may have been the means through
which his life was saved. He was lost in
a furious winter storm while out prospect
ing. He finally stopped for a needed rest
and while he was asleep his dogs escaped
When he found that they were gone he
was in despair. But with the wonderful
instinct Of their kind, the dogs naturally
struck out for camp, where they knew
they would find food and more comforta-
bic surroundings. As d consequence, the
miner was rescued.
Lost for Three Days.
zone Of my worst experiences occurred
on 4 winter trip. Myself and q prospect
ing partner were lost for three days. The
situation would not have been very seri-
Gus but for the fact that We were out
Of provisions. All we had left was
few matches and a supply of tea. Even
our tobacco was gone, and we smoked
tea, drank tea, chewed tea until finally
we managed 10 ind our camp. We were
nearly starved TO death. but still good for
further gold-seeking adventures
AS it has happened, the closest call of
my Alaskan experience was by sea, and
not along the frozen trail. Myself and
another prOspector put in considerable
Il
which we proposed to do some prospecting
along the coast. The fact that I am here
to tell the story proves that we were not
such poor boat builders. considering that
our only tools were q saw, an AK, and
Ratchet, and pocket knives. After we had
put out from shore a short time a ter
rifle gale arose, against which We could
make no Roadway, and blew Us farther
and farther out TO sea in the direction of
Siberia. And We must have gotten almost
half way there. My companion was a
printer-a linotyper-nOt used 10 hard
work. He pulled his oar nobiy for
time, but finally had 20 give up. when we
were away out Of sight of land Then he
became Danic-stricken. lost his head, and
declared in his ratified condition that he
would jump overheard. preferring, as he
put IL, 10 drown In water rather than in
the boat 1 prevailed upon him to stand
pat stating that we would get through
all right. 1 didn't believe il. The boat.
although very seawOrthy, shipped much
water. and required q great deal OF bail
ing TO avoid swapping. But I had been
TOughing it for about three years, was
IN good condition, and made up my mind
10 struggle as long as there was any
strength in me
How it could possibly have been done I
cut about ten or twelve hours. We sighted
land again And. after that it was at
least six hours before we reached the
shore. My companion was completely
exhausted and had TO be carried ashore.
That's an experience which I don't intend
shall occur aSain-not through my own
fault
September storm.
But speaking Of storms, the worst oc-
Cured not very long after I landed in
Nome. That was in 1900. I arrived IN
June, and in the September following
on my return from u prospecting trip. I
pitched my tent on the beach. Those
people who say that there's no such thing
as an equinOctial storm ought to visit
Alaska and learn something TO their dis
advantage. September Is full of them
On the occasion in question. when I
went to bed, there was nothing unpIeas-
ant or threatening about the weather
Every one IS his own washerwoman i'm a
mining camp. and 1 had hung nv wash
out. before retiring. on a line stretched
from the tent pole to a boat a few feet
farther down the beach. The storm came
up suddenly. and when / was awakened
by its fury, the boat to which the clothes
line was attached was pulling the tent
pole over and the tent with it.
Il Immediately stepped out Of my bunk
into three feet of water, and had con-
siderable trouble in rescuing my weeks
wash from the storm demon. The ma
tives said that the water had never been
forced so high before. I could easily
have guessed II.
In fact. in every respect that storm
was record-breaker. The damage done
amounted TO more than 100000. TWEEN
ty-three vessels were thrown upon the
beach and wrecked. Nome vas then
city Of tents containing 10000 inhabitants.
The wind which nearly blew away my
wash was actually an i'll wind which
blew some good. Things which were al
most priceless up there at that time were
TO be had for the taking when the water
subsidized.
Every one knows the value of seasoned
timber in remote region like Alaska.
and this was Of course found in the
Wreckage. Of the best quality Provisions
of all kinds We're scattered over the
beach and floating of shore. Staterooms
wrenched loose from the stranded YES
sells made palatial homes not only for
miners. but for some OF the natives.
Some Eskimos left their igiOos and set
up Housekeeping in these palaces. in one
of which a storm-beaten piano was in
stalled.
Eskimo Diet.
THE contrast here between civilization
and barbarism viii be appreciated when
il is called to mind that the staple diet Of
the little fat man OF the North is frozen
fish with seal-on sauce. Seal oil is his
chief delieaey. It is somewhat watery.
and its odor viii drive a white man from
an igloO unless he has exceptionally i'm
portant business there. The Eskimo
gourmand takes bite OF frozen fish with