Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-02-05
A Trip to Alaska.

At the time we arrived at St.
Michael's no information from the
outside world had arrived there for
eight months, and of course the people
were anxious for news. We were
welcomed for the news that we could
give them. The U. s. had two COM
,psnies of soldiers Major Randall in
command. We were invited to the
officers quarters and took dinner.
Our captain had in his possession Or
ders from the War Departme mt for
Major Randall and his captain to re-
port to San Franciso on the first
steamer with promotions from Major
Randall to be Brig. General and Ma
jor's commission for the captain in the
volunteer service, as the Spanish War
was then going on, which they knew
nothing of until that moment We
had some newspapers thirty days old,
and of course they pumped us for all
the news we had, and we were royalty
entertained while there. The Major
stated that if we had any whiskey
aboard we must not give any to the
Indians, but that if we had any handy
he and his officers wouldn't mind TAX
ing drink with US. There we're about
two hundred Siwash Indians and
about fifty whites that had wintered
at this post; also, a Russian Mission
with one priest and two nuns.
The officer in command allotted us a
place where we could build our boat,
and we went hard to work putting the
steamer together. Bear in mind that
there were no people there except the
people who had spent the winter, nor
had ship or steamboat yet arrived;
but in less than fifteen days over one
hundred ships and five thousand
people had arrived on the scene, all
bound for the Klondike, and this was
about the busiest place that you ever
saw. About one hundred steamboats,
we're being put together for the up
river trip, and they were all sizes and
shapes. Some of them never were
able to get hundred miles from the
port.
While we were building our boat
the Indians treated us to some fine
exhibitions of what they could do in
capturing the white whale. They kept
a lookout on the bluff, and when the
whales came into the bay he made II
known, and everybody that had 9
kayak was out after them. They use
a spear about seven feet long anc
when they get within a hundred feet
of the whale they throw it with un'
erring precision. On the back end o
the pole they leave small flag anc
when they get about fifty of these
planted in Mr.. Whale with the flag
all sticking up and the whales swim
ming through the water, it is beauti
full sight. Before the whale dies HI
rnns to the shore and sticks his nos'
out on the land. Then the Indian
pounce on him, cut him up and u.s.
the meat for food, the ribs and skim
for their boats; and, in cold weather
drink the oil and grease their bodie
with it, which they claim keeps on
the cold.
For the next fifteen days we wer
very busy getting our boat ready, ant
at last it was finished. We Launched
it in the bay, got up steam, and trie
it out on trip of about five miles
! The engines worked fine and the boa
, did not leak a drop. We loaded ou
q stuff on and were ready for the up
! river trip. Before leaving the por
1--we had to get clearance from tn
, custom house, and here we struck
1 snag. No boat is permitted to leav
this port without a licensed pilot an
engineer, and as none of our part
h had ever sailed in these waters,
j looked like we we're up against i
The port at st. Michael's is left in th
I, winter time in charge of a deput.
d and to him we applied. He furnishe
Z us with blanks to fill out and the fir
h question on the list was whether "
9 had ever sailed in Behring sea, and I
n course we hadn't but with lettt
q from the Collector of the Port at Sa
n Francisco, and one from my ow
% congressman, and $4,000 gold piec
I walked away with pilots licens
:. but Think the gold had more effe
u than both the letters, as / found th
70 there was nobody up in this COUNT
!: for his health.
q The next morning at two O'Clock
Id high tide we blew the whistle al
Ie were off for the mouth of the Yulkt
Y river, which is ninety five miles. v
q had cable on two other boats Il
Ig Jennie M. and the Illinois-that we
ID not fortunate enough to have pilo
y license. All went we'll until the ne
Ie night when heavy fog came up al
Of we could not see to run, SO had
a anchor until morning about five mil
y from!shore. But the nights there
,e this time of the year being on
as about four hours long, we did n
y, have to wait long. BY twelve o'cloc
y u we were In the mouth Of the Yuk,
re- and over all the bars We empti
OF all the salt water out Of our boilt
ne a,,d rof.lta1 thar, with f,aoh wat,