Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-01-22
ATr1i,..,otseA.ssSsdka. A

scrIptlon OF a trip that the writer
made in 1897 to Alaska. / will en-
deavor to carry your readers and, as
near as can, let them see this trip,
with its sights, incidents and hard
ships, as | saw it. l am glad that
made this trip, but I would not make
it again for all the gold there is in the
Klondike.
A company of ten was formed at
Fort Scott, Kansas, which the writer
joined, to go to the Klondike country
and bring out all the gold there was
in it. And now word as to the
personnel of this company. One was
banker, two engineers, one super
intendent of a manufacturing plant,
one doctor, one ex-chief of police,
two railroad men, and two of no oc-
cupation, not one of whom had ever
mined any. Our purpose was to have
a river steamboat built and stock it
with two years. provisions, which we
did. We bought tickets from Fort
Scott to San Francifco, via Portland,
Oregon. This part of. the trip has
been written up so many times that
your readers are no doubt familiar
with it, and I will pass it over. Suf-
fee to say, we arrived at San Fran
cisco on time, by what is know as the
Mount Shasta Route. On arriving at
San Francisco we made contract
with the ship building company to
build the steamer. This steamer was
to be built up in the rough shape, and
then knocked down, so that it could
be loaded on to ship and sent across
the ocean to St. Michael. This took
thirty days. In the meantime, we
were there on expenses taking in the
sights of Frisco and having a glorious
time. And, by the way, this is the
only good time that we had on the
trip.
At last our steamboat was ready
and our stock of provisions and cloth
ing purchased, and we engaged pas
sage on a sailing vessel by the name
of Hattie ]. Philips, loaded our stuff,
and were off. This sailing vessel
came from Gloster, Mass, with a
company of twenty men, who we're
also on their way to the Klondike.
The vessel belonged to them, but was
sold to Frisco ship company with
the understanding that they were to
be transported on this same vessel,
and they acted as crew to st.
Michael's. We were towed out of the
Golden Gate, past the light-ship, and
turned loose on the wide Pacific. For
a few days the weather was fair and
the trip was delightful. Occasionally
an incoming ship was met, which was
the only thing to break the monotony.
But let me go back little. Before
starting, our doctor prescribed a GER
tain mode of living, with no drinking
of beer or whiskey, in order to avoid
sea sickness. The writer did not fol-
low his advice but ate all he could get
and drank all he could drink, and
never was sea sick minute on the
trip; but the doctor had to go to the
rail before he got out of the Golden
Gate, and was sea sick most all of the
whole trip. In fact, six out of the ter
were sea- sick most all of the way
And all but myself were sick more
or less.
1t is very hard to describe an ocear
trip of this kind to make it interest
ing reading. But the ocean is full o
life and is very interesting to thu
passenger. We we're out eleven day
before we encountered any storms
Then we ran into one-a terrific storm
which lasted about forty hours; and
WAS terrific one. Every time th'
little ship would encounter one of tn,
big waves, it would break entirel,
J over her, and it looked like we nigh
not come out from under it. But il
was stout little vessel, although
over loaded. We all weathered tht
storm, splendidly. All we could d
during this storm, after taking in al
] of her sails, was to hold her head $
the wind and let her drift. Whel
the storm subsided somewhat, w
were two hundred and fifty miles ou
of our course. Our captain was
Norwegian sailor and knew his bust
ness. In about one day and night w
we're back on our course again. Thi
ship was a freighter and not passen
! ger ship. 1t had small scuttle hol
in the stern of the vessel, called tn
cabin, and the cooks room and dinin
] room were In the bow of the vesse
J When we went from one to the other
we had to go across the upper deck
and 1t was dangerous trip. But
J had two sailors to lead me across an
never missed o meal. The table wa
swung to chains, and we had to stan
and hold to something while eating
) When the coffee came around our wa
we would make dive for itmayb
we would get it and maybe W
wouldn't, owing to the violent motto
Of the vessel.
/ The fourteenth day out we saw on
0 first whales. There was school G
!, about dozen OF them short distanc
from the vessel, and all spoutinf
= They throw spray about twenty-fv
: :. :. tllu4.t g., ~ ht<xh xuntoh n oxx1 oo 6o IN