The Washington times., 1915-01-01
The Diggings Which Laid Foundation
For Congressman Whites Fortune.
With Ok and Companion, Con-
gresham Fought Way Into
KIondike-Now Threatens
River and Harbor Bill Un.ess
the Ohio Is Surveyed.

Congressman George White of Ohio.
Democrat. has declared war on the
river and harbor BILL
This is because the committee has
refused to include an appropriation Of
$50. 600 for q preliminary survey Of the
Ohio river tributaries with a view Of
preventing repetition Of the destruct-
ive floods of 1913.
Mr.. White has two pet hobbies. The
prevention Of floods In, the middle West
provement Of Alaska. where he PROS
pected in the days Of the gold rush Of
~. and laid the foundation for his
fortune.
By KENDR1cK scoF1ELD.
Over the trail which ran from Skag-
way to the" foot Of death-dealing Chill
coot Pass. along which struggled a
stream of fevered gold hunters on their
rush to the Dawson disgings. the word
was flung along.
1.-TWO chechakos with an ok"
1t was tossed ahead SO that the fore
most "sour dough" In the long line
caught it, and banded it back with
shouts Of surprise and roars Of laughter
which broke from hairy throats. beard
protected against the bite OF the
Arctic. for two greenho:ns.. accom-
strange sight In that land where trans
portation is mostly accompanied by
teams Of feet-footed. snarling nale-
mute and husky dogs:
And all the more did the veterans OF
dekeG tns tran ahssd asSfh Where sas Abcve them
stretched upward the treacherous Chil-
coot trail. over which not even dog
teams passed with any degree or ire
quency and pictured the gigantic task
mapped out in attempting to chaperon
the clumsy OK over that particular
stretch Of country.
Drive Into Big Camp.
But unmindful of the rough-handet
! jests Of the seasoned pioneers. the two
! Young prospectors drove their OK on
ward toward the foot Of tho pas,
where pile after pile Of luggage .ant
grub, destined to sustain the gold rush
ers on their "mush" to Dawson City
! lay heaped awaiting transportation ovel
! the trail.
i Slowly the two young men drove thei
baggage packed OK into the big caml
, where Iong brown siN-shooters ant
| hooded parkas OF the softest fur Wer
the principal articles OF haberdasher.
among the multitude Of red blOoded mel
| assembled there.
| YEARLY they made camp, there at tn
foot of the trail up which so man!
prospectors toiled to graves hewn II
the ice, after the death toll OF snow
slide and accident had been taken. de
termined that the morrow would se'
done before--the transportation OF
barnyard animal over that particIla
stretch OF dangerous trail.
| One OF the young men Is now III Con
gress. He Is George White. and he rep
resents the Fifteenth Ohio district
although a native of Elmira New York
The three years which he spent In tn
| klondike-from 1898 to 19Ol-placed hin
in that extremely small class OF pros
pectors, men who came outside VIII
of fortune which he brought out ii
good ia, ''pokes'' of dust and nuggets
| has grown his extensive business Ct to
day. the production Of crude petroleum
and natural gas. The other OF the tw'
greenhornss. vas e: L. Andrews. o
| miles Of artic trail.
Even today. George White, the Con
Gressman, shows plainly the traininl
which he received on the trails OF tn
claims above Dawson City. He is smal
Of waist and spare OF limb. His eye
still hold a little OF the tiny, wrinklet
etched there by hours of steady star
ing out over the snow covered countr'
such wrinkles as often appear in TN
eyes Of sea-faring folk. and men VIII
are used to great distances and wild
| expanses.
And he also retains a great deal o
the good-fellowsh'p of camp and out
land cabin. which comes Of doing
mans work among men, and of sue
Up until the time when he WI trail
his guns on the river and harbor bill