The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-10-06

When gold was discovered in the
Klondike and the great stampede be-
gan, a man named John Schneider
from Horse Island near Aberdeen
Joined the stampede. John was per-
sonally acquainted with Charles
Lane, a man who, in former years
had done some mining at Horse
Island and at other places near
American Falls and had operated in
California and made barrel OF
money. His former pal, John
Schneider had stuck around Ameri-
can Falls and Horse Island and had
not done so we'll, SO now he joined
the stampeders for the Klondike. l
stayed at home and raised alfalfa to
sell for "a or $3.50 per ton and did
not get the gold fever until a couple
of years later. l learned something
from John Schneider that want to
tell you about. ! might have learned
it Just as we'll from somebody else,
but John made it so very plain to
me it was the view that man gets
Of these things from the working
mans standpoint.
i Along the Arctic Circle
met John out along the Arctic
circle after he had been a couple OF
wears in the northland and he was
full of "reminiscences. For a long
time we worked together and cooked
and ate and bunked together. l say
bunked, that is, we spread our
blankets on the same brush pile and
kept the same canvas over us when
the storms did not take it away from
us.
He gave me some very vivid de-
scriptions of scenes along the trail
to the Klondike by way of the Yukon
river. was always for the under
dog in the fight and some OF the
things he described to me about how
the big outfits trod upon the little
ones used to make my blood boil. But
John was very thoughtful man and
besides being a very keen observer
he was able to tell both sides OF
situation. He was kind OF Jack
London the second for describing
everything so that you would feel
that you had been there and seen 1t
Yourself. In the course of the sea-
son he gave me quite good educa-
ton on the things connected with
that part of the stampede which did
not get to see.
Some of the things that appealed
to me were that everybody going
over the trail, going and coming, all
mixed up, acted pretty much on the
principle of every fellow for him
self and Satan take the hidmost."
The big outfit walked over the little
one and the little fellows had to take
it. John would describe it in great
detail. How the man going afoot
with pack on his shoulder would
meet a man drawing sled and the
man with the sled would bump the
other fellow on the shins or the
calves of his legs If he happened to
overtake him and make him get out
of the road. The next larger OUTFIT
coming along over the trail would
be the dog team and the leader OF
the dog team, on meeting or over
taking the lone footman or the man
drawing a sled, would simply snap
at his legs and make MIN get on OF
the trail. The next larger outfit was
the pack train consisting of mules or
horses, travelling in single file and
they would walk right over any OF
these smaller outfits If they did not
get out of the way. If horse
walked over string of dogs he did
It striking and kicking so as to train
the dogs to get out Of the way as
quickly as possible. But they all
got of of the trail for the pack train.
A pack train might consist OF half
a dozen horses or twenty-five or a
hundred, but they took their choice
of the trail and walked over every
thing else that did not get out OF
their way. They were as autocratic
in their way as the Gear of Russia.
Sometimes the little fellows, these
smaller outfits, would have to lay by
for a good while, while one pack
train after another went by. If there
were no pack trains passing then, the
footmen and the sled men might
have to lay by for good while, while
the dog teams passed. The rule OF
might was in full swing.
But my friend Schneider had got
over the point of getting sore about
such things as that. He had learned
some wisdom from long observation
and study Of those things, which at
first glance look like rank injustice.
He analysed it something like this:
The big outfits were the most import
ant. A big pacA train represented q
vast investment and carried vast
amount of food and clothing destined
to supply large numbers Of people
who were. sorely in need Of them.
The pack train had its stations to
make every day and it was all that
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