The Nome nugget. (Nome, Alaska) 1919-1934, 1924-12-27

ment. miner. and the other at carpentering.
Their work separated them and that fall they left
together for the outside.
Two others who braved tho hardshps OF the trail
arrived in the Klondike and jointly secured claim
the richest creeks Having neither grub
nor tools, they took in another party and gave him
third interest in their claim, he furnish them
with provisions for the winter and machinery with
which to work the claim in the spring The two
erected cabin the claim and settled down for
the winter They soon began to get each 9TH
er's nerves and open quarrel resulted, Then
they divided the cabin by drawing line the
middle of the floor and each fellow kept his
side of the line. The arrangement necessitated
stoves that each could cook when he pleased and
what he pleased The only thing used in
the door. but it being directly in the middle
the cabin each would it without trespassing on
mis- neighbours side of the deadline. And there they
remained for than four months
changing a word and each fellow living. eating and
sleeping his side of the line.
One afternoon Jack left the cabin and
town Two hours later he was watching the play
on a faro table in Tom Chsholms place when. much
to his surprise Bill walked in. and going to him.
said:
Have anything valuable or that you care
for in your end of the cabin"
1t was the first time they had spoken for months
and Jack was almost taken of his feet by having
Bill address question to him. But. recovering
his self-possession. Jack came back with:
What the hell business 10 1t Of yours whether 7
have anything of value in my end of the cabin or
not!"
"You perfectly right" replied Bill at is
none of my business what you have in your end of
the cabin but thought 1t only fair to tell you that
set fire to my end before leaving"
And it not only business partners that were
surfeited with each others company the trail
and in secluded points where men were thrown
much together For example. a man took his wife
a bride of but few weeks far I'D toward the head
waters of the Kondke river. almost to the foothills
of the Canadian Rockies. They left early in the
summer in order that cabin could be built and n
trapne bazed before winter set in They were
gone ten months, when they returned with several
thousand dollars worth of furs But had they no.
been sensible couple there would have been
business in divorce court as soon as they cou,d
have gotten to where divorce courts flourish and
hold sway. The s.roller had it from the woman
herself, who said:
"For ten months did not human being
except John and he nobody but And how
we did get each others nerves! For days at
time would not speak to another and when
we would it would be in a smart. I declared hun
dred times to myself that hated the very sight
John, and l know he felt the same way about me.
But that have come back to civilization and
had something to eat besides canned goods and wild
game, we each understand Just how the other felt
and each have somewhat different views of life
from what had back there in the Rockies. But
I'll bet if had been Robinson Crusoe would have
killed Friday, and had I been Friday I would have
killed Crusoe.''