| OCR Text |
Show SERVICE IN THE FAR NORTH. Interesting Experiences of the Signal Corps in Alaska-Welcomed Alaska-Welcomed at DawjonThc Trips on the Yukon-Danger Yukon-Danger of Frcezing-What Is Worn-Robust Words Used in Derogation 'of the Country. . A1ikn, Jn 1, 1902 After !1" ftlu signal. orpMT. S A. " Mar the '"''"n'r l,"taB0 Clt' ?lnr iguay. stopping nt Vic mi ju r, Ketchlknn, Junoau "1 rout lr ough the canals l.c ' ,, !, .ere 'he ohly rough water ounter d i In .UOT" '"hnrlotto ,.i and Hlxoiis entrance! which 1 .,. J " ',c" for th0 bel,t?nt '!?L, who do "nt consider an ocean lam con rt to without a little mul- j.mcr H "M i1'"' nni1 m-lkc n rtraH pu" Walton to the trip Tho !ho u no lnubl considered one of the Ze en ' of in earth, with ltd Rnow. g,, n tho dlstnmc, near lit . Z it fl i rlaclcrs, Its feathery 'AeamiMn h I II thousands of foot ... ihe n ! of mountains, whose 1, i m i ox --hang tho water nnd "EL ,ld i are tho greenest of green. . tc'nc v " rlniw even the fa-;.iii fa-;.iii Inhnl i of lupnn, xtrptlnit Sim for "hi h nio not bo cold hut j "titer for th in tho San l'runclscu Tdont knon what Skiiguny monna, h,f, I. mu t ho ill awful woid If It Ik ,! I rlptlv. f tho place. It la a (oM cheeilr i .1 lolnte Knot that in-are in-are from pun nhimi and to keep poo-rieoittnf poo-rieoittnf ' HIPP0" covorii vltli n Lam of fo id shod? a continuous Worm of win! howling through II. oadfd with rind win it tho nunrt Isn't loouet fiom tho lontlnuil drizzling of rains of that section, tie left Fkngun) o" 'ho white Pass rillroid over tho famous pans of that una eklrtlng the shorn of Lake Hen-red, Hen-red, and eamo to tho Yukon river nt tthlte Horr-e nplrts n few miles above the tonn of that nime and tho present terminal of th" lallroad I cannot say math for the trip, except that ho got may from tho fogs of thu coist nnd into the sunihlno of tho Interloi. The roontry Is of gliclil drift formation, He timber Is small and searcc: It In "inesome barren, monotonous-looking ant contlnuis so to Dawson, V. T. Uil'e Horse h town of 1000 or so, ind has a gool moiinteil police force, those members did everything to show ii jowl fellowship during tho few Mure of our stay We loft there t.ie tame evening on tho steamer White Hone and arrived nt Dawson, V T, uoda) Intel Tho mil points of In-wrest In-wrest coming down were. 1"Ivh I'ln-rerrertls I'ln-rerrertls lilnk Ilnplds nnd old I'ort Eelklrk At live Ingor rapids four rlllars of rock instruct tho Yukon mid alie It Into (ho channels The eamrs hooic tho narrowest beonuso til deepen run the steamer up to It, read It rluht and lot It ko Tlufc li nothing exolllnir about It, Itlnk rapids, a few mlk below. Is much mnic dlf-"cult dlf-"cult to nalcate hocnusc of tho wind ri channel throiiRh them, Damon rceeliod us with open arms Host of the people are Ami rlcans, who 49 not like min nf the Canadian Qow iromtntslina and mlnlui; reRiilatloni Th(jrtook this opportunity of showing ihtlr Vit for thlims American. V,'a erectrtalnl) well entertained nnd aro 'teply Indehir 1 In them for the many courtHlei txlendid to lis, oh we alio are to the monnted police- there. Daw ion li the on I real town (about 7000) liallthls northwiitern part nf AmerN ta, It has the roputntlon of bclnB the on' policed an I most onlorlj mlnlnir flip In tho world After three j!a' 'lay e left Diwson nnd nrrlM nt Fort Fsbert (l.nRlo City), Just nciosa thf Amtrlnn lino Tho Rrcnter part rtthe US miles from Dawson to Ragle nir the lukon has cut and twisted lt way throunh a rnnno nf IiIrIi moun ulna whlrh rise almost porpendlcu ir from tho rler If those moun-lalni moun-lalni had some nf our southern sun-mine sun-mine to miko clothes for them they ouId be be-iutl(u but na they nru, iney ar; maciil and frowning;, bnro cold and lonolj Wo lookeil Up nt Jem with awe and enerntlnn. hoping leyyouldnt hurt us, and that we Rre home Jln ,'lfb", '" " " Post nnd town mu one tomptn til, hoenth Infan-i,. Infan-i,. a a '"Pulitlon nf iihotit tlueo w,Th"" '" a fnthnllo nnd it .';rln mlilon In this plnce, the liter of which hia a filr library, and '?,,. ?ah' " ""' I lr """ 'nr 'ho sol-r'i! sol-r'i! kf? ' n In this far-off coun- '.feT'u,c",,;")l,'Al!,rB"1,,,l",,ll' J.n".'h "f ollr n'"'ly 'here: the """"IW'lwn came to this place, oi.Irl on "" steuuor Alice. S'1""" Btoppid nt Ulnlo 'in i I? Umr lhn larKOst lOK-cnbln r Ia ho w,f'dl. Tort Yukon (a "'! ""Jj", villain, nnd abandoned Po'D r.irli llnmlln nnd nam-WnTh1",' nam-WnTh1",' H ""' '"P"1 imurlshlnc (Sfd ? 't0 l-OHCr Ylll" nnrt Is ex-'inter ex-'inter haJJc " stnmpcclo to It this m! toM I'fosiioctoia. Two days ;5'"il e w.io split up nnd ifaiSZA"r,reni 'lutlos in i.porat-larr i.porat-larr tei'"ln,PR "l cniisluictlnK mil. Sa,ir',ph ,ln '"'" soldiers of 'uliahlJ ln ,"' not a military JrI Ifluairlal nihRnliiitlnn of pin. h,i , ' .r,fllr"lty If not pnllllcnlly, 'i h ""'"iilnls. they hat o bro-Mh,n? bro-Mh,n? w"' w''-""-. blazing 'lerle, . ',nnl10' conslrilillng tho sorcL1,1;' "'r" l!0'"0"- 1,o"ni-Our 1,o"ni-Our To,,k ' M. nnr lh nones of h"f on rau y int , '""" oporntlng lumhe r hfnVl.1"!'' Haulm, mills, tin, tan ,", ",k"m"h paint and boiler "strucif if '",""H ' Alaska wen maintain V'!' "u "" '""lerlal and 1f of it ' b,r ,l10 "'"chanluil ul,l-la, ul,l-la, , ,'"1 " 'rl"'lr work 'is "aarlfv i " r,u lnt" "' "'" llah i "I'Posei, when the nn-"nr nn-"nr ani " V""". lnln '" wlntcr- 1 n," l""lll ll1"1 holidays 'sht but he5!,,,""1 h. I'artlculnily "M' or , .i.1 Ilrs.0 '"dlatiH nro hnn. 'HilrT I ,""1 ""t nearly ns Ita Indian, , ,''"" ripresented. hotanl h! ,, ""'"0los Yukhonl-."kn Yukhonl-."kn niur -mcin" ,e"n, nf l,l r- are "aTl M,?UV 1IlI" Ni""' in,o a mixture of muian nnd j:s. tIhlndhn i, "' 1cr i "fespoct dc(renHenns 11!n!,,"' niiiunVr,,im,!l'r,! -'-'"" .' ct,nirarti, J !',""" "r ",n cniuitrj : WtrTVi ',''" ""' with the X'rci'ltnii.i,, xo fnr ro,no time) ,.h i ' in ,.1.comn,r' "T wll .' Prtnii, ,, '"' " few berries aro ,?' Ha, 'f.'"0"18 f tho na-? na-? tho arrkl, ,.luR,,M excitement .S.tol na Z. tho troops, they 1.""ne i,n"J 'V nilhles in their '"""Irmi, ",',""'' ?' thesa wore ...."""ll n i ' ",ml "there they "'"onnbi,. !l'V Indoed, It wan le ?'' 'rn the rrl,,.l"Vu,C0 "f "V' h.1 8r"' Ih of i","'r '"""IT. ,s..v,po and othci piovlrlqn,, ar0 WS C.0 nr reVr K'the fnlSM? ,,I?,fel,,l,Mn ffon, martin,: Ihjt i'h Li?.1 U fr6m lha dog-salmon cithofr .?. VTe" w'.t. ,lwlr fharactorls. .arT n 'ft, j?.1 - r UI nr smell It Is a i. I ., tneni. their houseu dothen and evcuthing that belong, tr) ii,em Th SSfan'rl"!""! Beo? h"""lor """' '" oil. And ho Is oltone c to the Slwnsh IZuf 'i""?1"8, tl,e """ At'out the mid le of Hcptcmber tho Slwnsh takes Mv IIS- "'I .t0 lVt"lt The ntlre family fam-ily goes, out to th ll'h onmp und re. mains until the rUcr freezes up Wh.m hey com,. In from their hunt they go V,.i,l.nt0' "-""m""- and remain until li.iJ a,,er. I"' J of January when thoy "Win go hunting, returning before the ruer gcto too soft nnd muahy. During the Interval letween their hunting so.ison-1 they hae their holidays This I know but little nbftut having hid no chance to observe Tho onlj dance tnat I siw was much the same as our own, tho only difference that 1 noticed being Hint the women choose thcli own partners Instead of the men, an among us I don't know If that In the general custom or not. but suppose that It was perfectly proper" In Indian etiquette, ror the ladies were not ul nil ombur-rnswd. ombur-rnswd. At other lime, they aro rather retiring and sky, acting much tho same nnd ojelng ua furthclj, In about the same manner that our own oung ladles la-dles do to whom we arc strangers The men clothe about the samo ns wo do, and borrow from eah other tho most smkeible garments for this country The Indian wear our nncat ers, hats, shoes, underwear, conts. trourers, shirts, collars, ties, silk and cotton handkerchiefs, woolen and Oer mail Blockings Wo use their fur pirkterv caps, boots, stockings, robes nnrl tonts. the,lr moccasins, mitten, and mucklticks. Tor outdoor work or traveling wo use heavy fleecc-llned or best quality flannel underwear, blue wilrt nnd trousers, sweater, Indian or American fur cap, American fur or In. dlan moose-, kin mittens, woolen and Oormnn socks, moccasins and fur-trlmmcd fur-trlmmcd rienln parkles. Indlnns and civilians wear about the same or substitutes very slmllir. bol-dlers bol-dlers on duty In nos(s wear jnacklnaw or buffalo overcoita and mncklnaw trousers but theao ate too bulky and heavy for any active work Tho Indian In-dian womon wenr nbout the samo kind of clothes ns tho men. with n dresa over them all, that reaches half-way between the jinWd ind the kneo Thoy appear to wear enough, for they look bundled up and clumsv. I have no-tlccd no-tlccd hero nnd In the Philippines that our men have quickly noted tho artistic artis-tic superiority of tho dnss of tho American women. In these situations wo iuw nt a glance how much esthetic sexuil relectlon Is responsible for tho evolution of, and for tho piesent modes of clothing. We may chaff our women about what wo call useless trimmings, but on ocenn or Information dawns upon us, though misty, of the mission of lingerie, ribbons, puno,, cmbroldory nnd lacpi, In one glance nt a half-bar-barlan I know but llttlo nbout their cooking. cook-ing. They uso our ton, coffee, sugar, milk, dried frulta nnd Hour; much of these have been added In lito onrs They uso our stoves and many of our cooking utensils It Is nlmost Impossible to learn nny-thlng nny-thlng of their traditions nnd sentiments. senti-ments. They are vory reticent upon this subject. During the winter season the women are engaged In milking clothing for themselves, their families; and for Rile homo of their fur coats, cap,, parkles, hoots nnd storking, show much skill, and their bended and fur-trimmed moccasins, moc-casins, slippers, gloves and tobacco pouches aro very pretty. They exchange ex-change many of these for outsldo clothing cloth-ing such as they can get. Thoy are glad to get any kind of men's clothing such ns they can adapt for their own use. L.dont know what they would give for some of tho moro dcllcato of feminine femi-nine apparel, for from tho efforts I have seen them make to copy tho white women with brognn shoes, roirso woolen wool-en or calico, n, stray ribbon or corset, etc, thoy seoni to havo a high regard for them Huch things nro hard to get n Alaska, so thoy do tho best they can to gratify their ncsthetlo tnste, nnd resign themselves to tho situation, perhaps making of their heaven a plnce w hero such things may bo had for the asking, ALout Christinas time they celebrate n festival they call "Apotlatch." which lasts several das This festival has been pomewhat modified by outsiders, for during II tho native) will drink all tho hootch (whisky) they can get They nro very fond of hootch nnd will give nnythlng for It. It nets on them tho samo ns on other people, expands and solo In violent vibration their musical, rombntlve and oratorical organs, cnus-Ing cnus-Ing them to display tlnso talents, which, perhaps, they have nl-Jowcd nl-Jowcd to Ho dormint. their private opinion not permitting their exhibition. 'I hell honesty is proverbial and they have established .1 practice In this country that makes a lock a upoloss article. ar-ticle. No ono in this countiy would touch nnv thing cached, miles from the nearest habitation, unless compelled b starvation, and would then leave an explanation nnd their name. Thou, sands of dollars' worth of property Is cached along this river und Is as safe ns If In tho vaults of tho II ink of I.ng-Innd I.ng-Innd Tho Yukon Is ono of tho world's greatest rivers; COO miles from Us mouth It I, throo miles wide, fifty feet deep and Its current runs llvo miles pi r hour. lis volumo of water Is estimated to bo from two-thirds to onn nnd a third that of tho Mississippi It Is over soot) miles long anil Is navigable for 1300 miles of Its course. During tho summer transportitlon Is ensv on It nml Us tributaries by steamois, lmits and barges Though this senson Is short, from about Juno 11th until tho last of September, on it ull AlaBk i do I ends; nothing could llvo nt tho price, of tinnsporlntlon by any other mo ins While tho river Is open nil good, In tho wny of moichnndlso nnd supplies nro hniulled via Ht. 111011101, or Dnwson and Hknminj. In tho winter everj-thlng everj-thlng must bo carried by dog-sleds over thr e. tho rivers, trail, best In the en 1 over portages connecting tho llvoi It Is over these trails that tho mall .. carried Nothing but letters (llrst-ilnss mall) nro handled, and It comes nnd goes via fikngiiay and Dnwson, Dnw-son, Ht Michael and Nome aro Ire-bound Ire-bound until July. To successfully no-eompllsh no-eompllsh this, supplle, for i ion and dogs mo left at c ibins nbout twenty miles npart along the route during the rummer About all that .can be hauled on tho don-sled Is the bedding for a couple, of men nnl rations lor men and clogs fur a fow days. It Is will known that It lcqulret a tood, strong volcu and a largo vocnbu-Uiry vocnbu-Uiry of Inelegant lungungo to handle mu'es; this well amplified with n milr m tireless legs IllR a person for .loir, dllvlng (mushing, Alaskan lingo). Tho dogs preferred are huskies, h dog bred by the Hudson Hay company, and noxt either nntlvo oi outside dogs irossed With wolves A couple of teams of heso mlxoil up In a general frcc.for.all light, foi tho energy displayed and tho Individual Indi-vidual deslio to take tho largest part rivals a ladles' tenenient-houso drlM'a exchanging gilevunces when tho Jarl-tor Jarl-tor Isn't mound Its nccompaulnient of howls Of pain and ferocity would make mad with envy an urtlst that Inter- drfvfJVi."'?11"!. BMn ' r'i ' k- I arlving is not what I olwnva Imigine I he d,, 0n.."V "' a nn r,J" AtMn iBhtiv,' ,U. u n," "'" 'led, are I n nnJw' ""'.' "P"'''1 desired that I In .njnL'i'1'" "ml lMC" 't '" "'d'llg d I nnd Trldlng5' "" ,ntenttls of 'unnlng mfi2laPi,u,t Cr"np llon" the river KO ale? . MV.r'?VB nad bpon fonstru.tlng iv,rl r T "' llno l" nnect this place nm ,,'j1 'lK,.m '" 8t Michaels Al iska n,."-KJn ' "Pcrlenced mv llrst mid-a mid-a mf. ?x"lrf.,on on ,h" "knn "'""I nbm, i,' . Wp,.ellIit of iis, traveled on? i, "' "V" !',r '' "nd haulej till ns "n,, heddlng on two ilnn- J','", nl'solutel) recessnrv to keep .n. "? "I"'n on ,l mush Kverythlnlr l i urrH"Bed before starting Tor til. i i ni. 'hinge In Hie packing of hu IT' "rJn, P"soiml clothing Is Hi bio in result In froron hinds ie - i p our nnr" cl-'" ""d to rub I.i.. m,r 'heeks occaslonnlly is the only use you dare put vour bnio hand, w-li Tw ,l'1, '" ,,one at coiisldcrn-whi coiisldcrn-whi u 0f,Pn ou ""ly have a choko wm 0" ,'rcf'r tn kV fo'" fleering mVl. r """ ",Kl fheek, Tho told makes ones eves wateo nnd the tears in on- on tho choi ks On our arrival Hi m.l' "ur ,nr celahe, and " "."" ' f,"on our cap, and parkles o i r','7 ,,ll,1 'nustacho, (we had siuh undoslrablo things) woro a trellis of frost and Icicles With woolen and vieininn socks and moccasins, our feet wire; In nn dinger ns long as we kept mni"?, nm our feet drv. Walking In moccasins Is much like being hue. rooted, and the use nf heels diwns up. on ou Walking on the Ice with thesg for dais maj ho all rlplit fur n sour dough (an old timer) but It Initiates a cheechocker' (tenderfoot) to i Knowledge of pains that can come Into nis root nnklia and knees that ho ha, H.0"1", dreamed f if man s vnnlty would have nllowed It, I think Jt vvnul I luvo done mo good to hive laid down mid cried To do th it on a "mush ' Is to risk freezing to death. It behind jour pirty or alone. If with them to sot a lad example nnd Inmost- on oiioh comrades, who nlso nro likely sitting on their safety valven of suffering You must keep moving It Is hard to renllru the danger of Innrtlon when tl Is be. low 4- rihrenhelt W hen we could reach one of the military mili-tary telegraph stations to stop over night, being nmong friends we were well provided for and got a good rest. These stations are from twenty to nftj-flvo mile, apart. Occasionally, wo could get to one of those or nn Indlnn crcbln, but nftener hid to uso a de-aerted de-aerted hut without a stove nnd had experience for which famlllnrlts will never create contempt. After a hard das s tramp, their Icy floors and frost covered walls extended a cold and cheerless welcome. Our meals were cooked on tires built In front of them. Wo worried through tho nights soma way, lut how. It Is Impossible to say. The words necessary to express It awful aw-ful horrible, eto have weakened too much by overwork by tho oung 1 idles nnd reporter, to describe tho miseries of n night In a deserted Alasknn cabin Tho food-producing nnlmnl, nre. Moose, threo kinds of caribou (barrcn-gmund, (barrcn-gmund, woodland nnd reindeer), gnats, tnuskrnts, nnd threo varieties of beir (black, brown and grizzly). Tho fur-bcnrlng animals nro ns follows' fol-lows' Canadian lynx, four kinds of fox (hlnck or sliver, cross, red nnd Arc-tic), Arc-tic), wolves (grny and black), North American or land otters, beaver, martin oi sible, mink, ermine, rabbits nnd squirrels, valued In the order named Tho natives prize tho wolf nnd vvolvcr-lio vvolvcr-lio pelts much higher thin we; they 'uso them tn trim other furs and but few of them get out of Alaska. Tho mink Is the most plentiful nnd tho martin comes next; the squirrel Is nn Important factor In making cloth-Ing, cloth-Ing, but for loth food and clothing tho mooec outranks them all. Turnips, potatoes, onions, carrots nnd lettuce grow, nnd It Is rlnlmed beans, peas, pnrsley nnd bucMvheit will grow In tho ukon country. I have seen tho former growing In little gardens, that looked llko gardens of rare and costly plants, not vegetables vegeta-bles If they can ho. It would certainly certain-ly pay to cultivate them, for any kind nro worth from 00 cents to $1 per pound Cranberries, blueberries, a small red berry, called by the natives glnles. a small blackberry, called glz-neh, glz-neh, nnd a parsnip-shaped vegetable, called chass, are Indigenous. Most of tho country I, covered with a moss called tundra, about a foot thick, this Is underlaid with everlasting everlast-ing Ice, hard as flint. The forests-grow on thl, soil, If It miy bo called so, nnd It seem, strnngo to seo largo trees growing over lco. The nitlves turn this fnct tn good account ac-count In preserving meats during sum-mor. sum-mor. The only thing that will develop this country Is the discovery of valuable mineral In large quantities Provision, nro too costly for anything elso to estubllsh Itself, except as a secondary Industry Now, December 16th tho mm Just winks nt us nnd goes down Wo havo about ono hour daylight, three hours twilight and tho rest In night, When tho sun shine, through theso frost-covered bushes, thoy flash and spnrkle llko a myriad of diamonds and with one of theso combined sunrise, nnd sunsets reflected on the snow and Ice, presents a picturo which for brll-llancy brll-llancy nnd beauty Is unequnled. If seen under sunny southern skies, we might appreciate It, but It Is all loit on us here. I asked one of the bojs. "If Alas-kali Alas-kali life. and scenery was on exhibition, exhibi-tion, true tn nnturo somowhoio In the Htntes after ou get there, would you go In to secv it? ' Nn," ho said, "I would tako tho olh. cr side of the street, I hnvo he.ird the Philippines cussod In every way that I thought possible to cuss n'.y country, but thnt was weak hojlsli and crude compared tn the strong, manly and claslcal Inspirations of piofmlty thnt aro used to express disgust for Alaska. 11. |
