Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1902 — ALONG THE YUKON. [ARTICLE]

ALONG THE YUKON.

K Rose Lawn Boy Describes His Experience In the Klondyke. A HARD TRIP. There was a big stampede on the Tanana side. Charles, taking a light pack and snow shoes went up Hunter creek and over the divide to Caribow to the Frenchmen’s camp. One of the Frenchmen joined him and they set out over the “saw tooth’’ range for the mouth of Baker creek to stake a town site; as It was likely that if the Tanana country was any good much of the traffic would come up the* Tanana and on up Baker creejr. The first day they went down the Hootitana, which made many big curves. Charles climbed a raise to see what was ahead and saw that the creek was a regular snake track for twenty miles. He suggested taking a straight course but to this the Frenchman would not consent, fearing they would get lost, being in a new and practically unknown country. Only three or four men had ever been through there. So they snowshoed down creek. In one place they found on climbing the bank that they had gone more than two miles to gain a quarter mile. The first night out they camped in a stretch of fallen timber. Such places are not uncommon In interior Alaska. The trees grow their roots near the surface, for farther down the ground is frozen. A heavy wind sometimes overturns great numbers of them. We have often camped behind one of these, to get out of the breeze. Next day they were early on the trail. The April sun became uncomfortably warm. The day finally came to a close with nothing more exciting than fresh bear tracks. They camped under a big spruce tree. Neither slept well. The day had been warm and their clothes were damp. When they lay down they became chilled so that sleep was difficult. They had only brought four days’ provisions, but after a discussion next morning they decided to go on one more day, hoping to reach the Tanana by night. If they got there they could go down the Tanana river to Tanana station, about 75 miles, with good snowshoesng all the way; while to go back the way they came was more difficult on account of the brush and mountains. At the end of the third day they could see no sign of the Tanana river, so as they had but one day’s provisions they took the back track. The fourth day they went on half rationa and a grouse they killed with a stick. The fifth day came to a close, with all provisions gone except a little tea; still they had two divides to climb. On the morning of the last day they drank a cup of tea each and pushed on. At the top of the first divide the Frenchman was about done for. At the foot of the last divide he gave up, lay down, and refused to go any farther. Charles “jollied’’ him, tried to coax him, and finally told him he be would go on and leave him, but he wouldn’t try the last divide. It was no use, he said, he knew he couldn’t climb it. He’d “rather die than try it.” Charles took hold of him saying, “Well if you won’t go any other way I’ll have to pack you.” That seemed to rouse him some; he made the trial and finally they reached the top from which they cpuld see the cabin. * About seven p. m. they reached it, having traveled for 17 hours with nothing to eat, and living for six days on four day’s rations. One man got lost in the same neighborhood, and froze so badly one night that he couldn’t travel. When found he had been six days without food and was badly frozen. They took him to the hospital at Rampart where he lived a few days; long enough to tell of his sufferings. A Prospector.