We went direct to the Little horn river Montanna and sold our Horses to
the Crow Agency. Went to Deadwood S. Dak. picked up our Old Dog "Chum."
and some other property went back to Billings Montana settled up our
Business and went to Seattle Wash.
In Seattle we fitted out for a three year expedition.
And on the 20th day of April at 2 P.M. we shipped out of the Harbor on
the Old James Dollar--She was agood old ship built in South America made
of meteec--.; but had her back broken while being launched Was patched
up and yet hardly fit for rough seas.
Our first four days were very pleasant till we struck Millbank sound
There we were hit with a heavy sea on our starboard-beam. The old ship
would leap almost out of the ocean and then fall back like a wounded
duck. she would flounder, pitch, rool and dive come to the surface and
wipe off the brine slick as a mole. I felt a little disturbed in the
locality of my abdomen, also my appetite failed me for a few days; I was
standing one morning on deck by the hand rail just leaning over for
convenience--near by stood an Irishman spewing in the sea, a sailor came
allong and said to the Irishman" You seem to have a weak stomache." "I
don't know" Said the Irishman" I think I can throw it as far as the next
one" Over that same rail engaged at the same pass-time was a young lady,
leaning on the arm of her old Dad Between times she repeated"
I'me a fathers only daughter,
Casting bread upon the water,
In a way I hadent oter,
I guess yes.
Casting it like rain,
Into the troubled main,
Hoping this sour bread
will not return again"
We landed in Skagway on the fifth day of May. Now there were no docks in
Skagway at that time; so we were unloaded by lighters and run up where
the water was about three feet deep, there we had to get on a man's back
and be carried ashore. We were charged two dollars for the lighters and
two dollars for the man craft, so it cost each of us four dollars to
land after we had landed.
We arose early the following morning in another world. We knew the wild
parts of the States and the beasts and the men, the lay of the cities,
the course of thousands of the important rivers The climate, snow fall,
cyclones and all other important things to know when your life is an
outdoor life; but here we were in a new untried world. One of my
failures is when I see a mountain to wish to know how the land lays on
the other side, naturally given to adventure I had indulged, and it grew
very rapidly upon me, till it got beyond my controll, so I was delighted
to discover new fields.
After proper preparations we set out for White horse. After a few days
we arrived at the Chilkoot Pass. The Chilkoot Pass, is a high pass about
a mile high and steep as a house roof. And is also subject to very heavy
snowslides. It was here where a short time before 148 soldiers in the
British Army were all burried forever without any Sky-Pilot or
Undertaker's assistance. We crossed through Jacobs Ladder where were
six-hundred steps cut into the solid ice. There were several Men known
as packers who lived at the foot of the ladder, they packed over loads
for 45cts per lb. they wore spurs on the bottom of their moccasins; we
were not tenderfeet, but used to the heaviest kinds of packing and you
should have seen those sharks look with disdain on us when we made the
pass carrying twice as many pounds up as they could. On this Trip I had
The Coyote Kidd, The Galloping Swede, Taxas Tom. and Old Ed Scott. Four
just as good men as I had had the pleasure of meeting during twelve
years of rough life. And I was pretty sound then--my eyes were keen, my
hearing alert my aim acurate, not like I am at this writing.
On the top of this Pass I had my last opportunity of buying a piece of
mince pie which I never neglect--but this piece cost me a Pan or one
dollar. The other fellows took lemonade paying the same price per glass.
I had hunted all kinds of game, common or uncommon in the Western
Hemisphere. had led the most daring and dangerous kind of a life, but
little did I realize the tiresome dedious and indiscribable journey that
now lay before me.
As we crossed Chilkoot pass and descended through the long indentations
leading northward and eastward amid snow ice and severe weather Old
Texas Tom. The terror of the West, the old steel man as he was often
called grew tired for the first time since our acquaintance. Together we
rode the great roundup, together we had braved danger hard-ships scores
of times, at every other event he was cool faithful and ever on the
spot; but now he sickened from fatigue to a terrorable back ache and
head ache. That night he seemed to recover a little and the next morning
shouldered his load and with less of his old time vigor and lightness
began the day's journey. But about an hour later he had a relpase and we
divided his load among us and he was able to travel till noon. then we
camped as he grew worse and wrapped him in our blankest made him a good
thick bed out of boughs, and fixed him up just as comfortable as
possible. Four days later in the afternoon he called me up to his bed
and began to talk about sunny Texas about his dear old mother his sweet
young sister and his boyhood days. I tried to encourage him I told him
he would soon get well and that he had only a bad cold--but he smiled
and said he was not long for this world. He said this feeling was
strange and unearthly and he felt the approach of death. Then he rested
an hour and then called me up to him and said" Old Chief give me a pull
at your pipe--I did he lay back on my knee where he seemed to rest the
easiest gasped twice and died.
This was a hard blow on me and the other boys. The snow was deep and the
ground frozen down a great depth, so we were forced to bury Our dear old
Tom in the beautiful white purified crystal snow A purer and lovlier
grave man never filled. we marked the place and summoned our courage and
left the Old Texan who was reared amid the flecy cotton, sleeping his
last long sleep amid the white flakes in far away Alaska.
We were unfamiliar with this kind of sickness but after we were
experienced we knew our pard was afflicted with Spinal Fever. This is
caused by the rubbing of a heavy load on the back, it causes
perspiration then followed with fatigue the patient in weariness is
constrained by this fatighue to lie down upon the ground, and a severe
cold is contracted resulting in death. No traveler in that cold barren
region should ever under any circumstances lie down upon the naked
earth. Tom and we were all used to lying on the earth and thought
nothing of. ignorance and eagerness caused his death, as it has the
untimely death of many a mother's boy.
We took up our march sorrowfully and silently till we rached the
Horalinqua River. Here he halted and searched for Gold. May I add that
the craze for gold lead us into this region of ice and snow. We were
unsuccessful but in our rambles we came to Pelley River and found Marten
very thick, so we concluded to trap there the next winter. We left our
outfit here and began the journey down to Dawson, we had to shoot the
far famed Whitehorse rapids. there are seven of them and they are about
3 miles long, and run like lightling, we boarded a raft were cut loose
by a half breed Mucklock and away we went almost a mile a minute riding
on the crest of the rapid rooling river. Here after the passing of the
rapids we first met Swift water bill. so named by the Sourdoughs because
he would never shoot the rapids. His was a queer experience. he dug out
his fortune amid the bars of the river and then went back to Seattle and
married a daughter having three homely sisters, and his wife was twice
as holely as them all. each year following for four years he returned to
Seattle and married a sister every time. and at last having wed the last
girl, he broke all rules of life and married his Motherinlaw.
In this locality we made quite a stay mining and prospecting for hunting
and trapping till the following spring. which hardly shows his face when
autumn drives him off.
It was necessary for us to larn a few lessons so here we began to study.
first we were taught how to bridle a boat. this is done by tieing a rope
around the nose of the boat about one third the way aft. then we learned
how to make what they call portages--that is--when you come to falls or
rapids, relieve the boat of all contents and carry contents and boat
around the rapids. Then we were taught how to know quicksand and how
dangerous the Overflow is to dogs, and men in extrems winter. an
overflow is where the water bursts through the ice in the rivers and for
a few feet runs on the top. it cannot run far for it soon freezes. If
you put your foot in water or if your dogs step in water your feet and
their feet would freeze in two minutes.
The next winter we built a line of camps up the Pelley river about sixty
miles, and another line up the McMillian. October 10th we began to set
traps for Marten, ermine and wolf. Here we learned that Marten were
called Sable they are much larger and more valuable than the Marten of
United States Of America. In color they are dark brown and some are
almost black, they feed upon grouse and mice and never go near the
water, they inhabit the cold regions and breed but once a year. They
resemble the house cat in features but have long body like a mink. We
took that winter seven hundred, the largest catch ever known to have
been taken by any one gang in the world. The weather was exceedingly
cold for we were only three hundred miles from the Arctic Circle. Spring
came we broke camp and moved down to Dawson, sold our fur and drifted
down the Yukon river to the mouth of forty mile creek. Here we turned up
in search of placer mining, the short summer soon past and we returned
to Dawson and fitted out for the winter.
After we chucked up we turned up toward Steward river, on this trip we
met and formed the acquaintance of Geo. MacDonald, a wide world
character. At one time he came to Dawson with twenty mules packed with
gold. Three years later he died in Circle city a pauper.
Here also we first met the noted Montana Kidd--he swung his team of a
dozen dogs around the corner of the road house and shouted to the
landlord" Thirteen steaks dam the cost the Kidd always has the price" It
cost him thirteen times ten dollars--or one hundred and thirty dollars;
ten for himself and one hundred and twenty for his dogs.
After another successful winter we returned to Dawson sold our furs and
went first to Eagle and chucked up and journeyed to Fort Yukon. Now Fort
Yukon stands in the Arctic Circle and the Steel registers during cold
weather 65 deg. below zero. From here we went up the Porcupine river to
Rampart Ho on the Eastern boundery of Alaska We did not like the country
in this part so we returned to Fort Yukon; and turned down the Yukon
river to the Tanana river then we up this last named stream to
Fairbanks.
We reached Fairbanks in the early fall and trapped that winter on Beaver
creek. having many experiencs but none which I shall record
here.--After we broke Camp we sold our fur in Fairbanks and started for
the head of Copper river. We followed this stream down till we struck
Ambercunbo canyon. Not being acquainted with the river we were into the
rapids before we knew it: I shouted to the boys to pull while I leaped
for the steering oar, we got through all right but the boat was half
full of water--and all the boys pretty badly scared, it was a close
shave one adventure I do not care to repeat. We floated down to Katello;
and here took a boat for Cook's inlet. We reached Shushitna station And
started up Shushitna river till we came to the mouth of the Talketaa:
here in search of trapping we failed to find the object of our
search--but found something far better a splendid Quartz mine, which
averages $93.00 gold per ton of quartz. From here we went to Seldovia
and then to Dutch Harbor and on to St. Michels.
It might be well to say briefly that I had considerable exprience during
my time with mining, and was no green horn, The Kidd was a natural
miner, he would stick his pick, spade or knife into every bit of mother
earth to ascertain if there was any color, we not only knew fur, beasts
and birds, reptiles, fish, insects, but we knew the earth over which we
walked, on which we slept and so contineud for sixteen years. We were
full fledged Sour Doughs. We were citizens and Claim holders.
I should also mention that I have but briefly outlined our travel, we
had traveled much more than one would naturly suppose from reading these
few pages, I ought to say too that We had become expert Dog-teamsters.
And I need not say that not a man in Alaska nor an Indian could beat us
on snow shoes.
We incidently fell in with a half breed who was looking for a husband
for a half sister I made him believe I was looking for a Wife So he feel
in toe. I according to his pleasure met his sister she was a cross
between an Eskomo and a Mucklock, she was a charming biddy her eyes
were sore, she was terrorably deformed having a large bone resembling a
horn growing out of her right shoulder, she was about twenty four years
old. and indians at that age are as old as white women are at fifty. if
there is any beauty in Creoles, or Indians believe me it fades before
they are thirty, and leaves you a homely hag.
Well Her brother told me he had heard about me and If I would consent to
wed his sister he would tell me the road to a fortune. I saw he was
smart and disclosed considerable truth and displayed considerable
inteligence of the interior. He said he would go to that place but owing
to physical inability he could not. What could a trapper from the
flowery fields of the rockies, and broad basins of the Platte now of the
Snow hidden mountains ice bound rivers of Alaska do but inmediately
without consulting any parents--become engaged.
We sat down I dismissed the boys and he related to me the following "For
a thousand years my people have been kings in these parts. A Few indians
have been through the interior of Alsaka from Mt Mckinley to Point
Barrow. But no white man ever was. It is well nigh impossible but a
giant like you and like your men could go if you prepare properly And
have the money to chuck up for two years. Now the fortune lies in what
you could tell and what you would know and see rather than in what you
could bring back. But should you gain Point Barrow remember there is
plenty of gold.--but it can only be mined during the summer while the
frost is wore out of the ground by the sea. Now half way through this
wilderness of ice, snow, and bursting glasciers is a cave not in a
valley but on a mountain above timberline. This mountain lies about ten
miles westward of you main course as you go down Dead mans gulch. you
will know this gulch by its first horrorable appearance. it makes even
an indian shudder to look at it. After you emerge from the gulch take
the first indentation leading westward and by all means go to black
mountain and find the cave. Now why I wish you to find the cave is I
wish you to live. the Wether is extremely cold, you and your men will
need a relief from this extreme incessant atmosphere. this cave is of
black rock and is as warm underfoot as any soap stone you ever touched.
and when once in the cave you feel warm as in an oven. Here you may
recuperate patch up your clothes and make your journey safely." I
thought this was hash so parting said I would return and tell him how I
prospered. While time and weather would permit we went to Gnome and
picked up Black Dave. And purchased severel good Huskeys. sailed back to
St. Michals stocked up and set out on our trapping and hunting trip. But
finding we had miss judged the lay of the land on the western slope of
Alaska we again sailed back to Gnome and then crossed overland to Candle
creek. We experienced some very hard travels in crossing the Seward
Peninsula when we struck the south west side of the Kalzetpue Sound,
from there we went west to Salawak river, then to the lake of that same
name here we pitched camp and set our traps. Our game was Polar bear,
Arctic Fox, Reindeer and Sable.
Now I was used to all kind of bear except--the Polar which I am free and
frank to confess is the worst man eater on earth, not one beast of any
country excepted. The Polar averages to weigh about seven hundred pounds
his build is different from any other bear, he is long and lanky having
giant legs, his color is pure white. Except at times he is yellow around
the neck, and shoulders. His food is Walrus and whale which have been
killed and cast upon the ice by tremendous storms. They breed but once a
year and seldom have more than one cub. he lives exclusively in the
Arctic regions. His fur is used for rugs and robes and is worth about
$150.00 per pelt. But it is so hard get these skins to civilization that
they are rare, often other bear is colored and sold for real Polar.
Between the Polar Bear and Siberian Wolves we had to watch our dogs all
night to keep them from being killed, as well as ourselves.
This country was poepled with Eskomos a sort of a cross between them
and Mucklock indians. they were very friendly to us. I could address
them in their own language which pleased them and we prospered fine. On
the first day of Feb. we started back to Gnome.
And for the first time suffered total darkness by day and by night. We
had enjoyed the midnight sun, and now must suffer the mid-day dark. The
thermoneter lay about seventy below zero and the wind blew a gauger, On
this trip back to Gnome I first learned what it was to neglect for hours
to wait upon Nature, owing to the suffering of even exposing you bare
hand for ten seconds. On this trip our old Chum, the playmate of Texas
darling of Wyoming and the tramp of Deadwood So. Dak. got so cold he
whined and refused to go. We took him and put him in our sleeping bag. I
had taken him because he was fat and I kept him as a reserve food,
rather than for actual work. We had a great jag on our sleighs we had to
draw fish to feed our dogs, fish for fuel and lights, and with our
traps, guns sleeping bags and truck we had great loads.
We reached Gnome without any serious accidents or over severe suffering
sold our furs and felt fine over our grand success.