The Trail of the Goldseekers

re craft, making infrequent trips round the Aleutian Islands (which form the farthest western point of the United States) to the mouth of a

ld. Swift as electricity could fly, the magical word GOLD went forth like a brazen eagle across the continent to turn the faces of millions of earth's toilers toward a region which, up to that time, had been unknown or of ill report. For this ship contained a millio

ns of bullion. There was a moment of arrested attention-then the listeners s

h bags and bottles, and then the world believed. Thereafter the journals of all Christendom had to do with

bound across America were heavily laden with fiery-hearted adventurers, who set

es. Some entered upon new routes to the gold fields, which were now known to be far in the Yukon Valley, while others took the already well-known route by way of St. Michaels, and thence up the sinuous and sinister stream whose waters began on the eastern slope of the glacial peaks just inland from

led trails, of swift and icy rivers, grew more numerous, more definite, and more appalling. Weak-hearted Jasons

e adventurers cast about to find other ways of reaching the gold fields, which had come now to be called "The Klondike,"

on Overland Trail. Every town within two thousand miles of the Klondike River advertised itself as "the point of departure for the gold fields," and set forth the

49 and '50, and those who loved the trail for its own sake and were eager to explore an unknown country hesitated only between the two trails which were entirely overland. One of these led from Edmonton to the head-waters o

e game and fruit. Each was called "the poor man's route," because with a few ponies and a gun the prospector could traverse the e

examining the Ominica country, the Kisgagash Mountains, the Peace River, and the upper waters of the Stikeen. These places were all spoken of as if they were close beside

in the East, men were organizing parties of exploration. Grub stakers by the hundred were outfitted, a vast a

akota cow-boys just ready to join the ranks of the goldseekers entered the army of the United States, finding in its Southern campaigns an outlet to their undying passion for adventure; while the