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A Woman who went to Alaska

Chapter 4 THE RUSH.

Word Count: 2850    |    Released on: 01/12/2017

96, the growth of this country has been phenomenal, more especially so to the

r the ten per cent. royalty imposed by the Canadian government has always met a phase of human

he wishes to locate a claim, he visits the recorder's office, states his business, and is told to call again. In the meantime, men are sent to examine the locality and if anything of value is found, the man wishing to record the claim is t

gobbled by corrupt officials, and a meagre share left for the daring miners

which a fee of ten dollars must be paid. With such a license it is unlawful to sell a stick of wood for any purpose, or a pound of fish

ernor be sent for. Being asked what he wanted with the Governor, he replied: "I haven't an

Creek took out ninety pounds of solid gold or $24,480 in a single day. On Aleck McDonald's claim on Eldorado, one man shoveled in $20,000 in twelve hours. McDonald, in two years, dug from the frozen ground

higan, after a few months' work, brought home $100,000 in gold, selling one-third

igs from the ground, he will boast little of large "clean-ups"; and for this reaso

e mining man, estimates the output for the season of

d of thing, and petty thieving does not exist. Mounted police in their brown uniforms and soldiers in their red coats are e

f men all wearing sober faces. "They're done for now," said a rough miner, glancing in

nother, just come

umbs first toward the Barracks, then farther east, where a rough stretch of ground lay unused. Here coul

oons of heavy mackinaw, one leg of yellow and the other of black,-wer

, with another man notoriously bad, had indeed been hung about eight o'clock that morning in the barracks

l and the new gold fields at Nome, were well filled with those who were anxious to try their luck

lowing accounts of the Nome gold fields, that while few peopl

tremendous, and of the twelve thousand pe

rother down the Yukon to Cape Nome, and so "out" home to San Francisco, I felt a very distinct sense of disappointment. The novelty of everything, the excitement

ngs from the mills for their beds. Others packed their few possessions into small boats, hauled down their tents, whistled to

they were going home to the "States." How we strained our eyes from our cabin window or from the higher bank above, to see the people on the decks of the out-going boats. How the name of each

NDYKE

and we made ready to leave. My kodak had been emptied and filled again, calls on acquaintances made, and good-byes said. My battered and broken trunk, which, at the hands of the English customs officials had suffered much, had now to be repaired and put to a good long test. Thi

was said to be as perfect as could be in this fa

was pleasant. We felt flattered, especially as the band struck up our own national airs, giving us a medley of "Yankee Doodle," "America," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home

we learned that we had on board a dance hall outf

ying grips, kodaks, tin cash boxes, musical instruments, army sacks, fur robes, and rolls of blankets. Struggling under the weight of canvas tents, poles, Yukon

disgust. A number of women had dogs and were weeping, probably at leaving other canines behind. Several persons carried littl

d bullion, securely sealed and labeled, and tons of supplies for th

ndkerchiefs fluttered, the band struck up "Home Sweet Home"-we

ly desperadoes, were reckless and given over to the pursuit of gold regardless of the manner of its getting. There were loose characters of the town by hundreds; there were gamblers running a var

ked with the precious stuff), with the numbers of hard characters we carried, and the now increasing remoteness f

nks were lined with canoes; many natives stood looking at us from the shore, and while stevedores handled the wood, many passengers visited the town. It was not long

uch luxuries, for he refused to sell; afterward, his gallantry getting the better

"Two years," he promptly replied. Knowing that he was especially fond of such things,

m which runs into the Yukon, is Fort Cudahy, containing the stores a

ON THE YUK

with pines. Many rocky spurs towered grandly heavenward, with tops, like silvered heads, covered with newly

land, and breathed more freely. We felt at home. We cheered and waved our handke

mpaigning in Cuba. Taking us into a log house near by, he pointed out forty thousand rou

, an old white-haired gentleman, stood outside his cabin door. At Eagle we saw the new government barracks just being

appearance of our soldiers, and their wistful fac

hat at Eagle, with the long winter staring them in the face, and we could see that the po

n it takes to write it, these places were filled with miners, each man pulling away at his strong, old pipe, the companion of many weary months perhaps; while over the counters they hand

saw the offices of the United States marshal; both log cabins with dirt roofs, upon which bunches of tall weeds were going to seed. We h

e were now vacant, but it is the largest

day our pilots steered caut

oses its courage to run swiftly, for it spreads out indolently in all directions between treacher

re Eskimos, one of them on a salary of five hundred dollars per month. This man was perfectly familiar

sand-bar, or take fire, we might easily be landed; but to be left in such a bleak and barren place, with cold weather approaching, snow beginning to fall, no shelter, and only provisions for a few days,

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