A Woman who went to Alaska

ling houses, with a few fourth-class restaurants and one or two mediocre hotels, we found the new mining camp a typical one in every respect. Prices were sky high.

a, soiled table linen and with blackened steel knives and forks, for the enormous sum of one dollar a head; which

ll ruin us!" ga

n! Ugh!" shudder

with wide distended eyes; while I found such amusement in watching the three faces before me that I bar

groaned madam, and we set off at

or three lighters were to be had at Nome. Other large steamers were being unloaded, and hundreds of people were hourly being landed upon the beach. There was no shelter for them anywhere, every building was full, and confusion was badly confounded. To make matters

e while coming down the Yukon River with my brother. To one family of these I made my way. They were in

table, chairs and trunks; but they also owned a one-room shack next door, which was vacant for a few days, being already rented to a dentist who would make some repairs before taking possess

usty coal heater in one corner. "I wish I had some blankets or fur robes to lend you, but everything I have is in use. You are welcome to bring in as many friends as you like if they will share the poor place with you; and you are quite safe

or-key and stepped outside into the rain to bring my waiting friends and baggage from the

O

ot cold. Finding my English friends I told them of Mrs. M.'s kindness and offer of her room, which they were well pleased to accept with me, and we gathered up our

tting there, waiting for the judge to return! His wife is nearly sick, and they have no idea where they

" said I, going over t

ened, I decided on the spot to share Mrs. M.'s hospitality with them; made the proposal,

e R. and a few loaves of bread from the shop, along with the remaining lug

o come into her room and take tea and crackers which she had already placed upon the table. This invit

hich the shack consisted was about eight by ten feet square, set directly upon the ground, from which the water oozed at every step of the foot. Two sm

of in the mud, a pail of water was brought from a hydrant after paying twenty-five cents for it, and a box was converted into a table. Luggage was sort

one arm, a bag containing one dozen eggs, and a few slices of ham on a paper plate,

ur mortal hours and failed to find a shack, room, or tent for the night. Four thousand people landed here today, and still they come. Jerusalem crickets! What a crowd! Everybody i

tenderly patting Mrs. R.'s white hand, which bel

ling on without giving his wife a chance t

ner was away-jumper won't leave-talked with owner today-think I'll get the job," said the hop

ll have a bed tonight-the best in Nome City. See! There it is now," pointi

o hold you up, won't it, dearie?) Now, please take your tea like a go

not speak, neither did she attempt to eat, for t

am and eggs, bread, butter and cheese, tea and crackers, pickles, jellies and jams, as bei

was unrolled, set up and made ready for Mrs. R., who was the only one favored with a bed. The others f

f affairs of the day, while we women unbuttoned our shoes, took out a few hairpins, cold-creamed our sunburned faces, and then, between jokes, stories and gig

be upon the floor beside his wife's cot, covered hims

ike this sort of thing. I say, wife, isn't it jolly?" And the portly and sunny o

il. Better to have several, and some one of these would probably succeed. I felt a good deal of anxiety to know whether my father or brother had or would com

men, for my travels in Alaska the year before had taught me that. I could teach music, and I could paint passably in water colors and oils; in fact, I had been a teacher of all three, but in Alaska these luxuries were not

an, I was unable to do beach mining as could a man, and as many men expected to do. Those who brought large outfits and plenty of money with them were immediately obliged to hire help, but it was generally a man's help, like carpenter work, hauling and handling supplies or machiner

t work was honorable, and especially for a woman housework and cooking were respectable and healthy service. So I had no pr

their camps, as they kept large numbers of men at work day and night on the Anvil Creek claims, the season being so short for placer mining in this country. Anvil Creek was only four miles away and the "Star Restaurant," as my friends had already named their proposed eating-house, would be headquarters for all the Scandinavians on Anvil and the entire district. For this reason, and because

ack, soggy soil was hardly free from frost a foot down, and this made it everywhere marshy, as the water could not keep down nor run off where it was level. Some one on the steamer who had been in Nome before had advised us to pitch our tents on the "Sandspit" at the mouth of Snake River, as that was the cleanest, driest and most healthful spot near

he regular and stentorian snores of the old judge; or when, for a few moments, after turning in his sleep, his snorts and wheezes had not yet reached their

AT

on as it was landed, and part of our number was detailed to stay at the landing while we investigated. Down through the principal thoroughfare we pushed our way, now on plank sidewalk, now in the middle of the street if the walks were too crowded; but going to the west end of town till we came to Snake River Bridge, where we crossed to the Sandspit. At the toll-gate we easily passed, as all women were allowed to go over free, men only being charged ten cents toll. Here w

there till some of them came back. This I did, sitting on a box in the sunshine with my kodak, umbrella and lunch basket beside me for hour

ready permission to temporarily pitch our tents upon the sands

et a tent up in which we could sleep, as I, for one, was determined not to be kept awake by the judge's snores another night if I had to work till morning. The others shared my feelings, and

e of a continuous day to a busy, hustling camp like this one, had not presented itself to us until we ourselves attempted to work half the night; t

steamers lay further down stream near the river's mouth, row boats were tied along the edge of the water, and on the Sandspit below us was a camp of Eskimos, their tiny canoes and larger ski

ressed, upon the tops of madam's big packing cases, from which had been taken pillows and blankets, and slept soun

ers rolled and broke upon the sands. With what music the foam-tipped wavelets spread their edges, like the lace-trimmed ruffles on some lady's gown, upon the smooth and glistening beach. How the white tents everywhere looked like doves of peace just alighted, and the little boats danced up and