Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1897)
. *r. Charlc* II. Metcalf, writing from iMm City on the Klondyke river, wtorr recent date, tiaya: -Harr I find my»clf at laat In the t of the great e»t and mo*t wonder mining camp the world ha* ever m Oold I* so plenty that It ha* to to earrled about In cotton hag*, and •aw or five men arc required to pack mmi protect the product* of many of the | rtafru* 1 have *een the re»ult of one dap** washing on a claim tn Kldorado cn«k, and the figure »»« fH.fldO for twelve hour*' work of four men. This claim was sold lea* than *1* month* fbr »3D0, and will produce more Iks* 91.000.000 before the end of the Tww. The excitement I* now no great that no one will *ell at any price, *o flliii. |* no chance for newcomer* In Chi* immediate vicinity. The country I* (MS of prospector*, and every »trcatn 'Within a hundred mile* I* located and ■rJoimnd from one end to the other. On the big creek* where the gold 1* found, • oamely Bonnnxa and Eldorado, there am many men who tried In every way to well their claim* for a few hundred dollar* last winter but could find no taker*. The»e men are In po**e**lon of great wealth, which I* even yet be yond tin |r capacity to realize. I could •am oven attempt to picture this camp or city to you. Thousand* of men, sun! women, too. for that matter, are Itere living In tent*, or log shed*, or I frouws of board* with cloth roofs, each habitation taking a position to suit Itself with no regard for !U neighbor or any i/>rm of regularity. The gawmtll la running night and day, and men are making about at all time* of day and ntabi and building* of all kind* are going up. Such la the power of gold that before cold weather cornea In Sep tember this wlldi mess will foe a city in fmsl of many thousand people. I ahall *o out to Bonanza creek In a day or h*o and look the ground over there. I doufot. however. If anything ran he drove while everybody 1* In thla pros emi state of excitement. Circle City la • city no longer; with one or two ex r»q>iiona all the store* and shops are dosed and the entire population ha* transfi rred itself to this new Eldorado, • mu-ii and all full of hope In the great TMden handicap. Prospectors are rush ing all over the country looking for gold, but nothing of any consequence .ha* been found outside of the two big erreeks 1 spoke of. A few men will be made rich here, but everybody is spending money In the most lavish raroncier, and 1 am getting good prices •fnr the goods 1 have to sell. You rc < rntvnrser the two dogskin robes that cost i me 94-50 each, and which I wanted so • am It to br;ng a quantity of? Well, I •old them both yesterday at 940 each, and could sell a hundred more if I had 'hem, and this Is a fair sample of r prices. We had no trouble on the river this year, but I do not relish making another trip If I could help it. 1 On®'t mind the Intensely hard work ao -m»th, but 1 find the worry and anxl oty about getting the goods safely over v '-be takes and river very trying, and people tell rue I am looking thin. I hear indirectly that Booth (a young man Mr Metcalf took with himl is do ing very well on my claim. No. 3. on Mastodon creek. The weather Is very hot and will result in much sickness and suffering in this damp marsh. Dr. IjT Blanc has begun business already, and will do exceedingly well 1 feel sure. He will locate here for the winter. While thla town la a wonder at preaent nnd growing faat, I think Ita life will be abort At Dyea, one hundred mllea from Juneau, the actual Journey begin* and thla la (he moat difficult and dlacour nglng part of the many mllea to be traveraed. The moat favorable time for going Into the Interior la before the anow melt* from the mountain*, which doe* not occur tilt the middle of April, for the abrupt pnaaagna anti what la known na the "aummlt" are better ac complished by hauling auppllea on aleda, while the paa* la covered with anow. After leaving Dyea good* mitat be hauled alx mile* over the Dyea Flat*. From thla point the route lie* through what la known aa the canyon where the trail lead* up Ihe steep and rugged aides of the mountain* along a timbered ahelf overlooking the can yon until Sheep Camp la reached, a dla tanre of twelve mile*. Here a reat. I* taken to await, favorable weather, whlrli at heat I* something terrible with the fhermnmetrr aa tow na 00 to 80 degrees below zero. Thla atop la to prepare one for the aummlt which I* eight mile* further up and 3,500 feet high nnd the moat difficult and tedious part of the Journey, The trail lead* up a narrow and precipitous defile to Stone House, another well-known rest ing place, with a purely Imaginative name. Thla place la at the beginning of the more abrupt, climb and la three mile* from the aummlt. In fact, It la nothing more nor lea* than a ledge. An extract from one of Mr. Metcalf* letter* describing hi* flr*t trip over the Hiimmlt i* Interesting. "I had ten men working at the sum mit hauling up good* with a windlass, which we made, and about 4,000 feet of • , I 4.tko nu*na*. The work had been delayed quite a time by storms, which are very fre quent on the mountains, hut on Sun day night last 1 concluded that the work was far enough along so that wo might break camp the next morning and come to Lake l.indeman. I bad taken the precaution to send over a small tent the day before In the event of trouble In getting down on the other aide, but did not expect any, 1 had not been over here up to that time but the trail was being used constantly and was hard and well marked. Well, Mon day morning came and with it a clear sky and no wind. 1 was up at 3:30 and while Booth was getting breakfast I had one load of our camp outfit and my dog team ready to start. Breakfast consisted of fried bacon, cold bread, coffee and beans. Soon after 4 o'clock 1 started for the summit, three miles away, up the steep mountain side. I was early at the foot of the summit or last great rise, which Is so steep that everything must go up on men's hacks or by windlass. The angle Is so great that one might think the mountain was leaning over and would fall that way. Of course everything Is covered with many feet of snow. No men were working yet. so I left my load to be taken up when the windlass started and returned to camp. The round trip had taken four hours. Booth had been taking down the big tent and getting the laat things ready while 1 was away. Breaking a camp takes some time so that 10 o'clock found us but Just ready to start. The sun waa quite warm and I i TM* <**f t» r)KM« tW tl.UKt TM« IUHNTf ■TH4MKH H«»* T* MU T TUI »I'UM'UI C»U ' |i%* H~ iiiili r 4 *•»**•* »k» k » •• *»< *Ji v Iim ** »fc *# K • * *«»**» *»> 1 H w* '***«• **”11, mmim »h" * k »» *’»*•** l» *'•»•• f*M? f*«*i »**#H p»m «>** > >*•«* 1* *.<*• • the enow aoft when we started but 1 could «ee that there were light cloudi on the mountain and some Indication of wind. An we went up the wind be -gan to blow a little from the south or at our barks. Aa we came nearer the summit we began to meet the In dian packers coming down, haring quit work above aa the wind waa getting ao atmng. There are two benches or narrow flat places up the side and our windlass was placed on the flrat one about 1,000 feet from the foot. We ar rived at the foot a little before 1 o'clock to And that the flrat load which con tained our beda, had gone up, but be fore this time the wind had gained such velocity aboje that dUr meq had all quit work and left. We could not turn bark now so concluded to follow our beds. After making everything fast I unhitched the dogs and calling them along we started to climb to the top. This Is no small tusk, I ran tell you, and whoa we arrived at the flrat bench It was after 2 o'clock. Here the wind was blowing very hard and cold and the small particles of Ice that came with It cut my face and hands no that I could not face It or take off my mit tens. Here wn found our beds and I also managed to find u can of frozen corn beef which lasted very good while we sat for a short time behind a pile of goods to rest, We packed our beds from this bench to the next. The wind had now become so strong that It would almost carry me up the side, I believe It would have been next to Impossible tn ini ifnwtt iii'MIn ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS OK SCENES ATTENDING GOLD EXCITEMENT IN THE KIA5NDIKE DISTRICT. * •M T o r m __ "At the second bench I bad bard work to keep my feet at all hut man aged to hind our beds on a sleigh, get tbe dogs lu and start for the last climb, ' I never again expect to see such a storm as was raging at the top! Snow was now coming with tbe Icy wind and drift* were forming In all the protected place*. The noise of the storm was so great that no other sound could be heard. The war of contending ele ments wa* magnificent hut I felt quite too Insignificant long to be a witness und wa* glad to get away a* soon as possible. The decent on this side Is very steep but not so long. After let ring tbe sleds go down we just sat down j !n the soft snow and sl’ld or dropped to the level below, which Is quite a large body of water called ‘Crater Lake,' supposed to be the site of an old volcano. It lies far above the timber 1 line anti Is always frozen. Just at the ! foot there was very little wind and j we Stopped for a short time to rest j before startlug out on tbe long run of nine mile* through the snow and wind storm to this camp. ’■Before the first few miles were passed the drifting snow had so covered the trail that the dogs could not follow It and I had to go ahead and keep the road while Booth looked after the team. To find and keep a blind trail we use a long sharp stick and by constant punching we can tell the hard trail from the soft snow at the side. I broke trail that day most of the time on the run for nearly seven miles, through a snow storm so thick that nothing could be seen and the wind howling at our backs like a pack of hungry wolves. At the top of the canyon the wind was less severe but the snow was drifting and the gathering darkness made our trip down tha gorge rather uncanny. "We arrived safe and well only to find thnt our tent was not yet up. Two hours mors, at 10 odock. our regular meal of bacon, beans and bread found a very hearty reception, ufter which I went to bed very tired, of course, after nineteen hours of constant exertion but comfortable In the feeling of good health and strength which successful combat with these grand and rugged mountains must give to any one, and not sorry to have scon this strange j land und Its element* while at play In one of thdr wildest moods. A trip to the Interior abounds In many such hardships and adventures. The safest way to get there Is to cross l,ake I,Indeman In February or March, while It Is frozen, and stun at l,uku Bennett to build boat* and wait for the ! Ice to break up. The Journey In- then continued by drifting down a *erie* of lake* and down the Yukon river. Be fore the traveler can realize It he I* at the much talked of and treacherous : “White Horse Rapids” going through which many men have lost their lives. As soon as the warm weather begins gnats, poisonous flies and mosquitoes make life a burden. The stories told j of the numbers and voraciousness of the native mosquitoes are almost in credible. Lieut. Schwatka states in bis report of a voyage down the Yukon that he has seen mosquitoes In Much numbers as to cloud the sun and ob struct the vision. Dog* and game have been killed by the bites of mosquitoes; \ even the huge black bear i* not ex empt from the pest as the continual bites produce inflammation of the eyes, causing blindness. Judging 'from re port* an asbestos mosquito net should be in the outfit of every miner. Min ing operation* cannot begin until the < ice melt*, from June 1st to the 15th. About the middle of September the suit drop* so low that tee soon form* and active operation* must be discontinued until the following season. The season I* short, yet from June 15 until Aug. I the sun shine* twenty-two hours out of the tweuty-four. and during the re maining two hour* work can lie done. Accordingly when a rich claim I* found two or three set* of men are employed aiid work got* on continually. The Ytikou country ia no plare for a man without money. Kvery man who 1 goes there must expect to Work and ! work hard Ho credit I* given on a man * face That day la gone, Mr Mitchell sayt that before men make a rush from Michigan to the Klondike gold Held*, it would tie well to itsitsi* while miner* m.the from fit the iDHihIUm end denper* end bard . ekipe at a trip t*> the ihtertuf and . would warn everybody to ke«p ewey I uaitee provided silt mvrii hundred dollar* end •Kiihiag eat y*«o* i* <km to >n»t foy at least oat year After a it ;»»»•»*> » wtl OUR SMALLER COLLEGES. la Many Km parts They Ara Uolag Hat* tar Work Than tha larger Obm. "There are a few striking facta about the small American college." wrltea Kd ward W. Bok In the Ladles’ Homo Journal. ’’One striking fact Is that 60 per cent of the brainiest Americans who have risen to prominence and success are graduates of colleges whose names are scarcely known outside of their own states. It Is a fact, also, that during , the past ten years the majority of the new and beat methods of learning have emanated from the smaller col leges, and have been adopted later by the larger ones. Be cause a college happens to be un known two hundred miles from the place of Its location does not alwaya mean that the college Is not worthy of wider repute. The fact can not be dis puted that the most direct teaching, and necessarily the teaching most produc tive of good results, Is being done In the smaller American colleges. The numes of these colleges inay not be fa miliar to the majority of people, but that makes them none the less worthy places of learning. The larger colleges are unquestionably good. But there are smaller colleges Just as good, and, In some respects, lietter. Some of the finest educators we have are attached to the faculties of the smaller Institu tions of learning. Young girls or young men who are being educated at one of the smaller colleges need never feel that, the fact of the college being i . Htnall one place* them at a dleadvan* 1 tage in eompar1*on with the friend or 1 companion who ha* been sent to a lar f per and better known college. It i* not the college; it I* the atudent.” LIVING UP A TREE. Years ago a Louslana planter, aptly nuined Wlldeson, went to establish himself on the Kama river In Nicara gua, where he raises bananas and rub ber trees with profit. A Mr. Drew, who visited him on business, describes his three-story house as literally built In a tree a sturdy eboe-tree- sixty three feet from the ground. To get up and down between the ground and the house an elevator Is used, so constructed with block and tackle that the person using It raises himself or controls bis descent by means of a rope. There Is also a chicken-house sus pended from a limb Into which the poultry is collected at night. After a day of free picking and strolling, the feathered bipeds come of themselves to be raised to their roost. A good snake story goes with the rest. Mr. Drew says: “A thing that struck me curiously was the sight of a twelve-foot boa-constrictor gilding about on the ground at the foot of the tree, climbing over the roofs of the laborers' cabins, even entering them, and in general making himself perfectly at home on the plantation. " 'Nobody'd think of harming him,' said the old man to me when I spoke to him about the big snake. 'He's perfectly harmless to any one, and he keeps the place clear of mice and mules that eat the roots of my young banana and chocolate trees. Eat chick ens! Never knew him to do such a thing. Stilt, while they're little. I don't put temptation in his way, but keep them in a snake-tight cjop of wire-netting.’ ” Mfaiili.it of Town Niiuh. The meaning of various name* of ri fles la auggexted by the dlacuaalon con cerning the proper orthography of i’lttaburg. Inasmuch aa the “h" has ninth to do with It. Old 1‘arta was formerly called by Its Homan Inhabi tants Lutetla. meaning “Mudtown." lamdoti derives Ha name from the old fortified hill of the Hiltons, standing where bt. I'aul’a cathedral now la. Dub lin means ' the lilack l'ool. ' and Liver pool “the i*ooi of living creatures ' Horns la said to mean “the mai roads ' and Herltn la variously translated aa meaning “the short lake,” “the free and upvu plate," “the river Island'' aud “the Marsh) a pot." I'» ruautboco m ana the mouth of hell.'' Hotniay good boy, while t’atro I* a corruption of K! Kahtrnh' the victorious ' Lpa han la the half of the world,'' Valrah haa the i»» of the oar;" Uagdad.' the gardeu of )ua;u« ' an I t*up*ahag> a the m»r» halt s harbor r'V'hung* t« l alaOaaau V awbtaailaa. 1)pewrtter | am up; 1 enough u* I tndststead hustaeas forms all right t>w| ! I must admit that I « *•*»« spell itust | m*s Man t o wont do the* .I>n ,t the price I can t spell, •tther.'*- |n dtanapwits Journal The Herman marine t« only half a WWWI »»< the hrat ngval aflhsr ha v lag lea* aypciaMd by hi kg fra »■ out WHHau, ga May If. 1st? SILVER GOING DOWN. COLORADO EXPERTS DISCUSS THE MATTER C onrerieri that the Metal Most «« ,>,,wn I mil the I’roilaction U Curtailed Silver Dollar. Now Worth Only 43 t‘c»n»m**r»t of l'r«M Her* uni! Th«r«. Th#» IMrllnn In Drgvnn, Col.. Aug. 7.—The effect of the decline In nilver to fifty-five and one-half cents per ounce and the prole able further fall to as low aa fifty centa, which aeetna to be conceded by those In the best position to Judge, is current topic of conversation among mining men, and while Home arc greatly discouraged at the outlook for mining In Colorado the general opin ion seems to be that the decline of sli ver will have no very serious effect upon the mines because there is com paratively little silver mined In the state except In connection with cop per, gold and lead. There Is a possi bility that some of the Aspen anil Creed* properties will shut down, but outside of these there will be little change In the situation. Kx-Governor ,J. II. Grant of the Omaha and Grunt »me!tersuld: “lam y of flie opinion that silver will continue . C to go down until there Is a marked a decrease in the production in some purls of the wor nnd It remains to l>e seen which of the silver-producing countries will give way first. If the present volume of silver production is maintained, it will go lower until the supply and demand arc neare" to gether. of course there will copij a time when it will stop failing, but I do not think that will cornu until there Is a very marked decrease in production, unl'ts in the meantime silver should be remonetized. It will 1 have no serious effect upon the pro- t dilution of lead, for I have figured out tliat with lead at 81.fib and silver at 551,', It is just about as profitable to the miner as when lead wa*83.-.» uud > I _ _ y. II mi h i Ex-Senator N. P. IIIU of the Boston and Colorado smelter thinks that the, decline will be seriously felt in many quarters. "The aggregate loss will be quite large,” said he. "Lost year the average price paid our company for sliver was •>*>. 85 cents per ounce, and the difference between that, price and to-day’s quotations amount* to about 1170,000 in our production of last year. In 1893 the price was much higher and the loss compared with to day's prices would be nearly •750,000.” Loxnos, Aug. 6.—The Times in Its financial comment* this morning ud mit* its Inability to explain the per sistent weakness of sliver, but thinks it is due, perhaps, to a well grounded belief that the results of the Ameri can bimetallic commission, beaded by Senator Wolcott, are not likely to prove satisfactory to silverites iiere and in the United States. New York. Aug. 7.—The decline in silver yesterday carried the price to a new low mark—35% pence in London, and 55% cents here. Mexican dollars bold at 47% cents, and Peruvian sols and Chilian pesos at 38% cents. At the present price tiie silver in a United States dollar is worth 43.1 cents. ENDS IN A TRAGEDY. An Aged (icrmmi Mhoota Hit Nawipapnr* Herured Wife and Takaa Pnlion. Giiaxi) Rapids, Mich., Aug. 7.—Last April II. A. Dailey, a well-to-do Ger man of .lennison, aged 70, sent a let ter to Mayor Swift of Chicago saying he wanted a woman of mature years as a wife. The mayor gave tiie missive to the newspader as a literary curosity. The result was Daily received nearly 500 answers, ttut of the lot he selected Mrs. Hattie Newton, a Chicago widow aged 45, and throe months ago they were married. Dailey became very jealous when his wife returned to Chicago for a long visit, and they quarreled bitterly uml tin ally separated. Dailey then gave his wife three days to return. The time was up last midnight but she refused to resume wifely relations and Dailey forced his way into her bed chamber and pressed his old musket against her lieurt and pulled the trig- A ger. The woman seized the muzzle V and pushed it aside, hut the charge penetrated her right side She stag gered from the house in her tight gown and fell bleeding on the door step of Human .> mini ton's house, where she was found. ^ Dailey was arrested, and. as there is no jail in Jrnnlsou, remained in the eustody of the officers until this morn >ng. when lie was to he taken lot.rami Haven, before taking the train liu was allowed to enter a saloon and drink several glasses of beer, At the bar l.e fell back word in spasms and was dead in a few minutes He I,ad managed to slip slryehniue into tin. w»r, % %4*nl«r IlHf Hr M*|«. SuiHs.ns.nt I'ma. it |„ Aug T.— »» iliiaai i oilier, a raving uiamac aud vo ing divinity eludcul from Memphis leno Is under arrest at Kingston on be charge ..f having threatened the *" of Ur M vard Hvervtt llaie, Uu, I urvKt ttrr iutHur I •"»« Mi mm vl tu.u.sa,. u„.4 Mvm.is Mo. tug I »He lrs.1 I *ur»tft«‘«9 *,N #|W lit \Ui% v | I tnsuTa ' “T , M‘* ’ 15 ‘. r..,Ml of tike |„ , |„ M , V' ‘"s i ‘hr .. • , * • • itr »«. , t , . , ,a.,..s i t--avisto, Iirttav’-s Attg 1 ■ ■..-|n)| ‘blttiiit- |.44p % | \ l