Tie Klondike Rush.

Hastings Standard, Issue 420, 8 September 1897, Page 4

Tie Klondike Rush.

A WOMAN'S LIFE ON THE AEC TIC FIELD.

Tho San Francisco Examiner of •Inly 21st contains a long interview with Mrs Ben-)', who, as mentioned m our columns lately, .accompanied hcv husband to the Klondike diggings, and while there picked up 10,000 dollars worth of gold. Mrs Berry, says the Examiner's representative, is one of the few people returned from the goldfields who combines the power of observation with the ability to graphically describe what she saw and did there. Just a year and four months ago she left her mother's home in Fresno a bride. By way of Seattle she went to Juneau. From Juneau she went across ChiLkoofc Pass to Forty-mile City, and from there to Dawson City and the Klondike. It was the first journey she had ever taken—and a strange one for a wedding tour. " What advice would I give to a woman about going to Alaska ? Why, to stop away, otcourse ! It's no placo for a woman. I mean for a woman alone; one who goes to make a living or a fortune. Yes, there are women going to" the mines alone. There were when we came out. I took* an outfit of clothes made specially for the trip. My outfit cost about 250d01. It included but three suits of everything, right straight through. I had heavy woolleu underwear, knitted woollen stockings. My skirts were made short only a little below the knee. I had a heavy fur ccat of marten, a fur cap, fur gloves, and the heaviest shawl I could get. Shoes are not necessary, except to go to Juneau and back from there. My fur coat I took from here, because, strange as it may seem, furs cost less and are better here than in Alaska. A fur robs is a necessity. We got one up there from a man coming out, but it is just as well for anyone going up to take one along. Tho fur gloves can bo had up there better than here, however, and cost about Odol. Moccasins are worn instead of shoes through the winter, and muc, lues when it is thawing and wet. They are both to be had from Idol, to 4dol. or fidol. a pair. The moccasins are made of fur seal, * with the furry side inside and tho inside outside' like Minnehaha's clothes. They come to the knee, or half way or all the way up the thigh, as you choose. They are slipped on like a boot, and from the instep the thongs go criss-c-ross round the leg like the old-fashioned sandrds, aud tie at the top, where there is also a draw string. The muc lues—that's the native name for them —the mud moccasins, and the soles are made waterproof with seal oil. If a woman keeps her feet warm her health is pretty safe. In all the time I was in Alaska I never suffered from frost bite —didn't even get my fingers nipped nor my nose—and I wore no veil all the time I was there. I took a good medicine chest with me, too. "We left Juneau last March, with several friends, our supplies and a dog team. I put on my Alaska uniform there —the heavy flannels, warm dress with short skirt, moccasins, fur coat cap and gloves—kept my shawl ready to roll up in case of storms, and was rolled in a fur robe and bound to the sled. So when the sled rolled over I rolled with it, and many a tumble in the snow I got that way.

" The supplies for Mr Berry and '.no, including his clothes, my small furs, our stove, and all our food, cost about 800dol, and weighed about 2000!bs. We had plenty of canned meats, hams, bacon, dried fruits, and vegetables, and all sorts of canned things besides. It took us three months to travel from Juneau to Forty mile, a distance of about 900 'miles, I think. We travelled 10 or 12 and occasionally 15 miles a day. We couldn't do more, because the dogs couldn't stand it. Up to the summit we carried our own stores, and on the other side hired Indians. We had fresh meat on the way —moose and caribou. At first, when I saw the dirty natives bringing it in their canoes, I could not bring myself to eat it, but I soon changed my mind, and got to like it. We prepared our meals by setting up our stove right on the ice, in the open sometimes, and at others pitched our tent and did our cooking under cover. Then up stakes, and on again. At night we pitched our tents, made a bed of boughs, put blankets on, rolled ourselves in blankets, covered with the four robes, and slept well. We had four pair= of heavy blankets, and I took two small pillows along. Our bedding was always packed in oilskin covers, and so kept dry all the way. The best time we made was across La Barge Lake. We crossed the thirty-six miles in one night. They put the tent upon the provision scow for me, and I went to bed in it-and slept all the way across the Lewis river. We had to make such good time because we were afraid the ice would begin to run and the boats go under. We had a fine sunshiny day to cross the summit but we had to sit still and wait two weeks for it. " We got to Forty-mile in June, and went to the Klondike in October. I stayed at the post, now Dawson City, while the boys went on to build a cabin. It took me two days to walk the nineteen miles to the diggings. There was about lin of water on the ice, and I slipped and slid in every direction going over. When I got there the house had no door, nor windows, nor floor, and I had to stand r round outside until a hole was cut for me to get in through. We had a a two-room house, and after it was fixed up it was very comfortable for Klondike. The boys had a carpet and curtains sent over for me. We had all the camp-made furniture we needed, and with a bed of boughs and a stove were well fixed up." u The water we used was all snow and ice and had to be thawed. If anyone wanted a -drink a chunk of ice had to bo thawed and cooled agaiu. The stores, that were kepi ia the cache to

save them from wild animals, were frozen, of course, and had to be thawed out before being cooked. The things we wanted to keep from freezing we had to keep warm in the house. Homo wines and a case of champagne were sent us for Christinas, and I had to keep them under my bc.l to save them from freezing. The canned and dried things were very tiresome eating. We had fresh meat now and then and even some beef, for last winter was the last time that beef was sent across the pass. We had a nice roast for our New Year dinner. " The men had a hard time making bread, and I taught several of them how to make yeast bread. We could get hops and canned potatoes, and it was easy enough to make yeast. But how I did long for a raw potato, or anything fresh or green ! " We didn't lack for visitors at the mines. I had nine to luncheon with me there before I even had a table to eat off, and after a time it got so that strangers would come and eat, and even come in and take any food in sight, and bolt with it. We had someone staying at our house nearly every night, for people were always passing through, and they had to have shelter. " I went out nearly every day. When I'd finished my housework I'd hunt over the dumps for nuggets, or else pan gold. I'd have to melt the water for that, and at first I lost half the gold, but after a time I learned to get it all out. " Things were very high part of the winter. At one time we paid GOdol for a 50ib sack of flour, and 23c a lb extra for portage, and were glad to get it. I paid 6dol a yard for dress go ids, and Sodol for having a skirt make. Oh, yes, there are dressmakers even up there. They sew for the natives—make the Siwash red and blue satin dresses for them, all the same style, a tight basque, buttoned straight down the front, and a skirt. " Eight months of tho year is dark up there, with only about four hours' light each day. There is a grey twilight, and the men work through that, but we often had to light the lamps at half-past one or two in the afternoon. We had oil lamps, but the majority used candles. " In the winter the Yukon is one of tho healthiest places for anyone going there with sound health, but when the summer comes it is unhealthy. It is damp, the water is bad, it gets very hot, and the mosquitoes are awful. " Coming away from the mines, we made tho distance between them and Dawson in one night, but the trail is so bad, that, notwithstanding I wore a skirt only knee length, I was covered with mud up to the waist. " Dawson may have been a quiet city once, but when I came through it was in such a rowdy state that it was impossible for mo to go to my meals. I had to have them sent to me. Men aud women—there were about fifty women there—conducted themselves shockingly, and were carousing continually. The people who followed the good, steady-going, hard-working miners arc among the worst up there. There are good women, too, many who have gone with their husbands. On the Bonanza, near us, there is still a lovely, beautiful woman—Mrs Galvin, of Helena, Montana —and I was sorry to leave her when I came away, " Would I go to the Yukon again ? Never ! lam glad I had the experience. I really am. It is worth the roughing, but once is enough."