Touring Alaska 
 
 and the Yellowstone
 
 Lower Falls, Grand Canun, From Point Lookol r 
 
 Frontispiece
 
 CURING 
 ALASKA 
 
 at i\ d the 
 
 YELLOW- 
 STONE V 
 
 By CHARLES M. TAYLOR. jR. 
 
 Author of "Vacation Days in Hawaii and Japan," "The Britlab lalea 
 through an Opera Glass," " Odd Bits of Travel with Brush and 
 Camera," etc., etc. ••«« •««••« 
 
 Profusely IllustraLted from PKotogra-phs 
 v€ N< v< by the Author ^ ^ 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO. 
 
 103 OLnd 105 South Fifteenth Street 
 
 l-ondon. 
 
 THE PORT PUBLISHING COIUPANY, 
 
 Mansion House Chambers, 
 
 II, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.
 
 Copyright, 1901 
 
 by 
 
 George W. Jacobs & Co.
 
 This Book is Affectionately 
 
 Dedicated to my 
 
 Brother 
 
 My Lifelong Friend and Companion
 
 If thou art worn and hard beset 
 
 With sorrows that thou wouldst forget, 
 
 If thou wouldst read a lesson, that will keep 
 
 Thy heart from fainting, and thy soul from sleep, 
 
 Go to the woods and hills! — no tears 
 
 Dim the sweet look that nature wears. 
 
 — Longfellow.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 VERY traveller is affected to a certain extent 
 by the scenes through which he passes. 
 The climate, customs and associations of 
 each place, whether he will or not, have an 
 influence upon his whole being. 
 
 Let a citizen of the northern lands visit a tropical 
 country, such as fair Hawaii — inhale its fresh pure 
 breezes laden with the mingled odors of the rose 
 and honeysuckle, and the fragrant blossoms of the 
 fruit trees — look heavenward and behold the con- 
 stantly changing panorama of beautiful cloud ef- 
 fects, which continue here from dawn till eventide. 
 Let him study the wonderful variety of its trees 
 and plants — gaze upon its mighty craters as they 
 breathe forth their volumes of fire and smoke — pass 
 through its miles of jungle, plucking at will wild 
 oranges, lemons and innumerable berries. Will
 
 8 Preface 
 
 not his whole nature be moved by the new life here 
 experienced ? 
 
 Or, let him cross the threshold of Japan, establish 
 himself in one of her cities or villages, and observe 
 the strange religious customs — curious tea houses — 
 picturesque costumes, and skilled workmanship of 
 these people. Let him feel the thrill of an earth- 
 quake Does he leave these shores unin- 
 fluenced by the various phases of life here wit- 
 nessed ? 
 
 Should his route lie amid the scenes of a more 
 modern civilization, even here he will find relics of 
 ancient history — cathedrals, abbeys, ancestral homes 
 — wonderful lochs and castles, which he cannot 
 afford to pass unnoticed, and peculiar characteristics 
 which thrust themselves upon his attention, and 
 leave an ineradical impression upon his mind. 
 From each in turn is won a different estimate of 
 humanity — of nations — of history — of life itself. 
 
 What then has America to offer that is new or 
 passing strange, to the world-worn traveller, seek- 
 ing still a new sensation ? Neither ancient temples, 
 cathedrals, nor the excavated ruins of buried cities 
 as yet adorn her plains. Y£t she is ready to con- 
 tribute her share, and no trifling one, to the educa- 
 tion and entertainment of mankind. For who can
 
 Preface 9 
 
 view the magnificent scenes of the Yellowstone 
 Park, with its steaming geysers, emerald lakes, and 
 hills of petrified foam — its precipitous mountains, 
 lofty waterfalls and deep ravines without being 
 stirred to his inmost depths ? Who can behold the 
 majestic beauty of the Selkirk and Rocky Mountain 
 Ranges, the chain of vast lakes, the "Big Trees," 
 and not feel more strongly than before, the mighty 
 presence of that Infinite Power which rules the 
 Universe. 
 
 Can one visit the arctic region of Alaska, whose 
 snowy peaks and giant glaciers are unsurpassed by 
 the known wonders of the globe — whose untold 
 wealth reminds him of the subterranean treasures 
 of the genii, — and come away no richer in thought 
 and feeling from the experiences of this journey to 
 the land of the midnight sun ? 
 
 Yes, America comes with both hands filled, and 
 offers her gigantic spectacles, her unparalleled won- 
 ders to add to the great store of human knowledge. 
 
 In describing the scenes of my journey, I would 
 use the pigments of an ardent lover of nature, with 
 truth and fact as my background. Should the 
 colors not seem to blend harmoniously, it is not 
 from any fault in the pictures, but solely to the in- 
 experience with which 1 handle my materials. For
 
 10 
 
 Preface 
 
 this I ask the lenient judgment of the hitherto 
 patient reader — whose encouragement has induced 
 me to launch this volume upon the wings of a new 
 
 century. 
 
 C. M. T. 
 January, isi, ipoi.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 21 
 
 Montreal — A Mixed Population — Old Homesteads — 
 Sawmills — "Imperial Limited" — Brandon — The Ranch- 
 man — Wheat Districts — Railroad Lands — Cowboys — A 
 Dream of the Past — Qu'Appelle — Medicine Hat — Stock 
 Farms — Calgary — An English Settlement — First Glimpse 
 of the Rockies — The Noble Red Man — Into Nature's 
 Heart — Scenes of Beauty — Echoes — Canmore — Pictur- 
 esque Tourists — Cascade Mountain — Many Lofty Peaks — 
 Banff — A Magnificent Mountain Region — Banff Springs 
 Hotel — Mountain Trout — Noted Guides — A Superb View 
 —The Bow Valley— A Delightful Drive— Sulphur 
 Springs — An Enthusiastic Englishman — Ride to Devil's 
 Lake — The Sunken Lake — Scene at Night. 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 Among the Giants 57 
 
 The Banks of the Bow River — A Bewildering Group — 
 Castle Mountain — Mountain Lakes — Eldon Station — 
 Desolation Valley — Bald Mountain — Weird Shapes — 
 Bowls and Pyramids — Up the Steep Ascent — Laggan 
 Station — Time goes Backward — Amid Snow and Ice — 
 The Great Divide — Wapta Rapids — Indescribable Scenes 
 11
 
 1 2 Contents 
 
 — Kicking Horse Pass — Cascades — Field Station — Mount 
 Stephen — Silver Lead Mine — The Selkirks — Glaciers 
 and Mountain Streams — Any Sign of a Grizzly? — The 
 Beautiful Columbia — In the Canon — Tunnels — A Gloomy 
 Gorge — Beaver Mouth Station — Bear Creek — Stony 
 Creek Bridge — Travelling through Space — On the Sum- 
 mit — Cedar Creek Bridge — Nature's Utmost — Snovif-Sheds 
 — Macdonald and The Hermit — The Great Glacier — Sir 
 Donald. 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 85 
 
 A Welcome Delay — The Loop — An Early Morning 
 View — A Deep Canon — Hotels — Revelstoke — Kamloops 
 Lake — Villagers — Valley of the Thompson — Black 
 Canon — Landslides — Old Government Road — Thompson 
 Canon — Color Harmonies — Fantastic Shapes — Lytton — 
 The Fraser — A Fearful Ravine — Fraser Canon — Gor- 
 geous Hues — Hell Gate — Hope Station — Devil's Lake — 
 Silver Ore — Mission Junction — Mount Baker — Dealers in 
 Flesh and Blood — Chinese Labor — A Ghostly Vehicle — 
 Rest — Vancouver — A City of Wonderful Growth — Vast 
 Forest — Clearings — U. S. Customs — Seattle — Roads — 
 Shops — Hilly Streets — Harbor — Natural Advantages — 
 The Steamship " Queen " — Fair Prospects — Brief History 
 of Alaska. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 In Alaskan Waters iii 
 
 Muggins — Admiralty Inlet — Port Townsend — Inland 
 Route — Victoria — Fragrant Roads — Gulf of Georgia — 
 Islands — A Day Without a Night — Walk on Deck — 
 Various Characters — In the Saloon — Returning Steamers
 
 Contents 13 
 
 — Twilight — A Changing Panorama — Silence — Whales — 
 Seymour Narrows — Lonely Cabins — Haunt of the Fairies 
 — Adventurers and Speculators — An Important Experi- 
 ment — Clouds, Wind and Rain — Milbank Sound — Story 
 of the Moose — Graham Reach — Labyrinthian Water- 
 ways — Home of the Wild Creatures — " The Coquittam " 
 — Camera Fiends — Salmon Canneries — Native Fisher- 
 men — Through the Telescope — Eagles — Aerial Reflec- 
 tions — Future Prospects. 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 137 
 
 Baker's Inlet — Sea-Gulls and Eagles — A Recluse — 
 — Storms — Metlakahtla — A Christian Village — Perse- 
 cution — Wrecks — Brown's Pass — Sunset — A Gor- 
 geous Pageant — Dundas Islands — International Boundary 
 Line — In American Waters — Annette Island — New Met- 
 lakahtlans — Their Rules — Industries — Ketchikan — A 
 Dismal Town — National Holiday — Program of the Sports 
 — Tongas Narrows — A Difficult Pass — Prince of Wales 
 Island — Change of Route — Clarence Strait — Native 
 Tribes — Wrangel — Front Street — Dilapidated Buildings 
 — Numerous Dogs — Dealers — Old Women — Shops — 
 Hunter's Rest — Photographs — Totem Poles — A Christian 
 Pastor — The Northern Light — Tide-water Glacier — The 
 Spirit of the Thunder Bird — Arctic Regions — Home of 
 the Walrus and Seal — Summer Strait — Land of the 
 Kakes— " Good-Night, or Good-Day? " 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 Juneau and the Famous Treadwell Mine 169 
 
 Juneau — Flashing Cascades — A Varying Population — 
 Curio Shops — Seward Street — Newspapers — Grand Con-
 
 14 Contents 
 
 cert — On Juneau Hill — Enchanting Views — Fickle Dame 
 Fortune — Methodist Church — Gay Social Atmosphere — 
 Fisheries — Native Women — National Holidays — Volun- 
 teer Fire Brigade — Douglas Island — Artillery of the 
 Mine — Greatest Quartz Mill in the World — Pantomime — 
 Gold Quartz — Miner's Pay — A Dissatisfied Group — The 
 Village — 111 Luck — John Treadwell — A Chance Invest- 
 ment — Lynn Canal — Magnificent Panorama — Eagle 
 Glacier — Lower Temperature — The Great Auk — Icy 
 Summits — A Performing Whale — Brothers and Sisters — 
 A Brief Night — A Shower — The Rainbow — Chilkoot 
 Inlet — Midnight — Skagway — A City of Rapid Growth — 
 Newspapers — The Future of the Town. 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 Over the White Pass to Lake Bennett 199 
 
 A Great Undertaking — Opening of the Road — Our 
 Train — Clearings — An Interruption — Pinnacle Mountain 
 — Rocky Point — The Trestle — White Pass Canon — 
 Forest Fires — Distant Views — Unrivalled Scenery — Blue 
 Granite — Hanging Rocks — Blasting — Huge Boulders — 
 Monarchs Dethroned — Tin Cans — Packhorses — Suicide 
 Rock — White Pass City — North Fork Falls — Among the 
 Clouds — Pioneer Days — A Series of Waterfalls — Whirl- 
 ing Round the Mountain-Sides — Summit Gorge — The 
 Tunnel — Glacier Gorge — A Stupendous Feat — Nature's 
 Roadbed — Above the Snow Line — Snowballs — Winter 
 Gales — Old Pack Trail — On the Summit — A Lovely Lake 
 — Mosquitoes — Under Two Flags — Bennett City — Ex- 
 tending the Route — Tents and Cottages — A Christian Set- 
 tlement — Railroad and Church — Lake Bennett — Barge 
 Builders — Enroute for the Klondike — A Fairy Scene — 
 The Old Town — Signs — Dinner — On British Territory — 
 A Lone Prospector.
 
 Contents ij; 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, and Killisnoo 229 
 
 Leaving Skagway — Catching Ice — Glacier Bay — 
 Scenes at Night — Among the Icebergs — Wonderful 
 Shapes — Aquatic Birds — Bartlett Bay — Willoughby Is- 
 land — The Silent City — Sea-Gulls — First Glimpse of 
 Muir Glacier — Arctic Scenery — Inexhaustible Stores — 
 The Face of the Glacier — Pressure of the Ice Floes — An 
 Exciting Moment — A Stupendous Spectacle — A Giant 
 among the Giants — Dundas Bay — San Tereta — Sur- 
 rounded by Canoes— Natives — Buying Curios — A Tat- 
 tered Hat — Old Moccasins — Indian Village — Sunday — A 
 Lonely Shore — On Terra Firma — Killisnoo — Schools of 
 Herring — Oil Works — The Schooner — Large Hauls — 
 The Angler — Extracting the Oil — Fisheries — Russian 
 Chapel — Saginaw Jake — The Kootznahoos — A Peaceful 
 Tribe — Indian Tents — Squaws — Not to be Bribed — A 
 Picture by Strategy — The Village Street — Wares for Sale 
 — Tides — No Physicians. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 The Capital of Alaska a6i 
 
 Peril Strait— The Path of the Steamer— A Deep Cav- 
 ern — The " Columbine " — A Dangerous Channel — Old 
 Sitka — The Capital — The Stars and Stripes— Population 
 — Lincoln Street — Russian Church of St. Michaels — In- 
 terior — Indian River Park — Alaskan Herald — Mount 
 Verstovoi — Museums — Mount St. Elias — Ruins of the 
 Castle — Excursions — The Return Voyage — Familiar 
 Scenes — Rodman's Bay — Halibut Fishing — White 
 Headed Eagles — A Fine Prize — Settlements — Mission- 
 aries — Rainy Days — End of the Alaskan Trip — A Double 
 Illumination — Farewell to the Arctic Regions.
 
 1 6 Contents 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 The Yellowstone Park 283 
 
 Seattle — A Busy City — Portland — Beautiful Views — 
 En Route for the Yellowstone — By Moonlight — Trestles 
 — Driving Cattle — Cmnabar Station — Extent of the Park 
 — Regulations — Abundance of Flowers — Fishing — Origin 
 of the Name — Marvellous Coloring — Park Coaches — A 
 Dusty Road — Electric Peak — Gardiner Canon — A Supply 
 Station — Northern Boundary Line — Campers — Linen 
 Dusters — Eagle Nest Rock — Mammoth Hot Springs — 
 Terraces and Springs — Liberty Cap — Devil's Thumb — 
 McCartney's Cabin — Early Explorers — Jupiter Terrace — 
 Calcareous Deposits — Temperature of the Springs — 
 Sepulcher Mountain — Mount Everts — Angel Terrace — 
 Many Beautiful Formations — White Elephant — Devil's 
 Kitchen — An Uncanny Cooking Place — Orange Terrace 
 — Bath Lake — Transformation — Dangerous Paths — 
 Hotel System, and Transportation Company. 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 309 
 
 Beginning the Tour — The Golden Gate — Devil's Slide 
 — Bicycle Tourists — Rustic Falls — Apollinaris Spring — A 
 Missing Boy — Obsidian Cliff — A Road of Glass — Indian 
 Arrows — Beaver Lake — Roaring Mountain — Devil's Fry- 
 ing-Pan — Norris Geyser Basin — " Larry " — Luncheon — 
 Souvenirs — Sulphuric Odors — Pine Sulphur Spring — 
 Congress Spring — Black Growler — Hurricane — Emerald 
 Pool — New Crater — Devil's Inkstand — Monarch Geyser 
 — Minute Man — The First Coach — " The Boys " — Mainte- 
 nance of the Roads — Dangerous Shores — Park Drives — 
 The Teapot — Mount Schurz — Gibbon Canon — Beryl 
 Spring — Gibbon Falls — Firehole River — Grizzly Bears—
 
 Contents 17 
 
 333 
 
 The Driver's Stor}' — White Dust — "Stop overs" — Tour- 
 ist's Outfit — Still Greater Wonders— Mammoth Paint 
 Pots — Fines — Accidents. 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 
 
 " No Name " — Clepsydra Spring — Fountain Geyser — 
 King of the Basin — A Sublime Spectacle — The Jet 
 — The Dump — Photographing the Bears — Laughing 
 Gas — Midway Geyser Basin — Turquoise Spring — Pris- 
 ma:tic Lake — Unrivalled Beauty — Excelsior Geyser — 
 " Hell's Half Acre " — The Gem — Morning Glory — Grotto 
 Geyser — Punch-bowl — A Bewildering Wonderland — 
 Black Sand Basin — Emerald Pool — Sunset Lake — An- 
 ticipations — Hasty Descriptions — Geyser Time Table — 
 College Students — " The Friend of the Tourist " — A Re- 
 liable Geyser — A Marvellous Spectacle — The Patriarch — 
 Bee Hive — Giantess — Butterfly — Topaz Pool — The 
 Quaker — The Lion and his Family — Castle Geyser — The 
 Largest Cone in the Park — Water of the Geysers — Saw- 
 mill — A Bluebell — Oblong Geyser — Giant — A Milk 
 Geyser — The End of the Day. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 Yellowstone Lake AND THE Grand CaSon 361 
 
 The Castle Geyser Plays — Old Faithful's Farewell — 
 Keppler Cascade — Camera Shots — Firehole Canon — Con- 
 tinental Divide — Isa Lake — Craig Pass — Corkscrew Hill 
 — Instructing the Driver — Shoshone Point — Thumb Bay 
 Lunch Station — The Shape of the Lake — Over the 
 Mountain Tops — A Striking Scene — Great Yellowstone 
 Lake — An Abundance of Water — More Paint Pots — 
 Lake Shore Geyser — Fishing Cone — Boiling the Fish —
 
 l8 Contents 
 
 The Launch " Zillah "—Dot Island— Elk and Buffalo- 
 Mount Sheridan — Absaroka Range — Many Lofty Sum- 
 mits — A Glorious Scene — Stevenson Island — Lake Hotel 
 — Sleeping Giant — Pelicans — Alum Creek — Queer 
 Stories — Yellowstone River— Mud Geyser — The Rapids 
 — Upper Falls— A Celebrated Spot— Grand Point— A 
 i Magnificent View — The Canon — Brilliant Colors — In- 
 spiration Point — Point Lookout — Lower Falls — Moran 
 Point— A Million Tints— The Ravine— Devil's Watch 
 Charm — Grand View Point — A Rapid Descent — A 
 Charming Walk— In the Canon — Farewell.
 
 Lfst of Etustrations 
 
 Lower Falls, Grand Canon, from Point Lookout . . Frontispiece 
 
 Burnt Bridge, Near Chaplean Station Page 27 
 
 Cascade Mountain, Banff " 33 
 
 Spray Falls, Banff " 44 
 
 Mountain Road Near Banff " 52 
 
 View of Bow Valley from Banff Springs Hotel .... " 6i 
 
 Devil's Head Caflon, Near Lake Minnewanka .... " 69 
 
 Kicking Horse Pass " 80 
 
 Descending Kicking Horse Pass " 92 
 
 Mount Stephen " lOl 
 
 The Glacier from Glacier House Station •« 124 
 
 Malacca Pass " 141 
 
 Passing S. S. Al-Ki, Chatham Sound " 156 
 
 Totem Pole, Wrangel " 164 
 
 Ascending Summit White Pass " 177 
 
 Log Cabin Station, Summit White Pass and Yukon 
 
 Route " 185 
 
 Bennett City (Two years old) " 196 
 
 Lake Bennett " 206 
 
 Old Portion Bennett City " 215 
 
 Catching Ice in Glacier Bay " 225 
 
 Glacier Bay " 236 
 
 San Tcreta, Dundas Bay " 246 
 
 Killisnoo Village " 255 
 
 Killisnoo Belle " 265 
 
 Awaiting Customers — Sitka •• 278 
 
 19
 
 20 List of Illustrations 
 
 Cinnabar Station, En Route for Mammoth Hot Springs, Page 288 
 Devil's Thumb, Liberty Cap and First House Built in 
 
 Yellowstone Park 
 
 Jupiter Terrace 
 
 Golden Gate, Yellowstone Park . . . . 
 Touring Through the Yellowstone Park . 
 
 Turquoise Spring 
 
 Old Faithful (before eruption) 
 
 The Sponge 
 
 The Celebrated Fishing Cone 
 
 Leaving Lake Hotel 
 
 We Pass Through Miles of Pine Forests 
 
 293 
 303 
 316 
 
 324 
 337 
 345 
 356 
 366 
 
 375 
 385
 
 From Montreal to 
 
 the Rocky Mountains
 
 CHAPTER I 
 ^Tom clilontreal to the Rocky Mountains 
 
 Montreal — A Mixed Population — Old Homesteads — Sawmills — 
 The " Imperial Limited " — Our Chef — At Chaplean Station 
 — Fort William — Brandon — The Ranchman — Wheat District 
 — Railroad Lands and Crops — Cowboys — A Dream of the 
 Past — Qu 'Appelle — Medicine Hat — Stock Farms — Calgary — 
 An English Settlement — First Glimpse of the Rockies — The 
 Noble Red Man — Into Nature's Heart — Scenes of Beauty — 
 Echoes — Canmore — Picturesque Tourists — Cascade Mountain 
 — Many Lofty Peaks — Banff — A Magnificent Mountain 
 Region — Banff Springs Hotel — Mountain Trout — Noted 
 Guides — A Delightful Drive — Sulphur Springs — An En- 
 thusiastic Englishman — A Superb View — The Bow Valley — 
 Ride to Devil's Lake — The Sunken Lake — The Scene at 
 Night. 
 
 UR train, speeding on its way from Phila- 
 delphia to Montreal, lacked no detail that 
 could add to the comfort and luxury of 
 modern travel. The interesting panorama 
 of ever-changing scenes gave the mind food for 
 reflection, and, while the body sometimes grew 
 weary of the ceaseless motion of the cars and the 
 
 23
 
 24 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 rumbling noise of the machinery, many beautiful 
 pictures were stored in the memory, to be brought 
 forth and rejoiced in again on a future day. 
 
 Take a peep through the window of your sleeper 
 as you lie at rest. A far-reaching landscape, bathed 
 in silvery moonlight, gleams out mistily and mys- 
 teriously, with a vague suggestiveness that haunts 
 you as you sink back into drowsy comfort, with 
 the accompaniment of the swiftly moving train, and 
 a delightful feeling of expectation which is utterly 
 beyond expression. Your slumber is filled with 
 dreams in which mingled fact and fancy weave 
 glowing pictures that thrill you even in your 
 waking hours. When again you part the curtain 
 which veils these fascinating scenes, behold a 
 magnificent lake has spread itself out before you, 
 shimmering in the morning sunbeams, with a 
 mountain background glorified by the rising mon- 
 arch of the day, who smilingly unites the whole in 
 a picture of exquisite beauty and harmony. 
 
 The country around Montreal is rich in verdant 
 fields and meadows, with bits of woodland here 
 and there between the substantial and comfortable 
 looking farmhouses. At St. John's Station, twenty- 
 five miles from Montreal, the Custom House offi- 
 cials inspect your baggage, to see that you are not
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 25* 
 
 smuggling whiskey, tobacco, etc., into his Majesty's 
 dominions. 
 
 Montreal is a picturesque old town, with many 
 interesting associations awakened by the quaint 
 architecture and French names which greet one on 
 the pretty narrow streets. Her park of over four 
 hundred acres lies on the summit of Mount Royal, 
 from which you may have a delightful view of 
 the St. Lawrence River and the surrounding coun- 
 try. Her cathedral of Notre Dame is a replica of 
 more famous places of worship on the other side of 
 the Atlantic, 
 
 The city is built on terraces rising one above 
 the other from the bank of the river. Here is 
 found a strange mixture of French, English and 
 Irish population. Whether the Irishman defers 
 to the Frenchman, or the Frenchman to the Irish- 
 man, or both to the Englishman, I did not try to 
 ascertain, for the arousing of national factions b}/ 
 indiscreet questions might have proved fatal to the 
 success of our tour of sightseeing. In truth the 
 place appeared to me much like a Scotch city, such 
 as Glasgow on a small scale. At the time of our 
 visit, a French mayor had just been elected to serve 
 his second term of three years. 
 
 We left the borders of this attractive city on a
 
 26 Touring: Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 'to 
 
 lovely June day, with a clear sky overhead, and a 
 temperature of seventy-two degrees. As we 
 journeyed westward, a rich variety of beautiful 
 color tones appeared in the landscape, softening or 
 deepening into every shade of green as wheat, 
 corn, oats or rye diversified the fields. Evidences 
 of culture abounded, and the promise of a full 
 harvest was everywhere apparent. The plain is 
 broicen here and there by strips of forest land 
 whose monarchs look down from lofty heights 
 upon the toil and fruition of man ; perhaps wonder- 
 ingly, since to them nature is lavish in her supplies, 
 and yet "they toil not, neither do they spin." We 
 followed the charming blue stream of the Alfred 
 amid a succession of lovely scenes with high hills 
 in the baci<ground. The old homesteads, mostly 
 built of logs, with spacious barns close by, did not 
 impress the beholder with the idea of extravagant 
 expenditure, but they bore witness to thrift, com- 
 fort and success; and in their generally well 
 ordered atmosphere seemed to demonstrate the 
 truth of the old and trite maxim: "Heaven helps 
 those who help themselves." 
 
 Sawmills were scattered freely along our route, 
 and the rivers and other streams over which the 
 train passed were filled with floating logs awaiting
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 29 
 
 their turn to be ripped up and transformed into 
 shapes available for the manufacturer and builder. 
 Innumerable fields on either side of the railway 
 presented every stage in the process of devastation, 
 from the thinned ranks of the noble standing forest 
 to bare stumps and burnt roots, or piles of debris 
 soon to be carted away or burnt to ashes and 
 scattered over the soil. So civilization moulds the 
 materials at her command into almost unrecog- 
 nizable images, and everything in nature must 
 pay tribute to the great Cxsar whose name is 
 progress. 
 
 As we were whirled through towns and villages 
 we were cheered by scores of lively boys and girls 
 who looked healthy and well-cared for. And well 
 might they cheer! The "Imperial Limited" was 
 a masterpiece of modern science and mechanism. 
 Right royally he swept over his course, drawing in 
 his wake nine heavily equipped cars. His resonant 
 voice uttering its shrill "000-000-00000," with a 
 fierce threat in the notes, never failed to clear the 
 track of every living being, and the echoes caught 
 up his tones and spread the news far and wide, so 
 that all the wild creatures shivered and darted into 
 coverts as this despot of the road flashed like a 
 meteor across the path, to disappear as suddenly,
 
 3© Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 with a rush and a whirr that seemed to shake the 
 universe. 
 
 Quite worthy of this great courser was the man 
 of genius who ministered to — his Majesty ? Oh, no 
 — to the inferior creatures whom he deigned to 
 bear as witnesses of his triumphal passage. Since 
 "civilized man cannot live without dining," surely 
 next in importance to the " Imperial Limited " him- 
 self was the peerless chef whose masterly knowl- 
 edge of his art caused the hours of refreshment for 
 the material man to prove a delightful break in the 
 monotony of railway travel. His talents and skill 
 are, however, too well known to need even these 
 few words of praise from me. 
 
 While enjoying the numerous courses of a well- 
 served dinner, our conductor appeared with a tele- 
 gram just received, announcing the destruction by 
 fire of the bridge spanning the Moose River at Chap- 
 lean Station, hence all passengers must leave the 
 train at that point with their baggage, and be rowed 
 in small boats to the opposite bank, there to be 
 transferred to special cars. The transportation 
 was to occur at about four o'clock on the following 
 morning. A pleasant prospect to dream over! 
 However, good travellers should not complain of 
 such local issues.
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 3 1 
 
 From Mattawa there was a change in the face of 
 the country: the flat or undulating cultivated fields 
 gave place to rocky bluffs and mountain ranges ex- 
 tending miles along either side of the track. The 
 farmhouses were more scattered, and a wild, iso- 
 lated region surrounded us. The descending sun, 
 however, made the scene resplendent with beauty. 
 The soft grey floating clouds became brilliantly 
 tinged with gold, and cast glowing reflections upon 
 the distant mountains, while the twilight sent faint 
 misty shadows over the whole landscape and 
 mingled its violet tone with the radiant glory of the 
 sunset. 
 
 In the early morning hours all the travellers were 
 awakened by a powerful voice shouting: " Chap- 
 lean Station! All passengers alight here, carrying 
 grips and other hand baggage." This was no 
 dream, but stern reality. Confusion reigned su- 
 preme, as bags, bundles, trunks and all other 
 portable articles were hustled out of the cars and shot 
 down an embankment to the water's edge. We 
 were fully three hours being transported to the 
 other side in boats. 
 
 This at length accomplished, with accommoda- 
 tions somewhat less comfortable for many of the 
 passengers than before, we proceeded on our way.
 
 32 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 passing through miles of forest which seemed 
 principally a second growth, with much underbrush. 
 The trees were mostly pines and cedars. We 
 now made up lost time, and sent forth clouds of 
 white steam as the milestones flew by in rapid suc- 
 cession. 
 
 The rails are laid on great stone embank- 
 ments, at the bases of which, fully a hundred feet 
 below, we perceived many small lakes. We felt that 
 we were leaving civilization behind us when at 
 Missanabie Station we beheld the settlement of one 
 of the Hudson Bay Company's posts. Indians, cow- 
 boys, and some women sat about this cluster of 
 small frame houses, and the skins of various ani- 
 mals were hanging up in the sun to dry. From 
 this point onward we saw many Indians, generally 
 in citizen's dress, and wearing the soft black hat 
 " a la Chinee." 
 
 One after another, mountain ranges came into 
 view. Now we rushed through a deep tunnel, 
 now, poised dizzily aloft, glided over tall trestles, 
 or hugged the mountain-side for miles, viewing 
 with delight the constantly changing panorama of 
 glistening lake and river, wonderfully tinted forest 
 and ravine. 
 
 With difficulty I clutched the guard rail with one
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 35 
 
 hand and my camera with the other, taking a snap 
 shot here and there, as the train swung recklessly 
 over the road, twisting itself into every conceivable 
 angle. 
 
 On approaching Fort William we were surprised 
 to see three large elevators and a line of empty freight 
 cars on the side track, telling of the transfer of grain 
 to boats to be carried eastward. 
 
 The city looked rather imposing from the station, 
 with its parallel lines of rails stretching miles along 
 those iron bound shores. The distant mountain 
 skirting the horizon of Lake Superior is called the 
 " Sleeping Giant," and there is, it is said, an Indian 
 legend connected with the name. Who knows 
 what ancient Barbarossa is immortalized here.^* Or, 
 is this only a repetition of the old myth that all the 
 mountains are the tombs of sleeping giants who 
 will arise some day and reconquer the world ? 
 
 The country around Fort William is flat, culti- 
 vated, commonplace and uninteresting. There is a 
 gradual rise as we move westward, until at Bran- 
 don, 1,557 miles from Montreal, the altitude is 1,150 
 feet. Here the country spreads out like a vast gar- 
 den under careful cultivation, and miles of wheat 
 and grass refresh the eyes of the traveller. We 
 found the air balmy and filled with the fragrance of
 
 6 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 newly mown hay. In this region the true Hfe of 
 the ranchman is experienced: houses are miles 
 apart, and the office of doctor, butcher, baker, 
 everything, is rolled up in one personage — the ranch- 
 man himself. The expression "a vast ocean of 
 land " has been fitly applied to this section of the 
 country, which is famous as a wheat producing 
 district. The road is dusty and herds of wild cattle 
 roam hither and thither in groups of from fifty to a 
 hundred. 
 
 From a ranch owner on the train we learned that 
 land on either side of the Canadian Pacific Railroad 
 is worth twenty dollars an acre, but is rarely offered 
 for sale. The yield of wheat averages about thirty 
 bushels to the acre, and the price at Brandon is 
 sixty cents a bushel, net. The railroad taxes are 
 two cents per acre. The land is cultivated from 
 fifty to a hundred miles back from the road, the 
 farms consisting of six hundred acres or more each. 
 Wheat has been raised for fifteen consecutive years 
 without the use of phosphates. No corn is planted, 
 the crops being generally of wheat, oats or grass. 
 Cowboys have full charge of these ranches, under 
 the supervision of a general manager, receiving as 
 wages, food, horses, (without saddles), and thirty 
 dollars a month.
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 37 
 
 As evening descends over this vast table-land, 
 one's thoughts revert to the days when the red man 
 hunted the buffalo and other wild game on these 
 plains, and as the dusky gloom magnifies the shad- 
 ows of a group of bushes on an embankment, the 
 blood curdling war whoop of the Indians seems 
 about to break the silence, followed by the shrill 
 shriek of the victim; and now the train is suddenly 
 surrounded by merciless savages, tomahawk in 
 hand, and, oh the horror, the utter helplessness and 
 terror of the situation! 
 
 The brilliant illumination of the car speedily ban- 
 ishes this nightmare of the past, and with a bound, 
 your spirit leaps forward to the present, with a new 
 appreciation of the security and enjoyment of the 
 traveller of to-day. Happy days! And happy 
 change! I wonder if the spirit of the Indian chief 
 has progressed with the years, or if in those upper 
 hunting grounds he still retains that cruel, revenge- 
 ful spirit which delights in ornaments of scalps, 
 and experiments upon the endurance of his victims 
 by fiery ordeals and other pitiless forms of torture. 
 Methinks, however, the conditions there are some- 
 what different, and we must not forget that here 
 the red man had his grievance. 
 
 At Qu'Appelle Station, 1,738 miles west of Mon-
 
 38 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 treal, we reached an altitude of 2,050 feet: there is 
 a gradual elevation from here to Medicine Hat, a 
 station named in memory of an old Indian medicine 
 man: from this point it falls off again to 2,150 feet. 
 
 in this region are some lumber lands, and the 
 knolls are the favorite resort of vast herds of cattle. 
 Some of the farms are of great extent: one of 1,200 
 acres, thoroughly irrigated, is devoted to stock rais- 
 ing. Seven thousand cattle and five hundred horses 
 are not uncommon numbers in describing the pos- 
 sessions of these wealthy ranchmen. Here six 
 thousand sheep are raised and sheltered. This por- 
 tion of the country is especially adapted for the 
 purpose: the grasses are rich and possess great at- 
 traction for the cattle. The valleys and groves of 
 timber provide ample shelter at all seasons, and the 
 numerous streams flowing from the neighboring 
 hills afford an inexhaustible supply of water. 
 
 Again we began to ascend, and Calgary Station 
 found us at an elevation of 3,388 feet. The air was 
 exhilarating and the day clear, with a tempera- 
 ture stimulating enough to make a brisk walk en- 
 joyable. How healthy the people appeared. Rosy 
 cheeks, strong bodies and an active, business-like 
 manner prevailed everywhere. At Calgary Station 
 we had covered 2,264 miles in an almost straight
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 39 
 
 line from Montreal. This is an English settlement, 
 and we were informed that the society is composed 
 of excellent families, who are not unworthy repre- 
 sentatives of the best classes in the mother country. 
 
 At Calgary we had our first glimpse of the Rocky 
 Mountains on a day that seemed sent from heaven 
 for our especial benefit. Far in the distance rose 
 the noble peaks whose snowy robes and silvery 
 gleam are visible for miles. Great seams in the 
 mountain-sides appeared filled with snow almost 
 to the base, proclaiming the inexorable reign of 
 winter on those heights. The country around is 
 hilly, and huge boulders imbedded in the earth 
 everywhere tell of the fierce battle of the giants that 
 raged here in some forgotten age. Groups of wig- 
 wams were visible here and there from the car 
 windows, and occasional glimpses were had of the 
 sullen face and stalwart form of the red man, gay in 
 his many colored blanket and gorgeous feathers, 
 or the more humble figure of his squaw bending in- 
 dustriously over her bead work or basket making. 
 These tents, although by no means attractive, in 
 consequence of a great dearth of cleanliness, are de- 
 cidedly picturesque and break the monotony of the 
 landscape on the lower levels. 
 
 Farther and farther into nature's heart we
 
 40 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 penetrated: into regions of ever increasing 
 beauty and grandeur. The gap or valley through 
 which we passed presented a succession of 
 views of indescribable magnificence. We whirled 
 by these scenes with scarcely time to appreciate 
 one before another burst upon us. Huge moun- 
 tains towered above us on either side, and the 
 temperature grew colder, the air more invigorating 
 and refreshing. The verdure in the valley formed a 
 fairy pageant, and the green trail could be traced 
 climbing the mountain-side to where the barren 
 rocks uttered their stern edict: " Thus far." The 
 various tints of purple, blue, red, white and umber 
 formed an enchanting combination to the observing 
 eye. 
 
 At the feet of these heights large streams are 
 formed by the hundreds of springs and rivulets 
 oozing from seams and hollows in the sides of 
 the mountains. Sometimes a lovely waterfall 
 dances gayly down upon the massive boulders be- 
 low, and the misty veil thus formed flings out into 
 the sunbeams a glory of prismatic hues. Some- 
 times a wild cataract dashes madly over the rocks, 
 sweeping every obstacle out of its way, reckless of 
 aught save its own desire to reach the valley. 
 
 The sonorous v/hislle of our engine was caught
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 41 
 
 up by the echoes and carried from peak to peak, 
 each of which in turn lent a new melody to its 
 notes, until at last it was borne far away beyond 
 our ken, but 1 doubt not that it is still going on, 
 uttering a soft musical call in some undiscovered 
 country where the lofty summits mistake it for the 
 sighing of the wind about their brows as they stand 
 in solitary state, all unconscious of the existence of 
 that puny creature called man. 
 
 As our road mounted higher an extra wrap was 
 found necessary, and now the majestic peaks 
 seemed to hasten by with scarce a greeting in re- 
 sponse to our ardent exclamations of wonder and 
 delight. 
 
 As we approached Canmore, we found the 
 views so charming that we longed to leave the 
 train and spend at least a week in exploring its hid- 
 den beauties, but our unsympathetic engine bore us 
 relentlessly onward without a pause. We passed a 
 number of tourists at the various stations, and some 
 of the ladies presented a very picturesque appear- 
 ance in their mountain suits: one in particular was 
 so charming in her dress of Scotch plaid, that 1 
 involuntarily thought of the Waverly novels, and 
 felt sure that Sir Walter Scott could have had no 
 more lovely picture in his mind when he described
 
 42 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 his romantic heroines, than that of this young girl 
 as she stood upon a grassy knoll near the station 
 eagerly watching the approach of the train. 
 
 How our great iron steed puffed and strained 
 under the weight of the long train of cars! And 
 every moment the scenery seemed to increase in 
 grandeur and beauty. As we drew near Banff we 
 felt that we were entering the ideal of nature's as- 
 pirations. Here we had our first glimpse of Cascade 
 Mountain, whose noble and majestic dome pierces 
 the clear blue ether at an elevation of 9,796 
 feet. Its snowy summit reflects the rays of the 
 sun with startling brilliance, and the long seams 
 made by its constantly flowing cascades are nearly 
 filled with snow and ice which cast forth dazzling 
 rainbow lights almost to the base of the mountain. 
 
 As we pushed farther into the valley, we were sur- 
 rounded by still greater grandeur: 1 can compare 
 this magnificent scene only to the rocket winding 
 its serpentine pathway through heavenly space until 
 at last it bursts, and all the upper world is aglow 
 with sparkling gems. Banff seems to be the cul- 
 mination of this wonderful experience, for here we 
 were surrounded by the master work of the Crea- 
 tor. This is the home of the giants: here in splen- 
 did solitude stand the aristocrats of nature, and
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 45 
 
 none may dispute their sovereign rigiit to rule the 
 realm. Here are Sulphur Mountain, 8,000 feet in 
 height, Goat Range, 8,500 feet, Rundle Mountain, 
 9,798 feet, the Three Sisters, 9,704, 8,810, and 8,860 
 feet, Fairholm, 9,275 feet, Peechee, 9,585 feet, Inglis- 
 maldie, 9,685 feet, the Vermilion and Sanback 
 Ranges more than 9,000 feet, and the Bourgean 
 Mountains also over 9,000 feet. Is it strange that the 
 brain almost reels in the presence of a glory and 
 grandeur utterly beyond description.? 
 
 As the conductor shouted the simple monosyllable 
 " Banff" the train stopped, and the man to whom 
 our thrilling experiences were an everyday affair, 
 with an impassive countenance, assisted the pas- 
 sengers to alight. 
 
 " The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls 
 Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps 
 And thron'd eternity in icy halls 
 Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls 
 The avalanche — the thunderbolt of snow ! — 
 All that expands the spirit, yet appals, 
 Gather around these summits, as to show 
 How earth may pierce to heaven, yet leave vain man below," 
 
 Banff is a bewilderment — a delight — a paradise — 
 the centre of the Rocky Mountain Park, situated at 
 an elevation of 4,500 feet above the level of the sea.
 
 46 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 In the guide book it is simply mentioned as: 
 "Station for Rocky Mountain Park and the Hot 
 Springs; a medicinal watering-place and pleasure 
 resort." It is well known, however, that this park 
 is a national reservation, twenty-six miles long and 
 ten miles wide, estabHshed by the Canadian gov- 
 ernment for a public pleasure ground forever. 
 This wonderful pleasure ground is diversified by 
 rivers, lakes, cascades and waterfalls, and is the 
 very heart and soul of the Rockies. No region in 
 this part of the country exhibits a greater variety of 
 sublime and entrancing scenery. It embraces por- 
 tions of the valleys of the Bow, Spray and Cascade 
 rivers, Devil's Lake, and some noble mountain 
 ranges; and nowhere are fine points of view and 
 features of special interest more accessible, as good 
 roads and bridle paths lead from the hotel in every 
 direction. 
 
 A spacious coach drawn by four strong horses 
 met our train and carried passengers and baggage 
 to the Banff Springs Hotel, two miles distant. This 
 hotel is a modern structure, perched high on a pin- 
 nacle of rock, commanding magnificent views of 
 mountains and valleys. It is a haven of rest to the 
 weary traveller, who finds here not only com- 
 fortable, but luxurious apartments, with all the
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 47 
 
 conveniences of city life. It is owned and managed 
 by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. 
 
 Words fail in attempting to describe the scenes 
 that meet one here. You gaze in silence upon 
 ice bound peak and flowing river; and ever new 
 summits claim your glance. The atmosphere is 
 so clear that pyramid and glacier, snow-capped 
 spire and waterfall gleam forth above winding 
 stream and forest dark, as though to challenge the 
 admiration of the world. Here too is sport for 
 hunter and fisherman. Would you relax a little 
 from the tension caused by too continuous con- 
 centration upon the majestic scenes around you, let 
 the porter bring you a hook and line; walk a short 
 distance to the Spray Falls, cast in your line, and in 
 a short time you will draw forth enough fine trout 
 to afford a sumptuous supper for yourself and 
 friends. 
 
 The walks about the hotel are all delightful: 
 guides may be secured to conduct a party over the 
 mountains. These men are perfectly reliable, many 
 of them being of well-established Swiss and 
 Canadian reputation. We engaged a carriage and 
 trustworthy driver, whose knowledge of road and 
 path and hidden nook was all that could be desired. 
 With implicit faith we yielded ourselves to his
 
 48 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 guidance; now coasting the mountain-side along a 
 narrow path which overlooked the valley, and 
 revelling in the beautiful effect of the many colors 
 blending with the clouds that suddenly drooped 
 curtain-like over the lofty peaks; now threading the 
 shadowy forest where sparkling water courses make 
 sweet musical accompaniment along the way, but 
 always and everywhere in the midst of scenes of 
 rare and wondrous beauty. The silence of the 
 mountains fell upon us, and a gentle rain de- 
 scended, softly, as though the atmosphere were too 
 sacred for sound: through its misty veil we looked 
 down the glistening valley. 
 
 " Tears — floods of tears 
 Lay frozen at her heart, but now like rills 
 Let loose in springtime from the snowy hills, 
 And gushing warm, after a sleep of frost, 
 Through valleys where their flow had long been lost." 
 
 We found the temperature quite different from 
 that of our eastern cities: at times the mercury 
 would reach fifty degrees: the air was so fresh and 
 exhilarating that it could not fail to prove beneficial 
 to the health. Sulphur springs, both hot and cold, 
 abound in these regions, and there are good bathing 
 houses on the Sulphur Range, 6,000 feet above the
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 49 
 
 sea. The water is considered of great medicinal 
 value. 
 
 There can be no monotony in one's stay at Banff, 
 nor is there any necessity for the making of plans 
 for the day's pleasure; for there is always some- 
 thing new to be seen, whether one simply gazes 
 from the window or wanders in the grounds about 
 the hotel. The scenes are ever varying; ever 
 growing more wonderful and beautiful. There are 
 many favorite drives and walks, and the visitor 
 could spend many days here, finding a new and 
 unexpected pleasure in every hour. An enthusiastic 
 Englishman, who had been exploring this region 
 for four weeks previous to our arrival, exhibited 
 genuine astonishment upon learning that we had 
 allowed ourselves only four days in this enchanting 
 spot. 
 
 "What! Four days!" he exclaimed. "I have 
 been here four weeks, and yet feel that I am 
 still only in the preface of one of the grandest of 
 nature's books. You Americans are so rapid; so 
 restless that I wonder your brains do not become 
 paralyzed with the snap shot criticisms you make of 
 such masterpieces as these." 
 
 I agreed with him, saying that much might indeed 
 be written of these magnificent scenes, but that I
 
 50 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 could merely allude to them in common with many 
 others that lay along a journey of 12,000 miles. The 
 windows of our room commanded a superb view 
 of the Bow valley and the beautiful winding river 
 that rushes swiftly down from its source in the 
 mountain and dashes over the rocks with foam and 
 whirl until it reaches the peaceful bed of the valley. 
 Upon one side towers Rundle, or Razor Back Moun- 
 tain, whose nickname fits its lofty ridges well. 
 Upon its highest peak one of the noted Swiss 
 guides has planted a spirl or gaff on the extreme 
 edge of the precipice. It stands there as the repre- 
 sentative of a feat of courage and daring, as well as 
 a challenge to be plucked therefrom by one as fear- 
 less as himself. 
 
 On the left is the ever beautiful, defiant Cascade 
 Mountain, whose name is made evident by the 
 lofty cataracts dashing down its sides, through its 
 ravines, and over precipices and crevasses. In the 
 distance may be seen the long ranges of Inglismal- 
 die and Mount Peechee, while in the valley, the 
 picturesque, winding Bow River is dotted here and 
 there with islands covered with trees and under- 
 brush. 
 
 Forests extend from the river banks as far 
 as the eye can see. The whole picture of sky, snow-
 
 Mountain Road, Near Banff Sec page 48
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains 53 
 
 capped mountains with their hazy blue and purple 
 effect, the lovely greens and other hues reflected in 
 the shining water, the dark mysterious forest; all 
 combined, form a scene of unrivalled charm and 
 beauty. 
 
 Take with me but one of the many drives 
 in this enchanted country. Our destination is 
 Lake Minnewanka or Devil's Lake, about nine 
 miles from the hotel. Our road is through the val- 
 ley amid the most delightful scenery — we skirt the 
 base of Cascade Mountain and follow the serpentine 
 course of the Devil's Head River, at times ascend- 
 ing a grade of 300 feet, then quickly again reaching 
 the leveL We pass a national park in which such 
 game as elk, bufifalos, wild-cats and mountain lions 
 are protected. Sportsmen are allowed to hunt in 
 the forests and on the hills. This is the experience: 
 a noble fellow will be caught unaware — in his fright 
 he will snort and whirl about, and before you know 
 it he is off like the wind. 
 
 Noble and rugged, the Cascade Mountain looms 
 up before us: hardy trees make patches of green on 
 its slopes, while in many of the crevasses the snow 
 reaches almost to our driveway. A sharp turn, and 
 we enter Devil's Head Canon: a rustic and not alto- 
 gether safe looking bridge spans the river here.
 
 54 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Our feelings are by no means enviable while cross- 
 ing this bridge: some evil little imp of suggestion 
 is continually whispering, "Suppose one of these 
 planks should give way, or one of the horses leap 
 the railing (an impossible feat), dragging us after 
 him into the boiling waters below!" But neither 
 of these dire events transpires. We cross in safety, 
 and behold a scene which arouses our highest ad- 
 miration. Not far away some charred trees and 
 stumps tell the story of recent fires which have rav- 
 aged the country. Beyond us Inglismaldie Moun- 
 tain rears his proud head like a giant sentinel above 
 Lake Minnewanka, making another glorious pic- 
 ture. We reach the sunken lake set in such won- 
 derful surroundings, that they seem like the rich 
 frame of a mirror; so calm and glassy is the water, 
 so clear the reflections of the magnificent heights 
 imaged upon its surface. Its length is sixteen 
 miles, its width two, and it lies imbedded so deeply 
 in the earth that its banks seem to rise hundreds of 
 feet above its crystal depths. At the lake a small 
 cottage offers accommodations to tourists who wish 
 to try the excellent trout fishing, or climb the 
 neighboring mountains. 
 
 How solemnly the giants look down upon their 
 mighty possessions! How sacred seems the spot
 
 From Montreal to the Rocky Mountains £^ 
 
 where all nature pays homage to their grandeur and 
 dignity! Their closest companions are of the upper 
 world — the clouds, the gales, the thunder and light- 
 ning play about their noble peaks. With these the 
 mountains hold communion, and when to man the 
 elements seem waging wild and furious warfare, 
 unto the giants it is but as the play of little children. 
 At night the scene is one of awful grandeur, save 
 when the moonbeams bathe the heights in silvery 
 splendor: then the heart of the romantic beholder 
 is thrilled by the gleaming peaks and glittering gla- 
 ciers, and strange fancies flit through his brain: he 
 seems to hear in the silent night faint whispers 
 from the mountain-tops, as though the monarchs 
 and the gentle moonbeams have secrets together, 
 which they sometimes share with the mysterious 
 stars, who look downward, as though filled with 
 unspeakable wisdom and sympathy. 
 
 TO THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Hail noble mountain, lofty and sublime, 
 
 Crowned with a glory of eternal snow 
 Undimmed forever by the touch of time ! 
 
 I pay thee homage as the sunset glow 
 Unto thy brow a rich effulgence lends 
 
 And robes thy changing hues in splendor bright — 
 And when the shimmering moonbeams round thee, blend 
 
 Thy dome majestic with a heavenly light,
 
 56 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 And all thy rainbow colors softly fade, 
 
 And thy form gleams a shadowy, misty thing. 
 More beauteous still — I, in the lowly glade, 
 
 Look up and worship thee, thou giant king. — 
 Behold the gentle Night Queen woos thee now — 
 
 Veiled in her silver radiance, she descends — 
 Her dewy kisses press thy icy brow — 
 
 Her garments trail about thee as she bends. 
 
 And thou dost suffer her — and for a space, 
 
 Clasped in her arms, thy sternness disappears — 
 And thou art softened into fairy grace — 
 
 Ay thou art lovely while she lingers near. — 
 But when with gifts of gold the day draws nigh, 
 
 Cold and magnificent thy summit towers — 
 The dreaming shadows that around thee lie, 
 
 Alone bear witness of those midnight hours.
 
 Among the Giants
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Among the Giants 
 
 The Banks of the Bow River — A Bewildering Group — Castle 
 Mountain — Mountain Lakes — Eldon Station — Desolation Val- 
 ley — Bald Mountain — Weird Shapes — Bowls and Pyra- 
 mids — Up the Steep Ascent — Laggan Station — Time goes 
 Backward — Amid Snow and Ice — The Great Divide — Wapta 
 Rapids — Indescribable Scenes — Kicking Horse Pass — Cas- 
 cades — Field Station — Mount Stephen — Silver Lead Mine — 
 The Selkirks — Glaciers and Mountain Streams — Any Sign of 
 a Grizzly ? — The Beautiful Columbia — In the Canon — Tun- 
 nels — A Gloomy Gorge — Beaver Mouth Station — Bear Creek 
 — Stony Creek Bridge — Travelling through Space — On the 
 Summit — Cedar Creek Bridge — Nature's Utmost — Snow 
 Sheds — Macdonald and the Hermit — The Great Glacier — 
 Sir Donald. 
 
 IDDING farewell to Banff, we continued our 
 journey westward. Our car was the reg- 
 ular tourist's observation car, with spa- 
 cious windows and seats placed length- 
 wise. Our travelling companions were pleasant 
 and social, with quick perception of the beauties of 
 nature and of the finest points along the route. 
 Sometimes we passed quite close to the banks of 
 
 59
 
 6o Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 the Bow River: recent rains had clouded the pictur- 
 esque stream, and we missed the vivid reflections 
 of mountain and forest which generally lend such 
 a charm to the landscape. The views on every 
 side were bewitching: tall pine trees added their 
 touch of green to the mountain-sides, and sent 
 spicy odors through the cool air, rendering it still 
 more exhilarating. The day was perfect, and the 
 clear blue sky over our heads held here and there 
 soft fleecy clouds that cast their fluttering shadows 
 upon hill and dale. After leaving Cascade Station, 
 the road gradually ascended, and one stately moun- 
 tain followed another, each seeming more beautiful 
 than the last, until we were overpowered by the 
 majesty of the ever-changing scenes, and words 
 failed us, all our adjectives proving inadequate to 
 describe the grandeur and sublimity around us. 
 
 On our right rose Castle Mountain, gigantic and 
 picturesque, piercing the blue ether at an elevation 
 of five thousand feet. In close succession, peak 
 after peak lifted up their icy summits: Mount 
 Bourgean, Pilot Mountain, Copper Mountain, all 
 more than nine thousand feet above the level; and 
 following these were nine giants, more massive 
 still, who overlook all their neighbors. Such is 
 Mount Ball, whose pinnacle gleams with prismatic
 
 Among the Giants 63 
 
 hues at an altitude of 10,800 feet. Lakes of consid- 
 erable magnitude are visible upon the sides of many 
 of these mountains, and hotels and cottages are 
 built on the plateaus: here tourists may rest after 
 their journeys, or explore this wonderful realm of 
 the giants at will. 
 
 At Eldon Station we reached an altitude of 4,720 
 feet. On our left appeared a beautiful hollow, 
 called Desolation Valley. I wondered at the name, 
 for the valley is green and picturesque, but none of 
 our fellow-passengers could enlighten me on this 
 point. Now we seemed to have reached the great- 
 est of all Nature's ambitious efforts: on our left 
 towered majestic Bald Mountain, whose topmost 
 peaks are composed of huge glaciers of gleaming 
 emerald hue, telling of solid masses of ice: here 
 Mount Temple, 11,658 feet, Mount Pinnacle, 10,500 
 feet, Mt. Delta, Lefroy, 11,370 feet. Goat, Saddle, 
 Sheol, Hagel, Mitre, Beehive, White, Prim, and 
 numberless others raise their snowy heads up- 
 wards, thousands of feet above the plain, and form 
 a wonderful picture whose grandeur and beauty 
 may never be forgotten. 
 
 Strange and weird are the shapes some of these 
 giants choose to assume — or is it the genii who 
 compel them ? Here one appears as great rows of
 
 64 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 enormous teeth — poor giant! Was it the helpless- 
 ness of impotent rage thus immortalized ? Here 
 massive bowls wait to catch the nectar which falls 
 from heaven: vast amphitheatres hold invisible 
 audiences who listen to marvellous symphonies, in- 
 audible to mortal ears — here pyramids formed by a 
 hand greater than that of man defy time and the 
 elements. Silent are all these immeasurable spaces 
 — silent the enchanted monarchs, dreaming perhaps 
 of other days — and in reverent silence we greet 
 them, mentally bowing ourselves to the dust before 
 them. Silently we leave them in their solitary 
 grandeur. They receive our obeisance, but vouch- 
 safe no sign. 
 
 It was no light task to draw the long train of 
 cars up the steep ascent, but our iron steed was 
 equal to the occasion, and at last we reached 
 Laggan Station, at an elevation of 4,930 feet. 
 
 At this station, the terminus of the Western Di- 
 vision, time goes back one hour, to conform with 
 the Pacific standard. 
 
 Shortly after leaving Laggan, we bade farewell to 
 the picturesque winding Bow River, as we con- 
 tinued our westerly course to Stephen Station, at 
 which point the greatest altitude of the railway in 
 this section is reached — 5,296 feet.
 
 Among the Giants 65 
 
 Two miles farther on we found ourselves at 
 Hector Station, on the summit of the mountain 
 from which it takes its name. What magnificent 
 views greeted us here! Snow-capped mountains 
 still lifted their heads above us, and snow and ice 
 surrounded us. Isolated, lonely, wild and cheer- 
 less, this lofty region depresses the spirits. At this 
 station a large powerful engine was attached to our 
 train, in addition to our already well tested iron 
 steed, and thus with an engine at each end, the 
 long line of nine coaches made the descent of two 
 thousar»d feet. We moved very slowly at first, 
 then gradually faster and faster, until we began to 
 fear that our brave and trusty charioteers had for- 
 gotten their charge. 
 
 Now we approach the "Great Divide" and here 
 perceive the clear stream fed by the snows on the 
 summit, suddenly separate into two crystal rivers; 
 one flowing to the right, joins the waters which 
 empty into Hudson Bay, while the other turning to 
 the left, finds its way to the Columbia River, and 
 thence to the Pacific Ocean. It is impossible to 
 give an idea of the almost terrible beauty of the 
 scene at this point, as we cross the wild cafion in 
 which the Wapta or Kicking Horse River foams 
 and churns itself into a mad torrent dashing itself
 
 66 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 against the sides of the narrow pass a thousand feet 
 below. It fills one with awe to gaze down into 
 this gorge, and hear the roaring, boiling waters 
 pitching and tossing in their desperate leaps to free 
 themselves from the hated bondage of the rocks, 
 and one has a feeling of sympathy and relief when 
 at last the fearful struggle is over, and the rebellious 
 rapids fall exhausted into the peaceful bed of a calm 
 and tranquil river. 
 
 Great boulders are poised on the edge of the 
 precipice, with a hold apparently so slight that at 
 any moment they may come crashing down with 
 stupendous force into the pass below. Incompar- 
 ably grand and magnificent are the scenes around 
 us — and utterly indescribable. The ardent tourist 
 drops his pencil and note-book and gazes spell- 
 bound upon the swiftly moving panorama which 
 his eyes can scarcely follow. The photographer 
 mechanically adjusts his plate holders and shutter, 
 without an attempt to focus any especial point, 
 glad to bring away any one of these thrilling 
 views — realizing only that everything is beautiful — 
 everything picturesque — everything wonderful, as 
 far as the eye can see. If he is fortunate enough to 
 make a "snap shot" between the rapidly passing
 
 Among the Giants 67 
 
 telegraph poles, there can be no doubt of the 
 artistic value of the prize. 
 
 The apparent recklessness of the engineers ex- 
 cited our astonishment, as they sped the train along 
 at the rate of twenty or twenty-five miles an hour, 
 meeting the numberless sudden curves with cool 
 nerves and the utmost confidence. Many times it 
 seemed that we must all be pitched headlong down 
 into that boiling abyss, that frightful torrent, 
 while the run was made along the Kicking Horse 
 Pass. The clouds at this point hung in groups over 
 the clustered peaks, whose snowy pinnacles formed 
 an enchanting picture. 
 
 We passed through miles of burnt forests on the 
 mountain slopes; while the numberless cascades 
 wound their way like silver threads from all points, 
 and at last fell hundreds of feet in sparkling 
 showers to the plains below. All fears of accident 
 vanished when we reached Field Station, at an 
 altitude of 4,050 feet. As we approached the pic- 
 turesque station, we beheld an enormous mountain 
 looming straight up before us, and supporting al- 
 most on the edge of a steep precipice a massive 
 glacier, eight hundred feet in thickness, green 
 and glistening in the sunlight. This was Mount 
 Stephen, rising 8,000 feet above the valley, a stu-
 
 68 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 pendous spectacle, and 1 could but stand and gaze 
 upon it, unheeding the repeated calls of friends to 
 go to luncheon: this seemed no time or place for 
 
 " The clang of plates, of knife and fork, 
 That merciless fell, like tomahawks, to work." 
 
 Scenes like these are the "white stones " of a life- 
 time. About two thousand five hundred feet 
 above the valley, on the side of this mountain, most 
 picturesque and magnificent, a small house may be 
 seen, with a tunnel close by. This is, we learned, 
 a silver mine, whose owners, it would seem, need 
 have no fear of tramps or thieves, for the narrow 
 road leading to it is perilous enough to deter the 
 most hardy villain from the attempt. 
 
 One never grows weary of contemplating these 
 gigantic mountains, and for those wishing to make 
 the ascent, there are always reliable guides. This 
 is a popular station, providing good accommoda- 
 tions for tourists or more permanent guests. The 
 grounds have been embellished with fountains and 
 artistic flower beds, and present an attractive ap- 
 pearance. Shortly after leaving this section, we 
 came within sight of the famous Selkirk Range. 
 These mountains are no less grand and picturesque 
 than the Rockies. As we steam along, their giant
 
 DtviL's Head Canon, Meak Lake IVIi.nnewa.nka 
 
 Sec page 53
 
 Among the Giants 71 
 
 forms rise up massive and lofty on every side. 
 Glaciers and mirror like lakes glitter like great 
 jewels upon their slopes, and ever as in a kaleido- 
 scope, the harmonies of color present different ef- 
 fects in the glowing sunlight or beneath the varying 
 shadows of the clouds idly floating over their 
 heads. 
 
 Now the silence is broken by the crash of a 
 glacier which has edged its way too close to the 
 steep precipice over which it leans. Now a rushing 
 torrent bids us watch its course over bushes and 
 stones, laughing in the sunlight, darkling in the 
 shadow, whirling over our heads, vanishing be- 
 neath our feet, then dancing away arm in arm with 
 a comrade to hide in the forest, and bursting forth 
 afar off with mirthful mocking voice that grows 
 fainter and fainter as restraining its wild exuberance 
 it falls into the decorum of life in the valley. We 
 never weary of gazing about us — never cease 
 wondering at the awful summits that rise above us, 
 or the huge glaciers lying along the gaps and 
 crevasses, as though waiting — waiting, like the en- 
 chanted princess, for the hand of the deliverer. 
 Alas, will he ever come ? We watch closely, look- 
 ing through our field-glasses for any sign of a 
 "grizzly," or one of the deer family, out sunning
 
 72 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 himself, or in quest of food, and at times fancy we 
 see something that resembles an animal, but so 
 rapidly are we borne along that the whole picture 
 is a thing of the past before we have determined 
 whether the object half hidden in the ravine is a 
 wild creature of the forest, a clump of bushes, or 
 only a dense shadow cast by the overhanging 
 foliage. 
 
 The grade of the road is constantly changing, 
 now making a steep ascent, now as sharp a down- 
 ward sweep; in many places where the road de- 
 scends, switches are placed at intervals along the 
 main line, running up the mountain-side perhaps a 
 thousand feet — so that should the train become un- 
 manageable, or be in danger of accident, the engi- 
 neer can turn it upon one of these ascending 
 switches, when the train would be unable to 
 proceed. 
 
 Innumerable lakes, rivers and other streams flow 
 along the base of the mountains, fed by the cas- 
 cades continually rushing over the slopes. There is 
 more verdure and less burnt woodland visible on 
 the Selkirk Range than on the Rocky Mountains. 
 The eyes are rested and the brain refreshed by these 
 green forests. 
 
 We follow the Wapta, or Kicking Horse River
 
 Among the Giants 73 
 
 for miles, as it foams and dashes along between its 
 narrow walls until at last it meets calmness and rest 
 in the arms of the beautiful Columbia. Now we 
 enter a gorgeous canon; the sky is shut out by 
 giant pines, and here we too seem to be a part of 
 the wonderful pageant. In and out we thread our 
 way, through dense ravines or over velvety lawns, 
 still skirting the Columbia River. The canon 
 deepens, and the mountain-sides become vertical, 
 falling thousands of feet in an almost straight line 
 below us. Down this fearful declivity our train 
 rushes at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, and 
 on the very edge of the precipice. We hold our 
 breath in terror, and for some seconds the wonder- 
 ful views of valley and stream are rivaled by the 
 possibility of what might happen so easily were our 
 engineer a little less perfectly master of the situa- 
 tion. Occasionally the whistle sounds its note of 
 warning, long and shrill, to be repeated mockingly 
 by the myriads of demons who haunt these regions. 
 At times we glance ahead through the car window. 
 Great boulders apparently block the way — suddenly 
 the daylight disappears, and we are passing through 
 a tunnel cut in the solid wall of granite which 
 slopes to the very edge of the river. 
 Now we enter a gloomy gorge, with the sounds
 
 74 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 of a roaring cataract in the depths below us. In 
 consequence of recent rains the rapids here are 
 eight feet higher than usual. It is so dark that the 
 most enthusiastic photographer could not capture 
 this view of towering walls and foaming waters. 
 
 Suddenly, as if by magic, daylight bursts upon 
 us, and all nature is aglow with sunlight and color. 
 A beautiful scene is before us. The broad Colum- 
 bia lies at our feet, with the lofty Selkirk Mountains 
 for a background. Peak after peak stands forth 
 with indescribable effect, as though vying with 
 each other in their efforts to reach heaven's dome. 
 
 The road-bed over which we are travelling is of 
 perfect construction, but so swift and unexpected 
 are the turns, so serpentine the twisting of the 
 train, that some ingenuity is required to circumvent 
 the powers that rule, in their evident desire to com- 
 pel us to change our position momentarily. The 
 conductor assures us that excellent fish may be 
 caught in this river. Its depths surge and boil as 
 though threatening to engulf the adventurous 
 sportsman who would dare make pastime of its 
 angry current, and yet here and there shallow places 
 seem to offer a foothold to the ardent angler. But 
 they are not for us. 
 
 We have followed the picturesque Columbia
 
 Among the Giants 75 
 
 through many and devious ways; she has led us 
 through wild gorges and ravines, and along most 
 perilous passes, and we have always looked upon 
 her face with gladness, so it is almost with sorrow 
 that we turn away from her at Beaver Mouth Sta- 
 tion ; but travellers are fickle folk, they hardly are 
 "off with the old love before they are on with the 
 new; " and lo at his altitude of 2,500 feet we find 
 another charming river guide beckoning to us — the 
 Beaver, a wild, rapid stream, rushing along and 
 chafing in its deep and narrow gorge and leaping 
 madly against the sides of its prison in its haste to 
 pass through this stage of its existence. Pictur- 
 esque and beautiful, cliff and mountain gleam forth 
 in glowing colors, blending themselves into a har- 
 monious whole which makes a lasting impression 
 on the memory. In this isolated spot one might 
 easily find enough studies for brush or pen to oc- 
 cupy a lifetime. 
 
 From Beaver Mouth Station our road wound up- 
 ward over the mountain slopes until at Bear Creek 
 we reached an altitude of 3,500 feet. At some 
 points it seemed almost impossible to make the 
 ascent before us, but the greatest experts and the 
 most powerful engines of the C. P. R. R. are em- 
 ployed here, and so we rose higher and higher
 
 76 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 along the mountain-side. The river below grew 
 fainter and narrower, until only a thread like streak 
 of silver made delicate tracery hither and thither, 
 twisting and turning through the green forests and 
 walled in canon a thousand feet below, until it 
 finally disappeared altogether. 
 
 Our conductor, a genial man, gave us much in- 
 teresting information; more indeed than one could 
 write down or remember. 
 
 As we advanced we penetrated tall and stately 
 forests, and crossed the paths of mad cataracts tear- 
 ing down the mountain-sides with trains of timber 
 ofttimes in their wake, rising and falling, pitching 
 and tossing as they swept by. 
 
 Far and near, the mountain ranges ever kept 
 company with us, and the succession of views was 
 altogether beyond description. 
 
 Now we passed over one of the cascades by 
 means of the bridge that spans the boisterous 
 Stony Creek. This is the loftiest bridge upon the 
 Canadian Railroad system, and I have heard it 
 stated that it is the highest timber railing bridge in 
 the world. It is three hundred feet in height and 
 four hundred and fifty feet long. 
 
 As we sweep over this iron frame, poised at a 
 dizzy height, for the valley is still a thousand feet
 
 Among the Giants 77 
 
 below, we feel as though we are travelling through 
 space, and all our surroundings seem unreal and 
 visionary. We now attach two extra engines, for 
 there is some stiff climbing to be accomplished. 
 These great iron monsters look equal to all that 
 is required of them. 
 
 The eastern slope of the Selkirks is visible, glow- 
 ing and magnificent, while below us the charming 
 Beaver River wanders through the picturesque 
 valley. Onward we go, over many bridges cross- 
 ing deep chasms or foaming cascades until we 
 find ourselves speeding along the summit of the 
 mountain, having gradually ascended until we have 
 reached an elevation of four thousand three hun- 
 dred feet above the level of the sea, and fifteen 
 hundred feet above the valley. 
 
 As v/e cross Cedar Creek Bridge the scene around 
 us is unsurpassed in beauty and sublimity by any- 
 thing we have yet experienced. 
 
 Even at this height the snow-clad peaks seem to 
 tower over us in greater immensity than before. 
 Glancing downward, a boiling torrent rages far, 
 far below. The heavens and the mountain crests 
 commune in silence. And no words are ours. We 
 pay the highest tribute in our power to the lofty 
 and sublime.
 
 78 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 The Selkiiks form the background of this won- 
 derful picture, and as we gaze upon this new race 
 of giants, we feel that Nature can do no more; that 
 here indeed she has attained the height of her mag- 
 nificence. We have ascended the mountain by a 
 circuitous path, covering a distance of forty miles: 
 but a direct line from this point to Golden Station 
 would measure but eight miles. A vast ravine is 
 before us, and the stately Mount Macdonald on one 
 side and the Hermit on the other, stand guard over 
 the narrow entrance to Rogers' Pass, and exhibit 
 their shining green glaciers as signs that perpetual 
 winter reigns in these realms. A rocky shape on 
 the edge of the precipice, resembling the form of a 
 cowled monk with his dog, has given to the Her- 
 mit Mountain its name. 
 
 Immense snow sheds have been constructed at 
 intervals along the western slopes of these moun- 
 tains, some a half mile, others a mile in width. 
 These sheds are built of "heavy squared cedar 
 timber, dove-tailed and bolted together, backed 
 with rock, and fitted into the mountain-sides in 
 such a manner as to bid defiance to the most terrific 
 avalanche" and the mighty gales which sweep 
 these latitudes in winter. Some of the avalanches 
 deposit banks of sixty feet of ice and snow upon
 
 Kicking Horsk Pass 
 
 Sec page 65
 
 Among the Giants 81 
 
 ihese sheds; snow frequently falls to a depth of 
 eight feet, the total for a season averaging, it is 
 stated, from fifty to sixty feet. 
 
 Now and then we are startled by the roar of a 
 mighty cataract as it rushes over rocks and snow. 
 We are gradually descending and soon reach Glacier 
 Station, at an altitude of 4, 122 feet. 
 
 Many pleasant acquaintances have been made as 
 we together viewed these wonderful scenes: among 
 these were two ladies from Boston, who had en- 
 joyed the journey from Banff to Seattle so much 
 that, after making the entire trip as originally 
 planned, but a fortnight since, they are repeating 
 this part of their route. 
 
 We reached Glacier House towards evening. The 
 light fall of rain did not affect the majestic pictures 
 which surrounded us. The Great Glacier is a vast 
 plateau of glistening ice, a mile and a half from 
 the hotel. It is estimated that this enormous mass 
 measures from three to five miles in width on the 
 surface, and extends many miles backward, having 
 a thickness of fully fifteen hundred feet. 
 
 Notices are posted at the station, stating that 
 reliable Swiss guides may be engaged by tourists 
 wishing to make the ascent of the Glacier. On the 
 left of this stupendous block the loftiest moun-
 
 82 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 tain of the Selkirk Range, Sir Donald, pierces the 
 heavens eight thousand feet above the valley. This 
 mountain is named in honor of Sir Donald Smith, 
 one of the chief of the little band of brave and 
 unfaltering spirits to whom the Canadian Pacific 
 Railway owes its existence. Sir Donald, the father 
 of the wonderful Glacier, is a barren, though ma- 
 jestic pyramid whose icy peak has never been 
 reached by foot of man. 
 
 Notwithstanding the many rewards that have 
 been offered to adventurous climbers, this moun- 
 tain has proved inaccessible. 
 
 Other enormous heights, second only to Sir Don- 
 ald, almost surround the Glacier: beyond is a snowy 
 mountain called "Grizzly," from the number of 
 bears encountered on its slopes. Here, vast and 
 magnificent, stands Cheops, father of the Pyramids. 
 Well named art thou, great giant, and as worthy of 
 royal immortality as thy monumental tombs! Ross 
 Peak looks down from under its snowy mantle, and 
 on the glance is drawn from summit to summit till 
 the shapes are lost in the veil of distance, and only 
 the whiteness of the winter robes shimmers and 
 glistens on the far-off heights. Summer is a half- 
 forgotten dream, or perhaps it never existed in this 
 region.
 
 Among the Giants 83 
 
 We are compelled to don heavy overcoats and 
 gloves here. 
 
 We learn that there is as good sport hereabout as 
 one may desire: the guides will scare up one or two 
 "silver tails," and give a taste of adventure to either 
 the novice or experienced huntsman.
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea
 
 CHAPTER III 
 From the Moantatns to the Sea 
 
 A Welcome Delay — The Loop — An Early Morning View — A Deep 
 Canon — Hotels — Revelstoke — Kamloops Lake — Villagers — 
 Valley of the Thompson River — Black Canon — Landslides — 
 Old Government Road — Thompson Canon — Color Harmo- 
 nies — Fantastic Shapes — Lytton — The Fraser — A Fearful 
 Ravine — Frazer Canon — Gorgeous Hues — Hell Gate — Hope 
 Station — Devil's Lake — Silver Ore — Mission Junction — Mount 
 Baker — Dealers in Flesh and Blood — Chinese Labor — A 
 Ghostly Vehicle — Rest — Vancouver — A City of Wonderful 
 Growth — A Vast Forest — Clearings — United States Customs — 
 Seattle — Roads — Shops — Hilly Streets — Harbor — Natural 
 Advantages — The Steamship " Queen " — Fair Prospects — 
 Brief History of Alaska. 
 
 UCH to my delight a despatch arrived to 
 the effect that, in consequenceof a wash- 
 out on our line, the train would be de- 
 tained here for several hours. 1 hoped 
 the delay would continue till morning, that we might 
 see this beautiful region by daylight, for I knew 
 that we were in the midst of royal scenery. Hour 
 after hour passed, and still no orders to move were 
 issued: at last the news came that we would not be 
 
 87
 
 88 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 able to start before morning. Some of the passen- 
 gers were disturbed by tiiis, but it was a joy to me. 
 At five o'clock in the morning we began to move, 
 and we were all at our accustomed windows in the 
 observation car, straining our eyes to catch each 
 point of interest along the way. As we wound 
 along the mountain-side, we came upon what is 
 called the Loop. Here the railroad is run in huge 
 curves or loops all over the mountain, and as we 
 describe these lines, our train seems to cut some 
 strange figures, turning and twisting hither and 
 thither, first in one direction, then doubling back 
 upon itself, sweeping away to the other side, cross- 
 ing again from right to left, then from left to right, 
 and finally, as though nothing out of the way had 
 happened, quietly resuming its original course, ap- 
 parently innocent of any wild or erratic impulse. In 
 these meanderings we have crossed the valley lead- 
 ing down from the Ross Peak Glacier, touched the 
 base of this peak, doubled to the right a mile or 
 more, then swept around to the left, touching 
 Cougar Mount on the other side of the Illicilliwaet, 
 crossed once more to the left, and at last shot down 
 the valley parallel with our former course. And 
 thus we made the Loop. From our car windows 
 we could see the four parallel tracks in their relative
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 89 
 
 positions, one below the other, and as we wound to 
 and fro, a new and apparently more beautiful view 
 presented itself from each point. 
 
 The panorama from Glacier House onward was 
 extremely fine: the combination of river, lake, 
 ravine and caiion with lofty summits and picturesque 
 mountain slopes, constantly changing in effect, 
 filled our souls with delight. 
 
 The views* were such as one may never forget. 
 As yet clouds and mist enveloped the mountains, 
 which appeared like huge bodies of fire, throwing 
 out vast volumes of smoke. We moved gradually 
 downward, having descended one thousand two 
 hundred and seventy-seven feet in the last twenty- 
 two miles. And now suddenly our train skirts the 
 edge of a deep cafion whose steep walls are three 
 hundred feet in height. We stop a minute to allow 
 those who wish to look into this wonderful fissure. 
 By walking a few feet from the railroad we can 
 gaze from a railed platform down into a boiling 
 cauldron, in which it seems that all the witches and 
 furies might steep their fearful potions. The great 
 walls are scarcely twenty feet apart, and between 
 these the waters of the lllicilliwaet in wildest pas- 
 sion boil and foam and dash themselves upon 
 the rocks.
 
 90 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 At convenient intervals along the route, the C. 
 P. R. R. Co. has erected hotels, which in many 
 cases, provide palatable meals: the hungry traveller, 
 however, is not greatly troubled by the quality of 
 his repast, if only the quantity is sufficient, and 
 time enough is allowed for him to eat it. To a 
 man who assured me that the food was better than 
 that furnished farther east, I replied that the im- 
 provement was just in proportion to his increased 
 appetite. 
 
 The scenery at Revelstoke is enchanting, and 
 here we meet again our old friend, the Columbia 
 River, which has broadened considerably while 
 making its winding course around the Selkirk 
 Mountains. We steam along the banks of Kam- 
 loops Lake for an hour, and here see many steam- 
 boats and pleasure yachts, a proof that even in this 
 seemingly isolated region, local diversions are not 
 lacking. The fishing hereabout is said to be good 
 and the accommodations agreeable. Majestic moun- 
 tain ranges rise on either side of the lake, and for 
 hours we enjoy the views of this valley, winding 
 around the slopes, and watching the river as it now 
 draws smilingly near, now in sudden coyness 
 rushes away almost out of sight. 
 
 At many of the stations along our route the vil-
 
 Descending Kicking Hokse Pass See page 66
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 93 
 
 lagers turn out in holiday dress, and current news 
 and gossip are frequently exchanged. But one pas- 
 senger train from the East, and one from the West 
 touch at these points daily, and it is thus that the 
 news from both directions reaches these distant 
 localities. 
 
 Many tunnels mark our line of travel, these being 
 the only means of proceeding in numberless por- 
 tions of this mountainous country. From Kam- 
 loops we follow the Thompson River through its 
 valley, which is in reality a canon, as the mountains 
 rise up on either side to a great height; but broad 
 and beautiful, the river flows along, twisting in and 
 out around the mountain spurs which would fain 
 encroach upon its banks. The railway runs close 
 to the shore, and sometimes we venture to the very 
 edge of the rocks, arousing a series of small shrieks 
 and various ejaculations from the more timid pas- 
 sengers. 1 tell them this is the spice of travel. And 
 now so closely are we pressed by these great 
 heights that daylight almost disappears: deep lakes 
 gleam darkly before us and giant trees cast heavy 
 shadows across our path for many miles. On and 
 on we go through this dismal gorge which has 
 been fitly named the Black Canon. Uncanny 
 enough it is, and filled with ghostly fancies which
 
 94 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 we are glad to leave behind us when suddenly we 
 emerge into the healthy, happy daylight once more. 
 
 The scenes are ever changing, and our eyes are 
 continually delighted by pictures of greater beauty 
 and grandeur. The deep seams that appear in 
 these mountains are, it is said, caused by landslides, 
 which are of frequent occurrence. Now we per- 
 ceive, winding along the slope, a small wagon 
 road: this was built by the government before the 
 Iron Horse ploughed his way through these regions, 
 and runs from Yale to Cariboo, a distance of five 
 hundred miles. This old road is still used: it is 
 said that a whole season was required to make the 
 entire trip with a team of mules or oxen. A num- 
 ber of mines lie in its vicinity. 
 
 Here and there cattle may be seen foraging upon 
 the mountains at great altitudes: sometimes they 
 wander upon dangerous or slippery ground, lose 
 their foothold and are dashed to death against the 
 rocks or in the river below. The mortality in this 
 respect is said to be large. Mountain sage brush is 
 abundant in this section: and now and again the 
 small individual burying-ground of the Chinaman 
 or Indian appears. 
 
 Some of the latter are fancifully decorated with 
 gay banners and all have the curiously carved
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 95 
 
 "totems" on which are inscribed the history or 
 genealogy of the tribe. 
 
 Through the Thompson Canon the passage is 
 one of mingled fear and delight: fear, as the train 
 dashes along at the rate of thirty or thirty-five miles 
 an hour, ofttimes upon the very edge of a precipice: 
 delight, vc'hen upon the broad level we may view 
 the wonderful scenes around us with a feeling of 
 security. The reverberating whistle of the engine 
 seems meant to reassure us at intervals that all is 
 well, a master hand is guarding our progress, and 
 that solid ground is still beneath our feet. But the 
 rapidity with which we make the sharp curves 
 almost takes one's breath. It really seems at times 
 as though the engineer has "lost his grip," and we 
 are tobogganing at wild speed down the mountain: 
 but good tracks, broad wheels and a master's skill 
 carry us safely through the perilous way, and now 
 for a full hour the exquisite beauties of the canon 
 cast their spell upon us. The effect of the many 
 and variously blended colors is almost indescriba- 
 ble, and never to be forgotten. The banks and 
 cliffs show every shade, from creamy white to 
 deepest orange: rusty red mingles with many 
 greens upon the grassy slopes; and rocks and 
 banks are worn into every conceivable shape, carry-
 
 96 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 ing one back to the days of goblins and elves, 
 enchanted castles and giant ogres, and all the other 
 phenomena which rendered the Arabian Nights and 
 the Brothers Grimm so fascinating to our youthful 
 days. 
 
 What a splendid achievement — what a stupendous 
 work from beginning to end, is the construction of 
 this railroad! Accomplished in the face of almost 
 insurmountable obstacles, and accompanied by 
 seemingly fatal discouragements, its promoters have 
 won the praise of a grateful nation, the credit of an 
 unexampled success. The trains are regular; some- 
 times a little late, but rarely, if ever subject to long 
 detentions: and what a magnificent realm is here 
 opened to the tourist and lover of nature! 
 
 The kaleidoscope is ever turning, ever bringing 
 together new combinations of light and shape. 
 
 At Lytton, a small trading town, we have nearly 
 reached the level: our altitude is only six hundred 
 and seventy-five feet. And now the canon sud- 
 denly widens, and a grand and awe-inspiring scene 
 presents itself. The Fraser, the chief river of the 
 province, comes rushing dov/n between two great 
 mountain walls with terrific force utterly swallow- 
 ing up the green waters of the Thompson. The 
 gorge is dark and terrible: the steep mountains al-
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 97 
 
 most wholly shut out the rays of the sun. We 
 steam along, skirting the cliffs, hundreds of feet 
 above the river. High, high above us tower the 
 lofty peaks. Huge boulders seem to block the way, 
 but nothing stops us: through the rocks, over 
 chasms, along the craggy walls we glide for hours; 
 breathing a sigh of relief when at last the daylight 
 dawns upon us, and less awful scenes surround us. 
 
 Now and then a lonely Indian may be seen sitting 
 on the rocks, fishing: groups of red men are also 
 visible near the water's edge, or in the meadows, 
 drying salmon, which is the principal food of the 
 people in the long cold winters. Here miners and 
 Chinamen wash for gold along the sand bars. Now 
 we run close to the cliff, now dart into the midnight 
 darkness of a tunnel: then out into the daylight, 
 sweeping around a sharp curve; scarcely realizing 
 one situation before we find ourselves in another. 
 
 We pass station after station — North Bend — Spuz- 
 zum — and still we are in the Fraser Cafion with all 
 its stupendous and startling beauty. This may not 
 be compared with other scenes. 
 
 Each has its individual points of grandeur or 
 sublimity: indeed, as many times before, all ex- 
 pressions fall short of the reality, and Fraser Canon 
 must be seen to be appreciated.
 
 98 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 The mountains around us are vivid and gorgeous 
 in coloring, the canon twists and turns in every di- 
 rection, and the railroad follows its course. We 
 watch the scene in a state of bewildered admiration, 
 feeling ever that now nothing can come that is more 
 charming or more magnificent; only to meet with 
 a new and astounding spectacle at the next turn. 
 
 Such names as are familiar in describing the In- 
 fernal regions are here used to designate some of the 
 points along our route. 
 
 Ten miles below North Bend, for instance, is Hell 
 Gate, where the river is forced through a narrow 
 pass between steep mountain walls, its course ob- 
 structed by great boulders or rocky cliffs, until its 
 rush and roar are almost maddening. 
 
 At Hope Station we have nearly reached the level, 
 being only two hundred feet above the valley. Now 
 we gradually draw away from the towering peaks 
 and massive giants, and soon find ourselves in the 
 midst of green fields and sunny meadows, with the 
 mountains in the background. This is a wide, 
 pleasant valley, with fine timber lands and evidences 
 of agriculture. 
 
 Indian villages sweep by us, with their odd look- 
 ing huts and strange temples. Chinamen too have 
 their settlements and characteristic Joss houses in
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 99 
 
 this region. Still following the Fraser, we come to 
 the apparently bottomless Devil's Lake, a body of 
 water as black as, ink, and as deep as the Inferno 
 itself, with an evil gleam upon its shining face, as 
 though the spirit witiiin were lying in wait to cast a 
 spell upon the unwary and draw them down to its 
 fathomless depths. A gruesome spot, and we are 
 not sorry to escape its dismal atmosphere. 
 
 The Hope Peaks, with their beds of silver ore, 
 only awaiting the magic touch of the capitalist, 
 arouse many conjectures, and we have attractive 
 visions of untold wishes realized by the possession 
 of a tithe of the wealth lying idly on these moun- 
 tain slopes. The canon widens, and the views 
 seem less inspiring. We may lean back awhile, 
 and weary eyes and bodies, as well as tired brains 
 can enjoy a season of well earned repose. 
 
 At Mission Junction we have the first good view 
 of Mount Baker, gleaming white and majestic, 
 14,000 feet above the valley, and nearly fifty miles 
 away. As our train is about twenty-four hours 
 later than schedule time, it is decided by the rail- 
 road officials to push through to Vancouver: those 
 passengers who wish to go to Seattle can be accom- 
 modated the following day. This will give us a 
 glimpse of Vancouver.
 
 lOO Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 While awaiting the coming train, 1 have the good 
 fortune to meet a resident of this district who is 
 well informed regarding people and conditions 
 hereabout. From him I learn that there are several 
 Chinese firms in this part of the country, owning 
 millions of capital, whose business is to barter 
 Chinese flesh and blood — in other words, to sell the 
 Chinamen as slaves. These firms pay one hundred 
 dollars for each Chinaman imported to this coun- 
 try, and three dollars a year as individual tax. The 
 managers see that the sums are gradually paid 
 back: thus until the obligation is cancelled, the per- 
 sons of the Chinamen are held as collateral security, 
 and for the time, they are slaves in every sense of 
 the word. Should a Chinaman become sick, or be 
 the victim of an accident, his employer is, accord- 
 ing to the Chinese code, bound to provide for him, 
 even though he should become a cripple for life. 
 It seems, however, that the obligations on this side 
 are not always fulfilled; for a Chinaman became 
 seriously ill at one of the mining camps not far dis- 
 tant, and the members of the camp, not wishing to 
 take care of the patient, moved away, bag and 
 baggage, leaving the poor man to die or recover, as 
 time might determine. Chinese labor is employed 
 in this section, to a very great extent. Indians are
 
 Mount Stephen 
 
 See page 67
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 103 
 
 frequently seen in the neighborhood, and some 
 strange stories are told about them. One of the 
 oddest is the following — 
 
 A wealthy Indian coming into the town one day, 
 saw a hearse with a pair of fine black horses at- 
 tached, standing in front of one of the residences — 
 evidently waiting to convey the body of the de- 
 ceased resident to the cemetery. While the funeral 
 ceremonies were going on inside the house, the 
 Indian made arrangements for the purchase of the 
 hearse and team. The sale was quickly made and 
 the outfit delivered over to the red man, who drove 
 away to his ranch with his prize, and thereafter 
 made daily excursions with his family in this 
 ghostly vehicle. 
 
 Resting comfortably at Vancouver, we plan for 
 the journey to Seattle, a distance of one hundred 
 and seventy-eight miles, as we wish to have a 
 glimpse of this attractive city before we sail for 
 Alaska. Experience teaches the traveller that brain 
 as well as body must have perfect rest after a con- 
 tinuous strain of many days. Should one by over 
 indulgence tax too greatly the digestive organs, the 
 physician who is called in prescribes rest from food 
 of any kind, for a day or two. Now the brain is 
 similarly strained — the experienced "globetrotter"
 
 104 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 knows the necessity for a few days of repose, and 
 yielding to this, soon regains his normal condition. 
 
 Vancouver, with its mountain views on every 
 side, its fine wharves, beautiful residences and 
 public buildings, is a wonderful city, when one re- 
 members that less than fifteen years ago this site 
 was covered by a dense forest. Steamships from 
 many countries leave their cargoes at its long 
 wharves, or bear them thence; and trains for the 
 east carry tea, sugar, furs and various other articles 
 to the shores of the Atlantic. Charming views 
 meet the eyes here, whether they rest upon the 
 lofty snow-clad summit of Mount Baker, the beauti- 
 ful Cascade group, or the misty heights on Van- 
 couver Island. Looking towards the harbor, a mass 
 of shipping presents itself, and the glance wanders 
 over the varied characteristics of different nations, 
 as well as a multitude of local craft, from the canoe 
 of the gaily robed Indian to the bark of the hunter, 
 with its valuable load of furs. 
 
 From Vancouver our road lies through a vast 
 forest. It has been stated that this district contains 
 the largest lumber tracts in the world: the density 
 of these woods, the huge trees, lofty and sym- 
 metrical, such as firs, spruce and cedars, the enor- 
 mous mills, whose buzzing saws may be heard
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 105 
 
 hundreds of feet away, convince one of the truth 
 of the assertion. 
 
 We come across many small clearings in our 
 journey through the forests, and here are little 
 settlements of log cabins or frame houses nestling 
 close to each other. Ofttimes we see the back- 
 woodsman at his labors, or his wife standing in the 
 doorway shading her eyes from the sun, while 
 many sunburnt tots cling about her skirts. They 
 all wave their arms vigorously as we pass by. The 
 charred stumps of noble trees, measuring three and 
 four feet in diameter, and standing up six or eight 
 feet from the ground, tell the story of great fires 
 sweeping through this region at different periods. 
 
 At Sumas Station our train is legally " held up " by 
 the officers of the United State Customs House, who 
 enter the cars and make a somewhat perfunctory 
 examination of our belongings. We have an un- 
 usually merry party on board, and there is much 
 sport over this farcical investigation. One jolly 
 traveller declares audibly that the ladies should take 
 off their shoes in order to prove beyond doubt that 
 nothing dutiable was hidden therein. The officers 
 retort with much dignity that they have never be- 
 fore seen so much "truck." 
 
 Seattle, like many other western cities, possesses
 
 lo6 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 numerous and varied interests. Days might glide 
 into weeks while exploring the attractions of this 
 busy town. But in books of travel, the reader does 
 not like his guide to dwell too long on one theme, 
 so I will not weary my reader with a detailed ac- 
 count of its charms, merely alluding to a few gen- 
 eral points. As of old it was said that all roads led 
 to Rome, so of Seattle one may say that from this 
 city radiate routes to all parts of the country. 
 Posters, circulars, handbills, in conspicuous places, 
 are distributed throughout the city, advertising 
 Special, Regular and Favorite routes to Cape Nome, 
 Dawson City, Juneau and many other well-known 
 gold fields in Alaska. The most important of these 
 placards to us is that which announces the fact that 
 the Steamship "Queen" is upon the list of boats 
 run by the "Pioneer Line" of the Pacific Coast 
 Steamship Co., sailing for Wrangel, Juneau, Ketch- 
 ikan, Skagway, Sitka and Glacier Bay. It also 
 makes the attractive statement: "The fastest 
 Steamship running to Alaska," and its final and 
 cheering words are: "Safety, Speed and Com- 
 fort." 
 
 Numberless shops almost besiege the visitor with 
 their tempting signs. Here one may obtain every- 
 thing necessary for the explorer, or for the ad-
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 107 
 
 venturer who is ambitious and daring enough to try 
 his fortunes in those wild and isolated regions. 
 You could almost imagine yourself in New York or 
 Chicago; the busy life gives one the impression 
 of vast swarms of bees unceasingly carrying on 
 their laborious work of accumulation. The streets 
 are so hilly that he who would make haste must 
 ride along their steep ways, and when in the car, 
 you are reminded of a toboggan speeding over an 
 apparently endless course. Seattle is the oldest 
 American settlement on Puget Sound, and possesses 
 a fine spacious harbor. Its residences and public 
 buildings are built of brick and stone, and give evi- 
 dences of a prosperous population. The city is 
 very attractive in its environment, the beautiful 
 Lake Washington, but a mile to the east, supplying 
 it with an abundance of pure water. Here are pic- 
 turesque hills covered with noble fir, spruce and 
 cedar trees. Vast coal fields are connected with the 
 town by railways, and the country lands are fertile, 
 producing rich crops of hay and oats. A fine hop 
 growing valley affords a profitable industry for 
 those who reside in its neighborhood. 
 
 After a few days of rest and entertainment in this 
 pleasant city, we engage our berths on the 
 "Queen," the favorite boat in the service of the
 
 io8 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Pacific Coast Steamship Company, for the entire 
 route through Alaskan waters to Skagway and re- 
 turn. We are particular as to location of berths, 
 meals and other matters, for the steamer is to be 
 our home for a fortnight or more. We are favor- 
 ably impressed by the Captain and other officers, 
 and make careful notes regarding proper clothing, 
 •tobacco, medicines, chairs, photographic supplies 
 and the hundred other things that come up in 
 planning a trip of this kind. We scan the passenger 
 list in the hope of finding the name of a friend, rela- 
 tive or congenial acquaintance who may prove com- 
 panionable on the voyage. Although none of these 
 appear, the outlook is promising, and we return 
 from our tour of investigation quite satisfied with 
 the conditions of our prospective expedition. 
 
 Of course many books have been written about 
 the country we are going to visit. Its gold fields 
 have attracted the attention of the whole civilized 
 world. Experts have described in detail its geol- 
 ogy, natural resources, climate, topography and 
 routes of travel. Tourists have given to the public 
 their impressions of this most interesting land, and 
 guide books have been compiled by steamship lines 
 and railroad companies; but apart from general 
 statistics, each traveller is differently affected by the
 
 From the Mountains to the Sea 109 
 
 scenes through which he passes. To his individual 
 mind appears a picture corresponding with the mind 
 which he brings to bear upon his surroundings. 
 And so, laying aside all published records of these 
 wonderful regions, I note what 1 saw from the 
 standpoint of a business man as well as from that 
 of the lover of nature who rejoices in all the various 
 phases in which she presents herself to him. 
 
 1 must, however, make one exception to the state- 
 ment just expressed by inserting here some para- 
 graphs of history copied from one of the many 
 circulars which have fallen in my way. 
 
 "Klondike is a corruption of the Indian expression 
 'Throndirck,' signifying 'Plenty of fish.' To the 
 world at large it now means 'plenty of gold.' 
 The Klondike is one, — and a small one, at that — of 
 hundreds of tributaries of the great Yukon River of 
 Alaska. This vast territory, then known as Russian 
 America, was bought from Russia by the United 
 States in 1867 for $7,200,000. Its name — Alaska — 
 meaning in the Indian tongue, 'Great Country,' 
 was suggested by Charles Sumner, and in view of 
 its extent and possibilities is eminently appropriate. 
 
 "Its westernmost point. Cape Wrangel on Attu 
 Island, is six degrees farther west of San Francisco 
 than that city is west of the eastern boundary line
 
 1 lo Tourine: Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 *e> 
 
 of Maine; putting tlie California metropoles three 
 longitudinal degrees east of the geographical centre 
 of the United States. Including its outlying islands, 
 Alaska has an area of 617,703 square miles, or 395,- 
 329,920 acres, nearly equal to all the United States 
 from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean, 
 and from the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of 
 Mexico. 
 
 "The Yukon, the great river of Alaska, is in 
 many respects second only to the Amazon among 
 the rivers of the new world. 
 
 " It is navigable for large steamers, as one unbroken 
 flood, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-five 
 miles from its mouth, to where the Lewes and 
 Pelly rivers unite to form it, or farther than from 
 New Orleans to St. Paul, and more than twice as 
 far as from New Orleans to Chicago; — and it is 
 navigable for light-draft boats hundreds of miles 
 farther up each of these arms, and others like the 
 Hootalinqua and Big Salmon. At its mouth it is 
 about sixty miles wide, and fourteen miles above, 
 it is from eight to ten miles across. It drains an 
 empire of more than five hundred thousand square 
 miles, and discharges nearly as much water into 
 Behring Sea, as the Mississippi does into the Gulf of 
 Mexico."
 
 In Alaskan Waters
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 In Alaskan Waters 
 
 " Muggins " — Admiralty Inlet — Port Townsend — Inland Route — 
 Victoria — Fragrant Roads — Gulf of Georgia — Islands — " A 
 Day without a Night " — Walk on Deck — Various Characters 
 — In the Saloon — Returning Steamers — Twilight — A Chang- 
 ing Panorama — Silence — Whales — Seymour Narrows — Lonely 
 Cabins — A Haunt of the Fairies — Adventurers and Specu- 
 lators — An Important Experiment — Clouds, Wind and Rain 
 — Milbank Sound — The Story of the Moose — Graham Reach 
 — Labyrinthian Water Ways — The Home of the Wild Crea- 
 tures — " The Coquittam " — Camera Fiends — Salmon Can- 
 neries — Native Fishermen — Through the Telescope — Eagles 
 — Aerial Reflections — Future Prospects. 
 
 E have on board, a character whose sense 
 of his own importance and responsi- 
 bility is greater than that of any one on 
 the ship, whose self-esteem is un- 
 bounded, and who is the familiar friend of every 
 one of us, and an invaluable adjunct to the enter- 
 tainment of those who find the scenery monotonous 
 and the voyage tedious. This is no other than 
 
 "Muggins," a little Skye terrier, the intimate of 
 lis
 
 114 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Captain, mates and cook; whose inquisitive nose 
 leads him into every nook and corner of the 
 steamer, utterly regardless of such signs as "No 
 Admittance," or even the well respected privacy of 
 the ladies' staterooms. 
 
 Should you retire to a secluded portion of the 
 deck for a few moments' private meditation, a 
 certain well known sound will cause you to lookup 
 and find the inquiring eyes of " Muggins " peering 
 into your own. In the saloon — on the bridge — on 
 the promenade deck — everywhere it is the same, 
 and one begins to feel that the creature is ubiqui- 
 tous. He is certainly a veritable Napoleon in the 
 skill with which he manages to be in one place 
 when he is supposed to be in another: but to do 
 him justice, 1 must say that he is always welcome, 
 for he is the pride and pet of every one on board. 
 And he is well aware of this; in fact he considers 
 the personal welfare of every soul on the steamer as 
 his especial province. I wonder often that his 
 great activity and his many cares do not make him 
 ill. At times he does succumb from sheer ex- 
 haustion. 
 
 As we glide into the placid waters of Admiralty 
 Inlet, we behold the beautiful blue range of the 
 Olympic Mountains; the gathering twilight and
 
 In Alaskan Waters 1 1 5" 
 
 drooping masses of cloud partly obscure the loftiest 
 peaks of these mountains with charming effect. A 
 faint breeze stirs the shining waters into gentle 
 ripples, giving just the touch of life needed to the 
 lovely scene. Our first stop is at Port Townsend, 
 "the Key City of the Sound." This seaport is an 
 active business place, of salubrious climate. It is 
 said that more than two thousand vessels enter here 
 annually, not including hundreds of others which 
 pass in and out under coasting licenses. Here is 
 the United States Custom House, and the number 
 of American steamships sailing from this harbor to 
 foreign shores is greater than from any other port 
 in the United States. 
 
 Puget Sound embraces a shore line of sixteen 
 hundred miles. It is a vast inland sea, placid and 
 beautiful, containing innumerable bays, harbors and 
 inlets, and the waters of many streams lose them- 
 selves in its bosom. From port Townsend to Vic- 
 toria, one's physical sensations are apt to prove a 
 little unsatisfactory, although our line of travel is 
 almost wholly inland, lying betv/een the many 
 islands, and through straits, gulfs, sounds and other 
 charming waterways. When we arrive at Vic- 
 toria, at half-past four in the morning, the radiant 
 daylight pouring through the windows, is flooding
 
 1 16 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 our stateroom. We stop here for a short time. 
 Beyond the fact that this is the capital of British 
 Columbia, there is little to attract the tourist here. 
 
 Victoria is situated seventy miles from the main- 
 land, and has a cosmopolitan population, including 
 many Chinese. This very quiet town is pleasantly 
 situated, with the sea on three sides, and high hills 
 in the background. Here are wooded suburbs, 
 containing giant ferns, wild rose-bushes, an abun- 
 dance of fruit and the wild syringa which fills the 
 shaded roads with its fragrance. Flowers attain an 
 unusual size, and the whole place has the appear- 
 ance of a delightful park. 
 
 Having taken on board freight and a number of 
 passengers, we are off again, ploughing the smooth 
 waters of the Gulf of Georgia. Our passengers 
 seem restless, moving from one side of the ship to 
 the other, anxious to lose no point of the beautiful 
 scene which changes continually as we advance. 
 
 The misty blues and browns of the distant 
 mountains, the long picturesque shore line and the 
 shimmering green seas around us are most harmo- 
 nious in their effects. On many of the islands the 
 fresh verdure and green trees grow close to the 
 water's edge; and earth and rocks, sky and snow- 
 capped heights delight us with new and surprising
 
 In Alaskan Waters 117 
 
 combinations as though to bid us heed that the last 
 word can never be said of the infinite resources and 
 wonderful beauties of nature. 
 
 Looking downward, the duplicates of all these 
 pictures glide swiftly by in the mirror-like waters of 
 the gulf, with a subtle charm and mysterious spell 
 which rival the glory of the great originals them- 
 selves. Here and there the water is so shallow that 
 "we see the shifting shadows on the sands below. 
 It is now six o'clock, but no signs of approaching 
 twilight are visible in this region, for in Alaska, a 
 mild summer day is a day without a night. Here 
 one may view at will the picturesque scenes around 
 him at almost any time during the twenty four 
 hours. 
 
 Let us walk on deck, and observe how the major- 
 ity of the passengers are employing the time. A 
 stroll from our stateroom in the forward part of the 
 ship, to the nose of the steamer assures us that the 
 temperature has fallen considerably, and we return 
 to don a heavy overcoat as a matter of prudence, 
 for to be sick on this voyage means the failure of 
 all our plans — a very unwelcome prospect. 
 
 How I love to watch the sharp bow of the 
 steamer cleave the waters, flinging the silvery spray 
 high in the air, and enveloping one in mist which
 
 1 18 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 seems to exhale the very spirit of those hidden 
 depths beneath. Suddenly, as with my camera I 
 have just captured a lovely view ahead, I hear the 
 growl and bark of my little friend "Muggins." 
 But he has stopped merely for a passing greeting: 
 his time is full this evening; he does not wish me 
 to feel neglected; a brief but expressive pantomime 
 passes between us, and away he darts to find his 
 master, the Captain, with whom, it seems, he has 
 important business. His devotion in this quarter is 
 remarkable, and the Captain treats him with such 
 unfailing kindness, that his little heart responds 
 with an almost human affection. 
 
 Many of the passengers are walking to and fro. 
 This is the hour for the constitutional promenade, 
 and those who must make their two miles after 
 meals, are steadily approaching the goal. This is a 
 duty which may not be shirked, rain or shine. 
 
 Here the staid married couple, with sober mien 
 and measured step, cast disapproving glances upon 
 the romping schoolgirl, full of the vitality of 
 youth, who haunts the footsteps of the Captain and 
 other officers, dons their caps, and steals their but- 
 tons, until the poor fellows are reduced to the ne- 
 cessity of safety pins. Here is the camera fiend, as 
 a matter of course, for whom no situation is too
 
 In Alaskan Waters 119 
 
 difficult, no light too dim for the chance of a "snap 
 shot." What matter if the plate does turn out a bad 
 picture ? The excitement is in the intense delight 
 of shooting off the shutter at the critical moment. 
 Here too, we behold a romantic elderly person, 
 dwelling in a dreamland of her own, to the utter 
 exclusion of the world outside, no doubt enraptured 
 with these glowing scenes, and peopling the rugged 
 mountain slopes and picturesque islands with the 
 etherial creatures of her fancy. To and fro she 
 wanders, absorbed in her musings, and the crowd 
 disturbs her not. 
 
 A peep into the saloon reveals the lover of games 
 deep in his favorite pastime of chess or cards, the 
 reader with his book, the musician at the piano 
 drawing forth soft harmonies, invoked by the 
 charm of these wondrous waterways. Each en- 
 joys the passing hour as his temperament suggests. 
 And the lovers, — they too are here, but it is not so 
 easy to find them. Happy, buoyant, they look out 
 with dreamy eyes from the shadows of a drooping 
 awning, or the huge smoke-stack. The world was 
 made for them. And this ideal voyage through 
 fairy-land — Can life ever hold a greater joy ? — The 
 play goes on — unconsciously we fill our appointed 
 roles, forgetful that fate sends into our paths just
 
 120 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 those whom we are bound to meet, and that the 
 attractions and repulsions experienced in a com- 
 pany of this kind, are inevitable in consequence of 
 our temperament, and the natures of others with 
 whom we come into contact. No credit is ours 
 that the friendship of a lifetime is cemented upon 
 this voyage: no blame if we shrink from the 
 stranger whose conversation is, as it were, in an 
 unknown tongue. Here it is as it is the world 
 over, and so it will be until the end of time. 
 
 Now and then we pass a steamer, returning to 
 Seattle, laden with the hard-earned spoil of the 
 prospectors. As the ships pass each other, a volley 
 of cheers rings out upon the air, and floats away 
 in echoes among the distant mountains. Twilight 
 sets in at last, and what an ideal hour! Faint, 
 misty, beautiful, filling the soul with almost pain- 
 ful ecstasy. Indescribable are the scenes and their 
 effect. He alone who has experienced the charm 
 of these surroundings at this hour can truly appre- 
 ciate and understand it. 
 
 As late as half-past nine or ten o'clock one may 
 snap a photograph, and be pretty sure of a satis- 
 factory result. I obtain some very fine views of 
 mountains, clouds and water, but alas, no photo- 
 graph can repeat the unrivalled enchantment of
 
 In Alaskan Waters 121 
 
 these pictures, even though it be the best that can 
 be taken. The unobserving traveller might declare 
 that the character of these scenes is monotonous, 
 but this is far from being the case, for though we 
 have always the mountains, the sea and the clouds, 
 the combinations, shapes and hues are constantly 
 changing. The clouds of various density, ever 
 floating, flying, shifting into most fantastic and 
 suggestive shapes; the mountains, individual in 
 grandeur, leave each its own impression upon the 
 beholder, and this shimmering sea of emerald 
 green, winding in and out between the verdant 
 islands, at every turn presents a new face to us, 
 flashing now in the sunlight, now bearing the 
 reflection of the fleecy clouds or the forest foliage 
 drooping over the edge of the shore, now portray- 
 ing the unspeakable majesty and grandeur of the 
 mountain walls, with their magic color harmonies 
 contrasting with the dazzling snows which envelop 
 their summits. The greatest of all Artists has used 
 only the three primary colors, and behold what 
 wondrous masterpieces He has created. 
 
 On the British Columbia side are numberless 
 wooded islands, which appear like great untrodden 
 forests, without any sign of human life. The oppo- 
 site shore too, that of Vancouver Island, is solitary
 
 122 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 and silent. For miles and miles we travel thus 
 silently and serenely onward, the spell unbroken, 
 the stillness undisturbed, save by an occasional 
 school of dolphins, or an enormous whale which 
 spouts forth a fountain of spray at least twenty 
 feet in height, and an instant later shoots ten feet 
 out of the water, then plunges headlong back again. 
 Some idea of his weight may be ascertained by the 
 force with which he falls into the waves. If he 
 thinks to entertain us by these sportive manoeuvres, 
 he certainly succeeds. 
 
 As we leave the Gulf of Georgia and enter Sey- 
 mour Narrows, the scenes on both sides assume 
 greater grandeur. The lofty Blue Mountains of the 
 Cascade Range form a majestic background to the 
 picturesque islands with their stately forests of 
 spruce, pine and fir trees. These trees are of all 
 ages, and some of them are of great girth. The 
 soul of the lumberman would be filled with long- 
 ing at the sight of these woodlands. As evening 
 closes over the scene, and a misty veil envelops the 
 mountain peaks, the picture is one of soft and 
 dreamy beauty. Looking back from the stern of 
 the boat upon the island groups dotting the waters, 
 one seems to be sailing through an enchanted realm. 
 Surely, surely this is the home of the
 
 In Alaskan Waters 125 
 
 " Elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves; 
 And ye that on the sands with printless foot, 
 Do chase the ebbing Neptune." 
 
 Can you not see the rival courts of Oberon and 
 Titania? Those are not dewdrops; they are their 
 jewels glistening through the night. And here is 
 tiny Queen Mab, "in shape no bigger than an 
 agate stone on the forefinger of an alderman." 
 Yon silvery opening is the fairy ring in which they 
 will dance when the moon is high; and look, in 
 the shadow of that giant fir lurks Puck, the " mis- 
 chief-loving sprite, — the jester of the fairy court," 
 only waiting an opportunity to set the whole realm 
 of fairy-land at odds. Here too are Pea-blossom, 
 Cobweb, Moth, Mustard-seed, the dainty Ariel and 
 the rest. How well we know them all in their 
 robes of green, as they wander over hill and dale 
 and through the rustling forest. List! Can you 
 not hear their song ? — 
 
 " By the moone we sport and play, 
 With the night begins our day; 
 As we frisk the dew doth fall, 
 Trip it, little urchins all, 
 Lightly as the little bee, 
 Two by two, and three by three, 
 And about goe wee, goe wee." 
 
 This Pass is narrow indeed, and great boulders
 
 1 26 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 'to 
 
 are seen, thrusting their huge elbows into the 
 water, as though endeavoring to obstruct our pas- 
 sage through the strait. This is considered quite 
 a dangerous way on account of the protruding and 
 jagged rocks, and many vessels have been lost 
 here, owing to ignorance of the perilous points. 
 The United States government, however, is at 
 work on surveys and charts, marking these spots 
 and otherwise reducing the dangers of travel. Our 
 Captain is exceedingly cautious in making all these 
 narrow waterways, and studies the tides to insure 
 the safety of his ship. Many times I have seen 
 him with two of his officers on the bridge, watch- 
 ing every change in the current, every indentation 
 of the shore. 
 
 Now we see little groups of unpainted houses of 
 one story; probably the homes of gold-diggers or 
 trappers. Here and there a solitary cabin fills the 
 heart with pity for the lonely life of its inhabitants, 
 whose sole companions are the forests, the moun- 
 tains and the sea in summer; the bleak winds, the 
 snows and storms in winter. One can imagine this 
 wild and isolated region to be the haunt of a great 
 number of wild animals, who live their natural life 
 here with little fear of the wiles of their persistent 
 and mortal enemy, mankind.
 
 In Alaskan Waters 127 
 
 On the Vancouver side are mountains, thousands 
 of feet in height, with their snowy robes reaching 
 half-way to their bases. At their feet, here and 
 there, rings of blue smoke curling upward, tell of 
 the existence of a little group of cottages, and these 
 settlements prove that civilization is slowly but 
 surely making its way into this remote region. The 
 mountains continue in almost unbroken ranks, all 
 snow-capped, and glowing with reflected brightness 
 in the sunset light. 
 
 I am frequently entertained by the conversation of 
 men who are making the trip to the Klondike in 
 search of gold. The adventurers and prospectors, 
 of whom there are many on board, are looking 
 hopefully forward to this goal of fortune. This is 
 a new experience for a number of them. 
 
 About thirty of these men have assembled in the 
 bow of the boat, idly lounging on coils of rope or 
 sails, talking over their plans, or listening to the sto- 
 ries of those who have been over the route. Some 
 are on their way to Dawson City, some to Nome, 
 while others are on a purely prospecting tour, and 
 are filled with the spirit of speculation. How buoy- 
 ant they seem! 
 
 Most of them are young and strong, physically 
 able to endure labor and hardship. I join this group
 
 128 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 and enter into conversation with them, advising 
 them freely from the standpoint of an outsider, and 
 soon win their interest and attention. One young 
 fellow, handsome and atliletic, is full of enthusiasm, 
 yet evidently affected by some depressing influence. 
 He seems to feel the importance of the step he is 
 taking, and his earnest questions convince me that 
 this is a turning-point in his career. Later, in pri- 
 vate conversation, I learned that he is making the 
 expedition in opposition to the wishes of every 
 member of his family, and that their disapproval is 
 a source of great sorrow to him; but that he is de- 
 termined to succeed, and show them that he was 
 right in undertaking it. If he should fail — 
 
 He said no more, but his expression was not to 
 be mistaken. 
 
 1 assured him that his strong will and unswerving 
 resolve to do right would bear him through, and 
 predicted a prosperous issue to his journey, and a 
 happy return to his family. 
 
 He seemed very grateful for the encouragement, 
 adding that when a young man's family opposed 
 his efforts, it made the battle doubly hard. I then 
 cited examples of many of the self-made men of 
 our time, and at last succeeded in lightening the sad 
 reflections which weighed so heavily upon his mind.
 
 In Alaskan Waters 129 
 
 A short, burly man, of perhaps forty-five years, 
 seemed to be the leader among the seekers after 
 fortune. He possessed an inexhaustible fund of 
 anecdotes relating to adventures in the gold fields, 
 and the numerous parties he had escorted thither — 
 telling how some had won untold wealth, others, a 
 competence, while a few had returned to their 
 homes neither richer nor better for their varied ex- 
 perience. This man developed an especial fondness 
 for my society; whenever opportunity offered, he 
 was at my side, discussing the prospects of certain 
 localities, and displaying his teally extensive knowl- 
 edge of the country. Only in the last days of the 
 voyage did I learn the reason of this apparent prefer- 
 ence. He wanted me to capitalize a company, en- 
 gaging him as chief prospector; and promised to 
 lead the party to a spot where gold was to be 
 found in greater abundance than in the Philadelphia 
 or San Francisco Mints. I assured him that gold 
 was ofttimes more abundant in the pocket of a cap- 
 italist before his investment in the gold fields than 
 afterwards. And we parted without profit on either 
 side. 
 
 Although we are generally surrounded by scenes 
 of unrivalled beauty, there are days of rain and fog, 
 and chilly atmosphere, when staterooms and saloons
 
 130 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 are in favor. Then the weary sleep, others read or 
 pursue their favorite pastime, and only the ceaseless 
 hammering of the engine convinces us that we are 
 still driving ahead. The rain, clouds and wind, 
 however, only increase our confidence in our gallant 
 Captain, who will not fail to lead us through these 
 narrow straits in safety, and with the greatest pos- 
 sible comfort. 
 
 We slumber serenely through the hours that be- 
 long to night, and awaken joyously, with the sun 
 shining in our windows, and nature once more in 
 her old enchanting mood bidding us come on deck 
 and worship at her shrine. In Milbank Sound the 
 views are most inspiring — mountains loom up to a 
 great height close beside us, and their fresh green 
 foliage adds its charm to the early morning effect. 
 The more distant slopes seem robed in deepest pur- 
 ple, while their lofty peaks are veiled in mist which 
 grows more transparent as the day advances, and 
 slowly rises in faint filmy clouds. The air is still 
 moist, and afar heavy shadows encroach upon the 
 blue, as though warning us not to count upon a 
 whole day of sunshine. Dwarf pines and firs cover 
 the numberless small islands to the water's edge. 
 
 Early this morning I was informed by several of 
 the passengers, that a moose with great antlers had
 
 In Alaskan Waters 131 
 
 been seen swimming across the sound, just ahead 
 of the steamer. He did not appear at all frightened, 
 but went quietly on his way, evidently trusting to 
 the friendliness of the ship's company. Later in the 
 day, I heard the story repeated, but this time the 
 moose had no antlers. Again I listen, as a fellow- 
 passenger relates the incident, and he declares the 
 moose, with or without horns, to be a deer. I 
 wonder if the creature may not prove to be a bear — 
 or a whale — according to the mind of the next ob- 
 serving narrator. 
 
 In the distance a small lighthouse stands upon a 
 point of rock, blinking at us, as one who wakens 
 confusedly after heavy slumber. The sun shines 
 upon its windows with dazzling effect. 
 
 As we arrive at Graham's Reach, I say to myself: 
 "So far, all is well, we have had a safe and pleas- 
 ant voyage! " We have sailed through a labyrinth 
 of waterways of every description; myriads of 
 islands surround us, whose rugged shores and pic- 
 turesque harbors often invite us to pause and view 
 more closely their charming shores. Towering 
 mountains, whose caps are white and whose skirts 
 are green have watched our passage through the 
 straits and sounds, and many a rushing cascade has 
 tumbled at our feet, in its haste to come down ere
 
 132 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 we had vanished around the curve. Nov/ and then 
 a tierce torrent has beset us, or rude, gigantic crag, 
 like the ogres of old, has tried to bar the way; but 
 we have pursued our course serenely, accompanied 
 by an ever-changing panorama of exquisite views, 
 of noble and magnificent scenery. 
 
 On our left lies the Princess Royal Island, on the 
 right, the country of British Columbia. The waters 
 through which we sail are smooth and placid, re- 
 flecting the glowing scenes in all the harmony of 
 their rich coloring. The sun adds a radiant glory, 
 and the mountains beneath his rays become more 
 gorgeous in their royal robes, while those in shadow 
 wear softer shades, in charming contrast to their 
 brilliant neighbors. Here and there upon the slopes 
 are the marks of great landslides. 
 
 These regions are ideal haunts for the bear, the 
 elk, moose and other wild creatures who love to 
 roam far from the resorts of humankind. The rain- 
 fall at certain seasons, is remarkable in this locality. 
 The storms are so sudden and unexpected, that one 
 needs to be prepared at all times for such emer- 
 gencies. 
 
 As a small steamer comes in sight, the signal is 
 given by some of the passengers on board the 
 "Queen," and about forty of the ship's company
 
 In Alaskan Waters 133 
 
 run to the port side to give her greeting. She 
 proves to be the Steamship "Coquittam," a small 
 freighter, bound for Vancouver. The air resounds 
 with cheers from both vessels; then appear the ever 
 active, indefatigable camera fiends, aiming their 
 deadly weapons at the harmless stranger. As she 
 glides abreast of our steamer, — bang — bang — bang! 
 What a volley of ammunition is fired off — remind- 
 ing one of a sham battle, where there is much 
 smoke but no bloodshed. 
 
 The mountains on both sides of the channel slope 
 to the water's edge. Their summits are barren, and 
 only mosses and lichen are visible upon their 
 rugged sides. Many lovely cascades appear here, 
 foaming, pitching, and plunging into the placid 
 waters below. 
 
 When we ascend to the promenade deck after 
 luncheon, mist and rain have again changed the 
 face of our surroundings. As it is impossible to sit 
 on deck, we return to our staterooms, from their 
 windows to enjoy what we may of the passing 
 scenes: but the patter of raindrops soon ceases, 
 " Old Glory " shines forth once more, and the pic- 
 tures are now so fresh and clear, the air so in- 
 vigorating, that passengers assemble from every 
 part of the ship to enjoy them. The air is generally
 
 1 34 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 balmy and delightful, the colder temperature being 
 experienced only when the winds blow directly 
 from those frozen heights above us. 
 
 Upon the bank of a small sluice in Graham's 
 Reach is a large Salmon Cannery. Great numbers 
 of fish are caught in these waters by the natives. 
 There are numerous other canneries in the neigh- 
 borhood, and many steamers ply to and fro, bearing 
 thousands of cases of salmon, besides hundreds of 
 tons of halibut, cod and mackerel to the ports of 
 the States. 
 
 It is a great pleasure to look through a powerful 
 field-glass up to those barren heights. How bleak 
 and bare they are! It scarcely seems possible that 
 while we are basking in the rays of the sun, furious 
 storms are raging on the mountain tops. As I 
 gaze in silent awe and admiration, two eagles ap- 
 pear in that great ahitude, floating about with such 
 ease and grace, that I envy them, and v/onder in 
 what age man will perfect. his experiments in fly- 
 ing, so that we too shall "mount up on wings as 
 the eagle." Some time, somewhere shall all our as- 
 pirations be fulfilled. When we have reached that 
 stage, and float airily through space, without a care 
 for the plodders on the lower plane, will we, I 
 wonder, remember the days of slow locomotion.
 
 In Alaskan Waters 135 
 
 and the trains which to our unenhghtened minds 
 seem now to bear us onward with such marvellous 
 speed ? As I watch the swift passage of those 
 majestic birds, 1 realize how slow indeed we are, 
 in comparison with the winged creature of the air. 
 
 Here again are the wandering cascades, adding 
 their touch of fairy grace and life to the mountain 
 ranges which never fail us. These great masses 
 are of every size and shape, wondrous, lofty, 
 magnificent and sublime; now looking down upon 
 us, with the brightness of the sun upon their faces, 
 and reveling in robes of luxuriant green; now with 
 stern and icy mien, bleak, rugged, inaccessible, un- 
 cared for save by the winds which hover round 
 their summits, and the constant water at their feet 
 which ever bears their images upon its bosom. Be 
 they stern or smiling, whether clad in noble ever- 
 greens, or harshly thrusting forth rude crags and 
 giant boulders, their lover is still the same. Even 
 when they fling down rocks and spoil her pictures, 
 she simply gathers herself together again, smiles 
 back upon them, and holds their images in her heart 
 forever.
 
 Through the 
 
 Archipelago to Wrangel
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 
 
 Baker's Inlet — Sea-gulls and Eagles — A Recluse — Storms — 
 Metlakahtla — A Christian Village — Persecution — Wrecks — 
 Brown's Pass — Sunset — A Gorgeous Pageant — Dundas 
 Islands — The International Boundary Line — In American 
 Waters — Annette Island — New Metlakahtlans — Their Rules 
 — Industries — Ketchikan — A Dismal Town — The National 
 Holiday — The Program of the Sports — Tongas Narrows — A 
 Difficult Pass — Prince of Wales Island — Change of Route — 
 Clarence Strait — Native Tribes — Wrangel — Front Street — 
 Dilapidated Buildings — Numerous Dogs — Dealers — Old 
 Woman — Shops — " Hunter's Rest " — Photographs — Totem 
 Poles — A Christian Pastor — " The Northern Light " — Tide- 
 water Glacier — The Spirit of the Thunder Bird — Arctic Re- 
 gions — The Home of the Walrus and Seal — Sumner Strait — 
 Land of the Kakes — " Good-Night, or Good-Day ? " 
 
 S we approach Baker's Inlet, the scenes in- 
 crease in beauty and grandeur, the colors 
 of land and water are superb, and the 
 floating clouds continually assume more 
 Jairylike shapes. 
 
 A few sea-gulls fly in our wake, watching for the 
 biscuits which the passengers and sailors now and 
 then throw to them. 
 
 139
 
 140 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Many eagles may also be seen, circling about at 
 lofty heights. 
 
 1 presume they are American eagles, and like our- 
 selves, in British territory only as visitors. 
 
 Occasionally the little cabin of a solitary Indian 
 may be seen at the foot of the mountain, or close 
 by a rushing waterfall. 
 
 The recluse who dwells in this solitary spot, de- 
 pends solely upon his gun and rod for his subsist- 
 ence. The mental history of such an one must be 
 most interesting. Nature is his only companion. 
 To him she yields her cherished secrets: to him the 
 winds whisper a mysterious language, as he sits by 
 his lonely fireside; he can interpret the notes of the 
 birds, and he is known among all the wild creatures 
 that dwell in the forests. Only to human life he is 
 a stranger, and none may come to him and speak 
 his own language. 
 
 As the evening hour draws near, many of the 
 passengers assemble on the bow of the steamer, 
 and much pleasant conversation ensues. We 
 are like a large family, each one in turn con- 
 tributing something to the entertainment of the 
 others. When we see in the distance a steamer 
 gliding gracefully through the water towards us, 
 many are the speculations as to her destination,
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 143 
 
 her company and her experience in these northern 
 seas. 
 
 It is strange to see the grass and trees growing so 
 closely to the water's edge, and yet displaying such 
 beautiful and vivid greens: for the straits and other 
 passes here are all of briny taste, coming, as they 
 do, from the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 The air, even after rain, is not so humid as in the 
 states, but dry and exhilarating. 
 
 How suddenly the storms come upon us! The 
 rains are so frequent as to remind one of the story 
 of the traveller who asked a little Scotch girl in the 
 Valley of Glencoe if it rained there every day; and 
 the little maid's reply: "No, sir, it sometimes 
 snows." We pass the deserted village of Metla- 
 kahtla, once a beautiful colony and flourishing com- 
 munity, where for twenty-seven years the mission- 
 ary, William Duncan, had gathered together from 
 the various islands a Christian village of a thousand 
 Indians. By his individual efforts, he raised these 
 people from barbarism to self-respecting, industri- 
 ous citizens, who kept the laws and followed all 
 the pursuits of the white men. Here the people 
 lived in peace and prosperity until their leader was 
 driven from the island by the official persecutions 
 of both church and state.
 
 144 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Mr. Duncan settled upon Annette Island, the 
 nearest American shore, and was followed thither 
 by many hundreds of his people, who cheerfully 
 abandoned their homes and all their cherished pos- 
 sessions to share the life of their beloved pastor. 
 The forsaken village soon fell into ruins, and the 
 forest sent out its armies of underbrush to reclaim 
 the land which had been cleared and portioned off 
 into thrifty farms and homesteads. 
 
 Our progress is not very rapid, in consequence of 
 the extreme caution which is necessary at all times. 
 There have been numerous wrecks in this vicinity, 
 owing to the fact that all the dangerous spots have 
 not been discovered and marked. About half-past , 
 nine we enter Brown's Pass, a noteworthy occasion, 
 marked by the rocking of the steamer when we 
 come into direct contact with the waters of the 
 Pacific. Many of the passengers are quite sick at 
 such times, which, fortunately, are of rare occur- 
 rence. The evening view ofiF Dundas Island is un- 
 surpassed in loveliness. Long slanting rays of sun- 
 light glide down and touch the surface of the 
 water, and lo, as if by magic, the fogs that infest 
 the way "fold their tents like the Arabs, and as 
 silently steal away," amid a wondrous glory of soft 
 prismatic hues. The mountains are gorgeous in the
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 145 
 
 sunset light, the clouds and water, rich in color, 
 dazzling in effect, it seems as though nothing in 
 the whole realm of nature can rival the beauty of 
 this scene. 
 
 One last supreme effort, and the sinking monarch 
 flings out all the most brilliant glories of his treas- 
 ure house. Violet, crimson and gold gleam forth 
 in all their resplendent shades, and indescribable 
 magnificence, for a few short fleeting moments, — 
 then suddenly all grows dim, the great King falls 
 back, exhausted, the fires are extinguished, and the 
 gorgeous scene has melted into the glow of a 
 silvery twilight. So swift has been the transforma- 
 tion that with a slightly dazed feeling, we wonder 
 if we have not been the subjects of an illusion, 
 
 " A flattering dream, 
 A watery bubble lighter than the air." 
 
 While passing through Chatham Sound, we have 
 a full view of the picturesque Dundas Islands, three 
 in number — Dundas, Middle Dundas and South 
 Dundas. Beyond these islands is a small space of 
 open sea, upon which we rock as if in a storm. The 
 wit of the party asks me gravely how 1 account for 
 our sudden change of motion ? — I reply that doubt- 
 less the tremendous upheaval is caused by our ship
 
 146 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 crossing the International boundary line, and that 
 probably our bow and propeller have become en- 
 tangled in the line. He looks at me darkly, and 
 Vv'alks silently away. From this time onward we 
 are in American waters, a fact which sends a thrill 
 of pride through the heart of the American born 
 citizen, who is naturally happy in the progress and 
 possessions of his country. The air seems more de- 
 lightful here, the scenery has a newer charm, as we 
 scan the country far and wide, and know that we 
 own it all. 
 
 We are now abreast of Annette Island, upon 
 whose shores the Metlakahtlans, or, as they are 
 termed, the New Metlakahtlans, have found refuge. 
 These people obtained from the United States Gov- 
 ernment the reservation of the island for their own 
 use, subject to their own administration. The fol- 
 lowing are the rules which are signed by all resi- 
 dents on the island: 
 
 1. To reverence the Sabbath, and to refrain from 
 all unnecessary secular work on that day; to attend 
 divine worship; to take the Bible for our rule of 
 faith; to regard all true Christians as our brethren; 
 and to be truthful, honest, and industrious. 
 
 2. To be faithful and loyal to the Government 
 and laws of the United States.
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 147 
 
 3. To render our votes when called upon for the 
 election of the Town Council, and to promptly obey 
 the by-laws and orders imposed by the said Coun- 
 cil. 
 
 4. To attend to the education of our children and 
 keep them, at school as regularly as possible. 
 
 5. To totally abstain from all intoxicants and 
 gambling, and never attend heathen festivities or 
 countenance heathen customs in surrounding vil- 
 lages. 
 
 6. To strictly carry out all sanitary regulations 
 necessary for the health of the town. 
 
 7. To identify ourselves with the progress of the 
 settlement, and to utilize the land we hold. 
 
 8. Never to alienate, give away, or sell our land, 
 or building lots, or any portion thereof, to any per- 
 son or persons who have not subscribed to these 
 rules. 
 
 The chief industry of the people is salmon fishing, 
 but all the occupations of the white man are followed 
 here. The silversmiths are remarkable for their de- 
 signs in bracelets and other forms of jewelry, the 
 carvers perform artistic work, and the beautiful col- 
 ored baskets, woven by the women, find a ready 
 sale. 
 
 1 am more than disappointed that our steamer
 
 148 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 cannot make a short stop here, as I would like to 
 visit this independent Christian community. We 
 reach Ketchikan at nine o'clock in the evening, and 
 in consequence of a dense fog, remain here till 
 morning. Here we have the novel experience of be- 
 holding the wharf, which on our arrival lies level with 
 the ship, tower fifteen feet above us on the follow- 
 ing morning. This seems quite astonishing until 
 one remembers the ebb and flow of the tide in this 
 region. The town is forlorn and dismal in appear- 
 ance: houses, people, atmosphere, all have a de- 
 pressing effect. Although situated in one of the 
 richest fishing sections, it has no attractions for the 
 visitor. As I step ashore soon after breakfast, the 
 first sight that greets my eyes is the body of a sui- 
 cide, surrounded by a little group of natives. 
 
 Upon inquiry I learn that the deceased was a dis- 
 sipated young man, who came here penniless and 
 friendless: failing in his efforts to make money, or 
 perhaps using recklessly what little he earned, he 
 thus suddenly ended the struggle, trusting, it may 
 be, to the mercy of a kind Providence, in the hope 
 that in some future existence he may be granted an 
 opportunity to retrieve the faults and mistakes of 
 this life. As I watch them bear him to the public 
 burial-ground, I think:
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 149 
 
 " How peaceful, and how powerful is the grave! " 
 Our national holiday is at hand, and it is interest- 
 ing to observe the preparations being made to cele- 
 brate it in this out-of-the-way region. I copy the 
 following program of sports, as an illustration of 
 the diversions of the residents in these Northern dis- 
 tricts. 
 
 Programme for Celebrating the Fourth of July at Ketchikan. 
 
 W. W. Catlin, - - Orator. 
 
 D. Smith Harris, - Reader of Declaration of Independence. 
 
 Reception Committee, 
 
 W. J. Broderick, F. N. Whitney and W. L. Yost. 
 
 Music Committee, 
 
 Charles Urquhart, J. J. Campbell and Samuel Giryot. 
 
 Committee on Fireworks, 
 
 W. A. Patterson, Gus May and Frank Gingrass. 
 
 Committee and Judges of Sports. 
 
 Indian Canoe Race. 
 
 Klutchman's Canoe Race. 
 I. R. Hickman, M. E. Martin, W. J. Donley. 
 Course, from buoy front of Young's store, New Town, to buoy, 
 «fl Ketchikan Wharf, and return to starting point. 
 
 First Prize, ^50,00. Second Prize, ;?25,oo. 
 
 Rock Drilling Contest. 
 W. H. Gilman, George McKenzie, S. Listchinstader. 
 Team and Single handed. - Time, 15 minutes, yi Steel- 
 Prizes: Team: First, $50,00. Second, ;?25,co. 
 Single : First, ;?25,oo. Second, $io,c».
 
 150 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Yacht Race. 
 L. A. Babcock, Peter McKinnin, Harry Ininan. 
 Course, starting line front of wharf, sail to buoy at Saxman, 
 thence to buoy off Charcoal point, and back to starting point. 
 
 All boats wishing to enter, must apply to the judges on July 3d 
 for measurements. 
 
 First Prize, ^50,00. Second Prize, §25,0x5. 
 
 Rifle Practice. 
 
 A. H. WTiite, James Bannedin, Samuel Guyot. 
 
 100 and 300 yards, - Open Sight. 
 
 First Prize, ;?50,oo. Second Prize, $25,00. 
 
 Tug of War vs. Tug of War. 
 Whites vs. Indians. Kids. 
 
 Ed. Stanley, W. A. Patterson, R. E. McCoombs. 
 
 Rowing Race. 
 
 Same course as canoes. 
 
 Otto Inman, J. H. Garrett, A. L. Hoodley. 
 
 Catching Greased Siwash Dog. 
 Ham. Anderson, Jack Hannot. 
 
 General Field Sports, etc. 
 
 For further particulars, see committee. 
 
 J. W.StedmanI Finance 
 W. A. Bryant \ ^ %^ 
 J. Boyd Young] Committee. 
 
 Ketchikan is surrounded by a rich mineral region, 
 and, besides its Salmon Cannery, which sends out 
 fifteen thousand cases annually, it has extensive
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 151 
 
 halibut fisheries, and a large sawmill, run by In- 
 dians. After leaving this island we steam through 
 Tongas Narrows, a channel scarcely wider than 
 that of an ordinary river, lying between steep 
 mountain walls. It is like many other straits in 
 these waters, a difficult piece of navigation, and 
 only by extreme watchfulness and the perfect 
 knowledge of the pilot, is our safe passage assured. 
 Three officers are constantly on the bridge, on the 
 lookout for the dangerous points. 
 
 Although a long experience in these waters 
 renders them confident, they never relax their 
 vigilant watch. 
 
 The day is charming, — one of the finest passed 
 upon these seas; the scenery, as ever, delightful, 
 although it has been surpassed at other points along 
 our route. We are abreast of Prince of Wales 
 Island, the largest of the Alexander Archipelago. 
 It is two hundred miles in length, and from twenty 
 to sixty in breadth, and shelters us from the rough 
 current of the Pacific. Lofty mountains, pictur- 
 esque lakes and magnificent forests beautify this 
 island; stately cedars rise to a height of one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five feet, with trunks five and six 
 feet in diameter, and many fine salmon streams 
 empty into its lakes and bays. Portions of the
 
 15'2 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 island are associated with the early history of this 
 country. 
 
 The fog at Ketchikan delayed us six hours, in 
 consequence of which, it is said, we are obliged to 
 go around by Dry Island, and thus, a hundred miles 
 out of our course; but we are not particular as to 
 time, so no one objects to this. 
 
 The scenery along Clarence Strait is much the 
 same as that which precedes it, the mountains pre- 
 senting lovely green slopes which are restful to the 
 eye. We have all grown so familiar with these 
 picturesque views, that we sometimes find our- 
 selves assuming a critical attitude towards Nature, 
 and feeling aggrieved if each new prospect does 
 not exceed in grandeur and beauty all that has gone 
 before. So we sit on deck, judging and compar- 
 ing, and as for many of those around us, it would 
 be impossible to stir them to enthusiasm, unless 
 perhaps a gold mine should open at their feet, and 
 offer to them its inexhaustible store of treasures. 
 
 The waters of the strait are placid, as usual, and 
 so deep as to appear of inky blackness beneath the 
 mountain walls — so black, that still more difificult 
 grows the task of avoiding its hidden dangers. 
 
 We have just learned that the steamer has again 
 changed her course, and instead of going around
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 153 
 
 Dry Island to avoid Wrangel Narrows, we are to 
 make our original route, from Wrangel, by Sumner 
 Strait to Labouchere Bay, thence by Cape Decision, 
 up Christiana Sound to Pillar's Bay and Frederick 
 Sound, and continue our course up Stephen's Pas- 
 sage to Juneau. 
 
 Before going farther in these northern latitudes, 
 it may be well to give some account of the native 
 tribes inhabiting them, and the peculiar character- 
 istics of these people. With this view, I copy here 
 an extract from one of the many articles written on 
 the subject. 
 
 "The nations of Alaska are divided into many 
 villages, but are grouped under three general classes 
 — Innuits or Eskimos, who inhabit the coast — Ten- 
 neh, of the Yukon district, and the Aleuts, who live 
 on the islands of the Western Archipelago. The 
 natives are frequently spoken of as Indians, yet they 
 are different from the red men of the United States 
 in appearance, habits and customs. They seem to 
 have had a Japanese origin, have Mongolian cast of 
 features, and, unlike our Indians, are naturally in- 
 telligent, with industrious habits, keen in trade, 
 good mechanical ideas, quick to learn, while some 
 are very skillful in carving wood, bone and metal. 
 Some of them have become good home builders.
 
 1 54 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 They are, of course, very superstitious. Visitors 
 will remember a variety of racial and tribal titles, as 
 Tlingits, Haidas, Metlakahtlans, Chilkats, Hoonahs, 
 Auks, Takus, Sitkans, and the like, but the tribes of 
 Tlingits race will be the ones most generally met 
 with in the Sitka trip, because they constitute the 
 native population of southeastern Alaska." 
 
 At noon we sight Wrangel, nestling cosily among 
 her hills. 
 
 A massive, snow-covered mountain rises in the 
 background, while her sides are guarded by lofty 
 hills, whose graceful slopes are covered with ver- 
 dure. The city of Wrangel is situated upon the 
 island of that name, at the mouth of the Stikine 
 River. As we approach the town by the harbor, 
 the houses seem low and squatty, but the prevailing 
 color, white, is artistic, with here and there a red 
 building, by way of contrast. 
 
 Picturesque churches are scattered throughout the 
 town, and now as we sail abreast of it, the enthu- 
 siastic amateur with his camera pushes every one 
 unceremoniously aside, and makes one "snap shot" 
 after another of the neighboring views. The gang- 
 plank is lowered, and as Vv'e step ashore, a huge 
 sign, swinging from the ship's side, announces that 
 we have three hours in which to explore the town.
 
 P.\ssi.\(i S. S. .\i--Ki, LiiATiiAM Sound 
 
 Sec page 145
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 157 
 
 How delighted we are to stretch our hmbs, and 
 walk once more on terra firma. 
 
 Wishing to see as much as possible in the short 
 time allowed us, we seek the main street of the 
 place, known as Front Street, and facing the 
 harbor. It runs straight through the town, a dis- 
 tance of about three-quarters of a mile. The board 
 walk along which we make our way, is so shaky, 
 the buildings on each side so dilapidated, that one's 
 glance wanders timorously from the loose and 
 broken planks to the apparently tottering houses, in 
 constant dread of a sudden and general collapse. 
 Here are numerous dogs of every size, shape and 
 color, but among them all, there is not one you 
 would like to carry away as a memento of this 
 town. The inhabitants are not more attractive than 
 the dogs, all seeming to be relics of an era previous 
 to the institution of the morning bath. 
 
 Families sit on the dingy porches of the palsied 
 houses, offering for sale uninviting wares of their 
 own handiwork; such as baskets, diminutive totem 
 poles, bead and shell work, etc., but seem perfectly 
 indifferent as to whether any one purchases their 
 goods or not. Here an old woman, sitting before 
 her shanty, washes some garments, which as she 
 hangs them in the sun to dry, look past all redemp-
 
 158 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 tion in the way of cleanliness. Her age is such that 
 she cannot have many years to live, so that to 
 change her in thought or habits would be an im- 
 possibility. The shops, such as they are, line one 
 side of this street. Some of them display signs in 
 the windows, such as: Hardware; Curios; Drugs; 
 Men's, Boys', and Children's Clothing; and here too 
 is the Fort Wrangel Brewery. A little apart from 
 the others, is a building of one story, with rude 
 porch and dilapidated roof, set about fifteen paces 
 back from the sidewalk, and bearing the sign : 
 
 "Hunter's Rest. 
 Beer Hall." 
 
 I shudder at the thought of rest and comfort in 
 this tumble-down and dismal looking place. Loung- 
 ing about its antiquated portal are about a dozen 
 presumable hunters, — or perhaps thirsty followers 
 of Gambrinus. These men have a restless, haggard 
 and dogged expression, as though life, from their 
 standpoint, had not proved very satisfactory. 
 
 I stop several native old men and women, and by 
 giving them a trifling sum of money, am allowed to 
 take photographs of their homely faces. At Wran- 
 gel, it is said, one has his best opportunity of seeing 
 the old totem poles, which are fast disappearing
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 159 
 
 from the southern part of this country. We 
 find these poles near the abodes of the living, as 
 well as the burial-places of the dead. They are 
 completely covered with carving, and vary in height 
 and thickness. As much has been written concern- 
 ing the history and meaning of these relics, I will in- 
 sert here an extract that may prove interesting to 
 the reader. 
 
 "There is a variety of opinions as regards the real 
 signification of the totem poles. They appear to be 
 designed to commemorate important deeds in the 
 lives of the departed, near whose graves they stand, 
 as well as to indicate the family arms or crest of 
 those for whom they are erected. 
 
 "The different tribes have their own characteristic 
 emblems, the bear, eagle, hawk, whale, etc. The 
 poles are usually covered with carvings from bottom 
 to top, and the size and height designate the social 
 status and wealth of the individual in his tribe." — 
 Again: "The crow or raven upon the pole is sup- 
 posed to represent Noneau, the creative principle, 
 and the wolf, the aggressive or fighting creature. 
 These are the totems of the coast, and each is 
 subdivided into clans. Men do not marry women 
 of their own totem. The totemic is stronger than 
 the family or tribal bond. Men often elect indi-
 
 i6o Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 vidual totems, usually the animal seen or dreamed 
 of during their lonely fasts in the woods preceding 
 their majority and their initiation into the rites and 
 great ceremonies of the clan. These elective totems, 
 added to the clan and family totems, account for 
 the storied images on the totem poles. The totem 
 pole has no religious significance, and is not an ob- 
 ject of idolatrous worship. Its heraldic designs and 
 quarterings are displayed in the same way and for 
 the same reason that the European parades his crest 
 and Scutcheon." 
 
 One cannot help regretting the decline of these 
 quaint and interesting characteristics of the native 
 tribes. 
 
 Seven or eight years ago, many of these curious 
 poles, with their legendary carvings, adorned the 
 lodges of the Stikines' Village. Now but a few are 
 left to arouse the wonder and admiration of the 
 traveller. 
 
 Wrangel possesses a fine large harbor, set in 
 a picturesque framework of noble mountains, with 
 loftier, snow-crowned peaks rising beyond these as 
 far as the eye can see. 
 
 The land otter, the bear, the fox, the mink, and 
 other animals dwell in the forests, and an abundance 
 of fish inhabit the streams. The civilized portion of
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 161 
 
 the town lies along the shore, at the foot of a hilly 
 forest, between the lines of low, square and rough 
 cabins of the natives. Here are several stores for 
 the sale of goods to the tribes, also for the purchase 
 of curios, furs, etc., by travellers. The place was 
 named in honor of Baron Wrangel, governor of Rus- 
 sian-America in 1834. A garrison of United States 
 troops is stationed here, and it can boast of a news- 
 paper, schools and churches, besides its sawmill and 
 breweries. 
 
 On our way back to the steamer, we came across 
 a small, unpretentious frame building, which proved 
 to be a Christian church. As we stopped to ob- 
 serve it, a pleasant faced man came from within, 
 greeted us kindly, and invited us to enter. 
 
 This was the pastor, who gave us an interesting 
 account of his work among a little flock in this out- 
 of-the-way country. 
 
 Here indeed was self-sacrifice, for the man had 
 left a congenial home and friends, to dwell among 
 a lonely people, in order to benefit and elevate them. 
 His sole aim in life seemed to be to do his duty 
 towards his Creator and his fellow-creatures. It 
 was he who had been instrumental in establishing 
 The Norther7i Light, a bi-monthly paper, devoted 
 to religious work in Alaska.
 
 l62 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 " 'Tis thus the spirit of a single mind 
 Makes that of multitudes take one direction." 
 
 "The readers of this paper, {The Northern 
 Light), are already acquainted with what changes 
 have come over Klanack during the past year. The 
 work, though entirely unassisted, except by oc- 
 casional visits from the pastor of the Wrangel 
 Church, and by one visit from Mr. Marsden, is 
 proving itself to be wonderfully permanent. What 
 does this phenomenon suggest? Does it not 
 suggest the value of Salvation Army methods for 
 pioneer mission work ? Bishop Ridley, of the 
 Church of England, has long recognized the value 
 of it, and as a consequence, has organized what is 
 known as the church army, which has done much 
 valuable pioneer work. There are two methods of 
 carrying on pioneer work. One is to attract atten- 
 tion by gifts, and the other is to do that which ap- 
 peals to the imagination of the native. The former 
 is expensive, and pauperizes the native; the latter 
 does no harm, and prepares the way for education 
 and instruction. The experiences of the last year 
 in Alaska, (1900), have proved that the Salvation 
 Army methods are useful, and there is no reason 
 why they should not be employed, when they can 
 be used to advantage."
 
 Totem Pole, Wrangel 
 
 Sec page 159
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 165 
 
 Our day at Wrangel was clear and beautiful. 
 We learned from a native that it was one of fifteen 
 bright days during the past three months. Sol was 
 very good to us. 
 
 Here we have our first view of a tide water 
 glacier — the Hutli, or Le Conte Glacier, at the end 
 of Thunder Bay, northeast of the town. This 
 dazzling iceberg is a magnificent spectacle, reflect- 
 ing the rays of the sun from myriads of sparkling 
 points, as it stretches outward from a deep canon, 
 surrounded by stately forest trees. It presents a 
 pure white surface, half a mile in width, and many 
 miles in length, and contains numberless deep 
 fissures. Its icy cliffs rise from one hundred to two 
 hundred feet above the waters of the bay, and as 
 the glacier advances, moving, it is said twenty- 
 seven feet a day, they constantly break into huge 
 blocks and fall crashing down into the waters of 
 the bay, forming serious obstacles to navigation. 
 The natives believe that the mountains were once 
 embodied spirits, and they have long worshipped 
 them. The glaciers are the children of the moun- 
 tains, and of the ice spirit, whose voice is heard in 
 the angry roar of the North wind, and in the 
 crackling of the mighty floes. "He hurls down 
 bergs in his wrath, tosses them to and fro, crushes
 
 i66 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 canoes, and washes the land with great waves. 
 Sitth is their general name for ice, and even their 
 dull imaginations conceive a hell of ice, a place of 
 everlasting cold as the future state of those who are 
 buried in the ground, instead of being cremated." 
 
 Now indeed, we realize that we are in Arctic re- 
 gions — in the home of the Seal and the Walrus, the 
 Moose and the Otter, the Ptarmigan and the Beaver. 
 Occasionally we see a V shaped line of ducks in 
 their rapid passage through the water, at times 
 coming so close to the steamer, that one who is 
 only a moderately good shot could make sad havoc 
 in their picturesque procession. 
 
 Leaving Wrangel, the bow of our ship points to- 
 wards Sumner Strait and the scenes are wild and 
 beautiful, as we turn and twist among the islands. 
 Wonderful effects of light and shade greet our eyes, 
 and densely wooded mountains, in all the harmonies 
 of their varied hues surround us, with here and 
 there the shining edge of a glacier becoming visible 
 as we round a point. At Cape Decision, the long 
 roll of waters coming from the Pacific Ocean is 
 quite perceptible. Here on our right are the Ku- 
 preanoff and Kuiu Islands, — the land of Kakes, of 
 which little is known, as the native tribes bear a 
 bad reputation, and are more dreaded than any
 
 Through the Archipelago to Wrangel 167 
 
 other Northern Indians. Their islands are covered 
 with thick forests of cedars and other evergreens. 
 The waters here are broad, and give distant ocean 
 views, which have a charm peculiarly their own. 
 
 Our ship's company is composed of exceptionally 
 social and agreeable elements, the passengers, as a 
 rule, being more anxious to give than to receive 
 pleasure; consequently many delightful hours have 
 been passed on board, and not a few of them will 
 live in our hearts and memories forever. It is now 
 half-past eight, and while the hour denotes the ap- 
 proach of night, the sun is shining on deck with 
 noonday splendor. As I sit serenely enjoying the 
 never failing beauty of the panorama, a passenger 
 passing wishes me "Good-night, and pleasant 
 dreams." I arouse myself, and look about me. Is 
 it possible that this is night? "Good-night," I 
 reply, "but surely it would be more fitting to say 
 'Good-day.'"
 
 Juneau, and the 
 
 Famous Treadwell Mine
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 Juneau f and the Famous Treadwell Mine 
 
 Juneau — Flashing Cascades — A Varying Population — Curio Shops 
 — Seward Street — Newspapers — Grand Concert — On Juneau 
 Hill — Enchanting Views — Fickle Dame Fortune — The 
 Methodist Church — A Gay Social Atmosphere — Fisheries — 
 Native Women — National Holidays — The Volunteer Fire 
 Brigade — Douglas Island — Artillery of the Mine — The 
 Greatest Quartz Mill in the World — Pantomime — Gold Quartz 
 — Miners' Pay — A Dissatisfied Group — The Village — III 
 Luck — John Treadwell — A Chance Investment — Lynn Canal 
 — A Magnificent Panorama — Eagle Glacier — I^ower Tempera- 
 ture — The Great Auk — Icy Summits — A Performing Whale 
 — Brothers and Sisters — A Brief Night — A Shower — The 
 Rainbow — Chilkoot Inlet — At Midnight — Skagway — A City 
 of Rapid Growth — Newspapers — The Future of the Town. 
 
 HE first scene that greets our eyes this 
 morning is the city of Juneau nestling 
 cosily at the foot of a great mountain on 
 our right, while on the left is the pictur- 
 esque Douglas island, with its tall peaks rising a 
 thousand feet or more above the sea. As we ap- 
 proach Juneau, we are charmed with the many 
 beautiful cascades that flash and sparkle adown the 
 mountain-sides. We skirt the shore of Douglas 
 
 171
 
 172 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Island, as we steam slowly and cautiously along 
 Stephen's Passage, thus having a fine view of the 
 largest quartz mill in the world. 
 
 It is not long before the gangplank is lowered 
 from our ship's side to the wharf at Juneau, and a 
 notice put up warning us not to delay our return to 
 the vessel later than twelve o'clock, which allows 
 us several hours in this largest of Alaskan towns. 
 The Camera Brigade, with the rest of the passen- 
 gers, lose no time in alighting, and soon we are 
 all scattered in different directions, each wandering 
 whither his impulse leads him. This city is named 
 in honor of Joseph Juneau, a French Canadian, who 
 discovered gold on the island in 1880. It is well 
 known that Juneau is the headquarters and centre 
 of the mining district in this region, as numerous 
 rich quartz and placer mines are located in its 
 vicinity. 
 
 The population varies with the seasons, being 
 much larger in winter, when the miners resort 
 hither, as they are then unable to work on account 
 of the ice and snow. It averages about two thou- 
 sand five hundred, has newspapers, churches, 
 schools, hotels, breweries, a hospital, and last but 
 not least, an opera house. 
 
 We soon find our way to some of the curio
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 1 73 
 
 shops, in which are displayed photographs, beads, 
 totem poles, wooden dolls, and attractive little gold 
 nuggets for rings, chain mountings, etc. ; also skins 
 of the otter, seal, beaver, squirrel and other animals, 
 most of them old and dingy with use. Here too, 
 are fish or salmon plates, which are purchased by 
 the visitors, simply as mementos of the place, I 
 hope. These dishes are of different lengths, vary- 
 ing from eighteen to forty-eight inches, shaped like 
 a flat canoe, and highly ornamented with carving. 
 When we stray into Seward Street, we begin to 
 feel quite at home, for here are many good stores, 
 selling every variety of goods, as in other cities. 
 The newspapers are a credit to the town. Of 
 course there is much gossip, and news of a local 
 character, all of which may be truthfully said of our 
 own leading journals. 
 
 Handbills are scattered about the town, an- 
 nouncing: 
 
 Grand Concert at the Opera House, 
 
 Monday Eve, July 2, 1900. 
 
 At 8:30 p. M. 
 
 Prof. F. Clyde Leathers, Musical Director 
 
 Vashon Conservatory of Music, 
 
 Assisted by the leading and best talent in Juneau.
 
 174 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Every ticket for this concert will be numbered to 
 a certain limit, and the holders of the lucky numbers 
 will be entitled to one year's free tuition in the 
 Vashon Conservatory. 
 
 , The tickets have been placed at the extremely 
 low price of 25 cents, in order that all may be 
 reached. 
 
 Tickets for boxes, 50 cents: each ticket entitled 
 to two numbers. 
 
 Secure a Seat early. 
 
 Thus business and pleasure go hand in hand, 
 even among the gold mines of this Arctic region. 
 
 We climb a steep slope to an eminence called 
 Juneau Hill, from which we have a fine view of the 
 town, the harbor, and Douglas Island. While 
 admiring this beautiful prospect, we are accosted 
 by a pleasant looking stranger, who greets us cour- 
 teously, and after welcoming us to the town, in- 
 quires from what part of the country we have 
 come, and when we reply "From Philadelphia," 
 his interest increases, for that is also his native city. 
 With much hospitality, he wishes to entertain us at 
 his home in Juneau, but we are compelled to de- 
 cline his cordial invitation, as we have but a short 
 time to remain in the city.
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 175 
 
 The views from this point are remarkably beauti- 
 ful — the shining waters lapping the shores of Doug- 
 las Island, with its snow-covered peaks and rich 
 verdant slopes, with the picturesque town of Juneau 
 in the foreground, form a combination of such 
 lofty grandeur and charming repose, that one longs 
 to store it away among the choice bits in his port- 
 folio. Looking across a deep ravine, I observe a 
 little gold mine at the base of Mount Juneau. Our 
 new acquaintance tells us that he is the owner of it, 
 and speaks hopefully of his venture, adding how- 
 ever, that one must prepare himself for deprivation 
 and hardship if he would engage in such an under- 
 taking. A man must separate himself not only 
 from friends and relatives, but from the congenial 
 atmosphere of life among familiar surroundings, in 
 order to seek this golden treasure ; and then he is 
 not certain of success, for Dame Fortune is a fickle 
 goddess, leaving many a noble heart in dismal, 
 gloomy depths, because she does not choose to 
 smile, her all transforming smile, upon his efforts. 
 
 In our wanderings we come upon the Methodist 
 Church of this town — a simple, but attractive, and 
 well cared for building — quite encouraging to the 
 Christian visitor ; and we learn that it is doing its 
 share of hard, honest work among the people.
 
 176 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 I do not wish to give the impression that Juneau 
 is a place devoid of social atmosphere. This is by no 
 means the case. Many families of culture and 
 considerable means reside here, and numberless are 
 the entertainments, theatre parties, and other social 
 functions of this class. The majority of those whom 
 I have met have attracted me by their pleasant 
 manners, and generally prepossessing appearance. 
 
 The streets here seem very much alike, and the 
 dwellings, which are mostly built of wood, are 
 similar in structure. The town is built on the 
 sloping side of a hill, and, like all other settlements 
 in this region of rich, fresh and abundant water 
 courses, and extensive forests, carries on large 
 fisheries and sawmills. The natives are about as 
 uninviting as those we have seen elsewhere upon 
 our journey, although it is said that the women of 
 this district are expert and industrious, being noted 
 for their skill in weaving, and their artistic designs 
 in coloring and combining figures in their baskets ; 
 while the men display curious and original carvings 
 on silver bracelets, horn and wooden souvenirs, and 
 little totem poles. In the heart of the town, the 
 natives may be seen daily, sitting upon the ground, 
 along the sidewalks of the principal streets, offering 
 for sale, fish, berries, vegetables, and their little
 
 Ascending Summit White Pass Sec page 213
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 179 
 
 stock of curios. These women, for the market is 
 carried on chiefly by women, sit huddled up be- 
 hind their wares, wearing great, heavy woolen 
 blankets over their shoulders, with a similar, but 
 smaller covering for their heads. They are evidently 
 much distressed by my attempts to photograph them, 
 and shrink together if a camera is but pointed at 
 them. They have a peculiar fashion of drawing 
 their shawls over their heads whenever this is done. 
 Unless they are taken unawares, the snap shot proves 
 an utter failure. The only way is to stand in the 
 neighborhood, apparently unconcerned, or interested 
 only in what they have for sale and snap the camera 
 without their knowledge. 
 
 Throughout the American settlements, the greatest 
 enthusiasm is manifested over the holidays, such as 
 Christmas, Washington's Birthday and the Fourth 
 of July. 1 have a gorgeous placard in flaming red 
 and blue letters ; a sample of hundreds scattered 
 over the town, reading as follows : 
 
 1776 GRAND 1900 
 
 FOURTH OF JULY 
 
 CELEBRATION 
 
 JUNEAU,
 
 l8o Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 National Salute at Sunrise 
 
 STREET PARADE ; SPORTS ; ORATIONS. 
 
 MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY OP FIREWORKS. 
 
 GRAND BALL, JULY 3, 9 P.M. FIREMAN'S HALL. 
 
 Thus it is that we find the spirit of the " Father 
 of his Country " and his little band of patriots 
 existing in the remotest corner of the earth, wher- 
 ever there is a man who is proud to call himself a 
 citizen of the United States. 
 
 As Juneau has no paid fne department, each 
 citizen feels it incumbent upon him to volunteer his 
 services in case of fire. It is therefore well under- 
 stood that when the fire-bell rings in the belfry of 
 the old church, those hearing it must run v/ith all 
 speed to the hose house, drag the hose-carriage to 
 the nearest available water plug, and attach the hose. 
 The natural force of the water flowing down the 
 mountain-side, is sufficient to reach the spot attacked 
 by fire and subdue the flames. A number of stories 
 in this connection have been related to us. The 
 following is one of them : 
 
 A fire suddenly breaking out in the house of one
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 18 1 
 
 of the citizens, the church bell as usual, summoned 
 the volunteers to the spot. The day happened to be 
 the Sabbath, and the minister was in the midst of 
 his sermon; but he immediately dismissed his con- 
 gregation, with the words : "The meeting will 
 adjourn until the fire is extinguished, when the 
 congregation will return and resume the service." 
 
 Another anecdote is told of a funeral procession, 
 which was suddenly arrested on its way to the 
 burial-ground by the ringing of the fire-bell. The 
 pall-bearers, in obedience to the summons, instantly 
 deposited the coffm by the roadside, and with the 
 rest of the mourners, hastened to draw the hose- 
 carriage to the scene of the fire, and quickly extin- 
 guished it. 
 
 In Juneau we feel that we have once more entered 
 a region of civilization, as much of the familiar at- 
 mosphere of home life is to be found here. But all 
 too soon the deep bass notes of our steamer's 
 whistle call us from our interesting wanderings; and 
 now the passengers may be seen, coming from 
 every corner of the town, all hurrying in one di- 
 rection, till, laughing and breathless, we find our- 
 selves assembled once more on board our floating 
 palace. 
 
 Our destination this time is quickly reached, be-
 
 i82 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 ing just across the harbor to Douglas Island, to view 
 the largest quartz mill in the world. As we ap- 
 proach the island, a continuous, and almost deafen- 
 ing sound greets our ears, varied at intervals by ex- 
 plosions like the thunder of artillery. This excites 
 L!S so that we impatiently await the moment of 
 landing upon these world renowned shores. 
 About half-way across the channel, I succeed in 
 making a picture of the mill, wharf, and surround- 
 ing mountains. 
 
 One naturally pauses in the presence of such a 
 scene, to reflect upon the magnitude of the enter- 
 prise, and the wonderful wealth of this island, 
 seamed from end to end with gold bearing quartz, 
 which is practically inexhaustible. Upon the plat- 
 form of the long substantial wharf are piled bags of 
 the precious metal, worth thousands of dollars, 
 waiting to be sent to the smelting mills. The enor- 
 mous structures of the company occupy many 
 acres of ground. The village, but a short distance 
 from the mines, where the homes of the miners are 
 built, the high hills and mountains with their mar- 
 vellous stores of treasure, may be seen at a glance. 
 We anchor here to receive and deposit freight, as 
 well as to give the passengers an opportunity of 
 visiting the mines.
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 183 
 
 There is but one landing-place, and thence we 
 follow the pathway to the mills. The noise in- 
 creases as we approach the scene of action, and 
 when we enter the vast building, it is so incessant 
 and tremendous that we cannot hear each other's 
 voices. Many of our company hold their hands 
 over their ears, and begin to retreat, fearing they 
 have come to the wrong entrance. But we are soon 
 assured that all is right, and the foreman begins, in 
 pantomime, to explain the various operations 
 around us: all information is obtained through our 
 eyes. As he points hither and thither, shakes his 
 head and moves his lips, we all involuntarily do 
 likewise, and like a group of marionettes, follow in 
 his footsteps, nodding, laughing, gesticulating, as 
 he sets the example: but his language is very clear 
 to us, and we have no difficulty in understanding 
 his ideas and explanations. He leads us to the 
 crushing department, where the mighty cannon- 
 ading is going on. The mill runs eight hundred 
 and eighty .stamps, and with its machinery, has cost 
 more than half a million dollars. In this depart- 
 ment the quartz is hammered to powder and 
 cleansed of all superfluous matter. The valuable 
 residue is then gathered up, dried and put into bags, 
 containing about a hundred pounds each. These
 
 184 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 are stored on the wharf in large quantities, to await 
 shipment to Tacoma, where the gold is extracted. 
 The quartz obtained here is not so rich as that of 
 many other mines, but the working process is so 
 much easier, and the quantity so enormous, that the 
 aggregate results are unparalleled. The yield ave- 
 rages from three to seven dollars to the ton. The 
 dust, after washing, is valued at the rate of a dollar 
 and a half per bag of a hundred pounds. The 
 whole wharf is covered with this dust, and one has 
 the feeling of treading on a roadway of gold. The 
 manager does not object to our filling our pockets 
 with the dust, remarking indifferently: "The com- 
 pany can well afford these small robberies by the 
 tourists." 
 
 The thunders of the dynamite blastings are re- 
 peated at intervals of a half hour, and resound about 
 forty times in rapid succession. They may be 
 heard miles away. Each discharge is followed by 
 great clouds of smoke from the blasting pit. The 
 quartz thus obtained is carried in small cars directly 
 to the crushing mill. The wet weather which 
 prevails here is extremely favorable for the oper- 
 ations of the company, as an abundant supply of 
 water is required to treat the gold bearing quartz 
 properly.
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 187 
 
 So energetic are the managers of this opulent 
 syndicate, that the entire mountain-side has been 
 quarried and it will not be long before the remain- 
 ing portion must succumb to man's insatiable desire 
 for gold. We are informed that these mills are oper- 
 ated, with but two exceptions, during the whole year. 
 The only days and nights of rest for men and ma- 
 chinery are Christmas and the fourth of July. 
 Twenty-eight hundred tons of quartz are mined each 
 day, the work being all above ground. At night 
 the scene is brilliantly illuminated by electric 
 lights. Hundreds of men are employed here, the 
 majority of them receiving two dollars a day and 
 their board. The single men live at the company's 
 general boarding-house, while those who are 
 married have the advantages and comforts of their 
 own homes. 
 
 Provisions and clothing are rather higher here 
 than at Seattle and the laboring element seems to be 
 in a very unsettled state. This class is formed 
 chiefly from the ranks of men returning from the 
 Klondike, who have been stranded, and are working 
 their way back to the States. The usual limit of 
 the working day is ten hours; those who labor 
 during the night, one week, are placed upon the 
 day force of the following week — and vice versa.
 
 i88 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 The work is indeed very hard, and I would say that 
 the miner more than earns his two dollars a day. 
 
 The second class fare from Douglas to Seattle is 
 fifteen dollars a head. I observed a group of ten 
 or twelve dissatisfied miners congregated upon the 
 wharf, all loud in their complaints against the 
 company. They were awaiting a returning steamer 
 to carry them to Seattle. Of course every one knows 
 that in such cases there is something to be said on 
 both sides : yet judging by the scanty stores of 
 baggage the men were bearing away, I could not 
 feel that they had had the best of their bargain. 
 
 The village of Douglas consists of the little homes 
 of the miners, and the boarding-houses and stores 
 of the company. These buildings are of wood, 
 rough, plain and very unattractive. Along the 
 wharf sat a number of Indian women, wrapped in 
 their blankets, who, with pleading looks, offered 
 their wares in exchange for the cash of the visitors. 
 Greasy, dirty and uncouth looking, it is hard to be- 
 lieve that a ray of happiness brightens the forlorn 
 existence of these women. 
 
 Such sights are not encouraging to the newcomer, 
 who has staked his fortune, and left the atmosphere 
 of a prosperous city to seek wealth in this not al- 
 ways friendly territory. It is true that we meet
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 189 
 
 some miners who have had " luck," as they call it, 
 but where one has made a fortunate venture, dozens 
 appear with disappointment and misery written on 
 their countenances. Only too well have they real- 
 ized the old maxim : "All that glitters is not gold." 
 The brilliant prospects which have lured them 
 hither have resulted principally in benefit to the 
 capitalist and the transportation companies. 
 
 Douglas Island was named by Vancouver for his 
 friend, the Bishop of Salisbury. It is twenty-five 
 miles long, and about ten in width: until 1881 
 it was an untrodden wilderness. Then some miners, 
 too late to establish their claims on Juneau, made a 
 camp here. John Treadwell, a San Francisco builder, 
 reluctantly, it is said, took the claim on Paris Creek 
 as security for a loan of one hundred and fifty 
 dollars, and afterwards bought the adjoining claim 
 for three hundred dollars. With San Francisco 
 partners to back him, he remained on the ground 
 and protected his property, until his title was se- 
 cured. It had been stated that $16,000,000 have 
 been refused for this property. 
 
 It is late in the afternoon when we turn our backs 
 on these picturesque shores, and steam along the 
 Lynn Canal towards Skagway. The canal, one of 
 the finest fiords on the coast, was named for Van-
 
 190 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 couver's native town in Norfolk, England. It is 
 fifty-five miles in length, and finally divides into the 
 Chilkat and Chilkoot inlets. It has a depth of four 
 hundred and thirty fathoms, and its banks present 
 a magnificent panorama of mountains, forests and 
 glaciers, with sometimes precipitous walls rising to 
 a great height on either side. The temperature at 
 this time is about sixty degrees. Here is an icy 
 mountain, gleaming between tall peaks, and sur- 
 mounted by a curious rock, "which resembles our 
 national bird so much more than does the figure 
 on the new dollar, that we christened it the Eagle 
 Glacier, " wrote Captain Beardslee in August, 
 1879. 
 
 But this is a stretch of imagination, and does not 
 truly describe the picture before us. The glacier pre- 
 sents a surface about a mile in width, and extends 
 far back into the valley. It is probably a thousand 
 feet in depth, and affects the atmosphere perceptibly 
 as we approach it. The thermometer registers a 
 fall of four degrees within the last few minutes. 
 This great mass is like an ice floe, exhibiting no peaky 
 formations. The mountains slope beautifully to 
 the water's edge, and here and there wooded 
 islands form charming contrasts in life and color 
 to the glistening, steely blue surface of the glacier.
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 191 
 
 Scarcely has the Eagle disappeared from view, 
 when the great Auk Glacier demands its share of 
 our admiration. It is similar in appearance to the 
 other bird, and is perhaps as worthy a representa- 
 tion of its namesake. It gleams forth imposingly 
 from the mainland shore, and affiliates with the 
 icy summits in the background, and the snows, 
 quite pure in color, which creep down the moun- 
 tain-sides. How repelling are those distant peaks, 
 in their unchanging draperies of ice and snow ! 
 Their children, the glaciers, cling to their slopes, 
 and though mist and fog ofttimes surround them, 
 they are ever the same, — bleak, barren inaccessible. 
 
 Suddenly we are called to the other side of the 
 steamer, by some friends to witness a "Performing 
 Whale,'". as I dub him. He is quite close to the ship, 
 and seems to delight in his playful antics, rising, 
 falling, and cplashing the water high in the air; 
 then spouting forth great streams like fountains. 
 With spread tail and proud as a peacock, he flaunts 
 himself about his watery domain, posing really ar- 
 tistically, much to his own delight, and that of the 
 observers. It is said that the natives formerly be- 
 lieved these great creatures of the sea were once 
 bears, but, going to sea, wore off their fur on the 
 rocks, and had their feet nibbled away by the fishes.
 
 192 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 It is now eight o'clock in the evening, and al- 
 though many clouds hover over our heads, they 
 are brilliantly illuminated by the sunbeams, so that 
 one could easily imagine it to be the middle of the 
 afternoon. Near us are two picturesque mountain 
 ranges; the Three Sisters and the Three Brothers. 
 How can I describe their beauty? Imagine peak 
 after peak glowing in rainbow hues beneath the daz- 
 zling sunlight, their ermine robes gleaming in royal 
 magnificence! Their majesty, their forms, their 
 tones are wondrous and sublime! The waters of 
 the canal repeat the bewildering effect, and the 
 whole forms a glorious picture, of which you can 
 have but a faint idea from these brief and inadequate 
 expressions. Truly a noble group of kings and 
 queens! It is a supreme moment. The soul has 
 entered the portals of an enchanted realm; and who 
 knows what message comes to each one of us in 
 these unspeakable experiences ? 
 
 " Admire — exult — laugh — weep — for here 
 There is much matter for all feeling." 
 
 Prominent upon our right are the Chilkoot Moun- 
 tains, towering high above us, and casting deep 
 shadows where the cliffs jut out over the water. 
 We are now so far north that the night seems but a
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 193 
 
 pretense, a brief shadow, across which one day 
 may greet another; — for light is always visible. The 
 sun is shining brightly now at ten minutes past nine 
 in the evening, and will not sink below the horizon 
 for nearly a half hour; then we will have light from 
 the heavens until midnight, and the day breaks at 
 one o'clock, so if one wishes to retire, he must make 
 a semblance of night by artificial means. It cer- 
 tainly is a novel experience to shut one's self up and 
 sleep when the sun is shining. However, the time 
 comes when I must say to my friends: " I retire to 
 sleep now. Good-day." 
 
 But quickly, as usual, the sky is overcast, and a 
 shower is upon us, while still smiling, the sun peeps 
 through ; and as I take a last glance at the beautiful 
 scenes, I behold a charming addition to their beauty. 
 It is a rainbow, which the sun has gotten up 
 for a parting gift to the day, "Robed in heavenly 
 dyes," and poised between the earth and sky, a 
 faithful reminder that the Great Spirit above will 
 never fail the mortal who trusts in His promises. 
 
 It is now midnight, and I rise from my berth, 
 dress, and slip out on deck, wondering that the 
 steamer is at a standstill. We have reached Chil- 
 koot Inlet, and are discharging freight. I linger, ad- 
 miring the brightness of the night. It is so lumi-
 
 194 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 nous that one can read or write with ease. Taking 
 a pencil, I make a note in my diary, as an evidence 
 of this fact, to convince my mind on the morrow, 
 when things nightly may seem but as a dream. 
 The test is satisfactory: this is no dream on my 
 part. 
 
 At four o'clock in the afternoon we are within 
 sight of Skagway, a city of wondrous and rapid 
 growth. Its appearance is very attractive, as it lies 
 at the foot of a lofty mountain, and is evidently a 
 wide-awake place, with much "Go" in it. The 
 town began with a few cabins in 1897, when the 
 Klondike excitement had just started, and suddenly 
 sprang into a city, with a population of from 5,000 
 to 8,000. It has good wharves and landing facili- 
 ties, and contains churches, schools and good pub- 
 lic buildings, as well as hotels and saloons. It is 
 illuminated by electric lights, and has an abundant 
 supply of pure water from a great lake above the 
 town, which is fed by an enormous glacier. Sev- 
 eral spicy newspapers, both daily and weekly, are 
 supported by this town. I have just purchased one 
 of them. It is The Daily Morning Alaskan, dated 
 June 29, 1900, and is evidently filled with local pride, 
 which finds vent in bold head-lines, such as: 
 "Skagway is the Only Real City in Alaska." —
 
 Juneau, and the Famous Treadwell Mine 197 
 
 " Half a Million in One Shipment." This last is an 
 allusion to gold dust brought in by miners from the 
 Klondike, and shipped from Skagway. — "Social 
 Dance. There will be a social dance at Armory 
 Hall on Saturday evening, June 30. All are cordially 
 invited. Be assured of a good time. Messrs. Met- 
 calf & Hooker, of the committee on Fourth of July 
 subscriptions, v^^ere closing up their canvas last 
 night, and were confident that the total amount 
 would not be under $450, which will be sufficient to 
 cover the expenses of a big celebration." The other 
 columns are filled with the usual order of odds and 
 ends, gossip, business and social news, and adver- 
 tisements. 
 
 The town manifests the inevitable crudeness of 
 its mushroom growth. There are many frame 
 houses, although it is evident that the progres- 
 sive spirit of the place is demanding more sub- 
 stantial buildings. The modern models are stone 
 structures, with strong foundations, which predict 
 a prosperous career for the city. With such enter- 
 prises as the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, and 
 its syndicate owning millions of dollars, Skagway 
 has a great future before it in a legitimate line of 
 business.
 
 Over the White Pass 
 
 to Lake Bennett
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 Over the White Pass to Lake Bennett 
 
 A Great Undertaking — Opening of the Road — Our Train — Clear- 
 ings — An Interruption — Pinnacle Mountain — Rocky Point — 
 The Trestle — White Pass Canon — Forest Fires — Distant 
 Views — Unrivalled Scenery — Blue Granite — Hanging Rocks 
 — Blasting — Huge Boulders — Monarchs Dethroned — Tin Cans 
 — Packhorses — Suicide Rock — White Pass City — North Fork 
 Falls — Among the Clouds — Pioneer Days — A Series of Water- 
 falls — Whirling Round the Mountain-Sides — Summit Gorge — 
 The Tunnel — Glacier Gorge — A Stupendous Feat — Nature's 
 Road-bed — Above the Snov/ Line — Snowballs — Winter Gales 
 — Old Pack Trail — On the Summit — A Lovely Lake — Mosqui- 
 toes — Under Two Flags — Bennett City — Extending the Route 
 Tents and Cottages — A Christian Settlement — Railroad and 
 Church — Lake Bennett — Barge Builders — En route for the 
 Klondike — A Fairy Scene — The Old Town — Signs — Dinner 
 — On British Territory — A Lone Prospector. 
 
 HE resources of the town are quickly ex- 
 hausted, and ambitious to behold the 
 grander scenes of this neighborhood, we 
 turn our attention to the trip over the 
 White Pass to Lake Bennett and Bennett City. 
 With little difficulty we persuade our accommo- 
 dating captain to hold his steamer in port until we 
 
 201
 
 202 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 have made this expedition; and then proceed to 
 make arrangements with the railroad officials for 
 the round trip. The distance is eighty-two miles, 
 and a special rate of ten dollars each, is made for 
 our passengers. Freight costs sixty dollars a ton, 
 from Skagway to Lake Bennett. A word or two in 
 regard to this great undertaking may not be amiss 
 here. Three men were foremost in the daring 
 venture of building a railroad in the clouds, as it 
 were, taking foothold on the precipitous side of the 
 mountain, three thousand feet above the valley. 
 These men w-ere M. J. Heney, contractor, E. C. 
 Hawkins, chief engineer, and John Hislop, assistant 
 engineer. The road was opened July ist, 1899, 
 although the first train did not run over its perilous 
 route until July 6th. The following extract from 
 the company's circular may give some idea of the 
 difficulties attending this undertaking. 
 
 "The most important incident of the season of 
 1899, relative to the development of the far north- 
 ern gold fields, was the completion of the railway 
 tracks, and the transportation of freight and pas- 
 sengers from Skagway, Alaska, to Lake Bennett, B. 
 C, a distance of forty-one miles, on July 6th. The 
 first train from Skagway to Lake Bennett was an 
 affair of international interest. The building of the
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 203 
 
 White Pass and Yukon Route through Alaska into 
 British Columbia and Lake Bennett, now that first- 
 class connection by lake and river steamers for 
 Atlin, Dawson City, Yukon and Cape Nome gold 
 fields is secured, is certainly the most important de- 
 velopment that has yet transpired in the gold re- 
 gions of the North. From a scenic standpoint, a 
 trip over the White Pass and Yukon Route, Skag- 
 way to Bennett, in a modern, upholstered railway 
 coach, has no parallel. The rugged grandeur of the 
 rocky defiles, the jutting crags, around and over 
 which the railroad winds, the tunnels through 
 which it cuts, the hundreds of waterfalls, thousands 
 of feet below and above, the snow-topped sum- 
 mits, striving to penetrate the sky, present scenes 
 that thrill the senses." 
 
 The construction of the road was begun Febru- 
 ary, 1898, and finished, February 22, 1899. The 
 cost was $1,000,000 to the White Pass sum- 
 mit, and another million thence to Lake Ben- 
 net. This is a glorious day; the sun shining in ail 
 his splendor, and the sky of purest blue give the 
 key-note to the grand harmony about us. With 
 light hearts and favorable prospects, we leave Skag- 
 way at nine o'clock in the morning. This is a 
 narrow-gauge road, and the coaches are spacious.
 
 204 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 and comfortable. Most of the passengers crowd 
 into an observation car, which offers an unob- 
 structed view of the scenery around us. The pow- 
 erful locomotive is one of Baldwin's. Some idea of 
 the construction of this road-bed may be gleaned 
 from the statement that the freight cars here have a 
 capacity of 40,000 pounds, while their weight is 
 17,000 pounds. 
 
 Our train consists of three observation cars, one 
 drawing-room coach, and two freight cars. In 
 our party are Captain Wallace, of the Steamship 
 "Queen," Mr. John Hislop, constructing engineer, 
 and Mr. M. J. Heney, contractor. We are running 
 through acres of burnt forests, and clearings, in 
 which scores of small frame houses have been 
 erected. On many of these are visible the signs: 
 "For sale," or "For Rent." 
 
 After passing the second station, we begin the 
 ascent to the White Pass Summit, an altitude of 
 2,806 feet. The average grade is three and ninety 
 one hundredths. At Skagway River we are 
 stopped by the information that the trestle bridge 
 over which we are about to pass, has been reported 
 as unsafe, in consequence of high waters; and that 
 passengers and baggage must be transferred to the 
 inferior cars awaiting us on the opposite side of the
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 207 
 
 river. The delay and the prospect of the second- 
 class coaches rather dampen our ardor; but we ac- 
 cept the inevitable as gracefully as possible. As we 
 mount higher and higher, our enthusiasm returns, 
 and we enjoy the magnificent panorama before us 
 in the vicinity of the East Skagway and Skagway 
 River Division. Lofty mountains tower above us, 
 giving the impression of massive strength and 
 eternal endurance. In the distance the tall peaks of 
 the Pinnacle Mountain rise 7,800 feet above the val- 
 ley. The ascent is continuous to Rocky Point, 500 
 feet above the plain; thence the road turns and we 
 are carried over a wooden trestle, whose light and 
 airy character awakens in our minds grave doubts 
 as to its strength, and we contemplate gravely the 
 fearful possibility of being suddenly precipitated 
 from its height into the wild cafion beneath. As I 
 gaze down into the dreadful abyss, and realize that 
 an accident would mean a clear drop of six or seven 
 hundred feet, I wonder still more at the genius and 
 daring of the projectors of this railroad. This is the 
 famous White Pass Canon, once dreaded by all 
 travellers in this region. A great forest fire is rag- 
 ing on the opposite mountain-side, destroying acres 
 of beautiful woodland. It is an impressive picture. 
 The flames are borne to a great height by the
 
 2o8 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 winds, and tossed hither and thither, as though 
 some gigantic demons were waving their crimson 
 torches in every direction. The centre of the con- 
 flagration appears like a vast cauldron, red and 
 glowing with the intensity of the blaze. These 
 fires are of frequent occurrence in this densely 
 wooded section, originating, most probably, in the 
 sparks from passing locomotives. They rage until 
 they have completely exhausted their fuel, unless a 
 heavy rain intervenes. 
 
 We mount higher and higher, drawn by two 
 powerful engines, whose boilers seem ofttimes 
 about to burst with their strenuous efforts. In the 
 distance the charming waters of Lynn Canal are 
 visible, and the town of Skagway nestling pictur- 
 esquely at the foot of her mountain. It is im- 
 possible to give an idea of the wild grandeur and 
 beauty of the views above, below and around us. 
 New visions of harmony; of peaceful loveliness, of 
 rugged defiance, of sublime majesty constantly pass 
 before our wondering eyes. We say at each point: 
 " Surely nothing can surpass this! " And while we 
 are yet speaking, a glory bursts upon us that tran- 
 scends them all. It is utterly vain to attempt any 
 description of these scenes. They are beyond all 
 feeble efforts of tongue or pen.
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 209 
 
 An immense gateway, through which we pass, 
 is cut in the solid rock called blue granite. Swiftly 
 we whirl under the canopy of the Hanging Rocks, 
 whose huge boulders project ten to twelve feet over 
 our heads, and weigh hundreds of tons. We are 
 out of their shadows ere we have time for a passing 
 thought of their enormous size and powers. Mr. 
 Heney informs me that some of the cuttings 
 through these granite rocks are seventy and eighty 
 feet deep. They are made by blasts of Black Giant 
 powder, of which from nine to ten thousand 
 pounds are used for one explosion. In the largest 
 of these, twelve thousand pounds of powder were 
 used, and the recoil was so great that the moun- 
 tains seemed to tremble at the concussion. Boul- 
 ders, weighing thousands of tons, are scattered 
 along our line of travel. Great is the devastation 
 caused by the hand of man. Truly it appears more 
 like the work of demons. The great granite blocks 
 are split and jagged, and torn into every conceiv- 
 able shape. The echoes of the blastings roll hither 
 and thither among the mountain peaks, repeating 
 to them ever in reverberating tones that eternity is 
 no longer theirs. The solitude of nature here is 
 forever undone, and the absolute reign of the 
 monarchs is over. Alas for the giants! Are they
 
 210 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 grieving beneath their icy crests that their haughty 
 heads must yield to the demands of the universe, 
 or have they too hopes of a hereafter ? 
 
 Still ascending; still av^^estruck, or mute with 
 excess of delight! No point is without its majesty, 
 no depth without its charm. Dov/n in the pictur- 
 esque valley is the gleam of half a score of tents, 
 probably a little colony of travellers to or from the 
 gold fields. Traces of many other campers are 
 visible as we steam along. Here and there piles of 
 tin cans may be seen, sometimes assuming the pro- 
 portions of hills from fifty to sixty feet high, with 
 a base from seventy five to one hundred feet in 
 length. These must be the accumulation of years. 
 It has been stated that previous to the construction 
 of this railroad, from twenty-five hundred to three 
 thousand packhorses were killed or disabled while 
 making the journey from Skagway to Dawson 
 City, during the winter and spring of 1898. A 
 speculator, it is said, as an experiment, bought 
 twenty packhorses to hire out for transporting 
 merchandise from Skagv/ay to Dawson City, and 
 charged five dollars a day for each horse. On the 
 first trip, but two horses out of the whole number 
 reached Dawson City. The others perished on the 
 way.
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 211 
 
 Here is the continuation of the old Pack road over 
 the White Pass, and I listen to another story in con- 
 nection with this road. I will leave the reader to 
 decide for himself how much truth there is in it. 
 A miner one day plodded Vv^earily over the trail, 
 followed closely in the footsteps of his horse, until 
 they reached a pass at a great altitude, when sud- 
 denly the animal made a determined stand, and re- 
 fused to proceed. His master urged him onward 
 with all the means, both gentle and violent, at his 
 command, but the beast moved neither forward nor 
 backward — finally, with an almost human expres- 
 sion, he looked about him, shook his head, and 
 deliberately jumped over the side of the precipice; 
 choosing death, rather than the prospect before 
 him. This incident has given the name. Suicide 
 Rock, to the crag which stands out so prominently 
 at this point. 
 
 In the valley, a thousand or more feet below, 
 there is a little settlement, called White Pass City. 
 It is of sudden growth, and consists of perhaps a 
 score of frame houses, presumably the homes of 
 foresters. It has been estimated that during the 
 seasons of 1897 and '98, when the gold fever was 
 at its height, at least ten thousand emigrants were 
 encamped on this spot, on their way to the Klondike.
 
 212 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Many beautiful cascades and waterfalls may be 
 seen, sparkling on the mountain-sides. Sometimes 
 we pass almost through their silvery spray. One 
 of the most striking of these makes a descent of 
 fifteen hundred feet, but half-way down the moun- 
 tain wall it breaks into three lovely graceful 
 cascades, from which it has received the name of 
 Pitchfork Falls. Another, if possible, more pic- 
 turesque still, is the North Fork Falls, which comes 
 leaping and foaming from its lofty source, glisten- 
 ing in the sunlight, and singing a glad song as it 
 hastens away to the valley. 
 
 We are at an elevation of fifteen hundred feet, 
 and seem so far removed from ordinary travel that 
 we feel as though we are wandering among the 
 clouds. A fellow-traveller entertains me with in- 
 teresting tales of adventures experienced during the 
 pioneer days, before the possibility of such a road 
 as this was dreamed of. In those days he travelled 
 over the old "Tote Road," and paid as much as 
 fifty cents a pound for the transportation of his 
 goods to the Klondike or Dawson City. 
 
 As we ascend, more waterfalls appear, and near 
 the snow line the temperature is cooler, and the air 
 fresher. Here, following each other in close suc- 
 cession, are Wren Falls, Little Mojave, and Pythea's
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 213 
 
 Falls; each have a charm and beauty distinct from 
 the others. As we whirl around the precipitous 
 mountain-side, at an altitude of 2,000 feet, one 
 instinctively holds his breath, and feels his hair 
 rise to an angle of forty-five degrees, especially if 
 he is standing on the platform of the car, looking 
 down into the wild canon below. 1 certainly feel 
 chills running down my back, and wild phantoms 
 flit across my brain. 
 
 We reach the Main Gorge, shoot by it, and 
 quickly attain the Summit Gorge. Here great tor- 
 rents make a mad rush over the rocks, and leap into 
 the Skagway River at the foot of the mountain. 
 The engine sounds its sonorous whistle, and I look 
 ahead. Before us are large blasting operations, and 
 rocks of every size and shape are scattered in all 
 directions. In the distance, at the very edge of the 
 precipice, is a tunnel. Before we enter this, we 
 cross a rough wooden trestle, spanning a wild 
 cascade, and follow the Glacier Gorge. As I look 
 upon the scene before me, I am filled Vv/ith admira- 
 tion for the brains that conceived, the brave spirits 
 that executed such a piece of engineering. The 
 tunnel is about three hundred feet long, and fully 
 two thousand feet from the surface of the earth. 
 During its construction, I am told by the contractor,
 
 214 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 the workmen were let down by strong ropes, and 
 held almost in mid air, while drilling and blasting. 
 
 There is no fear regarding the durability of this 
 road-bed, for it has existed since the beginning of 
 the earth, and is composed of solid granite, whose 
 natural foundation is two thousand feet in depth. 
 Upon this immovable support the railroad finds its 
 perch. These wooden trestles spanning the gorges 
 are to be replaced with structures of iron and 
 steel. 
 
 At the White Pass Canon, we are far above the 
 snow line, travelling through a white world of sur- 
 passing beauty. 
 
 At the tunnel, we are switched back, and train 
 and engine are reversed; also at Round House. 
 Our altitude now is 2,200 feet. As we stop to ad- 
 just the engine and train, I walk away from the 
 track, about a hundred feet, and from a deep 
 crevasse gather huge snowballs, with which I pelt 
 the passengers, to the amusement of all of us. 
 Think of a genuine snowball fight on the twenty- 
 ninth day of June, with the sun shining brightly 
 down upon us! 
 
 During the winter months severe gales rage 
 through these gorges, and the temperature falls 
 to thirty-five degrees below zero. Much credit is
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 217 
 
 due to the excellent management and system of 
 this railroad company for the fact that during the 
 whole winter season, there were only three weeks 
 of impassible roads by reason of heavy snow-drifts. 
 With the exception of these, the trains made their 
 runs in all kinds of weather, forcing a passage 
 through almost insurmountable obstacles. One of 
 the snow cuts, I am told, through which engines 
 and trains passed, was thirty feet in depth. 
 
 A telegraph line is established between Skagway 
 and Dawson City. The rate is, I believe, two dol- 
 lars and a half for ten words. At one time during 
 the construction of the road, seventeen hundred men 
 were employed. Laborers were paid fifty cents a 
 day more than the men who worked on the end of 
 the line. The tracks are single to the summit, and 
 to Lake Bennett, and two passenger trains are run 
 daily. 
 
 As my eyes follow the old Pack Trail, in fancy I 
 see the brave men trudging along it as in pioneer 
 days, enduring untold hardships and privations. 
 Doubtless many a poor fellow has dropped by the 
 wayside, unable to reach the end of the journey. 
 As the summit is reached an expression of relief 
 d^wns upon every countenance. Within a few rods 
 of the station is a beautiful lake, with clear cop|
 
 2i8 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 waters, which, we are told, abound in mountain 
 trout and white fish. This lake is at an elevation of 
 2,886 feet. The view from the summit fills us with 
 delight, notwithstanding the many magnificent 
 scenes through which we have passed. Groups of 
 icy mountain crests surround us, glistening in the 
 sun like great diadems of precious stones. Every- 
 thing about us seems to gleam and scintillate. It is 
 a scene of enchantment, and it seems that at any 
 moment the magician will exclaim: "Presto, 
 change! " the whole picture will disappear, and we 
 will find ourselves moving about in our every-day 
 earthly atmosphere. 
 
 The road is being repaired by a corps of work- 
 men, whose faces are screened by netting. I won- 
 der at this, but soon learn the reason in a very prac- 
 tical way. Clouds of mosquitoes fly about our 
 faces, annoying us beyond expression. Day and 
 night these pests surround one in these high lati- 
 tudes, during the summer season: it is vain to hope 
 to escape them. 
 
 I am invited by some of my companions to take a 
 glass of beer in a small frame building close by, with 
 the words Stage Saloon painted over the door. The 
 beverage is cool and refreshing, and costs seventy 
 cents a quart.
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 219 
 
 A number of our party have climbed to the ex- 
 treme point of the summit, and planted the Ameri- 
 can and British flags on their respective sides, and 
 when our photographs are tai<en as we stand there, 
 we call the picture " Under Two Flags." 
 
 As we descend the mountain to Lake Bennett, we 
 come upon the chain of three lakes which form the 
 head waters of the great Yukon River, They are 
 called Summit, Middle and Shallow Lakes. The 
 first two are six miles, the last, three-quarters of a 
 mile in length, in winter, ice forms here to a thick- 
 ness of four feet. We pass several odd, primitive 
 looking hotels and stations. One of the former 
 boasts of the original sign: "The Nugget Sunset 
 House." 
 
 By gradual descent, amidst exquisite views of 
 mountain and forest, we come to Bennett City, and 
 the end of our route. It is the intention of the rail- 
 road company to extend the road as far as Dawson 
 City, a distance of five hundred miles, and the work 
 is being rapidly pushed forward. When finished, 
 the present delays, hardships, and risks of life and 
 property, between these points will be reduced to a 
 minimum. So the irresistible power of progress 
 opens the way for the traveller and adventurer, 
 cleaving the massive boulders, leveling the moun-
 
 220 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 tains and bridging the chasms, that it may girdle the 
 globe with its bands of iron, and plant its standard 
 with its watchword " Excelsior," upon hitherto in- 
 accessible summits. 
 
 As the old pioneer tote trail, still visible, winds in 
 and out along the mountain-side amid grand and 
 wonderful scenery, I cannot help contrasting our 
 present luxurious mode of travel with those early 
 days of adventure and enthusiasm. Yet for every 
 gain, something is lost, and though we think with 
 pity of the little bands of fortune-seekers, with their 
 knapsacks strapped upon their backs, making step 
 by step, the arduous journey of hundreds of miles 
 to a home in the wilderness, we lose sight of the 
 hopes that brightened the pathway, the companion- 
 ship that lightened the burdens. What great ex- 
 pectations, what joyous excitement filled the hours 
 as they pressed forward into these unknown regions. 
 What close ties are knit between congenial spirits 
 by labors and privations shared together, and what 
 opportunities are offered daily, nay hourly, for deeds 
 of heroism and self-sacrifice. We, sitting in our 
 comfortable compartments, know nothing of the ex- 
 perience of those days of close communion with 
 nature — the nights of dreamless slumber — the mag- 
 netism of continuous contact with Mother Earth.
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 221 
 
 It is true we have gained much in these days of 
 wonderful scientific knowledge, but we have lost 
 something as well. 
 
 Bennett City is situated at an elevation of 2,200 
 feet, about 800 feet lower than the White Pass Sum- 
 mit. Indescribable are our feelings on beholding 
 this white city of the far north. From an elevated 
 point, we take a bird's-eye view of the town. Here 
 is plenty of space for him who would build a home 
 untroubled by close neighbors— plenty of space for 
 his neighbors, too. A score or more of wooden 
 houses of primitive structure meet the eyes, and 
 dozens of tents, in which miners and railroad em- 
 ployees dwell temporarily. The white canvas 
 gleams out in picturesque contrast v/ith the majes- 
 tic mountains at the feet of which they are scat- 
 tered. Upon the barren slopes are deep crevasses, 
 filled with snow, which trails down in graceful 
 wreaths to the base of the mountains and lightens 
 the deep purples and browns, forming a rich har- 
 mony of color. In the distance are indications of a 
 Christian settlement, for a large church with a tall 
 belfry, from its elevated position, overlooks its con- 
 gregation, as they pursue their weekly avocations, 
 and on the Sabbath calls them, from their labors, to 
 gather here for a service of prayer and thanksgiv-<
 
 222 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 ing. In my conversations witii many of the brave 
 men who have made their way into this frozen re- 
 gion, I have always observed a respect for the forms 
 and ceremonies of religion, and a trust in the Divine 
 Ruler of all things. Many of them are members of 
 some religious sect, and not once have I heard them 
 use sacrilegious expressions, or appear ignorant of 
 their duty to their church and their community. 
 
 " At church, with meek and unaffected grace, 
 His looks adorned the venerable place." 
 
 The temperature is pleasant, and the pure air fills 
 our lungs with new life, our spirits with a joy- 
 ous exhilaration. Fresh evidences of the energy of 
 man are constantly meeting us, as he labors with 
 untiring zeal to benefit his fellow-beings by opening 
 up new fields of enterprise. Church and railroad 
 are of incalculable influence in these districts. This 
 settlement is typical of many others throughout the 
 gold regions of Alaska. The people are pleasant 
 and generally hospitable, welcoming gladly the in- 
 flux of visitors from the outside world. 
 
 1 stand upon the shore of Lake Bennett, whose 
 beautiful waters are refreshing to the weary trav- 
 eller. On either side stand giant sentinels, lifting 
 their lofty summits thousands of feet above me. 
 Not far off groups of men are hard at work on some
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 223 
 
 barges, for Bennett has been the scene of many 
 operations in this line. There is much timber suit- 
 able for the purpose in the neighborhood, and a 
 small sawmill is run. Every one makes boats, 
 either for sale or to hire. These boats are from 
 twenty-six to thirty feet in length, flat bottomed, 
 and spread at the sides. 
 
 At the time of the first rush for the gold fields, 
 Bennett was one of the busiest places to be found 
 in the country. It is said that within but a few 
 months hundreds of craft of every size and shape 
 were launched upon the lake, and the shore was 
 packed with tents. The Bennett Lake and Klondike 
 Navigation Company have built a number of small 
 steamers for the navigation of the upper Yukon, 
 which lessens materially the average of individual 
 barges nov/ employed to convey passengers and 
 merchandise to Dawson City. As I view the inter- 
 esting scene, two barges leave the wharf for their 
 adventurous journey to the Klondike regions. The 
 worldly wealth of the travellers is stored upon the 
 boats, and the men as they stand about, talk cheer- 
 fully together. Here and there an apparently friend- 
 less voyager sits apart from the crowd, in solitary 
 meditation. The lake, the boats, the surroundings 
 are picturesque and charming enough for:
 
 224 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 " One of those passing rainbow dreams, 
 
 Half light, half shade, which Fancy's beams 
 Paint in the fleeting mists that roll 
 In trance or slumber round the soul." 
 
 Not far away is the Bennett of pioneer days, be- 
 fore the railroad extended its long arms into this re- 
 gion. The town seems to consist almost entirely 
 of saloons, restaurants and hotels. 
 
 The following are some of the signs painted con- 
 spicuously on these buildings: "The New Arctic 
 Saloon." "The Simpson Hotel: Good Beds — 
 Meals, 50 Cents." — "Harry's Restaurant." "Meals 
 — Beds — Bunks — 2^ Cents." "Meals, 25 Cents and 
 Up." 
 
 It appears as though the people here do nothing 
 but eat and sleep. But no, at long intervals appears 
 such a variety as: "Miss Sanna Simpson, Customs 
 Broker." 
 
 There is but one street, as yet unnamed. Just as 
 I begin to feel the pangs of hunger, Mr. Heney ap- 
 proaches to invite about a dozen of our party to dine 
 with him. In perfect unison we accept most cheer- 
 fully, and are escorted to a large log cabin, contain- 
 ing a spacious dining-room, with rough, unpainled 
 tables, and benches without backs. A table-cloth 
 honors our presence at one of these tables, but we
 
 Over White Pass to Lake Bennett 227 
 
 are served with the same tin cups, plates, spoons, 
 etc., which are used by the working men. The 
 room is capable of accommodating three hundred 
 and fifty men at one time. Men wait on us, and 
 the meal consists of good hot coffee, tea, bacon and 
 beans — bread, brown and white — prunes and canned 
 corn. For dessert one is allowed a second helping. 
 Mr. Heney proves a delightful host, and we have a 
 very enjoyable dinner. So it is when mind and 
 body are at peace. We are happy — a king can be 
 no more. 
 
 This is British territory, and we find soldiers sta- 
 tioned along the route to protect the English inter- 
 ests. The enchanting scenes repeat themselves as 
 we return to Skagway, but this only adds to the 
 interest with which we watch for them, often per- 
 ceiving new beauties which escaped our eyes be- 
 fore, and probably a dozen journeys over this route 
 would still leave some charming vista, or pictur- 
 esque ravine to surprise us should we stray again 
 into this region of lofty and sublime effects. 
 
 Upon a distant mountain I espy a lonely pros- 
 pector, following in the steps of his faithful pack- 
 horse; on his way, doubtless, to the Klondike. A 
 weary march, but his soul is filled with hope, and 
 even now, perhaps he sees himself, in anticipation
 
 228 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 returning home to startle his little world with the 
 wealth of a millionaire. What wonderful allure- 
 ment lies in the prospect of a fortune speedily 
 made! How it works upon the mind of man and — 
 
 " Tempts him from the blandishments of home, 
 Mountains to climb, and frozen seas to roam."
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir 
 
 Glacier, and Killisnoo
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, and Killisnoo 
 
 Leaving Skagway — Catching Ice — Glacier Bay — Scenes at Night 
 — Among the Icebergs — Wonderful Shapes — Aquatic Birds — 
 Bartlett Bay — Willoughby Island — The Silent City — Sea-gulls 
 — First Glimpse of Muir Glacier — Arctic Scenery — Inexhaust- 
 ible Stores — The Face of the Glacier — Pressure of the Ice Floes 
 — An Exciting Moment — A Stupendous Spectacle — A Giant 
 among the Giants — Dundas Bay — San Tereta — Surrounded 
 by Canoes — The Natives — Buying Curios — A Tattered Hat — 
 Old Moccasins — Indian Village — Sunday — A Lonely Shore — 
 On Terra Firma — Killisnoo — Schools of Herring — Oil Works 
 — The Schooner — Large Hauls — The Angler — Extracting the 
 Oil — Fisheries — A Russian Chapel — Saginaw Jake — The 
 Kootznahoos — A Peaceful Tribe — Indian Tents — Squaws — 
 Not to be Bribed — A Picture by Strategy — The Village Street 
 — Wares for Sale — Tides — No Physicians. 
 
 ANY of the citizens assemble on the land- 
 ing at Si^agway to see us off. At the 
 same time there is some little excite- 
 ment, for it is known to several of the 
 passengers that we are to carry to Sitka for trial, five 
 Indians who are implicated in the murder of a white 
 man and his wife. The victims had come here to 
 
 prospect, and were found dead in this vicinity. A 
 
 231 
 
 a
 
 232 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 number of the Indians' friends accompany them, 
 and as I look into their faces, expressions of cruelty 
 and cunning betray the fact that they are in sym- 
 pathy with the criminals. Owing to a dense fog, 
 we are delayed in starting; but at last the mist rises, 
 the bell rings, and amid a chorus of cheers and good 
 wishes, we leave Skagway for Glacier Bay. The 
 scenery changes perceptibly as we enter these 
 waters. How rich are the color effects — how sub- 
 lime the lights and shadows! What dazzling views 
 greet us in this region of perpetual winter! Here 
 ice takes the place of foliage and flowers, and the 
 fresh verdure which has hitherto accompanied our 
 passage. A gleaming wonderland spreads out its 
 wealth of beauty before us. 
 
 It is the custom of the steamers to gather their 
 supplies of ice in this region; and now as the order 
 is given, a small boat, manned by an officer and 
 four sailors is lowered, and the ship lies at anchor 
 while the search is made for a clear solid block. 
 This is speedily discovered and captured. A net is 
 adroitly slipped beneath the crystal mass, and it is 
 towed slowly to the side of the steamer. The rope 
 is attached to a huge derrick, and at the word of 
 command the pulleys are set in motion, and the ice- 
 berg is transferred from its watery bed to the deck
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 233 
 
 of the steamer. It is pure emerald in color, and 
 appears a mountain in size. 
 
 This is surely the greatest ice storehouse in the 
 world. Thousands of tons float slowly down the 
 water, and through seemingly pathless channels to 
 the sea. Truly, this is a most wonderful body of 
 water. Take with me a brief glance from the 
 steamer's deck, as we glide past these magnificent 
 shores, at this season of the year, flooded with un- 
 dying daylight. The sun in his descending splen- 
 dor, is visible at ten o'clock at night, and after sink- 
 ing below the horizon, leaves in his wake a twilight 
 that remains to greet him on his reappearance at 
 three o'clock in the morning. You may take an 
 instantaneous photograph at ten o'clock at night, 
 and be rewarded by a picture with brilliant cloud 
 effects, and a charming bit of scenery. The student 
 requires no oil for his midnight lamp, for the great 
 luminary of the Creator is his at will. 
 
 The panorama is indescribably beautiful during 
 these hours. The bay is framed in snow-clad 
 mountains, sloping gracefully to the water's edge. 
 Wild and picturesque is the view, with its impene- 
 trable ravines, its scintillating moraines and glaciers, 
 its steep gorges and wonderful shapes. But why 
 attempt to describe it ? Look with me. Behold
 
 234 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 the dazzling glory of it all; and tell me, can any 
 region in the universe surpass the beauty of this 
 enchanting spot ? The waters around us reflect in 
 their shimmering waves these fairy views, illumi- 
 nated by the red glow of the descending sun, and 
 plash softly the feet of the glaciers and the ice floes 
 whose iridescent colors rival those of the rainbow. 
 Now and then a tiny white sail marks the boat of a 
 solitary Indian, making some harbor, whither you 
 cannot guess, for no human beings appear to dvi'ell 
 in this region. Hundreds of wildly screaming sea- 
 gulls flutter about the prow of our vessel. A 
 tender, misty veil encircles the base of the distant 
 mountains, and still the sun, as in his prime, smiles 
 gloriously, and the huge icebergs gathering so 
 closely about our ship respond with dazzling light. 
 Muir Glacier is yet about twenty miles distant, and 
 there is some doubt of our coming into close prox- 
 imity to one of the greatest wonders of these Arctic 
 regions; for on the twentieth of last October, (1899) 
 the wall of the glacier was so shattered by an earth- 
 quake, that dense ice packs are constantly forming 
 in its vicinity, preventing steamers from approach- 
 ing nearer than six miles from its base. However, 
 our gallant ship pushes forward with great deter- 
 mination, and we live in hope.
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 237 
 
 None of us can forget the experience of these 
 hours amid the massive floes which press so closely 
 to our sides. Varied and wonderful are the shapes 
 of these frozen waters — picturesque, fairylike, grim 
 and awful, their ranks close about us, and we seem 
 to be in the power of the wizard who holds beneath 
 his spell all these castles and cathedrals; these rocks 
 and trees; these monsters of the deep and creatures 
 of the land; transforming them into ice and group- 
 ing them here as everlasting monuments of his in- 
 vincible might. Here, set in a background of deep 
 blue, are wonderful icy forests; here stand in im- 
 movable majesty the obelisks of the Nile; and about 
 these grand and awful images sport sea-gulls and 
 wild ducks, whole families often perching them- 
 selves upon the floating masses and sailing serenely 
 towards the open sea. 
 
 Our passengers are all closely observing the glit- 
 tering pageant, and watching for the appearance of 
 whales, seals, or schools of fish. At times some 
 one startles us with the cry that a seal is visible 
 basking in the sun on a huge ice floe. Every 
 glass is quickly leveled in the direction indi- 
 cated, only to perceive the dense shadow cast 
 by a projecting rock upon the iceberg floating 
 slowly past it.
 
 238 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Here and there on the mountain-sides a group of 
 hardy evergreens presents a charming contrast to the 
 glittering masses of ice and snow about it. The 
 temperature falls perceptibly as we advance, and the 
 masses of floating ice around us become more dense, 
 some of them rising eight, ten, and even twenty 
 feet above the water. As fresh water ice is said to 
 present only one-eighth of its thickness above the 
 water, when floating, we are able to judge of the 
 great depth of these bergs. The prow of the ves- 
 sel is protected by heavy timbers, and we feel the 
 shock as it goes crashing through the closely packed 
 blue and emerald shapes. 
 
 Passing Bartlett Bay, beyond which gleaming sum- 
 mits rise to heights of from 3, 500 to 4,000 feet, we 
 glide slowly by Willoughby Island. Strain our eyes 
 as we may, we see no trace of the Silent City which 
 has been said to appear in this region during the 
 longest days of the year. We would give much to 
 behold this entrancing vision, which it seems, 
 appears only to the natives and a few highly favored 
 souls. No glow of radiant light upon the mountain 
 front presages the appearance of those majestic 
 cathedrals; those gorgeous windows; noble palaces 
 and stately avenues of trees stretching far away in 
 the distance. The solemn music of the cathedrals,
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 239 
 
 the chimes of bells mingling their happy melodies 
 are not for us, but the beauties of this mundane 
 sphere surround us in rich profusion, and never fail 
 to win their meed of enthusiasm and delight. 
 
 Ducks and other aquatic creatures still float and 
 fly quite near; the icebergs grow taller, more pic- 
 turesque, and the floes clasp us more closely as we 
 advance. Slowly, and more slowly still, our good 
 ship makes her way, the struggle with the huge 
 blocks sending tremors through her powerful frame. 
 Still she is victor in the battle, crushing one after 
 another of the giant masses which try to impede 
 her way. The screaming gulls fly so near that we 
 feel almost tempted to catch one of them, and hold 
 him on deck while we demand the reason of this 
 violent disapproval of our proceedings. 
 
 Our motion is now scarcely perceptible, and the 
 scene about us beyond expression. We seem to 
 have encountered a vast army of icebergs which are 
 determined to prevent our farther progress — huge, 
 massive, inexorable, they face us in all the varied 
 shapes of this frozen region. Here a great elephant 
 would like to twist his trunk about our ship and hurl 
 it scornfully from his path. Here, alligators, sharks, 
 whales are waiting to leap upon us in a body and 
 crush us out of existence. Hundreds of gulls settle
 
 240 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 upon these icy monsters, fly away at our approach, 
 and as quickly return to their favorite resting-places. 
 Two large eagles soar above us, circling round and 
 round, as though loath to leave us. 
 
 Now we have our first glimpse of Muir Glacier, 
 about six miles away and directly ahead of us. We 
 are completely surrounded by the floating ice, and 
 feel constant shocks, as the ship forces her way 
 through it, pushing the masses aside, and often 
 lifting them bodily from the water. We make a 
 detour around the base of a mountain to avoid an 
 enormous, impenetrable block. It is quite possible 
 that we may not reach the foot of the glacier, as the 
 ice pack grows continually more solid and heavy. 
 Some fear is expressed that we will break the pro- 
 peller, and thus find ourselves helpless in the power 
 of Alaska's merciless tyrants. The Arctic scenery 
 grows constantly more vivid, our surroundings more 
 startlingly beautiful. We entertain ourselves with 
 the fantastic shapes around us — wild, weird, solemn, 
 fierce, graceful, majestic and imposing beyond 
 description. Each passenger beholds something 
 invisible to the others. Each is thrilled with a mys- 
 terious presence which appears for him alone. 
 Each, out of the scenes of his life, recalls here a like- 
 ness familiar to his youth. Each unconsciously feels
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 241 
 
 the glamour of some olden dream. Inexhaustible 
 is the store from which a universe may draw. 
 
 An immense iceberg has just toppled over, with a 
 report equal to that of a great cannon, and the 
 echoes accompany it with their myriad voices, as it 
 is carried down the bay. Over and over it rolls, 
 vainly endeavoring to regain its equilibrium, and 
 ruffling the water into great waves. At last it finds 
 a peaceful bed, and we too, are relieved when its 
 struggles are over, and have peace ourselves until 
 another great berg yields to its inevitable fate, and 
 falls shuddering down among its fellows. The 
 waters are of a greenish blue; the icebergs white 
 on the surface, with mingled blue and emerald on 
 their wild and jagged edges. The mountains are of 
 misty purple and lavender tones, and their vivid re- 
 flections in the water are entrancingly beautiful. 
 
 How the steamer strains to force her huge bulk 
 farther and farther into this dangerous mass of ice! 
 Inch by inch she makes her way, in spite of warn- 
 ing notes and threatening appearances. 
 
 The injury to the glacier caused by the earthquake 
 of 1899 is now apparent; for the once upright wall 
 is changed to a surface sloping from its highest 
 point to the water's edge. It now has the appear- 
 ance of a vast cataract rushing madly into the bay,
 
 242 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 with great wings spreading out on either side. It 
 reaches the sea by a gateway, two miles and a half 
 in width, between the spurs of two lofty moun- 
 tains, and is surrounded by summits averging from 
 four thousand to six thousand feet above the sea. 
 Its icy cliffs, a mile and three-quarters in length, rise 
 from a hundred to two hundred and fifty feet above 
 the bay, and extend nine hundred feet below its 
 surface. It slopes backward to the mountains, from 
 ten to thirteen miles distant. Inexpressibly grand 
 and awful is the appearance of this glacier. Thou- 
 sands of crevasses and great fissures cross its jagged 
 surface, as it stretches away in the winding course 
 between the steep mountain gorges. From its 
 rugged surface, great masses of ice are constantly 
 falling into the water with a thundering crash that 
 may be heard for miles. 
 
 Our Captain pushes the steamer on in spite of the 
 increased pressure of the floes, until we are within 
 four miles of the glacier, when he is compelled to 
 yield to the superior force without. From the 
 ship's bridge rings out the order: "Stop," followed 
 quickly by the signal to turn about. It is an excit- 
 ing moment. The icebergs press hard against the 
 ship's sides, and creak ominously. The wheels 
 turn, then stop, apparently wedged in the ice.
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 243 
 
 Many, many attempts are made without effect. A 
 slight thrill of alarm is felt among the passengers. 
 "What is to be done?" is murmured from one to 
 another. At this juncture several great icebergs, 
 towering from fifteen to twenty feet above us, 
 topple over with such a sound that we feel that 
 we are being cannonaded. Great showers of 
 spray rise almost to the top of the glacier, and 
 now bergs continue tumbling around us, while the 
 steamer struggles to extricate herself from their icy 
 grasp. Determination on the side of the captain, 
 and the strenuous efforts of the crew, are at length 
 crowned with success, and slowly, slowly the 
 vessel turns, and begins to move towards open 
 water. We all breathe more freely, and I overhear 
 the captain say: "Possibly I went a bit too far into 
 the ice jam." 
 
 The water here is a hundred fathoms deep. The 
 thermometer at our nearest point to the glacier reg- 
 istered forty-four degrees. 
 
 The actual ice surface of the glacier covers about 
 three hundred and fifty square miles, it is a stu- 
 pendous spectacle, exhibiting every variety of form, 
 exquisite in coloring, massive and terrible in its 
 slow but irresistible progress to the sea. It is a 
 giant among the giants. There are ten other vast
 
 244 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 glaciers in this bay, besides a number of smaller 
 ones; that at the extreme north end being half as 
 large again as Muir. 
 
 Of the five thousand living glaciers which, it is 
 said, exist along this coast line, hundreds find their 
 way to the level of the sea, many of them discharg- 
 ing icebergs directly into the sea. The daily move- 
 ment of the centre of the Muir is estimated at about 
 forty feet. 
 
 We now turn our bow southward, as we have 
 reached the northern limit of our route in these 
 waters. It is not long before we drop anchor in the 
 pretty Dundas Bay, opposite the village of San 
 Tereta. We have been favored with a clear day, 
 and brilliant sunlight; now the afternoon is declin- 
 ing, and the water is so calm that scarcely a ripple 
 stirs the surface of the bay. Our steamer home 
 seems like a great hotel, quietly stationed on terra 
 firma; so well are we protected from the more ex- 
 citable waters of the Pacific. 
 
 In less time than it takes to tell it, we are sur- 
 rounded by innumerable canoes, manned by the na- 
 tives, who handle their oars with skill and grace. 
 What a picturesque sight they make, as they stand 
 or sit in their light boats, robed in the many 
 colored blankets, with their gay beads and bright
 
 San Tereta, Dundas Bay 
 
 See page 244
 
 Glacier Bay, Mulr Glacier, Killisnoo 247 
 
 hued baskets about them. Their canoes respond 
 to each wave of the bay as readily as a floating 
 eggshell. The steps are thrown down from the 
 deck to the water, and the Indians crowd quickly 
 upon the steamer. Upon closer acquaintance they 
 are anything but attractive, being greasy and 
 homely, and none too clean. They approach the 
 passengers, talking in their native gutteral tongue, 
 and entreat the noble white faces to buy their 
 wares. It is astonishing to see how eager many of 
 the tourists are to accommodate them. Old baskets, 
 from their odor apparently used for carrying fish, 
 are sold so rapidly that a detachment is sent off in 
 canoes to the village for a fresh supply. Old shawls, 
 spoons, moccasins, odd pieces that I would not care 
 to touch are exposed for sale, and find ready pur- 
 chasers. 
 
 " O wad some power the giftie gie us, 
 To see oursels as others see us ! 
 It wad frae monie a blunder free us, 
 And foolish notion." 
 
 A young Indian lad and girl approach the group 
 in which I stand, and the girl extends a forlorn and 
 dilapidated straw hat towards me. I take it reluc- 
 tantly, and ask her the price.
 
 248 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 "Two dollars," is the reply. 
 
 "What, two dollars ? " I exclaim. 
 
 "Yes: no less." 
 
 "O Mr. Taylor, what a lovely thing! Do you 
 not want it ? " quickly cries a young lady at my 
 side. 
 
 "What, that dirty, torn and unattractive piece of 
 headgear?" 
 
 "Well, 1 will take it," she replies eagerly, and 
 places the price of the hat in the girl's hand. 1 do 
 not envy her her prize. Many of the baskets are 
 daintily woven and beautiful in color, justly com- 
 manding high prices. An Indian of large propor- 
 tions offers to sell the dingy moccasins on his feet, 
 for a dollar. The offer is taken up by one of our 
 company, and removing them, the red man quickly 
 hands them to the purchaser, as though fearing he 
 would regret his bargain before it is too late. 
 Apart from the throng of canoes that besiege the 
 steamer, is one in which sit three old squaws and a 
 young Indian girl. The old women are stout and 
 homely; the young girl, slender, graceful and 
 comely. They do not appear to have anything for 
 sale, but simply paddle about, laughing and talking, 
 and watching the scene on board the steamer, as 
 they skilfully balance their canoe against the current.
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 249 
 
 It is strange to see the men hand the money they 
 receive to the squaws, who grasp it greedily, and 
 thrust it down into their long pockets. I wonder 
 what use they make of money. They do not buy 
 clothing with it, for their dress is simply a shawl 
 and a skirt, — or food, for the fish and game that 
 abound in these regions are more than sufficient for 
 their needs. Doubtless there is a secret pleasure in 
 possessing and handling that with which the white 
 man can accomplish so much. 
 
 We are detained here many hours, as there is a 
 large cargo of empty boxes to be delivered at this 
 port. San Tereta is a great fishing station, and owns 
 a large salmon cannery, — hence the necessity for the 
 empty boxes. The constant noise of the windlass, 
 as it raises and lowers the freight, is anything but 
 agreeable; however, as one becomes accustomed to 
 the sound, he forgets to notice it. The Indians offer 
 to row us to their village, a half a mile away, for a 
 trifling sum, and many of us take advantage of the 
 offer. The village consists of about forty tents 
 pitched upon the beach. The scene, as we ap- 
 proach, is pretty and picturesque, but the tents, 
 like their owners, are dirty and unattractive on close 
 acquaintance. 
 
 We now have an outside view of the many ice
 
 250 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 floes which lie about our steamer: beautiful are the 
 varied hues reflected from their vast shining surfaces. 
 While we are admiring these, a deep bass whistle 
 sounds across the water. It is an order for all pas- 
 sengers to go aboard. The command is cheerfully 
 obeyed, the anchor is hoisted, the great engines re- 
 sume their work, and we say farewell to San Tereta, 
 her natives and her curios. 
 
 To-day is Sunday, — as there is no service held on 
 board, there is nothing to distinguish it from any 
 other day of the week. We are steaming through 
 serene waters, bordered on either side by wooded 
 islands, mountain walls and inlets. The country 
 has a lonely, deserted appearance. Save now and 
 then a distant village, no houses or tents are discern- 
 ible. The strait is several miles wide here, and we 
 are told that at times its waters are so turbulent that 
 navigation is impossible. The temperature in the 
 shade at nine o'clock in the morning is fifty-six de- 
 grees. 
 
 Our course is to the village of Killisnoo, on Ke- 
 nasnow Island, and as we draw near the harbor, we 
 can take in at a glance the handful of little houses 
 of one story, which being on a slight elevation, have 
 a fine water view. The steamer is made fast to a 
 primitive wharf, and we hasten to experience the
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 25'! 
 
 delight of treading upon solid earth again. There 
 is no such regularity in our progress through these 
 settlements and villages, as appears in the order of 
 the academy catalogues. Each one goes his own 
 way, here or there as fancy leads him, or as op- 
 portunity offers some interesting object or prospect 
 for his observation. I have found this method of 
 sightseeing so satisfactory that I always follow it. 
 
 Killisnoo has a reputation for its vast oil and 
 guano works. Immense schools of herring resort 
 hither, and the largest fish oil plant in the world was 
 established here about fifteen years ago. The vil- 
 lage can boast of a post-office, government school, 
 and a Russian chapel. Here dvv^ell the Kootznahoo 
 Indians and their famous chief, Kitchnatti, or Sagi- 
 naw Jack. The first object which claims our atten- 
 tion on the shore is the enormous oil and guano fac- 
 tory. At the wharf lies a schooner laden with great 
 tubs of herring, which are being hoisted into cars 
 overhead, and carried down an inclined track to the 
 factory. This mill is capable of turning out annu- 
 ally two hundred and fifty thousand gallons of oil, 
 which is shipped to San Francisco and New York. 
 About three thousand tons of the fertilizer are also 
 sent annually to the Hawaiian Islands. 
 
 The captain of the schooner is at my side, and in-
 
 252 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 forms me that the average weight of the herring is 
 from a quarter of a pound to a pound and a half, 
 and that the largest schools are found fifty or sixty 
 miles from the village. The fish are caught by 
 means of seines. The load of the present schooner, 
 amounting to eight hundred barrels, has been taken 
 in one haul, and it is not uncommon to capture 
 twelve or fifteen hundred barrels at one time. The 
 patient follower of Isaak Walton can hardly realize 
 this enormous harvest of the nets — especially after 
 sitting long hours with his eyes fixed patiently upon 
 a little floating object on the water, with nothing to 
 reward his faithfulness: — and if, after a long day 
 spent on a shady bank beneath the rustling trees, he 
 brings home fifteen or twenty fish of good size, he 
 calls his friends together, and rejoices at his excep- 
 tional luck; but his meditative mind would scorn 
 this wholesale business method of the nets, if it 
 could be brought to comprehend it. But Isaak 
 Walton is an angler, and a lover of the sport. 
 
 We step within the factory to witness the process, 
 which is interesting. The small cars, holding about 
 a ton of herring, received their load from the 
 schooner's hold, and by the force of gravity are car- 
 ried to the great doorways of the mill. Here their 
 contents are shot into large vats, capable of contain-
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 253 
 
 ing several car loads. The vats are filled with water, 
 and the fish boiled till they are ready to fall into 
 shreds, when they are passed into another vat, 
 where the water is drained off, and they are pressed 
 until the oil is all extracted. The pulp or residue is 
 dried and powdered, and used as a fertilizer. The 
 factory can handle about eight hundred barrels a day. 
 
 The guide-book contains an account of the fish- 
 eries of this region, from which I make the follow- 
 ing extract: 
 
 " The cod which abound in Chatham Strait were 
 for a time packed at Killisnoo, the natives receiving 
 two cents apiece for the 8,000 and 10,000 fish of 
 five pounds' average weight which they brought in 
 daily from their trawls. The cod were dried 
 artificially, and an excellent quality of cod-liver oil 
 was made, but this factory could not compete with 
 the Shumagin fleet which controlled the market at 
 San Francisco. The herring, "which has decided 
 the destiny of nations." next made the fortunes of 
 Killisnoo. From September to May all these waters 
 are visited by great schools of herring, and once in 
 August a steamer passes through one school for 
 four hours — the water silvered as far as could be 
 seen, many whales and flocks of gulls attracted by 
 this run of plenty. The natives rake them from the
 
 254 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 water with a bit of lath set with nails, and a family 
 can fill a canoe in an hour. Spruce branches are 
 laid in shallow water along the shore, and the 
 herring roe deposited on them are stored in cakes 
 for winter use. The same processes and machinery 
 are used at Killisnoo as at the menhaden factories 
 in the East. Each barrel of fish when pressed 
 yields three quarts of oil, valued at twenty-five 
 and thirty-five cents a gallon. The refuse of fifty 
 barrels of fish, dried and powdered, furnishes one 
 ton of guano, worth thirty dollars, and is much in 
 demand for Hawaiian sugar plantations and Cali- 
 fornia fruit ranches." 
 
 The Russian chapel stands on a hill at a short 
 distance from the factory and as we approach it, we 
 learn that service is being held within. The con- 
 gregation consists of four women, one man, and 
 two little girls, all natives. The interior of the 
 chapel is pretty, and the devout attitude of the 
 little flock proves that numbers are not necessary 
 for the earnestness and sincerity of true worship. 
 
 Of course we all wish to see the famous Indian 
 warrior: and another short walk brings us to a little 
 wooden house, whose owner strolls about in his 
 plain attire, as peacefully as though no fierce 
 revengeful spirit has ever animated his bosom.
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 257 
 
 This is the once bloodthirsty Kitchnatti, who was 
 taken prisoner in 1869 by Commander Meade, 
 U. S. N., and conveyed to Mare island, California, 
 where he was confined on the Saginaw for a year. 
 Many traditions are related of the Kootznahoos, 
 whose name, it is said, has been spelled in fifteen 
 different ways, and who claim a different origin 
 from the other Indians of Alaska. But these peo- 
 ple, like the other red men of America, are rapidly 
 decreasing in numbers, and ere many centuries, 
 their names will be heard as legends of the past, 
 and their scattered tents will be sought in vain 
 along these shores, beneath the forest trees or by 
 the rushing waterfalls. 
 
 Sharp are the contrasts between the past and the 
 present — lii<e a scene in a farce is the modern life of 
 the old chieftain who wears a shabby uniform, and 
 posts the following verses over his cabin door: 
 
 "KITCHNATTI" 
 " By the Governor's commission, 
 And the company's permission, 
 I'm made the Grand Tyhee 
 Of this entire illabee. 
 
 f Prominent in song and story, 
 I've attained the top of glory. 
 As ' Saginaw ' I'm known to fame, 
 ♦ Jake ' is but my common name,''
 
 258 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 The village has but a single street, on one side of 
 which is a row of houses and tents facing the 
 beautiful waters of Chatham Strait. Here the 
 women display their wares, consisting of trinkets, 
 beads and baskets made of grass and bark, and the 
 men offer for sale the skins of deer, otter, bear and 
 other game which abounds in this region. Here we 
 see a black kettle of unsavory appearance suspended 
 over a small wood-fire, and a group of natives 
 gathered around it. An old woman is now wash- 
 ing her face in the kettle, and three children at her 
 side seem to be waiting their turn. Later we per- 
 ceive many of these fires and kettles in front of the 
 tents, and suppose that this is the customary 
 manner of making the toilet. Some of the tents are 
 composed of pieces of canvas placed over old 
 canoes and other boats. Here and there crossed 
 poles are securely driven into the ground, upon 
 which fish, skins and pieces of meat are hung to 
 dry in the sun. 
 
 Many of the squaws are mending nets, others sit 
 idly behind their wares, apparently indifferent 
 whether we purchase or not. The women are all 
 shy, especially of the camera. It is difficult to 
 photograph them. 1 offer a young squaw fifty 
 cents to be allowed to take her picture, but she is
 
 Glacier Bay, Muir Glacier, Killisnoo 259 
 
 not to be bribed. A handsome Indian girl, evidently 
 the belle of the village, is very indignant when I 
 level my camera at her. 1 offer her a dollar for the 
 privilege, but she refuses scornfully. Not wishing 
 to own myself defeated, 1 appear to give up the 
 attempt, but return later to where she sits, and ac- 
 complish my end by strategy, and without parting 
 with any of my cash. 
 
 There is a supply store here: the A. O. & G. 
 Co., meaning the Alaska Oil and Guano 
 Company. Travellers who wish to hunt the 
 wild game in this region have no difficulty in 
 engaging guides, and chartering launches or 
 canoes. The tides are highest during the months 
 of June and December, at which times they rise 
 to a height of twenty-two feet. The winter 
 gales are very violent on these shores, and the 
 temperature falls to ten and fifteen degrees below 
 zero. 
 
 There is no physician in the settlement. I ask a 
 resident what is done in cases of illness, and he 
 laughingly replies: "When we get sick, we work 
 it off." This is heroic treatment. He further tells 
 me of a settler who had a tooth which caused him 
 constant pain. Having made several ineffectual at- 
 tempts to draw it, he was compelled to go to
 
 26o Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Juneau to have it extracted: which necessitated a 
 month's absence from home. 
 
 I cannot decide which is greater — my anxiety to 
 arrive at Killisnoo, or my delight at leaving the 
 village. One loathes so the dirt and disorder of the 
 Indians! A good meal, served in an orderly manner 
 with attractive surroundings, adds much to the 
 comfort and enjoyment of the man of modern 
 tastes.
 
 The Capital of Alaska
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 The Capital of Alaska 
 
 Peril Strait — The Path of the Steamer — A Deep Cavern — The 
 " Columbine " — A Dangerous Channel — Old Sitka — The 
 Capital — The Stars and Stripes — Population — Lincoln Street 
 — Russian Church of St. Michael — Interior — Indian River 
 Park — Alaskan Herald — Mount Verstovoi — Museum — Mount 
 St. Elias — Ruins of the Castle — Excursions — The Return 
 Voyage — Familiar Scenes — Rodman's Bay — Halibut Fishing 
 — White Headed Eagles — A Fine Prize — Settlements — 
 Missionaries — Rainy Days — End of the Alaskan Trip — A 
 Double Illumination — Farewell to the Arctic Regions. 
 
 E left Killisnoo about noon, and are now 
 on our way to Sitka, the capital of 
 Alaska. As we enter Peril Strait, 1 
 wonder if this body of water is more 
 dangerous than many others through which we 
 have passed safely on this inland voyage. It is 
 well known that the entire route is more or less 
 hazardous to the navigator, in consequence of the 
 great number of hidden rocks. I soon perceive, 
 however, that like Seymour Narrows, this passage 
 is to be attempted only when the tide is full or 
 nearly so, and in favorable weather. The water 
 
 263
 
 264 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 rushes in torrents over and between rocky ledges, 
 at the rate of six to eight knots an hour, and its 
 speed is so great at certain points, that they are 
 known as the Upper and Lower Rapids. The 
 steamer's path lies along narrow passages, some- 
 times scarcely four hundred feet wide. The nu- 
 merous islands, large and small, by which we are 
 surrounded, are very beautiful with their stately 
 forests, rich verdure, and indented shores. Here a 
 deep cavern extends into the base of the mountain, 
 and at its mouth is an isolated log cabin. No other 
 signs of human life are visible. Solitary it stands 
 amid the haunts of the wild creatures, in the very 
 entrance to Nature's secret and subterranean mys- 
 teries. 
 
 Suddenly the deep whistle of the engine sounds 
 upon the air, and crut of the distance a shrill treble 
 note is heard in response. We all hasten to the 
 side of the steamer, and soon find ourselves in the 
 wake of a revenue cutter, the "Columbine." 
 
 As we approach this vessel, greetings are ex- 
 changed by a series of whistles from both ships, 
 and a waving of handkerchiefs and cheers from 
 those on board. The "Columbine" is a govern- 
 ment boat, bearing the officers and men who are 
 locating rocks, widening the channels at difficult
 
 Kii.i.isNoo Uelle 
 
 Sec page- 25y
 
 The Capital of Alaska 267 
 
 points, and otherwise increasing the safety of navi- 
 gation in these waters. As the distance again 
 widens between us, we return to our favorite posts 
 of observation. The fresh verdure growing so 
 close to the water is a constant source of wonder. 
 We are told that the frequent rains in this region 
 counteract the efifect of the salt waters of the strait. 
 Flocks of ducks and other wild fowls rise suddenly 
 from the water and fly away before us, flapping 
 their wings and uttering loud cries. 
 
 This strait is forty miles in length, and curves in 
 a great bow as it sweeps along from Chatham 
 Strait to Salisbury Sound. The name given to it by 
 the natives is Koo-le-tchika, or a dangerous chan- 
 nel. Portions of the strait are swept by strong 
 tidal currents, and beyond the Lower Rapids, where 
 the channel is scarcely a hundred yards in width, 
 the tide rushes in with the strength and swiftness 
 of a cataract. As the steamer goes through at high 
 water slack, few of the passengers are aware of 
 the sunken rocks and hidden maelstroms which 
 render this part of the passage so dangerous; and 
 all are as careless and merry at the points requiring 
 the utmost caution of captain and officers, as 
 though sitting safely in their drawing-rooms at 
 home.
 
 268 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Before reaching the capital city,, we pass a point 
 of land, on which two houses and a large cross are 
 visible. This is Old Sitka, the site of Baranoff's 
 first settlement in 1799, which was destroyed by 
 the natives in 1802. The present town of Sitka 
 became the capital of Russian America under the 
 administration of Governor Alexander BaranofF, the 
 former capital having been Kodiak, on an island of 
 the same name, five hundred miles west. 
 
 We land at Sitka at about four oclock in the after- 
 noon. The town is built on level ground at the 
 mouth of Indian River, on the western coast of 
 Baranoff Island. At its back rises Mount Verstovoi, 
 3,216 feet in height. The United States formally 
 took possession of Alaska October 18, 1867, when 
 the Union Men of War entered the harbor of Sitka, 
 and the stars and stripes took the place of the 
 Moscovite flag on the government castle. 
 
 The city has a population of probably five hun- 
 dred whites and nine hundred natives and China- 
 men. We are surprised to see so many people on 
 the wharf on our arrival. They are friends of pas- 
 sengers, who have assembled to welcome the 
 travellers to these arctic shores. .'Mong the side of 
 the landing is a line of Indian women, picturesque 
 in effect, but ugly and unattractive as we approach
 
 The Capital of Alaska 269 
 
 them. They call out to us some words in their 
 native tongue, which we do not understand, but 
 which we know by their gestures are entreaties to 
 purchase their wares, consisting of the usual variety 
 of curios found by the collectors of these articles at 
 most of the ports here. We wander up Lincoln 
 Street, the principal thoroughfare of the town, and 
 behold many of the natives, who, though unkempt 
 and repulsive, present a certain artistic fitness for 
 their surroundings. 
 
 More curios are here offered for sale, and as 
 eagerly as before purchased by many of our ship's 
 company, who thus add materially to the stores of 
 wealth in the deep pockets of the squaws. The 
 latter smile and grunt their approval of the gener- 
 osity of their white visitors, but as usual, baffle all 
 endeavors to take their photographs. Their eyes are 
 keen to note every move in that direction, and the 
 appearance of the camera is the signal for the faces 
 of one and all to disappear beneath their heavy 
 woolen shawls. They then peep out shyly and cau- 
 tiously until all danger is past. 
 
 The hotel is an uninviting looking building on 
 our left; at the head of Lincoln Street is the Rus- 
 sian Orthodox Church of St. Michael, with its blue 
 dome and chime of bells. It occupies a quadrangle
 
 270 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 midway in the street. Rich stores of plate, pic- 
 tures, vestments and altar furnishings have been 
 sent to this church from Russia as it was under the 
 protection of the imperial family. All of its hand- 
 some appointments, as well as the chime of six 
 bells in the cupola, have come hither from Moscow. 
 
 Upon payment of the customary small fee "for 
 the support of the church," we enter this imposing 
 building. Its interior is furnished in white and 
 gold, and here we find striking effects in the gor- 
 geous adornment of the altar, and fine paintings of 
 the Madonna and other scriptural subjects, hand- 
 somely set in richly jeweled frames. The bronze 
 doors, separating the body of the church from the 
 inner sanctuary present portraits of saints in beaten 
 silver, with jeweled halos and helmets. Massive 
 candlesticks stand on either side of these doors, and 
 in the church treasury are valuable crowns, crosses, 
 caskets and reliquaries. There are no seats, the 
 congregation either standing or kneeling during the 
 entire service. Many of the natives belong to this 
 church, whose ceremonies are of an interesting 
 character. 
 
 The Indian River Park is about two miles from 
 Sitka, and thither we now betake ourselves. On 
 our way we pass a dilapidated two story frame
 
 The Capital of Alaska 271 
 
 building, which would doubtless remain unnoticed 
 by the tourist were it not that above its doorway is 
 a sign which reads : Alaskan Herald. I stop, think- 
 ing I will enter and have a little chat with the edi- 
 tor; but, alas! the door is locked, and I am forced 
 to go my way without this means of gaining in- 
 formation. It is said that a good imitation is the 
 highest form of compliment. If this be true, then 
 the newspaper of this place is perfectly innocent of 
 complimenting any of its namesakes. It fails 
 utterly in resemblance to the spicy journals of Ben- 
 nett City, and if it ever had the faintest idea of 
 claiming relationship with its celebrated ancestor 
 in New York City, 1 fear it would find a shoul- 
 der turned towards it, even colder than those 
 of the icy monarchs of these northern latitudes. 
 Yet the Alaskan is the oldest paper in the terri- 
 tory, and is read as a source of information re- 
 garding this region by people in other parts of the 
 country. 
 
 We find the park a delightful pleasure-ground, 
 with stately trees, luxuriant thickets, fine plants and 
 a great variety of ferns and mosses. Picturesque 
 paths lead one to its most striking points, and rus- 
 tic seats offer rest and lovely views to the weary 
 visitor. The main path leads from the falls of the
 
 272 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 river to the beach, and many fairy bridges span the 
 stream at different points. 
 
 The lover of curios is tempted to spend much of 
 his valuable time in the museum of this city, which 
 contains one of the largest collections in the coun- 
 try of the relics and oddities peculiar to this people. 
 But our time is limited, and we prefer the outside 
 world with all its new and wonderful appearances, 
 to all the relics in existence. From Mount Verstovoi 
 at the back of the town one may obtain a fine view 
 of the country stretching out to the west. Afar off 
 on the Pacific coast appears the icy peak of Mount 
 St. Elias, 18,000 feet above the level of the sea — one 
 of the familiar landmarks of this arctic region; and 
 still farther are the fiery craters of the Aleutian 
 Islands. Beyond these all is vague and misty, but 
 the unknown and distant lands have a charm that 
 overpowers the visible, and we linger under their 
 spell, conjecturing, dreaming, till some more prac- 
 tical spirit suggests that time does not standstill, al- 
 though we may. 
 
 The ruins of the old castle are interesting to the 
 tourist, in consequence of the romantic stories asso- 
 ciated with the place. This was once an imposing 
 structure, built of logs, and situated on a rocky 
 point commanding a magnificent view of the ocean
 
 The Capital of Alaska 273 
 
 and the picturesque harbor dotted with lovely ever- 
 green islands. This massive building was the scene 
 of much social gayety in the days of the Russians, 
 and the noble women who dwelt within its walls, 
 proved each in turn a Lady Bountiful to the women 
 and children of the colony. The glass cupola above 
 the third story was formerly the lighthouse of the 
 harbor, its lamp standing over one hundred feet 
 above the sea. It was handsomely furnished when 
 the city was delivered to our military commandant 
 in 1867, but after the departure of the troops, the 
 building was defaced and robbed of all its luxurious 
 appointments. Some years ago the government of 
 the United States expended many thousands of 
 dollars in the work of repairs and restoration, but in 
 1894, soon after the completion of these operations, 
 fire broke out in the castle, and it was burned to the 
 ground. 
 
 The capital of Alaska is rich in historical associa- 
 tions, but contains little to interest the traveller be- 
 yond the points just enumerated. It is true we 
 could have many delightful excursions to the neigh- 
 boring mountains and among the lovely islands, but 
 for these we have not time. 
 
 The Sitkans, it is said, are of mixed stock, being 
 the outcasts, renegades and wanderers of many
 
 2/4 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 tribes. The word Sitka, says our guide-book, is 
 freely translated as " the people living at the base of 
 the mountain." They have adopted many of the 
 customs of the white people around them, and in 
 the Industrial School, supported by the Presbyterian 
 Missionary Society, their children are taught various 
 trades. The men are fishermen, loggers and boat- 
 men, similar in their habits to the average white 
 backwoodsman. They still have their canoes, but 
 their lodges or "communal" dwellings have disap- 
 peared from this region, and their houses are num- 
 bered for record and sanitary inspection. 
 
 We steam away from this beautiful harbor at 
 break of day, with our course now towards Juneau. 
 From this time forward, our voyage will prove a 
 repetition of what we have already experienced; 
 but it is a prospect which we enjoy to the utter- 
 most. Although the route is not new to us, we 
 still find in it a succession of delightful surprises. 
 Again we thread these labyrinthian sounds and 
 straits, as they take their winding course between 
 lofty mountain walls, or past the shores of fairy 
 islands clothed in richest verdure. Again we look 
 down into these shining depths and follow the 
 magnificent panorama as it glides over the mirror- 
 like surface. The snow capped mountains wel-
 
 The Capital of Alaska 275 
 
 come us back, the glaciers, those great icy rivers 
 which the long ages have watched slowly working 
 their way towards the sea, they too, as all the rest, 
 are our friends whom we rejoice to see once more, 
 and whom we will never forget. We pay our 
 tribute of praise to the sparkling waterfalls, and 
 greet them with a familiarity born of past asso- 
 ciations. The dancing cascades, with their rainbow 
 hues and misty veils charm us as before, as do also 
 the rich harmonies of the mountain slopes. To each 
 and all we can truly say: 
 
 " I owe thee much ! Thou hast deserved of me 
 Far, far beyond what I can ever pay." 
 
 Stopping at Rodman's Bay for freight, we are 
 requested to have our lines ready for some good 
 halibut fishing. Fish weighing from one hundred 
 to five hundred pounds have been caught in these 
 waters, and of a quality almost unequaled for table 
 use. 
 
 It is needless to say that we are filled with 
 excitement at the prospect before us. The steward 
 is called hither and thither, and is hard pressed by 
 the demands for hooks, line and bait. I frankly 
 confess my complete ignorance of the proceedings, 
 as I behold him unroll what appears to be a clothes- 
 line, and fasten to its end a hook fully eight inches
 
 276 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 long. It is difficult to realize that such a length is 
 necessary. The ladies too, share in the excitement, 
 and enter into the sport as partners. We are a 
 very enthusiastic party; and yet are not without 
 our anxieties. 
 
 As the preparations go forward, I stand on deck 
 and watch the many white headed eagles that float 
 through the air above us, and a passenger at my 
 side, chimes in with my thoughts with a remark on 
 the flying machine, whose mechanism he has made 
 the subject of much study. He has great faith in 
 the future success of this invention, and I do not 
 disagree with him, for I, too, think there are great 
 possibilities in that line; and then, what wondrous 
 opportunities man will have for viewing the wild 
 and majestic beauties of nature now utterly beyond 
 approach by railroad or steamer! 
 
 Upon a lofty branch sit two eagles, apparently 
 unconcerned as to what is going on in the world 
 around them. They seem interested only in each 
 other. As I note their noble forms, an officer com- 
 ments upon the faithfulness of these birds, saying 
 at the same time, that it is a known fact that the 
 eagle never has more than one mate, to whom he is 
 constant during life, and even after her death. 
 
 We have dropped anchor opposite a small settle-
 
 
 <
 
 The Capital of Alaska 279 
 
 merit, and have landed freight and two passengers 
 on this isolated spot. Now it is interesting to 
 observe the attitudes of our amateur fishermen. 
 What haste each one is in to drop his clothes-line, 
 with the great dipsey and hook attached! Large 
 fishes are dangling on the hooks as bait. Before 
 long mighty tugs are felt at some of the lines, and 
 a great commotion ensues. We all shout and rush 
 to the side of the lucky angler. Then comes the 
 tug of war. in this case it is a lady, who calls for 
 assistance in holding her prize. This is quickly 
 offered by the gentleman beside her, and hand over 
 hand, they haul away. Gradually the resisting fish 
 is drawn nearer, — nearer, — at last he is in sight — a 
 great halibut, weighing at least a hundred pounds. 
 The excitement is boundless, and now the steamer's 
 boat and three of the sailors come into the play, 
 and the fish is adroitly landed. For several days 
 after this we are treated to fresh halibut served in 
 various appetizing ways. 
 
 We make frequent stops at little towns and 
 villages on our way back to Seattle, and our voyage 
 is never lacking in interest or adventure. The tiny 
 settlement of perhaps a half a score of cabins and 
 some small houses, nestling at the foot of a lofty 
 mountain, is no uncommon sight. Lonely and
 
 28o Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 isolated as they are, these villages are rich in 
 natural resources, and the diminutive gardens yield 
 the little variety which these frugal minds desire from 
 the abundant gifts of salmon and halibut bestowed 
 upon them by the sea. Here too the presence of a 
 picturesque chapel gives evidence of the labors of 
 the missionary among the settlers. I often think of 
 the strength of character and unselfish lives of such 
 men — how they give up home, comfort, ambition, 
 friends, to devote themselves to the salvation of the 
 human beings in earth's remote regions. 
 
 A succession of rainy days confines many of the 
 passengers to the saloons and staterooms. Having 
 seen these views, they prefer to rest and be com- 
 fortable. I cannot stay within, for 1 never weary of 
 this wonderful series of magnificent scenes. The 
 noble mountains, seen through mist and rain, 
 appear still grand and majestic, and if perchance 
 the sun peeps out for an instant, he flings over 
 them such glorious lights, that it seems as though 
 one has not until now, really seen them in all their 
 beauty, as so lofty, stately and sublime, they radiant 
 stand, nor feel the touch of time. 
 
 " When nature ceases, thou shalt still remain, 
 Nor second chaos bound thy endless reign ; 
 Fate's tyrant laws thy happier lot shall brave. 
 Baffle destruction, and elude the grave."
 
 The Capital of Alaska 281 
 
 The days move steadily forward amid the uniform 
 life of a ship's company, and now we have come to 
 the last night v/e shall pass on board the steamer 
 "Queen," for to-morrow at nine o'clock we will 
 land at Seattle. In closing the final chapter of our 
 Alaskan voyage, it is noteworthy that in this hour 
 so closely approaching twilight, the glories of both 
 sun and moon should appear in the heavens simul- 
 taneously, as though Nature is doing her utmost to 
 delight us in the last hours of one of life's happiest 
 experiences. Silently we gaze upon the scene — on 
 this side, the radiant queen of night, serene, ma- 
 jestic, with her silvery reflections dancing in each 
 ripple of the waves, on the other, the descending 
 day god, golden, resplendent, filling the landscape 
 with a crimson glow. The mountains are partly in 
 deep purple shadow, partly in glittering light; and 
 rainbow hues gleam where the sparkling cascades 
 cast down their foam. The clouds are divided in 
 their allegiance, but the night queen gradually wins 
 them over, and their crimson and gold fade softly 
 into pearly tints and rosy violet. It is one of the 
 most exquisite sights it has been my lot to witness. 
 
 It is difficult to say good-bye to this majestic 
 scene, for a perfect night like this can never be re- 
 peated. This magnificent wonderland of noble
 
 282 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 summits and arctic splendor cannot, it seems, again 
 fill our souls with the same delight, for though in 
 the years to come, we should take this journey 
 again, and rejoice once more in these changeless 
 mountains and eternal glaciers, the pleasure would 
 be different, because we, ourselves, would be 
 changed, for it is impossible for the human soul to 
 stand still. So it is a long farewell to the land of 
 ice and snow, of mysterious gorges and ravines; of 
 crystal labyrinthian waterways and fairy islands; 
 of lofty summits and gigantic glaciers; of foamy 
 waterfalls and dancing cascades. May your charm- 
 ing recesses, your hoary giants and your veiled 
 princesses remain forever undisturbed by the spirit 
 of progress, and man's insatiable desire for your 
 subterranean treasures.
 
 The Yellowstone Park
 
 CHAPTER X 
 The Yelloivstone Park 
 
 Seattle — A Busy City — Portland— Beautiful \^ie\vs — En Route for 
 the Yellowstone — By Moonlight — Trestles — Driving Cattle — 
 Cinnabar Station — Extent of the Park — Regulations — An 
 Abundance of Flowers — Fishing — Origin of the Name — 
 Marvellous Coloring — Park Coaches — A Dusty Road — Elec- 
 tric Peak — Gardiner Canon — A Supply Station — Northern 
 Boundary Line — Campers — Linen Dusters — Eagle Nest 
 Rock — Mammoth Hot Springs — Terraces and Springs — Lib- 
 erty Cap — Devil's Thumb — McCartney's Cabin — Early Ex- 
 plorers — Jupiter Terrace — Calcareous Deposits — Temperature 
 of the Springs — Sepulchre Mountain — Mount Everts — Angel 
 Terrace — Many Beautiful Formations — White Elephant — 
 Devil's Kitchen — An Uncanny Cooking Place — Orange Ter- 
 race — Bath Lake — Transformation — Dangerous Paths — Hotel 
 System, and Transportation Company. 
 
 E decide to remain a day or two in the 
 " Queen City of the Northwest," which 
 offers such an unlimited round of pleas- 
 ures to the tourist. The speed with 
 which both cable and electric cars run, gives one 
 some idea of the busy life of this place. 
 
 Seattle has, as perhaps I have already said, beauti- 
 ful natural parks and lakeside resorts. Here too, 
 
 285
 
 286 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 we rejoice in such picturesque views as the distant 
 lofty summit of Mount Rainier, bathed in the even- 
 ing light, with a luminous sky above it. 
 
 The people are agreeable, and although there is 
 much to tempt us, we take things easily, and re- 
 ceive much benefit from this period of rest as well 
 as pleasure. It is interesting sometimes to stand 
 outside the actual life of an enterprising people, and 
 observe the current of their activities, their aims and 
 ambitions. This is a commercial city which has 
 made a name for itself in the business world. Its 
 natural resources are great, and it is the depot of a 
 vast lumber industry, as well as a large and valuable 
 coal business. 
 
 We go by train from Seattle to Portland, which is 
 a charming city. Delightful music from the hotel 
 band greets us as we enter its pleasant grounds. 
 Here are lovely paths, flow^ers and shrubbery, shaded 
 porches with comfortable chairs, and an atmosphere 
 both restful and refreshing. The strains of music 
 seem to have a magnetic character, for an assembly 
 of about three hundred ladies and gentlemen have 
 gathered on the sidewalk to listen to them. Our 
 stay here proves most delightful. We meet pleas- 
 ant acquaintances, the streets are attractive, and 
 everywhere there is a charm which tempts one to
 
 The Yellowstone Park 289 
 
 linger. It is one of the few places to which the 
 tourist can suggest no improvement. An ideal city. 
 The cars carry you to picturesque suburbs, where 
 beautiful homes are approached through stately 
 avenues, or over velvety lawns; and dainty cottages 
 seem to invite one to rest upon the porches beneath 
 their clustering vines. 
 
 Here is an electric plant whose force is carried 
 more than fifteen miles from the Willamette Falls. 
 Here are farm lands so rich as to require no fertil- 
 izer — fisheries, in whose vast nets two and three tons 
 of salmon are captured in one haul. 
 
 We drive to the highest point in the city, and have 
 magnificent views of Mount Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, 
 Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. The afternoon being 
 clear, we have a fine prospect of the surrounding 
 country, and of the city itself, which in its fresh 
 cleanliness, is a practical illustration of Burke's as- 
 sertion that "Good order is the foundation of all 
 good things." 
 
 The peaceful enjoyment of our visit to this city 
 has prepared us to take up again the arduous pleas- 
 ure of sightseeing, — and now we leave Portland 
 •via Northern Pacific Railway, for the Yellowstone 
 Park. There is a fine observation car attached to 
 our train which is fitted with every comfort and
 
 290 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 convenience the most fastidious traveller could de- 
 sire. Here are easy chairs, a library, bathrooms, 
 barber shops, and a spacious, well protected open 
 platform in the rear of the car. Upon this 1 stand 
 before retiring for the night, and look abroad upon 
 a scene of wild and picturesque beauty — the moon 
 with her silvery reflections — the distant mountains, 
 black as ink — and adown our tracks, the long line 
 of signal lights, bidding us come on with confi- 
 dence, assured that there is no danger ahead. 
 Safely we speed through the night at the rate of 
 fifty miles an hour. Now we cut through the Cas- 
 cade Mountains, passing through several short tun- 
 nels, then a very long one — the longest on the 
 Northern Pacific Road, measuring 9,500 feet. 
 
 How dry and dusty everything appears. Many 
 workmen are busy at this point, and they are 
 of all nationalities — American, Irish, Japanese, and 
 Chinese. We have reached an altitude of 2,000 
 feet. Some small mountain ranges may be seen in 
 the distance. Now we are flying over a trestle 
 bridge (the Mordant), two hundred and twenty-six 
 feet high, without lessening our speed — now an- 
 other (the O'Keefe), one hundred and twelve feet 
 high. From my window I perceived a herd of 
 cattle, driven by two men — one is a Mexican who
 
 The Yellowstone Park 19 1 
 
 sits upon a bronco, the other carelessly holds his 
 place upon a bicycle, turning in and out of the road 
 at will, and keeping his share of the cattle in order. 
 
 At Hope Station we lose an hour, the difference 
 between Pacific and Mountain time, and now there 
 is a difference of two hours between this and east- 
 ern time. Without event we reach Cinnabar Sta- 
 tion, after a charming journey in the sumptuous 
 drawing-room coach. Our train is the North Coast 
 Limited, the finest on the Northern Pacific Railway. 
 Its western terminus is Portland, its eastern, St. 
 Paul. 
 
 In describing our visit to the Yellowstone, I shall, 
 as far as possible, omit all statistics and scientific 
 explanations, giving simply the impressions of a 
 tourist who makes the trip for the purpose of en- 
 joying the beauties of nature. A brief statement 
 regarding its size, position, etc., will not, however, 
 be out of place here. In 1872, the Congress of the 
 United States passed the act, which set aside for- 
 ever as a public park, the section of the country 
 known as the Yellowstone National Park. This 
 territory is rectangular in shape, sixty-two miles 
 from north to south, and fifty-four miles wide, 
 having an area of 5,412 square miles. A later act 
 of Congress has set aside as a limited reserve, a
 
 292 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 strip of land on the south, and one on the east side 
 of the park proper. This National Park lies in the 
 northwest corner of Wyoming, with a narrow 
 strip in Montana and Idaho. It is about a thousand 
 miles from St. Paul and Duluth, to the east, and 
 Portland to the west; fifteen hundred miles from 
 Chicago, and about the same distance from San 
 Francisco. It is open from June fifteenth to Sep- 
 tember fifteenth. 
 
 Firearms may be carried through the Park, to be 
 used only as a means of defense against wild 
 animals. Permission to carry them is granted, on 
 application to the United States guards. A few 
 buffalos are to be found here, thousands of elk and 
 deer, many bears, black, brown and grizzly, some 
 antelopes, a few coyotes and small game. The 
 Park is under the control of the government. Its 
 fort which is called Fort Yellowstone, is at Mam- 
 moth Hot Springs. Soldiers patrol the ground 
 daily, and during the summer season, an encamp- 
 ment is maintained at the Lower Geyser Basin. 
 Any violation of the superintendent's rules is se- 
 verely punished. 
 
 An abundance of flowers beautifies these pleas- 
 ure-grounds, and he who seeks the more secluded 
 haunts of these lovely children of the fields and
 
 The Yellowstone Park 295 
 
 groves is well rewarded for his pains, for he will be 
 led into the choice spots of nature, her sweet mys- 
 terious hiding-places, reserved only for her truest 
 lovers, and most devoted worshippers. Here then 
 the columbine will greet you, and the aster; lu- 
 pines and evening primroses, the painted cup and 
 the bitter root; the buttercup and the forget-me- 
 not; but why enumerate them ? They are all there, 
 and only he who loves them will care to know 
 about them, and he will find them out himself. 
 
 The fishing is exceptionally good, and one may 
 pursue this form of amusement to his heart's con- 
 tent, catching by fly and line almost every variety 
 of brook and mountain trout and whitefish. But 
 the pleasures of the Yellov/stone can hardly be set 
 down in black and white; they are so many and so 
 various. He who comes hither brings in his own 
 breast all the hidden seeds, from which spring the 
 delighted appreciation of these wonderful works of 
 the Creator. 
 
 There has been some doubt as to the origin of 
 the name Yellowstone, as applied to this region. It 
 has, however, been ascribed to the Indians who 
 dwelt along the Yellowstone and Upper Missouri 
 rivers, and who had a name for the tributary 
 stream, signifying yellow rock. The French traders
 
 296 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 and trappers, it is supposed, adopted its signifi- 
 cation, and called the river, Roche Jaune, and Pierre 
 Jaune. This name would probably have been 
 adopted, had not the policy of the United States 
 government at that time, having recently acquired 
 the state of Louisiana, been to give English names 
 to the more prominent geographical features of the 
 country. The name first appears in a report and 
 map of the western country, based on information 
 derived from the Indians, sent by Lewis and Clark 
 in the spring of 1805 to President Jefferson. Here, 
 for the first time the name Yellowstone is applied 
 to the principal tributary of the Missouri. The 
 Grand Canon of the Yellowstone is remarkable for 
 the coloring of its rocks, in which yellow is so con- 
 spicuous that it cannot fail to attract attention. 
 The Indian words are: Mi tsi a-da-zi, (Rock yellow 
 River). The French and English are equivalent 
 terms. 
 
 At Cinnabar the elevation is about four thousand 
 feet. Here we are met by two stage-coaches, one 
 drawn by six white, the other by six black horses, 
 well groomed, and of such a spirited gait as to 
 arouse feelings of admiration in all beholders. The 
 whip, a typical westerner, holds the reins with con- 
 fidence and pride. His greatest pleasure is to scare
 
 The Yellowstone Park 297 
 
 you a little bit by making a short turn around a pre- 
 cipitous rocky portion of the road, while urging his 
 horses to their utmost speed. The coach is a model 
 of the old-fashioned stages, its body is suspended 
 on great strong leather bands which support its 
 sides and are caught up at either end. These act as 
 springs, and never was coach easier than these 
 primitive looking wagons. Dusters are now put on, 
 and after the hand-bags are stowed away, the lines 
 are tightly drawn, the long whip is cracked above 
 the ears of the leaders, and we are off for the Mam- 
 moth Hot Springs Hotel, about seven miles distant, 
 — the first station in our journey through the Park. 
 A mixture of feelings assails us as we sit aloft on 
 the coach beside the driver, who twirls his long 
 lash; and at every crack the horses start forward 
 with redoubled speed. And everything rushes by 
 us so swiftly as scarcely to leave an impression on 
 the bewildered mind. The road is dusty — from the 
 weeks of dry weather, the driver explains. I won- 
 der, with a shudder, if this is to be our experience 
 during the drives through the Yellowstone. 
 
 On our right towers Electric Peak, so named, we 
 are told, on account of some peculiar electric phe- 
 nomena observed there. This is the highest moun- 
 tain in the vicinity, being 11,155 feet above the
 
 298 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 level of the sea. The dust continues to settle in 
 layers upon our faces and clothing. But what of 
 that ? We are on our way to the Yellowstone. A 
 turn in the path leads us into the Gardiner Canon, 
 and we now make a gradual ascent of 1,000 feet 
 above Cinnabar Station. Ere long the little town of 
 Gardiner appears. This is a supply station for the 
 mining camps in the neighborhood, and for other 
 camping and hunting parties. We do not stop, but 
 whirl by, leaving a cloud of dust for a greeting. 
 
 We have crossed the northern boundary line of 
 the park, and now meet many wagons, some drav/n 
 by four horses, others by two. The occupants of 
 these are campers, who have been touring the Yel- 
 lowstone, and are returning to civilization. They 
 certainly look as if water has not been included in 
 their arrangements for camping conveniences. 
 These passing wagons fill the air with dense clouds 
 of dust which envelop us so that we are scarcely 
 able to distinguish each other. One of the necessi- 
 ties of the tourist in this region is a good linen 
 duster, buttoning well up at the neck, and reaching 
 to the knees — also a pair of dark goggles to protect 
 the eyes from the dust and the reflections from the 
 white limestone, which are positively injurious, as 
 well as unpleasant.
 
 The Yellowstone Park 299 
 
 The scenery along the way is rather picturesque. 
 One point is especially noteworthy. This is Eagle 
 Nest Rock, whose cliffs rise to a height of 1,300 feet 
 above the roadway, and upon whose lofty peak an 
 eagle has opportunely built his nest. We all di- 
 rect our powerful field-glasses towards this point, 
 hoping to see the nest and its occupants, but 
 they are not visible, bfeing probably away from 
 home. 
 
 In less than two hours v;^e reach the Mammoth 
 Hot Springs, which are located 6,215 ^^^^ above sea 
 level. In a short time we have selected our room, 
 registered, washed off our dusty faces, and are ready 
 for luncheon. 
 
 As a matter of course, before starting for the 
 Yellowstone, we have all read much literature de- 
 scriptive of the natural wonders of this secluded re- 
 gion. Nevertheless we are all at sea as to what is 
 to be seen, how best to accomplish the seeing, and 
 where to begin. Questions on these and innumer- 
 able other points are showered upon the hotel clerk, 
 whose smiling, benignant countenance as he listens 
 to our queries, seems to promise us all necessary in- 
 formation on the desired lines. And his face does 
 not belie him, for when we leave him, the way 
 seems plain before us. He tells us that there are
 
 300 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 thirteen separate terraces about this neighborhood, 
 and a great many hot springs. The hot springs are 
 situated on the slope of Terrace iMountain, whose 
 wonderful phenomena cover about one hundred and 
 seventy acres of ground. 
 
 We have but a few steps to walk along a graded 
 path, and we are among the wonders of this mar- 
 vellous region. Before us is a massive cone shaped 
 formation, fifty-two feet in height and twenty feet 
 in diameter. This cone has been built up by de- 
 posits formed by the overflow of the spring, now 
 extinct, through the orifice in the top. It is called 
 Liberty Cap, and a smaller cone, not far distant is 
 called The Devil's Thumb. The reason for this last 
 name I cannot guess, unless it is because he has the 
 red hot place "under his thumb."' 
 
 Not far from the Liberty Cap is a small log cabin, 
 neither picturesque nor comfortable looking, but in- 
 teresting, as the first house built within the bound- 
 aries of the park. It was built by one, McCartney, 
 thirty-two years ago. There are numerous stories 
 connected with him and with the early explorers of 
 this section of the country, but they would fill a 
 volume. 
 
 The largest of the group of terraces, called Jupiter, 
 next claims our attention. It is difficult to describe
 
 The Yellowstone Park 301 
 
 these phenomena. Wherever the deposits of the 
 hot springs are of a calcareous nature, they form 
 themselves into terraces, which rise one above the 
 other, with overhanging bowls of beautiful form and 
 color. These shapes appear like crystallized foam, 
 and the fantastic appearances here are wonderful 
 indeed. The Jupiter Terrace is like a dream of 
 brilliant beauty and grace. 
 
 The water pouring from its crevices is hot enough 
 to boil an egg. This terrace is fed by two large 
 springs of boiling water, a hundred feet in diameter. 
 It has been stated that the temperature of these 
 boiling springs is 240 degrees. The water is com- 
 posed of lime, iron, magnesium soda and sulphur. 
 From this height of about a hundred feet, we have 
 a fine view of Gardiner Cafion, with its gray walls 
 and sharp pinnacles. In the background rises 
 Sepulchre Mountain, and on the east we can dis- 
 tinctly see the broad table-land of Mount Everts, 
 7,900 feet above the sea. This mountain, which is 
 not really a mountain, but a broad plateau, was 
 named for the Hon. Truman C. Everts, member of 
 the expedition of 1870, who was lost in the forest 
 wilderness about here, and endured indescribable 
 hardships and suffering for thirty-seven days, when 
 he was found in a state of exhaustion, partially de-
 
 302 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 ranged, and perishing with cold, on the edge of a 
 plateau near the mouth of the Gardiner River. It is 
 said, however, that not this mountain, but Mount 
 Sheridan was the scene of these events, and that 
 the Washington party had already named this 
 mountain for Everts, before he was lost, as he and a 
 companion were the first white men to visit its 
 summit. Facing us is the noble summit of Bunsen 
 Peak, 9,100 feet in height. The scene is one of the 
 utmost grandeur and beauty. Nature has lavished 
 her gifts v^ith a prodigal hand. 
 
 Here is Angel Terrace, delicate in form and color, 
 and exquisitely beautiful. Its snow-white purity is 
 not unfit to be mentioned in the same breath as the 
 dwellers in the celestial regions, for it is unsullied 
 by any earthly tints. Now follovv's a succession of 
 beautiful formations — Hymen Terrace, Minerva 
 Terrace, a graceful series of basins, forty feet in 
 height, and covering an area of nearly three-quarters 
 of an acre — Pulpit, White Elephant, Beauty Springs, 
 Marble Terrace, and many others. 
 
 From the back of White Elephant Terrace springs 
 a tiny geyser, throwing its small fountain about 
 eighteen inches in the air. I think at first, its mis- 
 sion is to cool the Elephant's back, but v/hen I learn 
 that its waters are boiling hot, I change my opinion.
 
 The Yellowstone Park 305 
 
 and feel that the little geyser is to the Elephant what 
 the vulture was to Prometheus. 
 
 It is but a step farther to the Devil's Kitchen, 
 which is the crater of an extinct hot spring. By 
 means of a rude ladder, two of our party descend 
 into the kitchen, which is forty feet deep, twenty 
 feet wide at the base, and eighty feet long. It is 
 said that the bones of wild animals were found here 
 when the crater was first explored, and that colonies 
 of bats now make it a place of resort. This does 
 not add to one's comfort while walking about in the 
 hot, stuffy atmosphere. The temperature is ninety- 
 five degrees. We do not linger in this department of 
 Hades, but are glad to escape and leave the Old Boy 
 to work out his culinary operations in peace. 
 
 The Orange Terrace is a brilliantly colored mound, 
 receiving its gorgeous hues from the iron impregna- 
 tions in the water which flows over it. An active 
 little geyser at its summit renders it especially at- 
 tractive. The atmosphere is filled with sulphur 
 which pervades the whole neighborhood of the ter- 
 races. 1 dip my finger in the water flowing over 
 the edge of the Mammoth Hot Springs, and find it 
 impossible to hold it there more than two or three 
 seconds. 
 
 Bath Lake is a mysterious body of water, with no
 
 3o6 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 visible outlet. It has a diameter of fifty feet, and 
 its depth, from four feet on one side, increases to 
 fourteen feet on the other. Its temperature is tepid 
 on the shallow side, and boiling hot where the cur- 
 rent is deepest, and is the same at all seasons. 
 
 Quite close to the lake lives a Swedish store- 
 keeper, who has an ingenious method of placing 
 various articles, such as knives, spoons, bottles, vases 
 and shoes under the water, and leaving them there 
 over night. As the water flows over them it leaves 
 a deposit of crystal, composed of sulphur, soda and 
 magnesium, and in the morning these articles will 
 be as white as snow. This man has also gathered 
 quantities of the many colored stones which abound 
 in all the hues of the rainbow, in the Grand Canon, 
 and, grinding them to a fine powder, has moulded 
 from it many pretty little souvenirs. 
 
 There is something interesting about each one of 
 the many terraces which adorn this locality. This 
 tract of land is, it is said, a very ancient hot water 
 deposit, and contains innumerable craters and fis- 
 sures, some of which lead to great subterranean 
 chambers and caverns, but it is impossible to explore 
 them on account of the gases and fumes of sulphur 
 pervading them. 
 
 Let me caution the adventurous visitor against
 
 The Yellowstone Park ^^7 
 
 walking carelessly over these crusty surfaces without 
 a guide or equally experienced companion. I ven- 
 tured upon one of the formations by evening light, 
 and soon found myself almost knee deep in the thin 
 and brittle mass, and for a few moments it seemed 
 that I must sink to the presence chamber of his Satanic 
 Majesty, fifty feet below. However, I escaped 
 without accident. 
 
 We learn that the entire hotel system in the Park 
 is managed by a corporation, and that the one hun- 
 dred coaches and three hundred and fifty horses 
 employed are under the control of the Yellowstone 
 Park Transportation Company.
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 
 
 Beginning the Tour — The Golden Gate — Devil's Slide— Bicycle 
 Tourists — Rustic Falls — Apollinaris Spring — A Missing Boy 
 — Obsidian Cliff — A Road of Glass — Indian Arrows — Beaver 
 Lake — Roaring Mountain — Devil's Frying-Pan — Norris Gey- 
 ser Basin — " Larry " — Luncheon — Souvenirs — Sulphuric 
 Odors — Pine Sulphur Springs — Congress Spring — The Black 
 Growler — Hurricane — Emerald Pool — New Crater — Devil's 
 Inkstand — Monarch Geyser — Minute Man — The First Coach 
 — " The Boys " — Maintenance of the Roads — Dangerous Shores 
 — Park Drives — The Teapot — Mount Schurz — Gibbon Cafion 
 — Beryl Spring — Gibbon Falls — Firehold River — Grizzly Bears 
 — The Driver's Story — White Dust — " Stop-overs " — Tourists' 
 Outfits— Still Greater Wonders — Mammoth Paint Pots — Fines 
 — Accidents. 
 
 T is with intense pleasure that we rise early in 
 the morning to repack and arrange our lug- 
 gage so as to obtain the required minimum, 
 necessary for a tour through the Yellow- 
 stone. The best satchel in which to carry your 
 belongings is the telescope bag, large or small, 
 according to the length of the trip and your indi- 
 vidual needs. Immediately after breakfast we put 
 
 on the long dusters and dark glasses, and having 
 
 311
 
 312 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 purchased tickets for the round trip at the hotel, 
 betake ourselves to the front entrance, where the 
 stage stands before the porch, with its four fresh 
 and spirited horses. The coach is quickly filled 
 with a merry party who call out cheerful good-byes 
 to those left behind, as the whip is cracked over the 
 heads of the leaders, and we seem to be taken up 
 by the wind. The day is charming, and the early 
 morning atmosphere exhilarating. 
 
 " Luxuriant joy, 
 And pleasure in excess, sparkling, exist 
 On every brow, and revel unrestrained." 
 
 After a drive of four miles, we reach what might 
 be termed the entrance to the Park — the Golden 
 Gate. This is a rocky pass, through which a 
 branch of the Gardiner River flows. The yellow 
 wall on either side has given the pass its name. 
 
 The road here, one of the most difficult pieces of 
 engineering, has cost the government $14,000, 
 although it is scarcely a mile in length. Our alti- 
 tude at this point is 7, 300 feet, and the scenes about 
 us are so beautiful that with one accord we beg the 
 driver to wait while we feast our eyes upon the 
 wonderful pictures. On the slope of Bunsen Peak, 
 which towers above the gate on one side, may be 
 seen the Devil's Slide, extending from the summit to
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 313 
 
 the base. Doubtless his Majesty has coasted here 
 many times, in his moments of relaxation from his 
 arduous labors — if such relaxation be possible to his 
 indefatigable spirit. 
 
 The scenes around us win constant excla- 
 mations of delight. Here is the lovely Rustic 
 Falls, fed by ice and snow from the mountain top, 
 gliding over the brilliantly-colored rocks, with a 
 graceful sweep from its height of sixty feet to lose 
 itself in the rocky mass of the cahon below. It 
 forms an enchanting picture. Looking backward, 
 we have a fine view of the Golden Gate Canon, 
 while before us loom up many giant peaks. Here 
 are Quadrant, Antler, and Dome Mountains, each 
 rising to a height of more than 10,000 feet. Their 
 gigantic summits, crowned with snow, and glisten- 
 ing in the sun, are visible from many points along 
 our route. They lend a glorious majesty to these 
 views, which are ever filled with a charm of their 
 own. 
 
 As we dash over the road, huge clouds of dust 
 are constantly lifted into mid air, and settling upon 
 the trees and rocks that line the way. When a halt 
 is made to water the horses, we alight, and walking 
 into the shady depths of a forest, refresh ourselves 
 with the delightfully cool and sparkling waters of
 
 314 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 the ApoUinaris Spring. This spring is three feet in 
 diameter, and probably eighteen inches deep. Its 
 waters are charged with soda, magnesium and 
 sulphur. After we have climbed to our seats, and 
 just before starting, an old lady comes running 
 towards us, with alarm and anxiety depicted on her 
 countenance, and asks the driver if he has seen a 
 boy with a stray horse along the route, adding in 
 explanation, that her son left the camp yesterday, in 
 search of a couple of stray horses and as he has not 
 returned, she fears an accident has befallen him. 
 When the driver replies that he has seen nothing of 
 either boy or horses, she bursts into a flood of tears, 
 and we leave her thus, standing in the road and 
 sobbing convulsively. 
 
 Our course is now to the wonderful Obsidian 
 ClifT, a steep and towering mass of volcanic glass, 
 whose blocks and columns, of every shape, are as 
 black as coal. The cliff rises two hundred and fifty 
 feet above the road, and glistens in the sun with a 
 mirror-like effect. Red and yellow streaks are 
 visible here and there upon its surface. The road 
 along its base, composed of this mineral glass, was 
 constructed with much difficulty. Huge fires were 
 built around the massive blocks, and when in a 
 state of their utmost expansion, water was dashed
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 317 
 
 over them, cooling them so suddenly that they were 
 shattered into small fragments. Then with great 
 levers, bars, picks, etc., a good wagon road was 
 constructed along the slope. The hands and faces 
 of the workmen were severely lacerated during 
 these operations. The road is a quarter of a mile 
 long, and is the only road of native glass upon the 
 continent. 
 
 The cliflf was a famous resort of the Indians, who 
 came hither to manufacture their arrow-heads of 
 its glass. Our driver is accommodating enough to 
 stop and allow us an opportunity of securing some 
 beautiful specimens of this rock. On our right, 
 opposite Obsidian Cliff is Beaver Lake, along whose 
 bank our pathway lies. It is about a mile long, 
 and a half a mile wide. It was formed by ancient 
 bea-'er dams, now overgrown with vegetation. 
 Its shores are lined with rich verdure, and the 
 artificial falls over the dams constructed here, are 
 from two to four feet in depth, and exceedingly 
 picturesque. The driver points with his long whip 
 to a hill on our left, about 1,000 feet in height, and 
 tells us it is Roaring Mountain. From its summit, 
 several geysers are sending their hot spray from six 
 to eight feet in the air. Many other geysers and 
 little hot springs with their steam floating around
 
 318 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 them, appear along our way. At every turn some- 
 thing new presents itself for our admiration or sur- 
 prise. Were this not the case, the lively spirits of 
 our party would prevent the drive from being either 
 monotonous or wearisome. 
 
 "Whoa!" suddenly shouts our Jehu, and the 
 horses stop obediently at the Devil's Frying-Pan. 
 We are allowed a few moments, in which to peep 
 into this great cooking utensil of his Satanic Maj- 
 esty. We are all anxious to see what the Old Boy 
 dines upon, but probably are ahead of time, for in 
 the Pan appears only a great bubbling and boil- 
 ing mass of water, which in its agitation rises at 
 times to a height of twelve inches. The pan is 
 circular, and about eight feet in diameter. Several 
 smaller bowls close by may be supposed to belong- 
 to his Majesty's children. We do not wait for 
 further developments along this line, as we are all 
 aware that a good luncheon is being prepared for 
 us at the Norris Geyser Basin, which is our next 
 stopping-place. 
 
 The scenes are constantly changing, as we make 
 our progress through this wonderful region, and no 
 point is without its attraction. With a grand 
 flourish we pull up at Norris Geyser Basin, after a 
 drive of twenty miles from Mammoth Hot Springs.
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 319 
 
 As the stage stops in front of a spacious tent, we 
 are met and heartily greeted by the famous " Larry," 
 or more properly Mr. Lawrence Matthews, and his 
 pretty daughter Lizzie. With cordial hospitality, 
 Larry invites us into his tent: but this is no " Will 
 you walk into my parlor act " ? for within we find 
 all conveniences, by means of which we may make 
 a respectable appearance at the lunch table. We 
 are introduced to Larry's wife, a sensible woman, 
 who attends to the comfort of the ladies, while 
 Larry offers to the men, with his ever ready joke, 
 "a wee drop under the rose," which proves to be 
 only a mild lemonade. 
 
 Our whole party is soon seated at a long table, 
 abundantly provided with good fare, well cooked; 
 and we all do justice to the repast. Meanwhile 
 Larry entertains us with Irish and Yankee songs, 
 and comic anecdotes, interspersed with serious re- 
 flections and some valuable suggestions. He 
 " mix'd reason with pleasure, and wisdom with 
 mirth." Larry's daughter Lizzie collects specimens 
 of the native flowers of the Yellowstone, and 
 arranges them in small albums, with such graceful 
 and pretty effect, that they find a ready sale among 
 the visitors to the Norris Basin. Having made our 
 selections of these, and finished our lunch, we are
 
 320 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 ready for the tour of the Basin, accompanied by the 
 experienced guides who conduct all visitors over 
 this region of hot earth, air and water. Our altitude 
 is 7,700 feet. 
 
 This basin, formerly known as the Gibbon 
 Geyser Basin, was discovered in 1875 by Colonel P. 
 W. Norris, then superintendent of the Park. Since 
 1 88 1 it has been called by his name. It covers an 
 area of six square miles, and is one of the highest 
 geyser basins in the Park. As we approach this 
 famous spot, we are impressed with the noisy 
 demonstrations around us. Here are mutterings, 
 grumblings, intermittent rumbling sounds, as 
 though a vast work is being carried in the sub- 
 terranean regions. The air is filled with steam 
 which is constantly changing in volume, and now 
 and then bursts forth with startling effect. Odors 
 of sulphur and other gases assail us most unpleas- 
 antly, giving us the feeling of wandering along the 
 outskirts of the infernal regions. We are conducted 
 rapidly from one point of interest to another. The 
 Pine Sulphur Spring is a body of water, boiling hot, 
 and in a constant state of effervescence. New 
 springs are frequently discovered in this basin, and 
 reported, much as the astronomers announce the 
 appearance of new planets in the heavens. We are
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 321 
 
 told that two geysers burst forth in this neighbor- 
 hood, but two weeks ago. No snow remains on 
 the ground here, even during the coldest season. 
 
 The largest spring is the Congress, whose enor- 
 mous crater, forty feet in diameter, is in a constant 
 state of violent agitation. its pale blue waters 
 sometimes rise fifteen and twenty feet above its 
 rim, and volumes of steam float continually above 
 its surface. Ere long it will be classed among the 
 geysers. As the water subsides we look into this 
 wonderful caldron, but can see nothing but steam 
 which is again rising quickly to the surface, and 
 soon it again sends forth volumes of water and 
 steam with a force that compels us to beat a hasty 
 retreat. 
 
 The Black Growler is an unattractive body which 
 grumbles as it throws out large volumes of steam 
 from its chimney-shaped crater. Its waters smell 
 strongly of sulphur, and leave a black deposit around 
 the rim of its opening. The Hurricane, not far 
 away, is much more violent in its eruptions, send- 
 ing forth clouds of steam which envelop surround- 
 ing objects, and leave a white coating, like a light 
 fall of snow, upon trees and plants. These erup- 
 tions are generally destructive to the vegetation in 
 the immediate vicinity.
 
 322 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Emerald Pool, named from the beautiful tint of 
 its waters, is so quiet that one may look down the 
 pink walls of its sulphur lined basin to a great 
 depth. Its surface covers an area of two thousand 
 square feet. The New Crater burst forth upon the 
 world in 1891, with a great commotion, flooding 
 the ravine with its boiling torrent. It soon settled 
 down to regular eruptions, at intervals of a half hour 
 or less. It is surrounded by masses of orange-col- 
 ored rock, which cover even its crater, and prevent 
 its waters from rising to a very great height. We 
 observe this crater in action; its waters rise about 
 tv/enty feet, the eruption lasting two minutes. In 
 my humble opinion, the New Crater is the gem of 
 the series. 
 
 Here is the Devil's Inkstand, a dusky pool whose 
 waters give an inky hue to its surrounding basin. 
 Many springs follow these. Here is the Pearl, fif- 
 teen feet in diameter: and here the Vixen, sur- 
 rounded by red rocks, and sending forth a stream, 
 ten feet in height. 
 
 The Monarch is the prominent geyser of the Nor- 
 ris Basin. It sends out a column of water one hun- 
 dred feet in height, at intervals of about twelve 
 hours; but these eruptions are without warning, and 
 are accompanied by a series of explosions. Its
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 325 
 
 crater is double, consisting of two oblong apertures. 
 The surrounding rocks are rich in color and present 
 a brilliant effect. The Minute Man, as his name 
 implies, makes frequent demonstrations of a small 
 nature. 
 
 The phenomena of this region are wonderful in- 
 deed, to the visitor, yet he experiences a feeling of 
 relief upon leaving the spot, where every step is 
 taken with the utmost caution. Even the guides 
 have been known to make a misstep, and sink to 
 their knees in these crusty formations: and, though 
 the occasions are rare, some of them have been in- 
 jured by their falls. 
 
 " Old Satan must have his hands full, keeping his 
 caldrons going," said one of the visitors to me as we 
 left the basin. 
 
 While awaiting the stage, we suddenly perceive 
 a squad of about twenty soldiers on horseback ap- 
 proaching. They gallop up with much commotion, 
 shouting, and creating general confusion, but prove 
 quite harmless. They are the "Boys" from Fort 
 Meade, South Dakota, who have been detailed to 
 serve as policemen and guards in the Yellowstone. 
 
 Taking our places in the coach, we are once more 
 en route — this time for the Lower Geyser Basin, at 
 which point is situated the Fountain Hotel. I would
 
 326 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 advise the tourist making this tour for the first time 
 to endeavor to obtain his seat in the first coach, 
 should there be more than one; for the order in 
 which the stages leave the hotel is maintained dur- 
 ing the day. The advantages of the first, especially 
 in escaping the dust raised by the others, are evident. 
 
 We follow a graded road, bounded on one side by 
 the Gibbon River. The government makes an ap- 
 propriation of $60,000 for the maintenance of these 
 roads. The drives throughout the Park aggregate 
 a distance of one hundred and seventy-five miles. 
 They are inspected and repaired every spring, after 
 the frost is out of the ground, and the season of 
 freshets is over. The road upon which we now 
 are, has been recently opened, consequently there is 
 much comment and criticism among the passen- 
 gers. 
 
 Here hot springs empty their waters directly into 
 the river, and small geysers fling their scalding foun- 
 tains up from the surface of the stream. We are 
 told that it is dangerous to fish along these banks, as 
 at any moment one might step into a spring of boil- 
 ing water. Yonder is a funny little geyser, all alone 
 in the river, industriously spouting forth its tiny 
 volume of steam. By common consent we christen 
 it the " Teapot," and ask our driver to have it so re-
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 327 
 
 corded. He gives us his promise to do so; which is 
 doubtless forgotten as soon as uttered. On our right 
 is Mount Schurz, 8, 100 feet in height, upon whose 
 summit lies the Monument Geyser Basin, an inter- 
 esting region, but inaccessible to the ordinary trav- 
 eller. Many pheasants and groundhogs come out of 
 their seclusion to stare at us, brave in their security 
 from every shot except that of the camera. 
 
 We are now in Gibbon Cafion, whose rugged 
 mountain pass affords the easiest road from the 
 Norris Geyser Basin to the Valley of the Firehole. 
 Before us is Beryl Spring, a hot flue discharging con- 
 siderable steam, and attracting attention by the 
 noise it makes while accomplishing this, it is rather 
 attractive, but not noteworthy after the wonders of 
 Norris Basin. It is the largest boiling spring in the 
 canon, being fifteen feet in diameter. 
 
 The mountains rise boldly on either side, and the 
 river wanders on its pleasant way beside us, reflect- 
 ing in its waters the white pine, spruce nnd fir trees 
 which grow along these slopes. After a dusty 
 drive of about eight miles, we reach the Gibbon 
 Falls, a picturesque body of water, foaming in a 
 series of cascades over a rocky ledge from a height 
 of eighty feet. We now have on our right the 
 Firehole River, a rapid current, receiving its name
 
 328 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 from the many hot springs which empty into its 
 channel. We trace the presence of many a little 
 hot spring by the column of steam issuing from 
 the surface of the river. And this is the end of the 
 twenty mile drive from Norris Geyser Basin to the 
 Lower Geyser Basin. 
 
 As we approach the Fountain Hotel, we perceive 
 on the edge of the forest two huge grizzly bears, 
 quietly eating from the dump. Our driver who has 
 entertained us at intervals with tales of his ex- 
 perience while acting as guide to tlie visitors in 
 the Park, now proceeds to regale us with a bear 
 story. 
 
 "There was an amateur photographer in the 
 party," he continues, "who wanted to photograph 
 a bear — one of the comparatively tame ones which 
 frequent the dump at the hotel. This bear had 
 two cubs. The photographer advanced closer and 
 closer to his prize, until the guide warned him that 
 he had gone far enough for his own safety. But 
 the amateur was of a different opinion, and con- 
 tinued to advance, — when suddenly Mrs. Bruin, 
 with flashing eyes and rising fur made a dash for 
 him. You should have seen that tourist drop his 
 camera and plates and take to his heels, — and the 
 bear after him. It was an exciting chase. The
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 329 
 
 tourist won, but he certainly had a great fright: and 
 lost his picture." 
 
 We arrive at the hotel, literally covered with a 
 coating of fine white dust, containing much carbon- 
 ate of lime, which clings to our clothing, and is 
 hard to shake off- A corps of bell-boys, however, 
 take us in hand, and with good stiff whisk brooms 
 soon make us fairly presentable. 
 
 Travellers who are easily fatigued should "stop 
 over" at one or more of the larger stations, where 
 there are always good hotels. Tickets are good 
 until used, and it is easy to arrange for places in the 
 coach when you are ready to continue the journey. 
 The hotels and transportation companies have tele- 
 phones and telegraph offices conveniently located, 
 and by means of these all details may be speedily 
 arranged. The wonders of this region are worthy 
 of closer observation than the amateur can give, as 
 he hastens along with his snap shots and quick 
 plates. Meals and accommodations are good, and 
 the air pure and wholesome to most constitutions. 
 It is true that continued residence in these altitudes 
 may affect some persons, as it has me, with dizzi- 
 ness and headache, and almost daily bleeding of the 
 nose. At this basin we are 7,250 feet above the 
 level of the sea.
 
 330 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 A dance is given at the hotel this evening, but 
 1 prefer devoting this time to the more neces- 
 sary ordering of clothing, cameras and sketch- 
 books. 
 
 We remain here several days enjoying the rest 
 and beauty of the strange new world around us. 
 The chief attractions of the place lie within com- 
 fortable walking distance from the hotel, and thus 
 may be viewed by its guests by day or evening. It 
 is stated that seventeen geysers and seven hundred 
 hot springs are scattered over this basin. Surely 
 this must be the central point of nature's marvellous 
 operations. It is well that the traveller has been in- 
 troduced to the Norris Geyser Basin previous to his 
 arrival at this point, for if seen afterwards they 
 would suffer by comparison. 
 
 A word here in reference to the costume of the 
 traveller in this region. Experience has proved that 
 the bicycle suit is a very convenient costume for the 
 man tourist — but in place of the stockings I would 
 substitute colored canvas leggings. Add to these a 
 short round coat, felt hat, and, of course, the linen 
 duster and the goggles, and he is ready for a tramp, 
 ride or sail. Ladies find the short skirt of great 
 advantage, supplemented by the linen duster, gog- 
 gles and a veil. It is well also to carry an indi-
 
 Geysers and Hot Springs 331 
 
 vidual medicine chest. Although a doctor may be 
 within call, it is not always possible to secure his 
 immediate attention. 
 
 Marvels increase as we penetrate more deeply 
 into this natural wonderland. The Mammoth Paint 
 Pots are only a short distance from the hotel. 
 This name has been applied to a mud caldron 
 whose basin is 2,400 feet in area. The fine white 
 mixture in this basin is in a state of constant fer- 
 mentation, and resembles a bed of mortar. As it 
 bubbles up, it rises in the forms of rings, cones, 
 etc. It is surrounded by a rim five feet in height, 
 the lower side of which is dotted with cones, two 
 and three feet high, in various shades of red and 
 pink. These also are formed by the bubbling over 
 of the mixture. 
 
 Visitors are prohibited from poking sticks, or 
 dropping blocks, stones or any other substances in 
 these springs and geysers; yet this is frequently 
 done. The spirit of the old Adam continually im- 
 pels the tourist to make the experiment. It is best 
 to refrain from too close an investigation of Nature's 
 mysteries here, as accidents are frequently the result 
 of this prying. The rules are not unreasonable, and 
 are made as much for the protection of the visitor, 
 as in the interest of the Park.
 
 332 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 The fine for the above offense is $i,ooo and im- 
 prisonment for one year. I have some conversation 
 with the guards stationed about this section, and 
 learn much of their lives, accidents and adventures. 
 One of them told me that as he was riding over 
 the crust of this basin, (all the guards are provided 
 with horses), he suddenly stumbled into a hot 
 spring, and although he made every effort to extri- 
 cate himself, both he and his horse sank deeper and 
 deeper, and he was in up to his waist before help 
 arrived. The horse died from the effect of the scald- 
 ing water, and the guard sustained severe injuries. 
 
 I hear another story of a tourist, who while fish- 
 ing from the bank of one of these streams, broke 
 into one of the hot springs. His cries for help soon 
 brought assistance, and he was rescued from his 
 dangerous position. He was taken to a hotel, un- 
 dressed, and put into a very hot bath, where he re- 
 mained seven hours. Notwithstanding this, he re- 
 covered only after months of suffering. Instances 
 of blood poisoning have also been known to occur 
 from exposure to the waters of these springs.
 
 In The Upper Geyser Basin
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 
 
 " No Name " — Clepsydra Spring — Fountain Geyser — King of the 
 Basin — A Sublime Spectacle — The Jet — The Dump — Photo- 
 graphing the Bears — Laughing Gas — Midway Geyser Basin — 
 Turquoise Spring — Prismatic Lake — Unrivalled Beauty — Ex- 
 celsior Geyser — " Hell's Half Acre " — The Gem — Morning 
 Glory — Grotto Geyser — Punch Bowl — A Bewildering Won- 
 derland — Black Sand Basin — Emerald Pool — Sunset Lake — 
 Anticipations — Hasty Descriptions — Geyser Time Table — 
 College Students — " The Friend of the Tourist " — A Reliable 
 Geyser — A Marvellous Spectacle — The Patriarch — Bee Hive 
 — Giantess — Butterfly — Topaz Pool — The Quaker — The Lion 
 and his Family — Castle Geyser — The Largest Cone in the 
 Park — Water of the Geysers — Sawmill — A Bluebell — Oblong 
 Geyser — Giant — A Milk Geyser — The End of the Day. 
 
 ERE are many springs and small geysers, 
 
 unnamed, or fancifully designated by the 
 
 tourist. One of these is known among 
 
 our party as "No Name"; a spring or 
 
 pool of no especial interest apart from the general 
 
 attraction of everything in this phenomenal region, 
 
 save that we have adopted it, as it were. 
 
 We hear a great sound of hissing and sputtering 
 
 as we approach the beautiful Clepsydra Spring. 
 335
 
 33^ Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 This geyser has apparently four openings, from 
 which steam and water are cast, sometimes to a 
 height of twenty feet. It is active at short intervals. 
 
 Here is Little Spasm Geyser, with its constant 
 eruptions, and here the Oyster, named on account 
 of its resemblance to that bivalve; but the most 
 beautiful of all is the Fountain Geyser, which stands 
 a king among its fellows. While we observe the 
 play of this famous geyser at intervals throughout 
 the day, we reserve our greatest enjoyment of its 
 beauties for the evening. 
 
 The earthy crust of this basin is not so varied in 
 color as that at Mammoth Hot Springs. Here we 
 find more universal the shades of yellow, white and 
 gray. The deposits from the Fountain cover an 
 area of several acres. Its crater is thirty feet in 
 diameter, and is surrounded by a rim-like edge. In 
 all the fountain class of geysers, there is no cone, 
 but a large pool, which when at rest, bears a dose 
 resemblance to the quiescent springs. When walk- 
 ing upon the crust here, one feels as though tread- 
 ing upon thin ice covered snow, which frequently 
 breaks, letting the walker down an inch or two. 
 The Fountain is on an eminence, not far from the 
 hotel, and its eruptions occur at intervals of from 
 two to four hours, continuing with great force for
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 339 
 
 ten or fifteen minutes. When the pool and crater 
 are filled with water to the rim, it is an indication 
 that an eruption will soon take place. 
 
 It is now between eight and nine o'clock in the 
 evening, and a beautiful clear night, with the moon 
 just spreading its silver radiance over a dark blue 
 sky. We await the action of our favorite, impatient 
 at the slight delay, and look at our watches every 
 few minutes, as though saying: "What has de- 
 tained our friend ? He should be here by this time." 
 But we are not kept long in this state. The heralds 
 of the monarch begin to agitate the waters in the 
 mouth of the crater. Now there is a gentle bub- 
 bling, which grows more violent until at last the 
 steam bursts forth with a noise and force that in- 
 crease every instant. The misty spray mounts 
 higher and higher, until at the crowning point of 
 the eruption, a vast body of water and steam are 
 flung to a height of fifty feet. This continues for 
 perhaps twenty minutes, while the noise of the 
 escaping steam resounds about us. It is a sublime 
 spectacle. The great white clouds, filling the air, 
 are illumined by the silver rays of the moon. We 
 are enraptured with the scene, the night and our 
 surroundings. After the eruption has subsided, the 
 \yater falls from twelve to eighteen inches below
 
 340 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 the crater's rim, and all is peace and quietness until 
 it begins to rise gradually towards another climax. 
 
 Not far from the Fountain is a tiny geyser, named 
 the Jet, which sends forth its fountain with a force 
 utterly disproportioned to its size, casting up a 
 stream, fully thirty feet in the air, with considerable 
 noise. 
 
 Every one visits the "Dump" to see the great 
 bears feed. Here they congregate at certain periods, 
 the black, brown and grizzly creatures, forming an 
 interesting group, very tempting to the photogra- 
 pher. But much caution is necessary in approach- 
 ing these animals, or being too familiar in one's at- 
 tentions. Everything of this kind is quickly re- 
 sented. Twice have they rushed angrily towards 
 me, when in my anxiety to obtain a good picture I 
 have unwittingly approached more closely than they 
 deemed proper. 
 
 The greatest wonders of this marvellous region 
 are still before us, — and now our arrangements are 
 made for the journey to the Upper Geyser Basin, a 
 drive of nineteen miles. It is no effort to rise early 
 with such a prospect before us. The coach leaves 
 the hotel at eight o'clock, and we are on time. The 
 amateur will not fail to add many rolls and plates to 
 his photographic outfit, for innumerable are the
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 341 
 
 beauties of this Upper Basin; and unless at least 
 fifty plates are provided, he will run short long be- 
 fore he has exhausted the wonders of the place. 
 
 How fresh and delightful is the atmosphere! 
 This great altitude is so exhilarating that there is a 
 constant effervescence of mirth and social merri- 
 ment among our party. One member is so witty 
 that no subject fails to draw from her sparkling 
 metaphors and similes. And we greet her sallies as 
 though we were all under the influence of laughing 
 gas. Even our driver seems infected with the gen- 
 eral spirit of hilarity, and as the horses step gayly 
 forward, we feel that no more delightful company 
 of tourists than ours has ever been carried through 
 these regions. 
 
 At the end of three miles we come to the Midway 
 Geyser Basin, which is really the upper portion of 
 the Lower Basin, being situated midway between 
 the extreme points of the Upper and Lower Basins. 
 It contains hundreds of hot springs and geysers, and 
 its phenomena are of a stupendous character. Its 
 most interesting points are Turquoise Spring, Ex- 
 celsior Geyser and Prismatic Lake, 
 
 Turquoise Spring is the first to claim our atten- 
 tion, as it is but a short distance from the road. 
 This is a quiet pool, about a hundred feet in diam-
 
 342 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 eter, and fully sixty feet deep. The water is trans- 
 parent, and of a brilliant blue color. Small streams 
 are constantly flowing from its sides. The crusty 
 formation here displays the various shades of yellow, 
 green and brown, in evidence of the copper, iron 
 and sulphur in the water. One can scarcely im- 
 agine anything more beautiful than this spring: yet 
 a few steps farther we are confronted by a body of 
 water, which surpasses all that we have yet seen in 
 size and beauty. This is Prismatic Lake, two hun- 
 dred and fifty by four hundred feet, and said to be 
 the most perfect spring of its kind in the world. It 
 is impossible by pen or photograph to give even a 
 faint idea of the exquisite display of colors which 
 gives to this lake its name. From its surface arises 
 a mist which in the sunlight is gloriously beautiful. 
 Its water is deep blue in the centre, changing to 
 green, and beyond that to deep orange. Its tem- 
 perature is about 146 degrees. The mound formed 
 by its eruptions is of a brownish gray color, upon 
 which deposits of brilliant red, shading into purples 
 and browns, form vivid bands, distinctly marked, 
 and wonderful in effect. The edge of the lake is 
 curved in graceful scallops, over which the water 
 flows in every direction, forming a succession of 
 terraces, whose delicacy and richness of coloring
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 343 
 
 are utterly inexpressible. 1 doubt if anytiiing love- 
 lier will greet us in our journey through the Park. 
 
 The Excelsior Geyser is a vast caldron, close to 
 the edge of Firehole River, into whose stream, it is 
 said, it pours 4,000 gallons of water a minute, it 
 has been inactive since 1888, but previous to that 
 time, its eruptions resembled those of a volcano, it 
 sent forth columns of water, fifty feet in diameter, 
 to the enormous height of two hundred and fifty 
 feet. It has the appearance of a vast pit, and its 
 deep blue waters, fifteen or twenty feet below the 
 surface, are so constantly agitated that dense clouds 
 of steam obscure its crater, which is visible only 
 when the wind blov^/s them aside. Its walls are 
 perpendicular and about twenty feet in height. This 
 geyser has been visited by thousands of people, and 
 previous to 1881 was known as " Hell's Half Acre." 
 It has already had two periods of violent activity, 
 when it ejected rocks as well as water. When it 
 shall again burst forth to fill the world anew with 
 awe and amazement, none can tell. In this region 
 Nature is chary of her secrets. 
 
 The ride from here is dusty, and we amuse our- 
 selves by watching for the small geysers which line 
 the banks of the Firehole River. Our ride is also 
 enlivened by traveller's stories, and the ever ready
 
 344 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 anecdotes of the driver. We stop to view a silent 
 spring called the Gem, whose surface is about 
 twenty feet in diameter, and its waters a pure emer- 
 ald. We can look far down into its depths of forty 
 or fifty feet. The deposit left by its crystal over- 
 flow is exquisite in form and color. 
 
 Here is the Morning Glory, another quiet pool, 
 about twenty feet in diameter, with delicately 
 colored rim and deep blue transparent waters: and 
 now quite suddenly we come upon the Fan, 
 Mortar, and Riverside Geysers, on the river bank at 
 the road crossing. They do not favor us with an 
 exhibition of their powers. In rapid succession, 
 and almost too quickly for record follow several 
 geysers, then comes the Indicator, heralding the 
 Grotto, v/hose cavern-like crater is worthy of es- 
 pecial attention. This geyser casts its stream fully 
 thirty feet in the air, with an eruption lasting about 
 twenty minutes. A short distance farther is the 
 broken crater of one of the greatest geysers in the 
 Park. And now come Comet, Splendid and Daisy, 
 all having their regular periods of eruption, in 
 which their waters are thrown from fifty to two 
 hundred feet in the air. They are ail beautiful, yet 
 each possesses its individual charm. 
 
 The Punch Bowl is a lovely spring, situated on
 
 fe 
 
 o
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 347 
 
 the summit of a small mound about five feet in 
 height, and ten in diameter. It is set in a frame of 
 brilliant color, eighteen inches high, and its constant 
 overflow gives it a glistening appearance which is 
 very attractive. 
 
 These rapidly changing scenes, the exquisite 
 coloring of this region, and the excitement of the 
 constant eruptions have a bewildering effect upon 
 us, and we wonder if it is possible for anything 
 more marvellous to appear. Our driver smiles, as 
 he changes his quid of tobacco from one side of his 
 mouth to the other, and drawls: "You haven't 
 only made a beginning. Whoa!" and we stop in 
 front of the Black Sand Basin, one of the loveliest 
 springs in the Upper Basin. The waters of the 
 spring are of a delicate blue, and are set in a dainty 
 rim, ornamented by what resembles a fungous 
 growth. The sloping sides are covered with a 
 crust of mingled brown and creamy tints, bordered 
 with pitch stone or obsidian; from one side flows a 
 stream, which blends the most delicate hues of 
 pink, yellow and saffron with various shades of 
 green. Its overflow spreads out upon a large area, 
 called Specimen Lake, on account of the dry and 
 lifeless trunks, which appear like specimens of 
 petrifaction.
 
 348 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Emerald Pool is another of the quiescent springs, 
 exquisite in color, and a favorite with those familiar 
 with the Park. But there are so many beautiful 
 springs, all so wonderful in formation, so perfect in 
 coloring, that it is difficult to pronounce any one of 
 them as the most perfect of the series. Within 
 this small limit of perhaps a square mile are to be 
 found the grandest and most powerful geysers 
 known to man, and picturesque pools of quiescent 
 but scalding water, unrivalled in beauty of form and 
 delicacy of coloring. 
 
 Here is Sunset Lake, a spring radiant with pris- 
 matic colors, displaying upon its walls and rim 
 lovely combinations of brown, yellow and gray, 
 while the centre of the pool is deep blue. It would 
 be impossible to imitate these divine tints. They 
 are the masterwork of a Divine Hand. Who can 
 truly describe these scenes, as they pass before the 
 bewildered glance in rapid succession ? 
 
 During our drive to Old Faithful we see numer- 
 ous small geysers and springs, all boiling and sput- 
 tering to a greater or less extent, and sending up 
 their steam signals. 
 
 We approach the Upper Geyser Basin with lively 
 anticipations, for we have read in the guide-books 
 that this basin covers an area of four square miles,
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 349 
 
 and contains twenty-six geysers and upwards of 
 four hundred iiot springs; and we are impatient to 
 behold these marvels of nature. Before proceeding 
 further, I will for convenient reference, copy here 
 from the schedule a list of these geysers, with the 
 height, duration and intervals of their eruptions. 
 
 UPPER BASIN. 
 
 HEIGHT INTERVAI.S DURATION 
 
 IN OF OF 
 
 FEET. ERUPTION. 
 
 Old Faithful .... 165 
 
 Bee Hive 200 
 
 Giantess 125 
 
 Lion 75 
 
 Lioness lOO 
 
 Cubs 3 to 10 
 
 Surprise 50 
 
 Sawmill 10 to 30 
 
 Grand 200 
 
 Turban 25 
 
 Riverside 100 
 
 Fan 30 
 
 Artemisia 100 
 
 Jewel 30 
 
 Grotto 20 
 
 Giant 250 
 
 Oblong 20 
 
 Splendid 200 
 
 Castle 125 
 
 Economic 30 
 
 Cascade 20 to 40 
 
 65-75 min. 
 12 lirs. to 4 days 
 
 8 to 12 days 
 
 2 to 5 times daily 
 
 Irregular 
 
 Frequent 
 
 Irregular 
 
 2 to 4 hrs. 
 Sev'l times w'k. 
 
 Irregular 
 6 to 7 hrs. 
 
 3 hrs. 
 
 Daily 
 Frequent 
 
 3 to 5 hrs. 
 
 4 to 7 days 
 
 6 hrs. 
 
 Irregular 
 
 8 to 12 hrs. 
 
 6 min. 
 Half hour 
 
 7 min. 
 
 10 min. 
 
 10 to 20 hrs. 
 
 8 to 14 min. 
 
 12 min. 
 
 20 min. 
 
 25 min. 
 
 30 to 60 min. 
 
 I to 3 hrs. 
 
 30 to 60 min. 
 
 20 min. 
 
 12 min. 
 
 12 to 30 min. 
 
 2 min. 
 30 to 40 min. 
 
 90 min. 
 10 to 20 min. 
 10 to 20 min. 
 60 min. 
 
 1 min. 
 
 2 min.
 
 350 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 UPPER BASIN. 
 
 HEIGHT INTERVALS DURATION 
 
 IN OF OF 
 
 FEET. ERUPTION. 
 
 Two hrs. 
 
 lo mm. 
 
 Daisy 60 
 
 Sponge Spring. 
 
 Punch Bowl .... Spring, sometimes an active geyser. 
 
 Black Sand Basin . . Very interesting. Fine display of color. 
 Sunset Lake . . . . " " u u « « 
 
 Emerald Pool . . . Exquisite colored spring. 
 Morning Glory Spring " " " 
 
 Biscuit Basin . . . Peculiar spot, numerous beautiful pools. 
 Chinaman .... 40 
 Spasmodic .... 40 
 
 Turban 40 
 
 Oblong 50 
 
 Mortar 30 
 
 Cliff 100 
 
 Lone Star .... 75 
 
 Irregular 
 
 2 min. 
 
 Irregular 
 
 20 min. 
 
 Frequently 
 
 20 min. 
 
 6 hrs. 
 
 5 min. 
 
 2 hrs. 
 
 5 min. 
 
 4 to 8 hrs. 
 
 8 min. 
 
 40 min. to 2 hrs. 
 
 10 min. 
 
 Is it strange that we are excited at the prospect 
 of beholding such phenomena ? And our excite- 
 ment increases as we enter upon these scenes of 
 grandeur. One could spend many days in this 
 region and still find new cause for wonder and 
 delight. Unfortunately the hotel which stood here 
 has been destroyed by fire. It is said that the 
 company contemplates building another for the 
 accommodation of tourists who wish to spend 
 several days at this basin. The surface upon
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 3^1 
 
 which we walk is composed of tissues which give 
 one tile feeling of treading upon moss. The 
 whiteness of its chalky coating is very trying to the 
 eyes, and we turn to the woods and mountains as a 
 refreshing contrast. The hissing sounds and noisy 
 steam explosions remind us of a Fourth of July 
 celebration. Our guides are rapid in their descrip- 
 tions, and from frequent repetition, run over the 
 points of each spring and geyser, much as the 
 European guides describe the attractive features of 
 Stratford-on-Avon. I attempt to follow them in the 
 order of the geysers, but between photographic 
 enthusiasm and the excitement of beholding these 
 sudden explosions of steam and water, I am com- 
 pelled to give up the race. 
 
 We enjoy, as must every one who visits this 
 basin, one of the grandest spectacles in the country; 
 perhaps in the world. Doubtless others have ex- 
 perienced the same confused sensation, as though 
 the brain is in a whirl, on witnessing these gorgeous 
 volumes of steam shooting into the air at every con- 
 ceivable angle. We seem to be in a world of 
 geysers. Earth and sky are full of them. They 
 threaten to engulf us, and sweep us out of 
 existence. 
 
 A good wholesome lunch is served here with
 
 3^ Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 college students to wait upon us. These western 
 college boys are to be commended for their energy 
 and ambition, and in the hotels and lunch stations 
 where they are found as waiters during the summer 
 vacations, visitors are served with intelligence and 
 despatch. 
 
 Old Faithful is fitly named as "the reliable friend 
 of the tourist." Have you not heard of him ? Does 
 he need an introduction from me ? I have seen 
 pictures of this wonderful geyser, when he seemed 
 more like the ideal of the traveller's tale than a 
 grand reality. But now he is before me, a majestic 
 geyser sending his mass of steam high in the air. 
 It seems the realization of a dream, A portrait 
 vivified. Some one has said that any five geysers 
 could be erased from the list, rather than Old 
 Faithful, There may be more powerful geysers, 
 more artistic formations, but Old Faithful is ever 
 the glory, the delight, the pride of the visitor to the 
 Yellowstone. Day and night, in summer and 
 winter, through sunshine and rain, he makes his 
 eruptions every sixty-three minutes. Storms do 
 not discourage him, for regularity is his watch- 
 word. Yet he does not always appear the same. 
 The views are constantly changing as the sunshine 
 gleams over his steamy veil with prismatic effect,
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 353 
 
 or the raindrops fall to meet the rising torrent. The 
 winds bear aloft this great cloud like a royal banner, 
 and it sways to and fro, enabling one now and then 
 %o obtain a glimpse of the crater. 
 
 We approach Old Faithful and look down into 
 his mouth, which is six feet long and two feet 
 wide, but hear only a suppressed gurgle. But little 
 steam is coming forth. 
 
 After a pause long enough for one to adjust his 
 camera, sketch-book, or opera-glasses, considerable 
 agitation becomes audible in the crater, and water 
 and steam seem to be struggling for the mastery. 
 Now the water is vanquished, and forced upward 
 with much noise and violence. Higher and higher 
 the torrent speeds through the air, until we behold 
 a column, two feet in diameter, projected to a height 
 of one hundred and fifty feet. 
 
 We stand before it mute and spellbound. Only 
 the most practical camera bearers are active at this 
 moment. We watch the gradual descent of the 
 water, and when it has wholly subsided, note the 
 time the eruption has occupied as about two 
 minutes. 
 
 Boiling water flowing down the cone prevents 
 our ascending to its mouth for several minutes: 
 then all is quiet, and we collect our thoughts and
 
 354 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 congratulate each other upon having witnessed the 
 wonderful spectacle. The mound of the geyser is 
 a succession of terraces, whose bowls are now filled 
 with crystal water, and whose delicate edges appear 
 like exquisite fretwork. This geyser is the patri- 
 arch of the whole family, having been the first to 
 welcome civilized man to these regions. His years 
 may be counted by the thousands. The outpour of 
 an average eruption, as estimated by the United 
 States Geological survey, is not less than 1,500,000 
 gallons, which amounts to 33, 225, 000 gallons per day. 
 We make the round of the other geysers, accom- 
 panied by the guide who gives us a hasty descrip- 
 tion of each. Some are active, and delight us with 
 their majestic beauty beneath the glowing sunlight; 
 others lying dormant, are calm, clear and exquisite 
 in color. These are the names of a few of them: 
 The Bee Hive, whose fountain is so hot that it 
 generally evaporates while in mid air; Giantess, 
 upon the highest point of the Upper Basin, whose 
 eruptions occur only once in several days, but 
 whose display is very wonderful, continuing at 
 short intervals through a period of twelve hours. 
 The Butterfly, a beautiful geyser, whose eruption 
 assumes the form of a butterfly, as it is forced from 
 the crater of the spring.
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 357 
 
 An Englishman in our party has the habit of 
 poking his stick into these formations. I tell him 
 he will subject himself to a heavy fine if discovered; 
 but he replies that no harm is done, since his cane 
 is not injured by the experiments. 
 
 Here is Topaz Pool — and here the Sponge, a 
 curious formation, resembling a great sponge in 
 character and color. Its water boils and bubbles, 
 sending up a fountain four or five feet above its 
 basin. The Quaker is so called from the quivering 
 of the top scales of its crusty formation. There is a 
 perceptible rising of three or four inches in this 
 mass — a strange phenomenon. The Beach and the 
 Ear are named from some real or fancied resem- 
 blance to these objects. 
 
 The fountain of the Lion Geyser shoots upward 
 to a height of fully seventy-five feet, at intervals of 
 from three to five hours. It frequently continues in 
 action from five to ten minutes. Its noise during 
 these eruptions is equal to the mighty roar of its 
 namesake. The Lioness and the Cubs are not far 
 off. The Cubs play frequently, as cubs should; and 
 sometimes the Lioness and Cubs play together, but 
 the Lion is rarely seen playing with his family. 
 
 It is impossible to pass the Castle without espe- 
 cial notice. This geyser occupies a prominent posi-
 
 358 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 lion between the Splendid Geyser and Old Faithful. 
 Its cone is the largest in the basin, and the forma- 
 tion at its base is a hundred feet in diameter. It is 
 one of the oldest of the active geysers, its eruptions 
 occurring at intervals of from eight to thirty hours. 
 These are preceded by occasional jets of water, 
 rising to a height of twenty feet. The premonitory 
 symptoms generally last five or six hours, when the 
 real eruption bursts forth in columns of water 
 flung to a height of seventy-five feet. This is fol- 
 lov^ed by clouds of steam, which fill the air for a 
 considerable space. Several times during the year 
 it has a celebration, when its waters are thrown to 
 twice their usual height, and the steam explosion 
 which follows is proportionately violent. 
 
 It is a peculiar fact that the v/ater of these gey- 
 sers, if placed in a kettle, will remain hot much 
 longer than ordinary boiled water. Perhaps the 
 impregnation of mineral matter aids in the retention 
 of heat. 
 
 The Sawmill is a small geyser, throwing its waters 
 from twenty to thirty feet in the air. It is active 
 at intervals of from two to four hours. Its vigorous 
 action, accompanied by the peculiar noise which 
 suggests its name. Its funnel throws out its water 
 and steam with a defiant touch-me-if-you-dare air
 
 In the Upper Geyser Basin 359 
 
 that is very comical. Here are the Amber Pool, 
 Economic Geyser and Beauty Spring. I am sur- 
 prised to find a bluebell here growing in a crevice 
 on the edge of a crater. It has no companions, and 
 1 am cruel enough to pluck the hardy little flower 
 and place it between the leaves of my sketch-book. 
 
 The Oblong Geyser, whose interior, after an 
 eruption, is exposed to a depth of several feet, pre- 
 sents the finest view of the inner structure of these 
 phenomena in the Park. The Giant, which is said 
 to be one of the noblest geysers in the world, is 
 situated close to Firehole River. Its cone, about ten 
 feet in height, is broken on one side, from the apex 
 to the base, affording a view of the interior, which 
 is in a constant state of agitation. The mound on 
 which it rests is seventy-five feet in diameter. The 
 Giant is active about twice a week, and continues 
 its eruptions from one to two hours. Its vast 
 column of water rises at once two hundred and fifty 
 feet in the air. The close of the exhibition is pre- 
 ceded by a rumbling sound, which has been likened 
 to a distant train of moving cars. We are unfor- 
 tunate enough to miss this magnificent display by a 
 few hours. 
 
 Our guide, a rather quizzical sort of fellow, asks 
 one of the party if he would like to see a milk
 
 360 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 geyser? "Yes, yes indeed; where is it?" is the 
 eager reply. Silently the guide points, with his 
 stick, to a fine cow leisurely meandering along the 
 roadway. 
 
 Reluctantly we turn away from this marvellous 
 basin, and take our places in the coach. At five 
 o'clock, we find ourselves once more in our rooms 
 at the Fountain Hotel, feeling that we have had an 
 experience that will stand out among the great days 
 of a lifetime.
 
 Yellowstone Lake and 
 
 the Grand Canon
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 Yellcnvstone Lake and the Grand Canon 
 
 The Castle Geyser Plays— Old Faithful's Farewell— Keppler Cas- 
 cade — Camera Shots — Firehole Canon — Continental Divide — 
 Isa Lake — Craig Pass— Corkscrew Hill— Instructing the 
 Driver — Shoshone Point — Thumb Bay Lunch Station — The 
 Shape of the Lake— Over the Mountain Tops— A Striking 
 Scene— Great Yellowstone Lake — An Abundance of Water — 
 More Paint Pots— Lake Shore Geyser — Fishing Cone— Boil- 
 ing the Fish— The Launch " Zillah "—Dot Island— Elk and 
 Buffalo— Mount Sheridan— Absaroka Range— Many Lofty 
 Summits— A Glorious Scene— Stevenson Island— Lake Hotel 
 — Sleeping Giant— Pelicans— Alum Creek— Queer Stories — 
 Yellowstone River— Mud Geysers— Yellowstone Rapids — 
 The Upper Falls — A Celebrated Spot — Grand Point — A 
 Magnificent View— The Cafton — Brilliant Colors — Inspiration 
 Point— Point Lookout — Lower Falls — Moran Point — A Mil- 
 lion Tints— The Ravine— Devel's Watch Charm— Grand 
 View Point— A Rapid Descent— A Charming Walk— In the 
 Canon — Farewell. 
 
 HOROUGHLY rested and refreshed, we are 
 ready to start for the Lake Hotel, in the 
 Yellowstone Lake Region, forty-seven 
 miles from the Fountain Hotel in the 
 Lower Geyser Basin. It is the fifteenth of July, and 
 six o'clock in the morning. The temperature is 
 
 363
 
 364 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 forty-four degrees — yesterday at this time it was 
 thirty-seven degrees, and on the ninth, water froze 
 a half inch during the night. Snow falls here at 
 intervals throughout the whole year. I mention 
 this fact, that the tourist may provide suitable cloth- 
 ing for a journey of this kind. 
 
 Everything being ready, we take our places in the 
 leading coach as before. (These coaches are called 
 the "Thorough Brace Concord," and are made in 
 Concord, N. H.) The day is cool and crisp, the air 
 delightful, and we are a cheerful, healthy company. 
 
 Our first stop is at the Upper Geyser Basin, which 
 we visited a few days ago. Here we are so for- 
 tunate as to witness an eruption of the Castle Gey- 
 ser — a wonderful spectacle, which we observe with 
 breathless interest, the coach waiting meanwhile. 
 
 Another piece of good luck is the play of Old 
 Faithful, Surely the Patriarch must have known of 
 our departure from this region, and timed his exhibi- 
 tion accordingly. We do not fail to stop for him. 
 
 A mile and a half farther we are introduced to the 
 Keppler Cascade, whose waters leap from a height 
 of from a hundred to a hundred and fifty feet, 
 forming a succession of falls over rocky ledges, 
 picturesque and beautiful. The cascade is framed 
 in the dark green forest which affords a charming
 
 r:rl.^vf\f' vn^^*f^■'^■ 
 
 j-;jj-yi m\\^ 
 
 ..1.1' 

 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 367 
 
 contrast to its foamy torrent. We all " shoot the 
 rapids " with our cameras. Along the Firehole 
 Carion we wend our way amid scenes so wild and 
 enchanting that I long to reproduce them with my 
 camera, though neither pen nor photograph can do 
 justice to their brilliant beauty. 
 
 It is about eleven o'clock when we reach the 
 Continental Divide on the Pacific side, at an altitude 
 of 8,240 feet. Here we see the lovely Isa Lake en- 
 closed in the rocky mountain pass, 500 feet in 
 length. Crossing the Divide through Craig Pass, 
 we descend about 340 feet in the next two miles 
 along the slopes of Corkscrew Hill. How well the 
 name fits this rugged height, travellers over this 
 road know only too well. Our experienced driver 
 smiles as he hears the exclamations of his pas- 
 sengers when he makes a sudden turn in the road, 
 close to the edge of the precipice. He tells me that 
 he does this to make the drive a little exciting: if 
 so, he certainly attains his object. 
 
 Apropos of this locality, he tells us that one day, 
 while driving along the road leading to Corkscrew 
 Hill, an English passenger attempted to instruct him 
 in regard to the management of his four horses. 
 The driver received the directions in silence, which 
 seemed to annoy the tourist. When Corkscrew
 
 368 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 Hill was reached Jehu cracked his whip with a yell 
 that sent the horses galloping down the winding 
 path as though a pack of demons were after them. 
 The traveller started to his feet with exclamations 
 of fright, expecting every moment that coach, 
 horses and passengers would be dashed over the 
 sharp ledge into the rocky pass below. But on went 
 horses and stage, rounding turn after turn with the 
 utmost speed until at last the bottom of the hill 
 was reached in safety, without another word from 
 the driver. The Englishman drew a breath of re- 
 lief, and broke the silence by declaring that he was 
 convinced the western method of driving was all 
 right, especially in a country of rough and high 
 roads. 
 
 At Shoshone Point we have a magnificent view 
 of the beautiful Lake and Valley of this name, 
 bordered by the mountain slopes with their rich 
 covering of fir, spruce and pine trees. At the back 
 of the lake, fifty miles distant, may be seen the 
 snow-capped peaks of the Teton Mountains, 14,000 
 feet in height. On the western shore of the lake 
 is the Shoshone Geyser Basin, containing many 
 springs and several large geysers. 
 
 Again we cross the Continental Divide, this 
 time on the Atlantic side, at an elevation of 8,345
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 369 
 
 feet, and now descend towards Thumb Bay Lunch 
 Station, on the western arm, or thumb, as it is 
 termed, of Yellowstone Lake. The lake seemed to 
 the early explorers to resemble in shape the human 
 hand, and so they represented it on their maps, but 
 the likeness is so remote, that the fingers have been 
 gradually dropped from the maps, and only the 
 thumb left as a permanent feature. We have been 
 travelling over the mountain tops for some hours, 
 amid the haunts of the eagle, and close to the region 
 of clouds. Now at a sudden turn in the road, our 
 driver stops his horses and tells us to look ahead. 
 Following the direction of his outstretched arm we 
 have our first glimpse of one of the most striking 
 scenes in this wonderful region. 
 
 Across the tree tops we behold the great Yellow- 
 stone Lake, whose silver waters gleam in the sun- 
 light three hundred feet below us, and the dense 
 pine forest which, growing close to the edge of the 
 shore, frames it as a mirror. Its transparent surface 
 reflects the floating clouds above it and the green 
 trees that lovingly surround it. The lake is about a 
 mile and a half above the level of the sea, and has 
 an area of one hundred and thirty-nine square miles. 
 Its average depth is thirty feet, although it reaches 
 a maximum of three hundred feet. Innumerable
 
 370 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 trout inhabit its icy waters, and the fisherman who 
 would explore its shore line, may travel along this 
 border for a hundred miles. Few lakes in the 
 world surpass it in area, in altitude or in beauty. 
 
 It is a blessing that water, both hot and cold, 
 abounds in this region, for the amount of dust here 
 is almost incredible, and is counteracted only by 
 free and frequent ablutions of the outer and inner 
 man. The tents at Thumb Lunch Station appear 
 plain and unpretentious, but the tourist receives a 
 hospitable welcome, and the food is abundant, 
 wholesome and well served. 
 
 We have travelled twenty-eight miles since leav- 
 ing the Fountain Hotel, and now we find ourselves 
 amid scenes of almost overpowering beauty. 
 Mountains tower 3,500 feet above the surface of the 
 lake, which is almost wholly fed by the springs and 
 snows of the Absaroka Range. It is said that these 
 waters, now so calm and placid are lashed into wild 
 fury by the heavy southern gales. A hot spring 
 basin lies on the western shores of the lake. Its 
 chief attractions are the Paint Pots, two large and 
 beautiful quiescent springs, fully equal to those in 
 the Lower Geyser Basin. 
 
 Here is the Lake Shore Geyser, whose fountain 
 rises at short intervals to a height of thirty feet. A
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 371 
 
 nameless geyser of considerable power is close by, 
 and here too is the celebrated Fishing Cone, the de- 
 light of the angler. Upon this cone one may stand 
 and throw his line into the cold waters of the lake, 
 draw forth a fine trout, and without turning his 
 body, lower his prize into the boiling waters of the 
 Cone, where it will be cooked to perfection. 
 
 The little launch, "Zillah," blows her shrill 
 whistle; and, bidding our faithful and entertaining 
 driver farewell, we soon assemble on her deck, to 
 be borne across the water to the Lake Hotel, nine- 
 teen miles distant. The stage follows the line of 
 the shore to the hotel, where it awaits those pas- 
 sengers who wish to continue the journey. 
 
 The Absaroka and other mountain ranges form a 
 picturesque background to these shores. In the 
 distance is a wooded spot called Dot Island, towards 
 which the bow of our vessel is turned. Ere long 
 we stop before its primitive wharf, and land in a 
 drizzling rain to take a peep at the inhabitants, who 
 are principally elk and buffalo, carelessly eating 
 within an enclosure. 
 
 Once more upon the waters, we are surrounded 
 by charming views. Our altitude is greater than 
 that of Mount Washington. On the west is Mount 
 Sheridan, from whose summit may be had one of
 
 372 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 the finest views in this whole region. Its height is 
 10,200 feet. Towards the east are the serried peaks 
 of the Absarokas, with Colter and Sunset Peaks, 
 and Doane, Langford, Grizzly and Cathedral sum- 
 mits, Mounts Washburn, Dunraven and many other 
 lofty heights piercing the clouds at an altitude of 
 from 10,000 to 11,000 feet. On the south are the 
 Teton Mountains, perhaps the most remarkable in 
 the Rocky Mountain series. These mountains were 
 long known as Pilot Knobs, as they seemed to form 
 the principal landmarks of the overland journey 
 through the pathless wilderness. The scene is a 
 glorious one, and the exhilarating atmosphere, lively 
 passengers and jolly captain render the sail one of 
 perfect enjoyment. Passing around Stevenson's 
 Island, we perceive the noted profile formed by the 
 contours of two mountains, one a few miles behind 
 the other. This is no uncommon appearance in 
 strongly defined mountain regions. 
 
 At the Lake Hotel our altitude is 7,738 feet. A 
 prolonged stay in the lofty atmosphere of the coun- 
 try extending from Cinnabar Station to this point, 
 produces unpleasant effects upon some of the tour- 
 ists. In some cases it causes bleeding of the nose, 
 in others, nausea and fullness in the head, while 
 many persons experience accelerated action of the
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 373 
 
 heart. But many feel no ill effect from a residence 
 in this unusual altitude. 
 
 In one day we have made the journey of forty- 
 seven miles from Lower Geyser Basin. A memo- 
 rable ride and sail — accomplished with compara- 
 tively little fatigue. 
 
 The Lake Hotel is picturesquely located, and well 
 appointed, being planned for a longer visit than that 
 of the passing tourist. Here is excellent fishing; 
 and good boats, rods, etc., may be hired. The 
 drives are charming, and vehicles of all kinds may 
 be obtained by the visitors. We remain long 
 enough to have some good sport, fishing; to take a 
 number of drives, and enjoy a needed rest; then 
 away we go again with our coach and team of 
 white horses. Our road is along the west bank of 
 the Yellowstone River — and our goal is the Grand 
 Canon of the Yellowstone, seventeen miles distant. 
 Upon our right is the profile of the great Sleeping 
 Giant, whose bed is the lofty mountain ridge. How 
 peacefully he slumbers upon his rocky couch. He 
 " heeds not the cold blast, nor winter's icy air." 
 
 Many pelicans are floating gracefully on the lake: 
 others are fishing. It is interesting to watch them 
 fly high up in the air, then suddenly swoop down 
 upon their prey, which they carry off to the neigh-
 
 374 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 boring hills or mountains to eat. We are driving 
 along a pretty woodland road, and now cross the 
 little bridge which spans Alum Creek. Here a story 
 is told, and said to be true, of a lady travelling in 
 one of these coaches, who had suffered consider- 
 ably with her feet. Persuading the driver to halt, 
 she took off her shoes and stockings and bathed her 
 feet in this creek. Upon replacing her shoes she 
 found them, to her surprise, very much too large. 
 
 Not to be outdone, another passenger relates the 
 story of a coach with six horses and a half a dozen 
 passengers, which forded the creek, and upon land- 
 ing on the opposite bank, the passengers were 
 amazed to find the horses transformed into six 
 ponies, and the coach into a diminutive chaise, 
 while they and the driver had become pigmies. 
 
 The waters of the Yellowstone River are cold and 
 transparent. Hundreds of trout may be seen swim- 
 ming to and fro, or darting about in sportive mood. 
 About five miles from the hotel we halt to view the 
 Mud Geyser, which is formed of several large 
 craters filled with blue mud of exceedingly un- 
 pleasant odor. As we look down the mouth of this 
 formation, at a depth of thirty feet we behold a cave- 
 like opening, through which the blue mass is forced 
 with great violence, accompanied by a dull muffled
 
 I>>
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 377 
 
 thud. Its outbursts are constant. The trees about 
 us bear witness to an extremely powerful eruption 
 in 1898. 
 
 When within a mile of the Canon Hotel, the 
 coach stops, and we have our first view of the 
 Yellowstone Rapids. The river, which has hitherto 
 flowed along its course, a tranquil, lovely stream, is 
 here forced by the canon walls, close to the road. 
 Large boulders obstruct its passage, and it plunges 
 wildly between steep banks, and over rocks, break- 
 ing into boisterous waterfalls, and casting its spray 
 high in the air. At the first, or Upper Fall, the 
 waters flow from a height of one hundred and 
 twelve feet over an almost perpendicular precipice 
 with incredible force and speed. 
 
 The hotel is a structure of unattractive exterior, 
 which agreeably surprises one by the atmosphere 
 of comfort and good cheer within. The tourist 
 finds here pleasant, clean rooms, and an obliging 
 landlord, whose aim is the pleasure and welfare of 
 his guests. The altitude of the hotel is 7,715 feet. 
 Take my advice and go early to bed on the day of 
 your arrival. Do not take your first look at the 
 Grand Canon while tired in mind and body. After 
 a night's rest you will be able to do justice to the 
 scenes around you. Otherwise you will miss a
 
 378 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 perfect appreciation of one of the greatest pictures 
 in the Park. 
 
 It is a clear, cool day, and we leave the hotel for 
 our first visit to this celebrated spot. A pleasant, 
 shaded v/alk leads us to Grand Point, from wliich 
 we command a fine view of the Great Falls and 
 Grand Canon. Here we first look upon that mag- 
 nificent scene which is everywhere acknowledged 
 to be without parallel among the known wonders 
 of our globe. It is useless to attempt to describe it. 
 This has been done over and over again, with far 
 better success than any words of mine may hope 
 for. It is a sublime — a marvellous — a magnificent 
 spectacle. One is speechless and bewildered at the 
 first sight. The cafion itself seems too vast for 
 expression. Nature has lavished her colors here, as 
 if determined to outdo everything she has hitherto 
 attempted — and she has certainly succeeded. 
 
 Here forest covered slopes have given place to 
 loose rocks, with broken and jagged edges, jutting 
 crags and steep precipitous walls, glowing with 
 color, and gorgeous in effect. The canon winds in 
 and out, following its battlemented walls, and at its 
 turns are points well known to the visitors, as com- 
 manding favorite views — exquisite glimpses of un- 
 dreamt of scenes — visions to be carried with one
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 379 
 
 through the years of a lifetime. The spot upon 
 which we stand is one of these. Inspiration Point 
 is another. The cnnon is twenty miles long, and 
 in some places the forest trees, jealous of the praise 
 given to these gorgeous walls, have crept down 
 over them, close to the river. The silence that pre- 
 vails among us adds to the impressive grandeur of 
 the scene. 
 
 The canon measures two thousand feet across at 
 the top, in its widest part, and two hundred feet at 
 the bottom. It is about one thousand two hun- 
 dred feet deep. When we are told that a better 
 view may be obtained from Point Lookout, we are 
 incredulous, for it seems that nothing can be 
 grander, more beautiful than this view. However 
 we walk to this point, and are convinced. From 
 this lofty pinnacle, the prospect is more amazing 
 than before. Lookout Point is a great projection of 
 rock, overhanging the canon, around which a rude 
 fence is built as a protection for the visitors. The 
 view, as we stand upon this outlook is stupendous. 
 The eyes wander from one distinctive feature of the 
 scene to another — from the magnificent rocky 
 walls, for which the canon is famous, to the glo- 
 rious waterfall and beautiful river, — and the soul is 
 thrilled with awe unspeakable.
 
 380 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 The wonderful combinations of color here are 
 masterworks of Nature, which art may never hope 
 to attain. A shower fell here a couple of hours 
 ago, and now the sun shining upon the rocks, il- 
 lumes every particle of color with splendid effect. 
 
 From this point we behold the Lower Falls, fully 
 a half a mile distant, and can hear their rush and 
 roar. The mist from this great falls is carried 
 gently upward by the wind, until it catches the rays 
 of the sun, when an exquisite rainbow adds its 
 charm to the picture. The rocks, parting to give 
 the river passage here, leave an opening of barely a 
 hundred feet. Through this the water makes a 
 plunge of three hundred and sixty feet down into 
 the canon. A vast volume of foam and spray 
 almost hides the face of the river as it makes its 
 mighty leap, and the incessant roar of the cataract 
 may be heard for miles. The depth of the water 
 which rushes over the precipice is estimated as 
 thirty feet. 
 
 We stand rooted to the spot gazing into these 
 depths, from which ever new wonders are evolved. 
 New points of beauty claim our attention, while the 
 whole mass of gorgeous rock and shining water, of 
 impenetrable ravine and magnificent waterfall flings 
 about us a witchery from which we feel that we never
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 381 
 
 will be free. How is it possible to leave this spot ? 
 Can one ever absorb so much of its bewildering 
 beauty that he shall say: " Enough " ? Impossible! 
 
 Moran Point is the outlook from which Thomas 
 Moran painted the sketches for his great Yellow- 
 stone Picture in the National Capitol. Mr. Moran 
 is said to have stated that fully a million tints and 
 shades of color are represented here. 
 
 When one can disengage his attention from the 
 canon, he finds many points of interest along the 
 road which skirts the edge of the wonderful ravine. 
 Look from the roadway across into the ravine, and 
 you will behold a fairy realm of indescribable 
 beauty. Here the winding stream flows gently, 
 and its softened tones are lost in the rustling of the 
 pine trees that almost hide it from your sight. 
 
 Here are the majestic Castle Rocks, rising 1,850 
 feet above the valley. About a quarter of a mile 
 from Inspiration Point, within fifty yards of the edge 
 of the canon lies an enormous block of granite 
 among the trees. This is a singular appearance, as 
 there exists no granite within many miles of this 
 spot. It weighs fully seven hundred and fifty tons; 
 and this trifling trinket is named The Devil's Watch 
 Charm. It is supposed to have been transported 
 thither, during the Glacial Age.
 
 382 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 There is one point from which five different pros- 
 pects of the canon may be seen. As we approach 
 Grand View Point we meet Mr. Walker, the pro- 
 prietor of the hotel, who tells us he is about to make 
 his customary descent to the valley. 
 
 "What!" I exclaimed; "do you go down that 
 slope?" 
 
 " Yes," he replies, "and in a hurry." 
 
 In a few moments we are all assembled at the ex- 
 treme verge of Grand View Point to witness this 
 feat. The descent is fully 1,800 feet. Our landlord 
 appears at the edge of the precipice, and makes a 
 series of leaps and bounds, springing from point to 
 point, and almost before we can realize it, we be- 
 hold him through our glasses, a tiny speck in the 
 landscape below. The slope is in many places at a 
 pitch of fifty and sixty degrees. The descent was 
 made in two minutes, but Mr. Walker occupied 
 three hours in returning to the top of the canon. 
 ■ We are told of an English traveller, who made the 
 tour of the Yellowstone, viewing its many wonders 
 with an utter lack of enthusiasm, until he reached 
 the Grand Canon. Then as from Inspiration Point 
 he beheld the inexpressibly glorious scenes around 
 him, he sank upon his knees in silent adoration. 
 
 As we walk through the woods on our way back
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 383 
 
 to the hotel, we suddenly perceive a fine buck deer, 
 who seems as surprised as we are, and after stand- 
 ing just long enough for a snap shot, bounds away 
 into the forest with the swiftness of the wind. 
 
 Many of the visitors entertain themselves in the 
 evenings by climbing the hill in the rear of the hotel, 
 and awaiting the appearance of the black and grizzly 
 bears with their families. They are very shy, and 
 you must keep yourself hidden behind the bushes, 
 or they will remain in the backwoods, too far off 
 for observation. 
 
 There is a lovely walk along a foot trail to the 
 Lower Falls. The scenery along this walk is beau- 
 tiful; and here you may look down the ravine and 
 see the river, shining now and then, but oftener 
 dark under the shadows of the mysterious forest. 
 Now you reach the edge of a precipice, from which 
 there is another charming view. This path leads to 
 the very edge of the Falls, and the cation from this 
 point presents a grand and imposing picture. This 
 seems to be the spot for the photographer, artist, 
 lover, poet. Here, surrounded by the marvellous 
 works of nature, each one is inspired in his own 
 way to express some of their sublimity, beauty and 
 grandeur. 
 
 Good fishing here also affords its pleasures to
 
 384 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 those who desire them, and lines, rods and other 
 conveniences are at the service of any followers of 
 Isaak Walton who may chance to stray this way. 
 We make many pilgrimages to this indescribably 
 beautiful canon, sometimes remaining hours wholly 
 engrossed by the great pictures around us. But the 
 day comes when we must take our last walk along 
 the shaded path — must send a last regretful glance 
 into the mysterious ravine — and then — we find our- 
 selves once more behind the four white horses, 
 whirling along the dusty roads, en route for the 
 Mammoth Hot Springs, via Norris Geyser Basin, — a 
 drive of about thirty-two miles. 
 
 We start on our return trip at half-past six o'clock 
 on a clear cool morning. Upon leaving the hotel, 
 our road ascends to an altitude of 8,192 feet, and 
 now we pass through miles and miles of pine for- 
 ests. Some of the trees here are twin trees, two 
 distinct trunks growing from one root, and stand- 
 ing side by side, each having its individual develop- 
 ment. 
 
 Our horses — Bob, Dick, Larry and Whiskers — are 
 playful and spirited, and when our whip curls his 
 lash over their ears, they prance and show off with 
 great intelligence. Our way is past many familiar 
 scenes, and we waft many a greeting to the lofty
 
 Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canon 387 
 
 summits that have accompanied us through the 
 greater part of our journe}'. When we approach 
 Norris Geyser Basin, we feel as though many days 
 have elapsed since we were introduced to its won- 
 ders, now less splendid in comparison with our re- 
 cent magnificent experiences. We drive along the 
 Gibbon River, passing quickly its many lovely views, 
 and halt just a moment to admire Virginia Cascades, 
 which gleams in picturesque beauty in the wild 
 rocky canon. We meet many other coaches on our 
 way. Now the walls of Gardiner Cafion close 
 around us, and its wild and turbulent river rushes 
 madly over boulders and ledges, much resembling 
 a foaming cataract. Here are the rugged walls of 
 gray, the long toboggan slides upon the mountain 
 slopes, and the great boulders that seem suspended 
 in mid air, which greeted us on our entrance to the 
 Park. 
 
 Over the last crossing of the river, along a wind- 
 ing road, and through the "Silver Gates," — those 
 great blocks of limestone, rising to a height of 
 seventy-five feet — we pass, and soon find ourselves 
 once more at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, the 
 starting point of our tour through the Yellowstone. 
 
 in conclusion I would express my thanks for the 
 many kind attentions of the hotel proprietors, officers
 
 388 Touring Alaska and the Yellowstone 
 
 of the Transportation Company, and faithful stage 
 drivers of the Park. While many suggestions could 
 be made to add to the comfort of the tourist, the 
 tour of the Yellowstone, to-day, with its dust and 
 its geysers — its lakes, mountains and glorious 
 canons — its marvellous outbursts and transcendent 
 views — is a golden opportunity for one to broaden 
 his ideas of the universe, and to observe Nature in 
 her most wonderful and mysterious operations. 
 
 THE END
 
 Vacation Days 
 in Hawaii and Japan 
 
 By CHARLES M. TAYLOR, Jr., author of "Touring Alaska 
 and the YellowBtone," "Odd Bits of Travel with Brush and 
 Camera," etc,, etc. With over loo half-tone illustrations repro- 
 duced from photographs. Crown 8vo, uncut edges, 361 pages, 
 with unique cover design. Price, $1,60 net; by mail, $1.79. 
 
 Mr. Taylor has a charmingly simple style that is very 
 attractive; his descriptions of the scenery and people of the 
 two countries are so vivid that the reader is left with the 
 impression of having actually seen them. He tells of many 
 quaint customs still retained by these odd people, of amusing 
 jinrikisha rides, of visits to temples and palaces, of strange tea 
 drinkings and of a novel stay in the interior of Japan never 
 before visited by English-speaking people. 
 
 Mr. Taylor is a keen observer, who penetrated beyond the 
 beaten track of the usual tourist, and his sketches of home life, 
 natural beauties and everyday scenes have individuality and 
 charm. — Literary News. 
 
 Mr. Taylor's aim is to show the characteristics and sur- 
 roundings of the native peoples and their home life, rather 
 than to describe the scenes which confront the eye of the ordi- 
 nary tourist. — Review of Reviews. 
 
 Two conspicuous merits this capital travel book has over 
 the average in its class. It describes new grounds and scenes, 
 and the narrative ripples along with the ease and liveliness of 
 a brook. A third feature of exceptional worth is the picture 
 department. — The Philadelphia American. 
 
 For Sale by all Booksellers, or promptly forwarded by the 
 Publishers upon receipt of the required amount 
 
 GEORGE W. JACOBS ^ CO. 
 
 105-105 South Fifteenth Street 
 PHILADELPHIA
 
 The British Isles 
 Through an Opera Glass 
 
 By CHAKLES M. TAYLOR, Jr., author of "Touring Alaska 
 and the Yellowstone," "Vacation Days in Hawaii and Japan," 
 etc., etc. 'With 48 full-page illustrations, principally from 
 photographs. Crown 8vo, uncut edges. 320 pages, with artistic 
 cover design in gold. Price, $1.60 net; by mail, $1.76. 
 
 Mr. Taylor traveled through the British Isles with an 
 observing eye, a ready note-book and a camera, which he used 
 with discreet intelligence. The narrative is brightly written 
 and abounds in anecdote, while the personal point of view is 
 ever present and adds a touch of piquancy. — Philadelphia Press. 
 
 If anyone expects minute details in this pleasing record of 
 a summer tour he will be badly, but not sadly, disappointed. 
 Throughout the book the writer maintains the plan of giving 
 the momentary glimpse of tilings which he sees through his 
 opera-glass. His purpose is to tell how pleasant the journey 
 has been, and to communicate as much of it as possible to the 
 reader, but with no detail, nothing burdensome, nothing weari- 
 some, just the easy flowing description which one would write 
 to a friend. — Church Standard. 
 
 The places visited have previously received many calls from 
 tourists and have been described many times, but the author 
 has seen much that has escaped the common eye, and h? delivers 
 it to the reading public in a fresh, cheerful style that makes a 
 fascination even though one has been in the localities or has 
 read of them at great length. His book contains much pleas- 
 antry, which annuls the notion of wearing detail. — Boston 
 Courier. 
 
 For Sale by all Booksellers, or promptly forwarded by the 
 Publishers upon receipt of the required amount 
 
 GEORGE W. JACOBS (EL CO. 
 
 103-105 South Fifteenth Street 
 PHILADELPHIA
 
 Odd Bits of Travel with 
 Brush and Camera 
 
 By CHARLES M. TAYLOR, Jr., author of "Touring Alaska 
 and the Yello>vstone," " The British Isles Through an Opera 
 Glass," etc., etc. With 55 full-page illustrations, reproduced 
 from photographs, and colored frontispiece. Crown 8vo, uncut 
 edges. 358 pages; bound in cloth, with handsome decorative 
 cover design in gold and black. Price, $1.60 net ; by mail, $1.76. 
 
 These bits of travel charmingly describe little sojourns in 
 England, France, Holland, and Germany — principally in Hol- 
 land, with its ancient, interesting customs and its quaint people. 
 It tells of many an odd nook and corner and many picturesque 
 spots in the Old World. — The Washington Post. 
 
 Mr. Taylor is in search of the picturesque and particvilarly 
 of subjects for his camera, and the book is illustrated with a 
 great profusion of photographs of street scenes, groups of 
 peasants, odd bits of landscape or of architecture and the like. 
 The frontispiece indicates that he used the brush as well as the 
 camera and with success. — The Philadelphia Times. 
 
 It is a charming portfolio filled with delightful bits of 
 scenery and characteristic figure studies. — The Book World. 
 
 The little bits of color, the scenes the hurrying tourist 
 passes over, the life of the street and the quaintness of the 
 byway and the back path are brought out by him with an 
 artist's touch. — The International Magazine. 
 
 The book is a capital one either to recall one's own travels 
 or to excite the liveliest desire to follow in the steps of this 
 entertaining traveler.^ — The Philadelphia Public Ledger. 
 
 For Sale by all Booksellers, or promptly forwarded by the 
 Publishers upon receipt of the required amount 
 
 GEORGE W. JACOBS (Ei CO. 
 
 103-105 South Fifteenth Street 
 PHILADELPHIA
 
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