^ •••-■e-,, 
 
 UC-NRLF 
 
 B 3 553 57E 
 
UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 Platinum Bill" 
 
Gift of C. A. Kofoid 
 

 . "ii 
 
 
 
 
 ' • \ 
 
[UNDER 
 
 THE 
 
 NORTHERN 
 LIGHTS. 
 
 BY "PLATINUM BILL" 
 
 Author of "The Battle Cry of Peace," Military March Song; 
 
 "The Flag Our Fathers Flew," "New War Songs 
 
 and Other Poems, ' ' and 
 
 "AFTER TWELVE YEARS" 
 A Thrilling Romance of the Trails and Trials of the Far North 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 With Fotografs 
 By J. DooDY, THE Sourdough Foxografkr 
 
 Copyright, 1916, 
 
 By W. R. SMITH, 
 
 Portland, Oregon. 
 
 British and Canadian Rights Reserved. 
 
 PubUshed By THE COLUMBIA PRINTING CO., 420 MorrisonSt., 
 Portland, Oregon. 
 >7a 
 
TO 
 
 THE OIvD SOURDOUGHS 
 
 And Especially 
 
 to the Memory of those who have 
 
 MUSHED ON, 
 
 This volume is Dedicated 
 
 As a Tribute to True Friendship. 
 

 AUTHOR'S PREFACE 
 
 This little volume is designed to perpetuate those 
 stories of the Far North which will interest both the 
 Old Sourdough and his very numerous friends "out- 
 side," all the poems being founded on facts and actual 
 occurrences and embodying true stories of the pioneers 
 of the polar regions. 
 
 Many of these occurrences are reminiscences of the 
 early days, though some of them are of more recent 
 occurrence. 
 
 The characters are all well known in the North, and 
 many of them are still living there, while some of them 
 have "mushed on" to the Golden Shore across the 
 Great Divide. 
 
 The illustrations shown are of actual people and 
 places in the North, and the pictures of the Midnight 
 Sun and Dawson by Light of the Aurora Borealis, by 
 Jerry Doody, the Sourdough Fotografer, are really 
 v^onderful reproductions, and triumphs of the foto- 
 grafic art. The Aurora scene is the only successful 
 foto ever taken of this remarkable phenomena and Bro. 
 Doody is certainly to be congratulated on his success. 
 
 With this brief explanation and the hope that my 
 readers will overlook my literary inefficiency in the 
 pleasure of finding their old friends perpetuated in 
 these pages, both in verse and picture, and not criticise 
 my efforts too severely, I consign myself to obscurity 
 and this little volume to the tender mercies of the 
 public. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 \J 
 
INDEX TO TITLES 
 
 Page 
 LOVE IS GOD 8 
 
 BOOST 9 
 
 THE PASSING OF BARNEY MAGEE 14 
 
 MY MAN 18 
 
 THE CHECHACO GIRL 22 
 
 THE DOWNFALL OF SOLO BILL 25 
 
 THE AUTO CRAZE STRIKES DAWSON 29 
 
 THE DREAMSTER 32 
 
 HER TEMP'RATURE'S FORTY BELOW 36 
 
 FOUR HEROES BOLD 39 
 
 JOE M'FRAU ON PAI'NEER BALL 42 
 
 YUKON AT THE FRONT 46 
 
 LIFE &U 
 
 A WINTER NIGHT'S DREAM 51 
 
 THE OLD GROUCH 56 
 
 THE OLD PIONEER'S SOLILOQUY 60 
 
 WHERE JOHN CHINAMAN GOT HIS SMILE 65 
 
 BABY'S FAREWELL 69 
 
 "HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN" 72 
 
 SOURDOUGH GARDEN SASS 77 
 
 THE ICE POOL 81 
 
 THE EVENT OF THE YEAR 85 
 
 FROZEN IN 89 
 
 A LESSON FROM THE BRUTES 94 
 
 IT'S A LONG WAY TO DEAR OLD DAWSON 96 
 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS 
 
 AURORA— Northern Lights. An electric atmospheric phe- 
 nomena that as yet scientists have been unable to sat- 
 isfactorily explain. 
 
 BEANS — Chips or markers used in a card game. 
 
 BENCH CLAIM— A claim on the hillside. 
 
 BOYLE'S GUN CORPS— Fifty men who were armed, 
 equipped and sent to the front in the present war by 
 the Canadian Klondyke Mining Co., of which J. W. 
 Boyle is the active head in this country. 
 
 CACHE— A place to store or keep anything. A safe place. 
 
 CARIBOO— An animal of the deer tribe found all over the 
 northern part of the continent. Larger than the deer; 
 not so large as the elk, though more resemblmg the 
 latter. 
 
 CHECHACO— One who has not wintered in the country. 
 
 DREDGE— A mammoth dredging machine with which most 
 of the mining operations in the north are now car- 
 ried on. 
 
 DUST— Fine particles of placer gold. 
 
 FAKEERS— Priests of the mountain tribes of Northern 
 India. 
 
 GEE POLE— A pole attached to a dog sled, by which it is 
 steadied and guided. 
 
 GOLDEN RULE — Do unto others as you would that they 
 should do unto you. 
 
 GOOGS— The local term expressive of the Guggenheim in- 
 terests, which are unspeakably immense all over the 
 North on both sides of the boundary line. 
 
 GREAT WHOLE — The author's conception of the Supreme 
 Power or Being— the Creator. 
 
 HOOCK — Liquor. Originally applied to a home made arti- 
 cle in that line, to which the early day miner resorted 
 when no other was available. Usually made from pota- 
 toes and sometimes from the peelings alone as a mat- 
 ter of economy, potatoes in that country frequently 
 being as high as 14 cents a pound even at the present 
 day. 
 
 HUSKIES— A breed of dogs peculiar to the Northern coun- 
 try, of wonderful strength and endurance and excellent 
 sleigh dogs. 
 
 HYAS— Chinook Indian jargon for Great. Chinook is not 
 really an Indian language, but a jargon introduced by 
 the Jesuit Priests and Hudson's Bay Factors many 
 years ago. It is made up partly of words from our own, 
 some from the French, some Indian and some that can 
 not be classed as words of any language. It was used 
 by the early pioneers as a medium of communication 
 with all the different tribes. 
 
6 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 IIIIIMIIIIIMIIIIIMIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIJIIllMllllllltlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllKlllllllllllinilUIIIUnilllllllllMIIUIIIIIIIIIIII^ 
 
 HYDRO-GIANT — A hydraulic swivel nozzle of large size. 
 Usually throws a four to six-inch stream of water un- 
 der immense pressure, which rapidly washes away large 
 hills and even mountains. The dirt and water are led 
 into a flume or sluice, where the gold is caught in the 
 riffles and saved. 
 
 INSIDE — 'Refers always to the northern country with the 
 exception of the coast towns. 
 
 ICE POOLS — Pools are made on the minute at which the ice 
 in the river will start to move in the spring. They 
 range from 25c, which is the smallest coin in the coun- 
 try, to as high as $100.00 on each minute. A rope is 
 fastened to a stake out in the river channel and also to 
 a whistle on shore. An electric connection from the 
 whistle also stops a clock and on this the pool is paid. 
 If all minutes are taken a dollar pool thus wins $60.00; 
 $5.00 pool, $300, etc. 
 
 LAY — To work ground on shares is called working on a lay. 
 
 LAW-HITCHED— Legally married. 
 
 LOST CHANNEL— The pay streak, or dirt that carries the 
 gold disappears in some cases and cannot be followed 
 and is then referred to in this manner. 
 
 MUCKER— A ne'er-do-well. 
 
 MUCKLUKS— Indian boots, made of skins. 
 
 MUSH — To travel on foot. To go ahead, when used in ad- 
 dressing a dog or dog team. 
 
 NUGGETS — Coarse pieces of placer gold. 
 
 OUTSIDE — Anywhere south of the 55th degree of latitude. 
 Usually referring to the coast cities. 
 
 PAY — The dirt and gravel which carries the gold in placer 
 form. 
 
 PIONEER DAY— The anniversary of the discovery of gold 
 at Dawson. August 17. 
 
 POKE — A leather bag or pouch, usually of buckskin, for 
 holding gold dust and nuggets, or money. 
 
 RAY — Dr. Hayden claims that each mineral gives out a 
 different "ray" v/hich he claims to have invented a 
 machine to record. 
 
 RIFFLES — Obstructions, usually placed crosswise, though 
 sometimes lengthwise, of a sluice box, to catch the 
 gold. 
 
 SKAGTOWN— The city of Skaguay, Alaska. 
 
 SKOOKUM— Chinook for strong. 
 
 SLUICE — A box-like affair of boards with riffles in the bot- 
 tom to catch the gold. A large head of water is then 
 run through the sluice, which is set at such an angle as 
 to cause the current to be very swift, and the pay dirt, 
 or pay as it is called, is then shoveled into the sluice 
 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS 7 
 
 I IIMIIMIIIIMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.lrillllllllllllllllllJirilllllllimillllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIH 
 
 and the swift running water carries the dirt and stones 
 to the tailing pile and the gold is caught in the riffles 
 and saved. 
 
 SOURDOUGH — A person who has seen the river freeze up 
 in the fall and open the following spring. Originally 
 used to designate those who used sour dough instead 
 of yeast to make bread in the early days. 
 
 SPUDS— Potatoes. 
 
 SQUAW-MAN — A white man who has married or lived with 
 a squaw. A term of reproach. 
 
 SUMMIT— The dividing line between Alaska and the Yukon 
 Territory, at the summit of the White Pass, 18 miles 
 from Skaguay, Alaska. 
 
 SUN ROUND LIKE A MILL— In the Northland in summer 
 the sun rises in the North, or nearly so, at nine in the 
 m.oming it is in the East, at noon in the South, at three 
 o'clock in the west and sets very nearly in the North 
 for from one to several hours according to the date. 
 On the 21st of June it does not set at all to points north 
 of the Arctic Circle. 
 
 TAILINGS or TAILING PILE— The refuse from the lower 
 end of the sluice boxes. Pay dirt from which the gold 
 has been removed. 
 
 TRAIL — Footpath; sometimes a road. 
 
 VIRGIN GROUND— Ground that has never been prospected. 
 
 YUKON ORDER OLD PIONEERS— A secret society 
 composed of men who were within the watershed of 
 the Yukon river on or before June 1st, 1899. Lodge 
 No. 1 is located at Dawson as is also the Grand Lodge. 
 There is a lodge at Seattle and several scattered 
 through the inside country. 
 
LOVE IS GOD. 
 
 With all my heart I love you, dear ; 
 Your presence thrills my very soul. 
 
 I always feel, when you are near, 
 That life 's complete — that e'en the hole 
 
 Where Cupid's arrow pierced my heart 
 Is necessary to my life — 
 
 Tho Heaven's gates stood wide apart 
 I could not enter — 'thout my wife. 
 
 II. 
 
 Thro countless aeons have I known, 
 It seems to me, that soul Divine; 
 
 And, soul to soul, we've closer grown 
 Since e'er I first knew you were mine. 
 
 Thro countless aeons yet we'll roam 
 And you will still my life inspire, 
 
 And when the Master calls us home 
 To where I'll play on tuneful lyre — 
 
 III. 
 
 Still will my soul sing songs of praise 
 To that Great Whole of which we're part; 
 
 Still will my voice an anthem raise 
 To hour that gave to me the heart 
 
 So full of music, art and love. 
 That even were I but a clod 
 
 My songs would pierce blue Heaven above 
 My inspiration — ;Love is God. 
 
BOOST. 
 
 This country 's been good to you, pard, 
 
 Far better 'n so called civ'lization. 
 So why do you knock it so hard 
 
 'Stead o' boostin' to beat tarnation? 
 You've never gone hungry in here; 
 
 At workin' you're not over zealous ; 
 You've money to buy wine and beer; 
 
 Your poke 'd make a mizer get jealous. 
 
 II. 
 
 Why do you tell the chechaco. 
 
 From the moment he opens the door, 
 If ever you do outside go 
 
 That you'll never come back any more? 
 This country aint worked out, pardner. 
 
 There's much virgin ground yet will prove good; 
 There's creeks that aint been prospected; 
 
 An' there's game in a plenty, for food. 
 
W UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 IMIIMIIMIIlnllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIJIIIIIIIUMIIIIIIIMIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIJIIMinlllMIMIIIIIIMIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllinilllirlllllllllllllinllMIIIMIIIJ 
 
 III. 
 
 Then, there's quartz, silver an' copper, 
 Sayin' nothin' o' platinum 'n tin. 
 
 An' mostly, plenty of water 
 
 Fer the prospector 't tries fair ter win. 
 
 You say our quartz aint wuth minin' — 
 That it all pinches out, soon or late? 
 
 .1 
 
 
 This Country 's Been Good to You, Pard. 
 
 Gold never yet came from nothin', 
 It is me as is here fer to state. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Gold has been found here a plenty, 
 
 An' it didn't come down from the sky. 
 
 You're young, if you are thrice tAventy. 
 
 Don't give up, but have just one more try. 
 
BOOST. 11, 
 
 HiMiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijriiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiniiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiuuuiuMiiuiiuiiuiuuiai 
 
 Try boostin' instead o' knockin'. 
 
 Without diggin' gold never was found. 
 Then, when you hang up your stockin' 
 
 Mebbe Santa '11 fill 't out o' the ground. 
 
 V. 
 
 The booster makes friends all 'roimd 'im 
 
 That '11 mush with him many a mile, 
 But the cuss that eilways knocks, Jim, 
 
 Why, they don't think his comip'ny's wuth while. 
 Get up a name as a booster. 
 
 An' then boost, every chance that you get. 
 Crow, tho you crow^ like a rooster. 
 
 An' you'll soon have a flock, you can bet. 
 
 VI. 
 
 There's naught gained yourself or your friends, pard, 
 
 By your constantly knockin' this land. 
 There's still good pay, if you work hard. 
 
 An' you'll win yet — you've sure got the sand. 
 Boost, an' the hull world boosts with you, 
 
 But the knocker folks soon leave alone. 
 Keep a knockin' an' some day you'll rue. 
 
 So don't be a dark horse, be a roan. 
 
 VII. 
 
 For the roan, they say, never tires; 
 
 He's there till the end of the race. 
 The feller 't wants men never fires 
 
 Any man that's always at his place. 
 
12 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 luiNMimiiiiiiiMUiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiniiiniiiiiJiiniiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiMMiMiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiin 
 
 Now don't get nasty an' hateful, 
 
 For this country's been good to you, pard. 
 You wouldn't be thot ungrateful? 
 
 Well, then, boost, BOOST, an' boost good an' 
 hard. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Outside you'd soon find the bread line 
 
 An' before you'd been there very long, 
 
 
 Sinking a Shaft. Boiler used to Thaw the Ground. 
 
 Lookin' up some o' yer fren's fine 
 
 To be helpin' you back, on a song; 
 
 Or workin' yer passage to Skagtown 
 
 An' mush-on down the trail, lookin' wise ; 
 
 Siwashin' the winter trail down. 
 
 So why can't you quit tellin' these lies. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Then, when you got back, you'd boost, pard, 
 You'd be tellin' how tough 'tis outside; 
 
 You found that the eats came so hard 
 
 That you COULDN'T live there, if you tried; 
 
BOOST. 13. 
 
 iiiiMiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiniiijniiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiinniniiiiiiiniiiiMiiiiiiiiiuiiiniiiiniiiniiMiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniunnMiuiiiiiuiiiuin 
 
 Knew that inside you'd have plenty, 
 
 An' that e'en tho the winters ARE long, 
 
 Knew that if you needed twenty. 
 
 You could get it, 'thout singin' a song. 
 
 X. 
 
 So boost, an' stay while you're here, pard, 
 
 An' take wamin' from others, who've tried 
 The outside, an' found it was hard, 
 
 Comin' back here a swallowin' pride. 
 That here, as Pat says, 'tis aisy 
 
 To be livin' the best in the land. 
 E'en if you ARE a bit lazy. 
 
 So fer boostin' hereafter you'll stand. 
 
THE PASSING OF BARNEY M'GEE. 
 
 Now Barney Magee was a name that was known 
 From Whitehorse to Dawson, from Fairbanks to 
 
 Nome ; 
 For true prince of the blood was this big man so bold — 
 O'er six feet in his stockings and sixty years old ; 
 And a man who in union believed there was strength, 
 Until one of his own he accomplished at length. 
 
 II. 
 
 Now Hyas Skookum Chief was the title he held, 
 Who so firm and so solid this union did weld ; 
 And, as proudly he'd gloat o'er the candidate bold 
 Who, unwary, invaded his sacred stronghold, 
 He'd then call in his henchmen and quick bar the door. 
 And straightway the poor candidate place on the floor. 
 
THE PASSING OF BARNEY MAGEE. 15. 
 
 umiiiiiimiiiiiuiiiHiiiiiimmmitiimmimiiiiimi iiiimiwii iiiiiiiiiiimiimiiiMim iiiiiniiiimiiimiiiiiii in iiimiiimmiiiiiiiiiin iiiiiiiiiiuiiii 
 
 III. 
 
 Then they'd solemnly sit on this newly found case 
 And determine with speed both his name and his race ; 
 When a vote then they'd take — without fail they'd 
 
 elect — 
 And so then the poor candidate, out of respect 
 
 
 Rocking for Gold. The Old Hand Method. 
 
 For the "Powers that Be/' in this union so strong, 
 Must a story tell, buy a drink, else sing a song. 
 
 IV. 
 
 So then quickly they'd issue full membership card 
 And Chief Barney'd then call upon Lardis, the guard. 
 To quick serve refreshments to the candidate bold, 
 And his poke then they'd Hghten, some dollars, I'm 
 told. 
 
16 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiimii iiiiuniiiiniiiiiiriniuiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuinmiiiiiiu 
 
 Then they'd "Hail to the candidate," "Hail to the 
 
 Chief," 
 Who has ne'er felt approaching the sere yellow leaf. 
 
 V. 
 
 So the union has flourished, grown old, and waxed 
 
 strong, 
 And, though many years passed, Barney does not 
 
 belong 
 To the crowd whose "heads hang down," stUl proudly 
 
 he'll hold 
 His square chin in the air, like a brave knight of old. 
 But at last he's decided the "outside" he'd see 
 And he'd gather fresh pointers on "how to brew tea." 
 
 VI. 
 
 So no more he'll be seen in this favorite role. 
 
 Will this genial gentleman, big hearted soul; 
 
 For he's rawnching, you see, "chasing chickens" by 
 
 now; 
 And if you'd learn rawnching, he'll sure teach you how : 
 For the union's gone busted ; Chief Barney, I fear, 
 O'er the squaws left behind him sheds never a tear. 
 
 VII. 
 
 So a slab we'll inscribe with his name, and the date 
 When he passed out so quiet and quick shut the gate ; 
 
THE PASSING OF BARNEY MAGEE. 17. 
 
 lUIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIItllUIIIIMMIMMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIMMIIIIIIMIMIIIUMIIIIlllinillllMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIMIMIIinillinilllllUIIIIIIIIIIUIUIIinim 
 
 Left the union to mourn its Hyas Skookum Chief, 
 Tho he still wont acknowledge the sere yellow leaf ; 
 And a badge of deep mourning all squaws now must 
 
 wear: 
 Hyas Skookum Chief Barney, he sure was a bear. 
 
MY MAN. 
 
 (Written as a conipanion piece to R. W. Service's 
 "Squaw Man.") 
 
 The pale moon's shining brightly 
 And the breezes whisper lightly 
 Through the wind-harp spruce boughs of a Rocky 
 Mountain dell; 
 And a lonely squaw sits waiting 
 While a basket she is plaiting, 
 As she's waiting, with a patience no white tongue could 
 ever tell — 
 
 Who's she waiting for? — "My Man." 
 
 II. 
 
 Thro' no courtship was she won. 
 Daughters of the Native Son 
 Do not expect the courtship fair sisters love so well. 
 Tho' she heard no wedding march; 
 Tho' she'd never seen a church ; 
 She's "his till death" as surely as tho blessed by wed- 
 ding bell. 
 
 Calls him husband? No— "My Man." 
 
MY MAN. 19. 
 
 ,„„„„u,i,iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiimiiiimiinmiMinimmiiiiimiiiii iMinmiMMMiiiiiiiiuiiiiiimiiimiimi iiii iiiimMiNiiiinmiiiiim miiiiniinimimiim 
 
 III. 
 
 Hundreds of miles her bridal tour; 
 A dog team for her coach and four; 
 Her footman at the gee pole mushed, o'er many weary 
 miles : 
 Blankets and skins her wedding gown; 
 Mukluks for shoes, with beads from town ; 
 All fashioned in a hand-made way — 'twas far from Lon- 
 don style. 
 
 Who's the bridegroom? Just— "My 
 Man." 
 
 IV. 
 
 He's a king, a hero, bolder 
 Than all the knights of old were, 
 In her untutored, love blind eyes, as she scans him, toe 
 to crown. 
 He's skillful with the paddle ; 
 He's a Centaur in the saddle; 
 His raw skins all the primest when the fur man comes 
 to town. 
 
 Who is he? Only just— "My Man." 
 
 V. 
 
 When he migrates to the town 
 She will patiently sit down 
 And wait his coming home to her, chock full of hooch 
 and beer; 
 
20 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiii 
 
 And her baskets she will plait, 
 Even tho' the hour is late, 
 And scorn white sister's symi>athy, who tries her lot to 
 cheer; 
 
 For she's proud of him — "My Man." 
 
 VI. 
 
 In town he's "but a squaw-man" ; 
 But to her, tho all the world ran 
 
 K 
 
 
 Mmmd^ 
 
 V '^,. -^1- 
 
 And Stake us out a Claim. 
 Past in panoram, she'd ne'er see his equal nor his 
 peer; 
 And altho, when he's in town, 
 She well knows that he'll put down 
 Many glasses of the hooch that she has learned so well 
 to fear, 
 
 Still she answers — "He's My Man." 
 
MY MAN. 21, 
 
 lllllllllinillllllllllllllllllllllinilllllllJIIIIiniUIMIIinilllNMIUIIIIIllllUIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIMIinilMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIMII 
 
 VII. 
 
 In the grey dawn he will come, 
 Suff'ring woefully from rum; 
 With smell of hooch and dance hall perfumes telling 
 of his night. 
 Yet she'll nurse him with the care 
 That his mother would, if there, 
 Never thinking that HIS actions could be anything but 
 right. 
 
 You ask her why? — "He's My Man." 
 VIII. 
 
 Oh, ladies fair that we have known 
 Beyond the glare of tinsel town! 
 When painted Jesebels have held YOUR "law-hitched" 
 man in thrall; 
 Do you think that you could then — 
 Knowing well where he has been — 
 Should gossips ask you, bravely shield him — answer, 
 one and all, 
 
 "Mind your business. He's MY MAN." 
 
THE CHECHACO GIRL. 
 
 A girl from old England c^ne into the Yukon 
 The country to see and her fortune to make. 
 
 She had lived in big houses in "Merrie old England," 
 Still she came to the Yukon to earn a grubstake, 
 
 II. 
 
 With eyes that were dark, fearless, frolicsome, whole- 
 some; 
 
 A smile that was winsome, free given to all ; 
 A carriage at once that was stately and lissome ; 
 
 Her hair tightly coiled in a neat Uttle ball. 
 
 III. 
 
 She soon was ensconsed in a snug situation. 
 
 Where old country ways she did quick introduce; 
 
 Made butler, cook, housemaid, each keep their station, 
 And did it all smoothly and without abuse. 
 
THE CHECHACO GIRL. 23. 
 
 iiniiini iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiti iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiJiniiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiimiiiiiiiiiinimiiiiiii 
 
 IV. 
 
 All the young men of town she soon had around her ; 
 
 She scorned their advances, while accepting their 
 gift. 
 She swore that she never would marry a rounder, 
 
 And then she decided she'd give them a lift. 
 
 V. 
 
 She smiled on them all as they gathered around her. 
 And eyes of the goo goo brand deftly she'd slip ; 
 
 And soft, honeyed phrases she gently would murmur. 
 But never a kiss could they press on her lip. 
 
 VI. 
 
 With chewing gum, candy, fruit, theatre tickets. 
 They showered this girlie from over the sea ; 
 
 One after another they all got the ricketts, 
 
 From dancing attendance on fair Miss Marie. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Of pitcher and well there's an old and trite saying 
 She'll do well to think of while playing this game. 
 
 After too many trips the pitcher gets broken 
 
 And no longer'U hold anything — men are the same. 
 
24 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iiMiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiimiiinii 
 
 VIII. 
 
 They soon tire of girls who take all and give nothing 
 Save goo goo eyes, smiles, and a nod on the street ; 
 
 Who like a good supper, with wine that is frothing, 
 Then quickly forget, as a new friend they greet. 
 
 IX. 
 
 As time passes, chechaco's changed to a sourdough ; 
 
 From girl to old-maidenhood's not a far cry. 
 Said one to another, after she'd bade them go. 
 
 She's only a flirt, sure not worth a try. 
 
 X. 
 
 For our men of the Northland love like a lion 
 
 And woo with a fierceness that brooks no defeat; 
 
 But, once branded flirt, there is never a scion 
 
 Of Northland she ever could draw to her feet. 
 
 XI. 
 
 Chechaco no longer, her days now are lonely. 
 
 No longer she has twenty strings to her beaux. 
 
 Flirtation days past, she now thinks that the only 
 Truth left in the world is, "we reap as we sow." 
 
u 
 
THE DOWNFALL OF SOLO BILL. 
 
 Now Solo Bill came down the hill 
 
 From bench claim Nimiber Three 
 Determined that he'd drink his fill — 
 
 And king of solo be. 
 But when he'd hoisted in a few 
 
 At Lockie's comer bar. 
 He then decided mountain dew 
 
 Was much too tame, by far. 
 
 IL 
 
 At table round he then sat down — 
 
 He'd cashed his check, you see ; 
 And vowed he'd play till break of day 
 
 But winner he would be. 
 Then came along the music man. 
 
 With fingers soft and white 
 That swiftly o'er the iv'ries ran — 
 
 He's not on shift tonight. 
 
26 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 Jiuiiniimiiiiiiiiiiiiiriii iiiniuiMiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMMiiiiiiininiiiJiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniMJiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiiiiiii 
 
 III. 
 
 And quickly, when he joined the game, 
 
 Bill's stack of chips grew tall, 
 Till Carp got up and changed his seat — 
 
 His back against the wall. 
 "No more you'll lead thro me," he cried, 
 
 "You can not play the game." 
 But Bill, with growing stack, replied, 
 
 "Of you'll I'll say the same." 
 
 IV. 
 
 So, hour by hour, the game went on 
 
 With varying success; 
 Bill piled more chips his stack upon. 
 
 While Carpenter's grew less. 
 Till Fred picked up a hand at last; 
 
 Decided that he'd frog; 
 For now, you see, when Bill had passed, 
 
 He thot, I'm lucky dog. 
 
 But Carpenter looked up and smiled; 
 
 "I'll solo, hearts," he said. 
 They played the hand, and Carp, he piled 
 
 High up, his stack of red. 
 "Now who can't play the game?" said he, 
 
 "A workman by his chips 
 Is judged." Bill came back quick, with glee, 
 
 "A driver by his whips. 
 
THE DOWNFALL OF SOLO BILL. 27. 
 
 miiiiiiiniuinnuuiiiiiinniiuiiiiuiuiiiinNMiiJMiiiimNJUiMiMHJHniiiiinMiMiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHnMiMMJMUinMniiiiiiiwuiiliiimniiiiiiimninimmiiiN^^^^ 
 
 VI. 
 
 "1*11 whip you quickly into line 
 
 When Fred is leading thro; 
 Your solo then wont look so fine; 
 
 The hand WONT be 'all blue.' 
 Your lonely ten, you see, we'll get, 
 
 While ours we'll surely save." 
 And when he wanted, then, to bet. 
 
 Some little odds they gave. 
 
 VII. 
 
 The game waxed fast and furious; 
 
 Of drinks they'd not a few; 
 And had the hooch been spurious, 
 
 Instead of mountain dew. 
 My story, I regret to say, 
 
 Need never have been told. 
 Of how Bill lost the game that day 
 
 Thro being overbold. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Carp dealt the cards, Fred frog'd, you see. 
 
 And Lochlan, canny Scot, 
 Look'd o'er his hand — "Solo myself 
 
 And rake in that fat pot ; 
 If not I'll go upon the shelf 
 
 And stay there till I rot." 
 
28 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 mUUimillllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH 
 
 IX. 
 
 The cards broke very hard that time ; 
 
 They each had missing suits, 
 And hard it is to put in rhyme 
 
 Of that hand, the sad fruits ; 
 For Bill had gone clean broke that day 
 
 On solo hearts, you see, 
 And hadn't beans enough to pay 
 
 The players, one, two, three. 
 
THE AUTO CRAZE STRIKES DAWSON. 
 
 (These cars are actually being driven today in Dawson 
 by the Old Sourdoughs named) 
 
 Now Murray Eads, he drives a Ford, 
 
 Good Doctor Gillis> too. 
 And Billy Armstrong's Overland 
 
 Will carry quite a few. 
 The Guggies' Loco'bile and Zust, 
 
 When Georgie Potter drives, 
 Make "Bal" and "Billie" take the dust. 
 
 Unless they risk their lives. 
 
 II. 
 
 And Pretty, with his little Metz, 
 
 Joe Boyle declared he'd race. 
 The little "Bean," however, gets 
 
 Away at such a pace. 
 When Tip O'Neill they overtook. 
 
 And left him on their right. 
 They passed him in a cloud of dust, 
 
 Just like a streak of light. 
 
30 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 lumiiMiiiiiijnjMiiinininjiiniiiiiiiiMiiiniMiiiiMniiuniHMiMiiiiiMJiiMininMiiMMiiiriMiiiniiiiiMMiMiMiiiiuniniiiiiiiiiiMiiMMirinininMMJiiiiriiMiininiiiiiMmiMM 
 
 III. 
 
 Rystogi, in his Overland, 
 
 Dick Lanning, in his Stude ; 
 McCarthy's Ford was well in hand, 
 
 Till J. J.'s Indian slewed 
 In front of Titus, and 'twas there 
 
 That driving skill v^ras shown; 
 But safely soon they all reached Bear, 
 
 Eight miles from Dawson town. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Gus Johnson's Ford was out of gas ; 
 
 McCowan picked a nail, 
 But Smithy's Hupp had room to pass, 
 
 E'en tho 'twas narrow trail. 
 When Charlie Dblan's rotary 
 
 At last arrived in town, 
 McGill (Overland votary) 
 
 Declared he'd run him down. 
 
 V. 
 
 So first they oiled up well their throats — 
 
 Engines were running fine — 
 Then donned their classy motor coats. 
 
 And started down the line. 
 But Emil, with Pick's Mitchell Six, 
 
 They chanced to overtake — 
 They quickly passed, and on the creeks 
 
 They stopped, their thirst to slake. 
 
AUTO CRAZE STRIKES DAWSON. 31. 
 
 miittiimminiiuiniiniiiMiiMniuiiiMiiniMiiiniJiJiininiJuiiiMiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiMiMMiiMiiiiiiiiMiiiniiiiiiMiiiniiiiiMiiiMiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinimiiiuiiiiijnii^^ 
 
 VI. 
 
 Jo€ Segbers, as McGill's best man, 
 
 Enjoyed the ride that night, 
 Till in the postoffice they nan 
 
 And quickly doused the light. 
 Philp, too, in Metz, the road doth cruise, 
 
 And nightly takes the air; 
 Doc. LaChapelle, with coach dog, Bruce, 
 
 Makes calls on Patients fair. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Thus do the Dawson auto cranks 
 
 In swift procession run, 
 With frequent stops, to fill their tanks. 
 
 Thro Summer's long days' sun; 
 Nor in the Winter hesitate 
 
 The snowy trail to try; 
 However low be the tanks' state. 
 
 Their throats will not go dry. 
 
THE DREAMSTER. 
 
 Some folks say that he's touched by the finger of God ; 
 
 That his brain's not all there, so to speak. 
 When he passes, they give him a smile and a nod — 
 
 If he stops, though, they quickly will sneak 
 Out of sight round the corner, or in through a door ; 
 
 For they plainly don't wish to be seen 
 In close conversation with the man that has sworn 
 
 In a barber's chair he'd never lean 
 Till the day should arrive that he no more would 
 strive — 
 
 Till the world would accept, and would pay 
 For his theories bold, of how God placed the gold — 
 
 Although hidden — in reach of its "ray." 
 
 II. 
 
 Diagrams geometric, on parchmental scroll; 
 
 Circles, ovals, elliptics and such, 
 He sure figures will tell what is inside the knoll, 
 
 And tho far under ground, he's in touch 
 
Dr Hayden, author, scientist and explorer. 
 
 Adams. 
 
 A brilliant man. Photo by 
 
THE DREAMSTER. 33. 
 
 iniitMiiiiiMiiiMiiiiiiiMiiiiiiMiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiniiiiniuiiuiiiiiiiiiniiNiininiJiiniiiiiuiiiiiiiiHiiMiiin 
 
 With the hidden deposits of mineral ore, 
 
 And lost channels 'neath mountains he feels: 
 From the "Hindu Fakeers," with their wierd occult 
 lore, 
 
 He has stripped all the magical seals. 
 Tho he lives in the present, his soul's in the past; 
 
 Mid inscriptions and drawings so old ; 
 And he figures the force makes the world whirl so fast 
 
 With a pencil, whose strokes sure are bold. 
 
 HI. 
 
 The aurora, he says, is electrical force ; 
 
 In straight lines and in circles it runs; 
 It is light without heat, and it follows, of course, 
 
 That it guides earth, moon, stars and the suns. 
 From one force in a circle, one in a straight line. 
 
 An elliptic 'tis easy to form — 
 'Tis this dominant force that makes the sun shine, 
 
 And it marks out the path of the storm : 
 It changes the seasons and it makes day and night, 
 
 For it causes the world to go 'round! 
 'Tis the source of all life, and its terrible might 
 
 Is exerted with never a sound. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Tho my hair is so long, and my beard it has grown 
 Since the would-be w^ise showed what they knew, 
 
 They will never be cut until fully I've shown 
 That this force holds the universe true. 
 
34 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 liiilliliiJirriiiiiiMMiiiniiMiiiMiiiiijiininnun»NijiiininiMniMinnMMiMiMiiiHiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiuiiiniiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiii^ 
 
 That the ancient Egyptians, with all their lost arts, 
 
 Were sure nothing ahead of our day ; 
 That the Hindus of old, with their tablets and charts, 
 
 They knew not any more than we may: 
 That the forces of nature are constant and true, 
 
 But ihey still may be harnessed by man: 
 That polarity changed can be, easy, by you ; 
 
 And 'lectricity 's easy to can. 
 
 V. 
 
 The location of mine'rals, 'tis easy to see. 
 
 Can be shov/n by the "ray" they give out; 
 
 And beneath yonder mountain, what e'er there may 
 be- 
 E'en the lost channels' deep hidden route — 
 
 May be shown by an instrument, delicate, fine; 
 'Twill record softest zephyrs of air; 
 
 It would tell if the pole of the earth's out of line, 
 By so much as a delicate hair; 
 
 *Twill record the formation thro thousands of feet. 
 And if gold 's present there, it will show; 
 
 You can prospect with this while you're dressed all so 
 neat, 
 Spic and span from your head to your toe. 
 
 VI. 
 
 So what now need I care for the length of my hair, 
 Or what those around me are saying; 
 
 For soon, now, I'll be rich, and with never a care 
 For noise of these donkeys a 'braying. 
 
THE DREAMSTER. 
 
 35. 
 
 MninjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMniiriiiniiMniiMiiiiiiMiiiiMiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiMiiiMiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiniMiiiiiiiiiJMniiMiMMinniiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiinmiiiiiM 
 
 The occult laws of India I'll then set to work 
 
 To make wise men from babbling fools ; 
 From the Heathen Chinee, with his ne'er ending smirk, 
 
 I'll get wisdom ahead of all schools. 
 The millenium dawn will be nearer by far, 
 
 And knowledge more firmly established, 
 When the book I have written, like light from fixed 
 star. 
 
 Spreads wisdom 's glow, as 'twill when published. 
 
 ^""(, 
 
HER TEMPERATURE 'S FORTY BELOW. 
 
 ("Old Glory," of the Mounted Police Force of early 
 days, plays doctor.) 
 
 Of all of the tales that I've heard of the North 
 And of men who've fought cold, wind and snow — 
 
 Who've travelled the lone trails that lead back 
 and forth 
 In the land where the polar winds blow, 
 
 There's none that can equal this tale of a cow. 
 With her temp'rature forty below. 
 
 XL 
 
 "Old Glory," so bold, of the Mounted Police, 
 Took good care of the live stock so fine, 
 
 Extolling their virtues he never would cease, 
 And he kept their coats always ashine; 
 
 Till on one cold day bossie wouldn't eat hay 
 And some fever developed, they say. 
 
HER TEMP'RATURE FORTY BELOW. 37. 
 
 iiiMniiiiMiriiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiMiiiiMiiMiiJiiiMiMiiiiiMiniiiiiuiniMiiiMiniiiMitiitiiiiiiiitiMiiiiiiniiuiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiim 
 
 III. 
 
 Not being a doctor, "Old Glory," I hear, 
 RepKDrted the case to Headquarters. 
 
 "The cow's very sick, sorr, and sadly I fear 
 She'll soon list among the departers." 
 
 Then swift came the order that started the row — 
 "The thermometer — quick — take her temp'rature now." 
 
 IV. 
 
 Not being a doctor, as I said before, 
 "Old Glory" had not had much practice. 
 
 He looked the thermometer over, and swore, 
 And sad to relate, but the fact is. 
 
 He didn't know which end to put in her — mouth 
 And fin'ly decided to lessen the drouth. 
 
 V. 
 
 A nip then he took from a bottle, I fear, 
 Then once more he looked the thing over. 
 
 A nip or two more, as he felt somewhat queer, 
 Then decided the long end he'd cover; 
 
 For they both looked alike, save one had some 
 marks. 
 So, thought he, "Major's up to one of his larks." 
 
38 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iiKmMiiiiiniiiiiiiiuiMMiiiiMiiiiiiiimMininiiriMiiniMMMiMiMiiiiiinMiiiiiiiiiiiiJnniiuiMniiiiiijmuiuniiNiiJiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiirnMiiiiiiimiuriiiiiiiiimi^^^^ 
 
 VI. 
 
 He patiently waited a minute or more, 
 Marking time by a watch that was old, 
 
 Then back to the major when he read the score, 
 And reported, at least so I'm told, 
 
 "The cow has a cold, 'tis not fever, you know, 
 For her temp'rature's forty below." 
 
FOUR HEROES BOLD. 
 
 Now we meet on the shore of Lake LaBarge 
 In a cove that was sheltered, you see, 
 
 The wind blew fierce down the mountainous 
 gorge- 
 Witch ridden waves, in devilish glee, 
 
 Pounded and thundered the base of the cliff 
 And sucked back o'er the beach with a sigh. 
 
 When 'round the point, in a ricketty skiff, 
 Came four men, with a sail hoisted high. 
 
 II. 
 
 We quick reached the beach, and sent out a hail 
 With the strength of a terrible fear. 
 
 To quick put about, and take in that sail 
 'Ere the mouth of the cove they should clear. 
 
 Danger and death lurked abroad in the air, 
 But they laughed it to scorn and kept on: 
 
 Drove straight for the cliff in front of them there, 
 And we surely did think they were gone. 
 
M UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 niiiiiniiuimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiii iiiiiiu iiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiimi 
 
 III. 
 
 The Devil, it seems, takes care of his own, 
 For as quick as the boat struck the beach, 
 
 Camp outfit and tools went down like a stone. 
 Though in safety they managed to reach 
 
 A cleft in the cliff, and beach that ran down 
 And afforded them standing room each. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Right, left, behind, the rock rose like a wall. 
 While the angry waves roared at the front. 
 
 They clung to the boat, for it was their all. 
 And they bailed out that rotten old punt; 
 
 Then watched their chance, on a wave not too high 
 They pushed off, and all scrambled aboard ; . 
 
 Fighting for life, while we heaved a deep sigh 
 And commended their souls to the Lord. 
 
 V. 
 
 Then our party of three, Pete Mullen, me. 
 And a prospector long, gaunt, and old, 
 
 Stood watching the struggle, longing to see 
 The poor wretches win out, who 're so bold. 
 
 They paddled, they rowed, they cussed and they 
 prayed 
 And at last they won clear of the bluff ; 
 
 A landing then made and three days they stayed, 
 Till the waters no longer were rough. 
 
FOUR HEROES BOLD. U. 
 
 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJI IllllUlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltllllllll Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 
 
 VI. 
 
 Then back to our fires and wickiups three 
 And our dinner of bacon and beans 
 
 We went, and were glad it had'nt been we 
 That must sleep in our water-soaked jeans. 
 
 Round camp fire that night, with pipes all alight, 
 And all rolled in our blankets so snug, 
 
 Our hearts sure were light, our faces so bright 
 And of coffee we'd many a mug. 
 
 VI. 
 
 And stories we told, of days that were old, 
 And of hardships on many a trail ; 
 
 Of nights that were dark and days that were cold, 
 And of long months without any mail; 
 
 But all the tales that of danger were told, 
 And of storms of wind, rain, snow and hail, 
 
 None that could equal the four heroes bold 
 Who came down the lake under full sail. 
 
JO M'FRAU ON "PAI'NEER BALL/' DAWSON. 
 
 D' Yukon or Pai'neer, tonight she '11 hoi' one gran' 
 "Hat 'Ome," 
 Han' eef you would see faces braight, from heel- 
 saide you weel roam. 
 T'rouhaout th' year shes mak' good cheer hon reglar 
 meetin' night, 
 Wen Pai'neers hoi' forget th' gol' han seet, segars 
 halight, 
 Han pass th' time with tales o' mine, han hont an' feesh 
 once more 
 From Lac LaBarge to Skag^ay taoun; They'll 
 draw hon mem'ry's store 
 Han pass th' hev'ning ver' ple'saant, wit' bacon, bean 
 an' beer; 
 Han travel once more ho'er th' trail from Skagway 
 taoun t' here. 
 
JO M'FRAU. JtS. 
 
 MlimillinilllllllUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIinllllMIIIIIMIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIMIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIinilMIIIMIMIMIIIIIJIMIIIIMIMIMIIirMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ 
 
 II. 
 
 But 'tain't been 'nough, Hoi' mans shes t'ink hon 
 womans han' d' keed; 
 Shes mak' one gran' Hat 'Ome, 'ees say, han ; den 
 wie lif d' leed. 
 So den shes mak' one gran' prepare — for weeks *ccs 
 mak' readee, 
 Han' w'en d' night shes com' you'll fin' to heat 
 dere 'ees plantee. 
 D' floor shes mak' polesh lak glass, d' museek 'ee'll 
 com' too; 
 Wit' story, song, han' social glass she'll HEN- 
 TERTAIN a few. 
 Dem Hoi' Pai'neer, from far an' near, 'ees moosh d' 
 trail tonaight. 
 For eef 'TEES honly once a year, she's kep' d' 
 mem'ry braight. 
 
 III. 
 
 Den Tom Ho'Brine shes tak' d' stan' han' tell 'em, one 
 an' hall, 
 Dat dey shall mak' one beeg enjoy at dis Gran* 
 Pai'neer Ball. 
 D' museek 'ees begeen t' play, han' den, upon d' floor, 
 Een Hoi' tarn' dance we soon will sway, jus' lak' 
 we're yong once mor'. 
 Quadreels, coteelions, V'ginia reels, we'll dance once 
 mor' tonaight. 
 For dees ees one gran' Pai'neer Ball, hoi' taimes to 
 keep halaight. 
 
44 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 niiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiJiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiMii hiitiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiNiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiraiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniMiii i 
 
 Han' den we'll tell some story, too, 'bout mooshin' 
 down d' trail 
 Han' Jerry Doody '11 seeng one song, 'baout trav'l- 
 in' hon d' rail. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Han' den we'll go once more down stair — Haur crowd 
 shes get so beeg 
 Hon 'all hof Moose we mus' prepare for dance, an' 
 d' beeg feed. 
 
 >. .atii'^-'-^ 
 
 Dem Ol' Paineer from far an' near, ees Moosh de Trail — 
 
 D' ladies hall 'ees breeng som' caik — d' mans shes 
 breeng som' bean. 
 An' Brother Palm th' coffee '11 mak' — lak hoi' taim 
 eett weel seem. 
 D' leetle keed, shes heat 'ees feel w'en hat d' Pai'neer 
 Ball, 
 Han' ron an' play, an' dance an' seeng, lak' ees 
 now'ere hat all. 
 
JO M'FRAU. 45. 
 
 iniiriMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIIIIIIIJIIIIIMMIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIMIJIIIIIIIIIIIIinilMIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIUlM 
 
 An' hoi' folks, she'll go back hup stair an' dance teel 
 break of day; 
 Han' then we'll all moosh-on back 'ome hanother 
 year to stay. 
 
 V. 
 
 T'rouhaut th' year long haurs we'll cheer wit' mem'ries 
 hof dis naight ; 
 Hof dance, han' song, an' story, too, an' many 
 faces braight. 
 From hev'ry kontry, hev'ry flag, dem Pai'neer shes 
 been com', 
 Han' w'en eet comes to hentertain they're not to 
 be hautdone. 
 Dat Pai'neer Ball, she bes' of hall, d' whole long winter 
 t'rough. 
 For Pai'neer WONTT tak' seat behin' shes WEEL 
 NOT been hautdo. 
 An' so we'll hall moosh-on back 'ome han' stay teel 
 sommer '11 com' — 
 Han' den we'll com' to taoun once more w'en 
 Pai'neer Day comes roun'. 
 
YOUKON AT THE FRONT. 
 
 War's wild alarm has sounded far and wide; 
 An enemy the gauntlet has flung down. 
 
 Where'er the British flag floats o'er the tide; 
 In every hamlet 'neath the British crown, 
 
 Brave men are hast'ning to the country's aid; 
 The music of the fife and drum is heard ; 
 
 For ruthless German bandit MUST be stayed, 
 And ev'ry patriotic heart is stirred. 
 
 II. 
 
 Fair Yukon in the 'frozen northland" lies. 
 But that's no reason she will lag behind. 
 
 Where valor's counted, 'twill be found she vies 
 With any part 'f our empire you can find. 
 
 So up spake one named Joseph Whiteside Boyle- 
 I'll see that Yukon's represented there. 
 
 A Yukon Gun Corps '11 help our foes to foil, 
 So fifty men we'll add to Britain's share. 
 
YUKON AT THE FRONT. U7. 
 
 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIi;i!IUIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIJIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ 
 
 III. 
 
 For this north country's sure been good to me; 
 I owe to her a debt I'll ne'er repay. 
 
 Although I've struggled long and hard to be 
 In the position that I am today, 
 
 I'll ne'er forget hard days with pick and pan, 
 When grubstake looked to me a mine of wealth ; 
 
 When swift away the hard earned dollars ran 
 And all that I had left to me was health. 
 
 IV. 
 
 It seemed Dame Fortune knew not how to smile, 
 But still I plugged along, and fought my way; 
 
 And not until I saw the tailing pile 
 From mammoth dredges, growing, day by day ; 
 
 Then — not till then — I knew I'd struck my gait ; 
 Knew that at last I'd see my dreams come true — 
 
 Dreams of a Northland truly good and great — 
 And now it all lies spread before my view. 
 
 V. 
 
 The valley's floor is up torn by machine, 
 Tho man made, driv'n by nature's greatest force. 
 
 The gold is strip'd from hillside and ravine 
 In quantities would load the strongest horse. 
 
 With -water's giant force, from mountain lake 
 The mountain's guts are ripp'd and scattered far; 
 
 When season's done, we from the riffles take 
 Much gold, where hydro giant 's left a scar. 
 
48 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 IIIIIIIIIMIIII IIIIIIIIIIIMJMMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinilllllllllllMIMIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIMIIK 
 
 VI. 
 
 But Empire's call is ringing in my ears. 
 I could not rest in peace, did I delay. 
 
 The flag I honor calls for volunteers, 
 And, tho I'm past the military day, 
 
 I were ungrateful did I not give heed 
 And do my little mite the best I may 
 
 To help my country, in her time of need, 
 And thus in part, my debt to her repay. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Then quick a call w^ent out for volunteers ; 
 A bright, new quick-fire gun they'll take along; 
 
 And, tho they're NOT the Irish Fusileers, 
 You'll find them face the cannon with a song. 
 
 Full quickly, then, the places all were filled 
 With men who've braved the Northland's fiercest 
 death : 
 
 Then marched and trained until they all were 
 skilled — 
 All Dawson cheered them, with a single breath. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 At training camp they cheered our skookum men; 
 In feats of strength all comers they subdued. 
 
 Till news of battles reached the camp, and then 
 With fighting spirit they were sure imbued. 
 
 I pity Germans when THEY reach the front — 
 This bold contingent from a frozen land — 
 
YUKON AT THE FRONT. U9. 
 
 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIlnilllJIIIIIIIIinillllllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIMMIIIMII^ 
 
 They'll stand THEIR share of battle's fiercest 
 brunt 
 And make us proud of Boyle's Gun — YUKON 
 MANNED. 
 
 IX. 
 
 All honor to the man behind the gun. 
 All honor to the man who placed him there, 
 
 Who, tho his three score years WERE nearly run, 
 So willingly contributed his share. 
 
 Of Boyle's Gun Corps, the Yukon well may feel 
 That pride which justly comes from duty done: 
 
 They're MEN, who're worthy any foeman's steel: 
 We're proud of them — they're proud — to man that gun. 
 
LIFE. 
 
 Life is like the Yukon River 
 Flowing constant towards the pole, 
 
 Till a chill like that of winter 
 Shroud of white casts o'er the whole — 
 
 But the current has not halted; 
 Stronger still the undertow — 
 
 Bye and bye the warmth of summer 
 Melts away the icy pall 
 
 And up springs another flower, 
 To replace the ones that fall. 
 
 Thus the bread of life is salted 
 By the hope we soon shall go. 
 
 II. 
 
 Thus our lov'd ones, gone before us, 
 Like a magnet to the north 
 
 Hold us true, till Heav'nly chorus 
 Bids us on long journey forth — 
 
 Forth, to where our lov'd ones, waiting, 
 Beckon us with open arms — 
 
 Thus our lives, like Yukon River 
 Flowing, constant, towards the pole. 
 
 Constant flow, nor halting ever, 
 'Neath all crosses, toward Great Whole — 
 
 Till at last, these earth ties breaking. 
 Glad we go, with no alarms. 
 
A WINTER NIGHT'S DREAM. 
 
 The hills are stripped of coats o' green 
 
 And donning robes of white; 
 The rivers bound in icy sheen 
 
 For six-months-winter night. 
 The Northern Lights across the sky 
 
 Are dancing back and forth; 
 The lakes in frozen bondage lie, 
 
 Through all the dreary North. 
 
 II. 
 
 Drear, did I say, 'tis hardly square 
 
 To thus malign a land 
 So full of beauties rich and rare, 
 
 Spread out with lavish hand. 
 With treasure trove of golden wealth 
 
 She gluts the hands that seek; 
 The body thrills with rugged health; 
 
 All nature seems to speak. 
 
52 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMII IIIIIIIIMIMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIMIMIIIII Illllllllllllllllllllllllllll 
 
 III. 
 
 When Nature, like a woman, lies 
 
 Her down in robes of white, 
 Why don't we look with lustful eyes, 
 
 Instead of shiv'ring quite 
 At thought of six months in her arms, 
 
 And list'ning to the voice 
 That lures us on with many charms? 
 
 Why: That SHOULD BE man's choice. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Through endless days we toil and moil 
 
 Beneath the summer's sun; 
 The winter's rest is soothing oil, 
 
 And time doth quickly run. 
 The sands of time would quickly fly; 
 
 We'd soon be in the tomb, 
 If in the winter sun was high 
 
 Like in the month of Jtme. 
 
 V. 
 
 While winter spreads white robe de'nuit 
 
 And Jack Frost nips our nose, 
 The forest glen of game we loot, 
 
 And, when the north wind blows. 
 By cheerful fire we sit and plan, 
 
 And never once repine. 
 We take our rest while 'ere we can, 
 
 And get in fettle fine. 
 
A WINTER NIGHTS DREAM. 53. 
 
 iiliiiiiiiMiiiiiniiii iiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiii iii;;iiii:iiiiim iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiii n 
 
 VI. 
 
 The rivers soon, with giant strength, 
 
 Aside will hurl their bonds; 
 And creeks, that are of lesser length, 
 
 The lakes, and smaller ponds. 
 Will ripple 'neath the breezes breath 
 
 The while rare flowers grow: 
 All nature shouts — "There is no Death. 
 
 I SLEEP, beneath the snow. 
 
 Fishing in the Klondyke River. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Higher and higher climbs the sun; 
 
 Darkness has given place 
 To days that twice round clock do run 
 
54 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iiimiiiiiUMUimimiiinmiiiMKiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiJiiiniMiMniiniiiimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiii^ 
 
 In never ending chase. 
 Flowers that sprouted yesterday, 
 
 Tomorrow '11 be in bloom ; 
 Hills draped will be in colors gay, 
 
 All fresh from Nature's loom. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 With pick and pan then forth we'll go 
 
 And stake us out a claim, 
 And work from dawn till sun is low. 
 
 And ne'er again we'll blame 
 Dame Nature for long winter's rest, 
 
 For frost and ice and snow; 
 For men, like flowers they love the best, 
 
 NEED resting up, you know. 
 
 IX. 
 
 And so, we see, Old Winter's sway 
 
 O'er frozen Northland white. 
 Renews our youth, and seems to say, 
 
 "You see that I am right. 
 "Without my nights so long and dark 
 
 "You'd never rest from moil, 
 "Nor see Aurora's 'lectric spark, 
 
 "Nor yet the Huskies' toil." 
 
 X. 
 
 "I bring NO shroud. A robe de'nuit; 
 
 "With which I cover o'er 
 "Poor naked Nature, head to foot, 
 
A WINTER NIGHTS DREAM. 55. 
 
 IIIIIIIIIIIMimniMllrlunillUIIIIIIIMIJUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIIMiniMIHIIIIIIlnllllllllMIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIIIMMItlllllll^ 
 
 "And spread upcn the floor 
 "A coverlet of fleecy down 
 
 "So pure and milky white 
 "It softens even night's dark frown, 
 
 "And aids fair Luna's light." 
 
 XL 
 
 "Frown not upon me, I'm Your friend. 
 
 "You need my frost so bold. 
 "When Springtime comes, to you I'll lend 
 
 "Assistance wtorth ten fold; 
 "Water, to help you in your work — 
 
 "To help you get the gold. 
 " 'Twill work, and work, and never shirk, 
 
 "So BLESS the Winter's cold." 
 
THE OLD GROUCH, 
 
 or Daddy Won't Care. 
 
 A bachelor once met a girlie fair 
 And loved every wave of her sunny brown hair. 
 
 Every glance of her eyes set his heart on fire 
 And fool-love fever kept on going higher. 
 
 Tho well might he know she was not for him 
 The fool kept hoping, like Sunny Jim. 
 
 Pleasures and joys of every nature 
 He'd deny himself for the darling creature. 
 
 Tho not called rich, by the world, in money, 
 He freely gave all, and then some, to "Honey," 
 
 And deemed himself, with his darling's love, 
 The richest man under heaven above. 
 
 Friends he had few, for he wasn't convivial. 
 For that he cared not, 'twas matter too trivial. 
 
 But on friends of hers, with a lavish hand 
 He would spread his favors and deem it grand 
 
 If only from her he could win a smile, 
 Tho she smiled on others all the while. 
 
 "Let's do this, or do that, oh. Daddy won't care; 
 "Say Daddikins, why DON'T you cut your hair? 
 
 "You look like sin in those shabby shoes, — 
 
THE OLD GROUCH. 57. 
 
 uiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiH 
 
 "Oh, Daddy, you've SURELY been drinking booze. 
 
 "Can we go tonight to the dance, or show?" 
 And then — "See all the fellows we had in tow. 
 
 "This one said that and that one said so — 
 "Why ever on earth did Daddikins go? 
 
 "He wasn't shaved and he wasn't dressed — 
 "No matter 'f he DIDN'T have any rest. 
 
 "Lets go to the Suinmitt, and see the sun, 
 "For surely we girls v^ill have lots of fun. 
 
 "A twenty mile drive, or thirty, or forty, 
 "Is nothing so we don't break up the party. 
 
 "One dance and a smile is enough for YOU 
 "For it ain't EVERY day that we see this crew," 
 
 And its all so nice and nothing the matter 
 Till Daddy asks favors, MY, then what a clatter. 
 
 "The darned old grouch, what's he care for us? 
 "We've danced all night and the house in a muss; 
 
 "He ought to know better'n ask anyone up — 
 "He should come home alone — be content with a sup. 
 
 "We want money for this and for that and the 
 other ; 
 "Why don't he GET IT and quit his bother. 
 
 "No matter *f business ain't going right, 
 "He sh'd throw it aside when he comes home at night 
 
 "And take the bunch out for an evening of joy," 
 And bring along some OTHER darling boy 
 
 To sit in the back and whisper soft nothings 
 Which Daddy can't hear, for the engines' puffings, — 
 
 As he sits in front and talks to the driver. 
 And over the trip spends more than one fiver — 
 
58 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 lllimimnillllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIMMIIIIIIUIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIimllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIMniMIIIIIJIIIMIMIIIinjIIIMMIMIMIMIIIIIIIIIKHIIIMIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIMII^ 
 
 Or pinch us and squeeze us while at the dance — 
 If Daddy did that he'd be killed, with a glance 
 
 From eyes that once used to shine with love 
 As pure and sweet as the Heaven above; 
 
 But now the old fool is getting too old; 
 Other arms are pleasanter far to enfold. 
 
 Honeyed words and soft nothings spoke by a 
 stranger 
 Soon make her forgetful of all of the danger 
 
 
 Landing at Dawson in the Early Days. 
 
 Of wagging tongues, or the breath of scandal 
 Which needs but a touch from the flame of a candle 
 
 To start such a row as would soon swamp a 
 nation — 
 But "Daddy will stop it, or stop all creation. 
 
 "Yes, he's a good fellow to have around handy 
 "To take one to dances, affairs and buy candy, 
 
 "Fruits, dresses and what not — its nothing to him ; 
 "If you choose to do this, why don't mind his whim; 
 
THE OLD GROUCH. 59. 
 
 UllimilllMUIIIIMimilMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinilllllllllllUIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIJIMIIIMINIMIIIMMIIMJMIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU^ 
 
 "His grouches are harmless and soon gotten over — 
 "All it takes is some soft words, a kiss, come now lover. 
 
 "But when he expects one always to love him 
 "He shouldn't stay round where he'd always be 
 shovin' 
 
 "Himself on one's notice three times a day, 
 "For it's pleasanter far, when he's out and away 
 
 "In the hills for a month, maybe two, maybe 
 more, 
 "Oh, then I can stand him a day, two, or three, 
 
 "And put up with his kissings and lovings galore, 
 " 'Cause I know I will get what I want, don't you see, 
 
 "And a good time I'll have while we're out for a 
 tear 
 "While I work him for nice things to eat, drink and 
 wear. 
 
 "Of coiu*se I would like tu see him well dressed — 
 "I'm ashamed of him this way, it must be confessed; 
 
 "But he says that he cannot afford to buy clothes ; 
 "Though he'd spend his last dollar to get me a rose, 
 
 "Then back to the hills, and work like a tartar 
 "To earn more money for kisses to barter." 
 
THE OLD PIONEERS' SOLILOQUY. 
 
 Yes, Pard, we're a goin' ter mush out. 
 Eighteen year is too long to stay here; 
 
 An', aside fr'm roomatics an' gout, 
 I must admit feelin' some queer. 
 
 I'm not quite so young as I was 
 An' my han's will git trembly, too — 
 
 Still, I don't begrudge stayin' here, 'cause 
 If I hadn't, I'd never met you. 
 
 II. 
 
 An' together we've mushed o'er these hills 
 Crazed with lust for the muck they call gold, 
 
 An* we've tunnell'd an' muck'd 'neath the sills 
 Of the mountains, defying the cold 
 
 An' th' frost, an' th' fierce, icy chill 
 Of th' ice chain'd earth all around — 
 
 'Twas a wonder we didn't fall ill, 
 Although better pay couldn't be found- 
 
THE OLD PIONEER'S SOLILOQUY. 61. 
 
 I iiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I I iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii uiiimiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iii iiiiiiiiin 
 
 III. 
 
 But along came Joe Boyle, with his "drudge" 
 An' th' Googs are 'way up on th' hill — 
 
 An' they wanted to buy — Would I budge? 
 Not till I'd no room left to fill— - 
 
 For our tailings we daren't let go; 
 We must keep them banked inside the line, 
 
 Tho the Comp'ny's land, down below, 
 Would have held all we had mighty fine. 
 
 IV. 
 
 So now we've sold out for a pittance; 
 Tho we've froze an' we've starved night an' day, 
 
 Th' Comp'ny now says we're good riddance. 
 That, too, after we blazed out th' way. 
 
 Without us an' others that's like us 
 Fer to pioneer an' prove th' ground — 
 
 To take what we got an' make no fuss, 
 All this gold wouldn't never BEEN found. 
 
 V. 
 
 We're goin' back over th' White Pass, 
 But we WON'T have to MUSH down th' trail; 
 
 We'll travel this time in th' first class — 
 We MUSHED in, we'll RIDE BACK, on th' rail. 
 
 We're worn out with all th' wild scramble. 
 With th' hardship, privation an' care; 
 
 But headed south on a long ramble, 
 With money enough an' to spare. 
 
62 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiimiiimiiii mi MiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiuiiiiuimiimiiiiiiiiniiiiiimiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiminniiiiiiinniiiiiiirainMiw 
 
 VI. 
 
 There's millions yet where we were diggin' 
 An' th' Cbmp'ny'll get it all now, 
 
 But somehow, of late I've been figg'rin' 
 Why we MADE such a deuce of a row. 
 
 We haven't much longer to stay here — 
 We can't take it across the Divide — 
 
 An' I for one, surely have no fear 
 That we shan't have enough to pervide. 
 
 Pioneer Party sailing across Lake LeBarge. 
 VII. 
 
 We might have gone out years ago, pard, 
 An' we had just as much then as now; 
 
 But then, too, it surely DID look hard 
 To th' Comp'ny's yoke fer to bow. 
 
THE OLD PIONEER'S SOLILOQUY 63. 
 
 lUUIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIinillllllllllMIIIIIIIIMIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIMUIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIIIIIMiniMIMIMIMIIIIIIIIII 
 
 Kind o' semed th' land all around here 
 Should belong to th' Pioneers old; 
 
 An' 'twould, if only they'd steered clear 
 Of th' hooch an' th' decks that were cold. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 We'll mush out aboard of a steamer 
 With our dust belted tight to our hides, 
 
 Nor stop once to visit no schemer 
 That 'd like to give us some free rides 
 
 In a new self-start 'notty-mo-bile 
 That'd whisk us so swiftly away 
 
 That we'd think we wus puttin' on style — 
 An' then soon wie'd be back — ON A LAY. 
 
 IX. 
 
 We're gettin' too old fer that now, pard, 
 So let's mush, while th' mushin' is good. 
 
 Th' dust in our pokes was all earn'd hard — 
 Better friend never yet by us stood. 
 
 Outside in th' winter there's roses 
 'N' strawberries 'n' all kin's o' fruit. 
 
 So, instead of freezin' our noses. 
 Let's shake 'em all — ev'ry galoot. 
 
 X. 
 
 Yes, we'll hike where th' roses is bloomin' 
 An' when fruit we have eaten — our fill — 
 
 There'll be no Comp'ny "presumin' 
 That they'll use our camp site fer a mill." 
 
6ff UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 nnilllllllUIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIJIIIIIIi::illlMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItMIIIIIIIMINIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIin 
 
 We'll jes' settle down kinder quiet 
 On th' bank of some peaceable lake; 
 
 An' th' cuss that starts any riot 
 Will soon find that we're still wide awake. 
 
 XI. 
 
 We'll travel the trail then together 
 Till we come to the partin' of ways. 
 
 We're surely two birds of a feather 
 An' will be till th' end of our days. 
 
 So goodbye to glorious Northland — 
 For th' earnest man sure she'll pervide. 
 
 But mucker who eats out of her hand — 
 He had surely much better have died. 
 
WHERE JOHN CHINAMAN GOT HIS SMILE. 
 
 The Yukon Territory is the only State or Territory on the 
 American Continent where there are absolutely no Chinamen. 
 In the early days a colony of them got as far as White Horse 
 but were instantly run out of the country and not one has 
 ever ventured in since. 
 
 A smile that wont fade hath the Heathen Chinee, 
 Tho he 's wandered the earth back and forth ; 
 
 And the reason for this 'tis now easy to see — 
 For John once invaded the North. 
 
 II. 
 
 He had sailed in a ship that was staunch, true and bold, 
 
 In numbers sufficiently strong, 
 And he had wondrous visions of getting the gold 
 Thru a "laundly," run by Wun Fong. 
 
 III. 
 
 There was Wun Lung, Tu Fee, Wun Fong and Ah 
 Kee, 
 
 Hop Long, Hop Sing and Ah Fook, 
 Sing Gee, Hop Loy, Ah Jung, Ah Foy, Man Fah Gee, 
 
 Lee Wing, Ah Sing and Mar Gook — 
 
66 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 MiMimniiiiiiiiiiimiiMniiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiMiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiniiiiiiMniiiiHiniiiiiiiiiiuiiiiijiiJiiiiiinjiiiininiJiiiMiiiiuiiiniMiMiujm 
 
 IV. 
 
 And four dozen more, — at least so 'tis swore 
 
 By White Horse historian old^ — 
 Who had heard of "much washee' on far Klondyke 
 shore, 
 
 So thought they would come get the gold. 
 
 V. 
 
 They arrived in due time at historic Skagtown, 
 
 And, reckless of cost or expense, 
 Took passage on train that would quick set them down 
 
 On Canadian side of the fence. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Now the smile that they wore was a glory to see — 
 They never once thought of the cold — 
 
 Thus two full box car loads of plain Heathen Chinee 
 Invaded the land of the gold. 
 
 VII. 
 
 As they pass'd o'er the Summit, the cold grew intense, 
 Still they smiled as they thought of the gold. 
 
 And thought sure that they'd quickly make up the 
 expense, 
 So smiled on in spite of the cold. 
 
JOHN CHINAMAN'S SMILE 67. 
 
 HIIIIIMIIIIinillllllllimllllllllMMIIIUIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIIIIlllMnillllMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIMMIIMIIIIIIIII^ 
 
 VIII. 
 
 When they landed at White Horse 'twas late in the 
 night ; 
 
 They smiled in their dreams until dawn ; 
 Then were waked with a start before it was light 
 
 By grim men with weapons all drawn. 
 
 IX. 
 
 They were hustled back onto the train with a rush, 
 And, not being able to savey 
 
 "New Melican talk," such as Vamoose! and Mush! 
 Still dream'd of their pokes getting heavy. 
 
 X. 
 
 Then the train quick pulled out with a jerk and a roar; 
 
 And John still continued to smile. 
 He heard the conductor sing out "All Abo-o-o-a-r' " 
 
 And dreamed of "much washee" the while. 
 
68 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 riMniiiiiimiiiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiMitiiiiiiimiiiiniiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiitmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiii^ 
 
 XI. 
 
 The grade 's not so heavy across the divide; 
 
 The train whisked them quickly along; 
 So long 'ere John's spirits had had time to subside, 
 
 At the Summit, where Frost King is strong, 
 
 XII. 
 
 His face froze, like a mask, and it ne'er has thawed out, 
 
 Tho that smile has sure won him renown. 
 And his visions of wealth all went quick up the spout 
 As the train pulled back into Skagtown. 
 
BABY'S FAREWELL. 
 
 Daddy's girl has got to leave him, 
 Got to leave dear Mamma, too. 
 
 Tell my brothers that I love them 
 Just as much as I do you ; 
 
 But I'm going over yonder 
 To a bright, Celestial home. 
 
 Do not mourn, nor sit and ponder — 
 I'll NOT leave you all alone. 
 
 I will constant 'roimd you hover, 
 Guide your steps, all danger thru; 
 
 Still I'll be your "little lover"— 
 Baby's love will make you true 
 
 To yourselves, and little brothers. 
 Till we meet to part no more. 
 
 That your lives may mark, for others. 
 Pathway to the Golden Shore. 
 
 II. 
 
 "Mamma's girl" has got to leave her; 
 From "Dear Daddy" she must go; 
 
 Leave behind each little brother — 
 I can't linger here below. 
 
70 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 nniiiiiiniiNiiiiiiMiniiiniuiuMiMiiiiNiiiiiniiiiNiiiiMiniiiiiiiiiiiiMnniiiiiiiniiiiMiMuiiMiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiuiiiiiiiMiiiuiiiiHiiiiiiiiMiiMmiiiiiiii^ 
 
 In a home that's over yonder 
 I will Oh ! so happy be ; 
 
 Guarded by a love that's fonder 
 Than on earth I e'er could see. 
 
 Do not mourn because I leave you — 
 I will not be far away. 
 
 I must go— some day you'll come too — 
 Meet me there — forever stay. 
 
 III. 
 
 Then when we meet over yonder 
 Sorrow we no more shall know. 
 
 Then, too, you no more will wonder 
 Why it is I'm glad to go. 
 
 Glad! but sorry you are grieving! 
 For I must point out the way. 
 
 Tho a little child, I'm leading, 
 Else I sure would want to stay; 
 
 For "A little child shall lead them," 
 Teacher said at Sunday School — 
 
 "Like yourselves, your neighbor, love him" — 
 'Tis the best — the Golden Rule. 
 
 IV. 
 
 All my little playthings, "mam-mee," 
 Give some other little girl — 
 
 One that's lost her mamma dearie, 
 No one left her hair to curl. 
 
 Wont you try to make her happy? 
 Thus obey the Golden Rule 
 
BABTS FAREWELL 71 
 
 iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiMimmm i iiiiiiim miiiiiiiimiiiiiiii iiiiiiiii iiiiiiimiii iiiimmiiiiiiii iiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN 
 
 And you thus will bring me daily 
 Closer, thru the Golden Rule. 
 
 'Twould be selfish, mother darling, 
 If my things you kept alway — 
 
 Tho I know your heart is breaking, 
 Do, dear mother, as I say, 
 
 And you'll be much more contented 
 While you wait the call to come. 
 
 Till at last your work is ended 
 And I come to take you home. 
 
"HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN." 
 
 The Squaw Man Takes Issue With His Pard and Defends 
 His Claim. 
 
 Oftentimes I sit and wonder 
 
 Out beneath the star genmi'd sky. 
 If I once more'U get out yonder — 
 
 Boyhood friends see 'fore I die. 
 Wonder if they, too, will shun me 
 
 As a thing that is accurst — 
 What my mother'd say, could she see — 
 
 See me at my very worst 
 With Nah-nee-nah hov'ring round me, 
 
 Face alight with honest love 
 As I play with half-breed Kiddie — 
 
 Hers and mine — a child of love. 
 
 II. 
 
 Yes, I know its shameful, pardner, 
 
 For white men to mix with them; 
 
 But a lonely man — like gard'ner, 
 
 As he flower plucks from stem — 
 
 Ain't inclin'd to be putick'lar 
 
A*fW 
 
 -S>' • » 
 
 ^"*'^^A^?4:.^fcl*^ 
 
"HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN" 73 
 
 NnnniMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIMIIIIIIMIMIINIIIMIIIIIIIIIMtllllllllllllllllllllllllltlltlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIIMMMIIinilMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ 
 
 When the flow'rs are far an' few; 
 An' Dan Cupid ain't no stickler 
 On th' color line, like you. 
 
 III. 
 
 God! th' lonesomeness I've felt here 
 
 Would have drove most men insane; 
 And, ag'in I'd been here six year — 
 
 Suff'red long lone weeks of pain 
 Ras'lin' with rheumatic fever, 
 
 Till at last Nah-nee-nah came — 
 Now, do you think I could leave her? 
 
 Since that time 'taint been th' same. 
 
 IV. 
 
 She it was when all my joints were 
 
 Swollen up with roomatiz, 
 Rubb'd 'em, with her little hands, sir, 
 
 Till it all was gone, an' 'tis 
 No wonder, when at last 'twas o'er 
 
 I forgot her skin was red — 
 An' took her to my heart to share 
 
 Half my grub an' half my bed. 
 
 V. 
 
 Tho her skin is red, her heart is 
 White as any other girl's 
 
 An' her footsteps just as light; 'tis 
 A wondrous row of pearls 
 
74 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 mmmmmmiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiwiiiiiiiiMiiiHiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinijiiiiiiiijiNiiiMjiniiiiiiiiiiiMiMiNiiiiiiMiiiiiiNiuuJiN 
 
 She has for teeth, then, too, besides, 
 She's of royal blood at home: 
 
 So now, as she beside me rides. 
 
 As we thro these mountains roam. 
 
 Can you wonder that I love her — 
 
 Natives Gathering Wood. 
 
 That to her I'll be as true 
 As I e'er could to another — 
 
 Tell me, pard, what would YOU do? 
 
 VI. 
 
 Tho she's Injun she is HUMAN, 
 
 And if I SHOULD leave her now 
 
 I can see her in th' glocunin' — 
 
 'Neath the blow her head she'd bow. 
 
 Never once would she reproach me — 
 She would sorrow all alone — 
 
 Tell me, pard, if YOU can just see 
 
"HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN" 75 
 
 KNniiniiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit iitiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiH 
 
 How on earth I could atone. 
 Of her best her ALL she's given — 
 
 Truer wife you ne'er could meet; 
 And, pard, if there IS a Heaven 
 
 She will sit at Jesus' feet. 
 
 VIL 
 
 He it was, when men reviled him 
 
 'Cause he took poor woman's part. 
 Told 'em, "He that is without sin," 
 
 wmm 
 
 Typical Native Children. 
 
 Let HIM th' stone throwin' start. 
 So when you galoots come pest'rin' — 
 
 Call me squaw man — have your fling. 
 If there's one of YOU without sin, 
 
 CALL me SQUAW MAN, but 'twill bring 
 
76 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 MMIIIUIIIUIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIIIIMIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIIIIIMIMIU 
 
 Nary blush of shame to my face, 
 
 For of her I'm not ashamed; 
 Even the she's not of my race, 
 
 She is human, and she's earn'd 
 All of life I've left to give her — 
 
 I were but a loathsome cad, 
 Pale of face but white of liver. 
 
 Did I cause her to be sad. 
 
SOURDOUGH GARDEN SASS. 
 
 Mulloy, Cheechaco, Ridicules our Agricultural Efforts. 
 
 You say the land is sour and the climate is too cold ; 
 
 That the sun has not the power that it had in days of 
 
 old. 
 
 Well, it may be that you're right— 
 'Twon't grow under Northern Light ; 
 But this much I'm here to state, and you'll sure cor- 
 roborate 
 My statement, by the time that I am through— 'tis 
 
 hard to bate 
 
 — Our Cabbage. 
 
 II. 
 
 Tho the summer's not so long, sure the sun is 
 mighty strong; 
 No night chill sets the plant life back— 'tis rather 
 pushed along; 
 
 And if you had keener sight 
 'Tis just possible you might. 
 By watchin' careful, see 'em grow, like Jack's o* 
 Beanstalk fame; 
 
78 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 HmiMniiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmimiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiMiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiMiMiiMiMiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiii^ 
 
 And then you might admit, tho it hurt a little bit, no 
 other 's quite the same — 
 
 — Our Turnips, 
 
 III. 
 
 Ah, but now, says you, "me bhoy, there's wan 
 thing that I enjoy 
 That yez can't grow in this frozen Northland yet" — 
 But, Mulloy, 
 
 With no hours of night to chill 
 
 
 Poling Boat. The principal means of transportation on many streams. 
 
 And the sun round like a mill 
 A shinin', North, South, East and West, all sides 
 alike you see; 
 I am sure that you will find they can't grow outside — 
 ah, me^ — 
 
 — Such Celery. 
 
 IV. 
 
 But, Mulloy came back once more, like the old 
 determined bore 
 That he is, and says, says he, sure me bhoy, there's 
 something more — 
 
SOURDOUGH GARDEN SASS 79 
 
 nHIIIIIMIIIinilllllinilininilllllllltllllMMIIIIIIIIMIMIIIMIMIIIMIMMMMIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMnillllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIUIIIIIIMlrillfMI^ 
 
 And I straightway asked him what. 
 Well, says he, take off yer hat 
 
 For the rale ould Irish spud — surely it can't be 
 grown here. 
 
 But I answered, with a smile, sure you cannot beat, I 
 fear, 
 
 — Our P'raters. 
 
 V. 
 Down the street we slowly passed, talking, till we 
 came, at last — 
 
 
 Miles Cannon, where many lost their lives. White Horse Rapids 
 is just a little farther down stream. 
 
 Till we came upon the very thing I sought — Not so 
 fast— 
 
 I cried, Mulloy, I've got you 
 You must admit it is true. 
 We beat the world for Garden Sassi — its like you 
 never saw, 
 For they're tender, sweet and firm and you'd fairly love 
 them raw — 
 
 — Our Onions. 
 
80 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 UlllllllllllllllllllllinmilMIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItlllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIMIMM 
 
 VI. 
 
 So as down the street we walked over Garden Sass 
 we talked — 
 Of lettuce, spinach, radishes, and never once he balked. 
 For when he had been shown 
 All the Garden Sass we'd grown, 
 And nipped at this and broken' that — found them 
 all crisp and fine, 
 Very soon he then declared that we had him — on our 
 line 
 
 — Of Garden Sass. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Bi^H 
 
THE ICE POOL. 
 
 Hark! ain't that the N. C. whistle, 
 
 Sendin' out upon the air 
 Tidings such as no epistle 
 
 E'er yet bro't by stage could bear — 
 That the long, long winter's broken 
 
 (Soon a boat we'll see, no doubt). 
 Hurry, pard ! I'm just a-chokin'— 
 
 From th' cabin must get out. 
 
 II 
 
 Ice's movin', Pete! Come, Billy! 
 
 Hurry up, don't miss the sight! 
 What's the minute — 'leven, silly! 
 
 Stranger pick'd up 'lev'n las' night! 
 Drifted in on the last stages, 
 
 An' no sooner town he's struck 
 Than he makes a summer's wages 
 
 Over this fool piece of luck. 
 
82 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 llimiMlllllllirllllllllimillllMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIlrllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIINIIIIIIIIMIIIIIMIIIIIHMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM 
 
 III 
 
 Bv'ry one was feard o' 'leven, 
 
 'Cause it come on 'lev'n last year; 
 Superstition, too, queered seven. 
 
 Till 'long comes this stranger here. 
 Soon's he saw that them two numbers 
 
 Hadn't yet been took at all. 
 What's he do but poke unlimbers^ — 
 
 Three pools open — takes 'em all ! 
 
 An Ice Pool. Filled, this would pay the winner $300. 
 IV 
 
 Must be he'd been in a crap game 
 An' won out on them two "figs" — 
 
 Figgr'd that his luck was still same. 
 So he writ down them six "sigs" 
 
THE ICE POOL. 83 
 
 RlllllllllllllllllllllllllllinnilllllllllllllllllMIIIIIMMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIUMIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIMIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIMIIMIIIIIIIIIM 
 
 An' rakes down twelve hundred dollars 
 
 On investment mighty slim. 
 Gosh! I'll bet he more than hollers — 
 
 He'll be feelin' pretty trim. 
 
 Funny how the luck runs, pardner — 
 You an' I have play'd th' pools 
 
 Till w^e've gone without our dinner 
 Like a pair of bloomin' fools, 
 
 Christmas in Dawson in eariy days 
 An' we've never won a dollar — 
 
 No such luck for us, you see — 
 Ah, well! it's no use to holler; 
 
 Next year maybe us 'twill be. 
 VI 
 Then 'twill be our turn to holler. 
 
 An' we'll find we've lots of friends 
 That will help us spend a dollar — 
 
 There, too, many a frien'ship ends; 
 
84 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIMIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ 
 
 Time that one's got done a-treatin' 
 
 All the boys all over town, 
 'N* other frien's, too, we'd be meetin'. 
 
 Pool we'd wish we'd not pull'd down. 
 
 VII 
 
 But there seems a fascination 
 
 'Bout the ice pools, ev'ry year; 
 Makes it hard as all tarnation 
 
 Not to write our names, for fear 
 That for once we might have hit it — 
 
 Even tho' th' prize we'd blow 
 In for wine, the very minute 
 
 That we got it— AIN'T IT SO? 
 
THE EVENT OF THE YEAR 
 
 Ten days now since the river opened, and nary a boat 
 
 in sight; 
 The mail all bunched up at the crossing— wonder '£ 
 
 she'll come tonight. 
 Which'll beat— the Vidette or the White Horse— Sid's 
 
 at the wheel, you know — 
 'F e'er there was daredevil let loose, it's Sid, when he's 
 
 out for to show 
 That "Sidestreams" is still in the runnin'— hasn't been 
 
 beaten as yet — 
 Tell you, pard, now I'm just a-bettin' they won't ahead 
 
 of him get. 
 
 II 
 
 Gosh! 'tis a long time a-waitin' for winter to wear 
 
 itself out, 
 And even after she's open, it seems like a month, just 
 
 about, 
 Till some one lets out a holler— "Ste-e-e-ambo-o-o-at !" 
 
 an' then we all race for the dock— 
 "There she comes 'round the bend! What'd I tell ya— 
 
 Sid comes on th' stroke o' th' clock. 
 
86 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 MIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 
 
 "There's the White Horse behind him! A close race! 
 
 Hooray, boys, I've won a new hat! 
 "An' look at th' freight that's aboard her — they haven't 
 
 room left for a cat. 
 "Look, all the people aboard, too ! Sid always does get 
 
 a big load ! 
 
 
 White Pass City and the trail. White Pass in the distance. 
 
 "There's lots would sooner wait for him than get a free 
 pass down the road." 
 
 Ill 
 
 "Hurry, Sid! th' White Horse'll beat you! She's 
 
 swingin' a'ready to dock! 
 "See, there's Splotus, an' Hill; Mrs. Vining, an' Bill, 
 
 th' cigar man — 
 
THE EVENT OF THE YEAR 87 
 
 nMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIMIIMIIIIIIIMIIIIIIiniMnilllMJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIinillllllllllllllMIIIMIIIIINIIIIIMIIIIIIIIJIIIMMIMIMIIIM 
 
 "Little Joe, an' th' Kid ; Teddy, too, an' there's 'Millie' 
 
 and Carman, 
 "Who come once a year; Gibson and *Holz' — I didn't 
 
 know he was out — 
 "And would you just look at the kids, too ! Sid's got a 
 
 load, just about, 
 
 Seward, Alaska, a few years ago. It looks much different now. 
 
 "But he sure's eam'd it, and b'sides, too, this will give 
 some folks a shock." 
 
 IV 
 
 So at last the season is open, the event of the year has 
 gone past. 
 
 An', pard, here's to you, an' I'm hopin' that this sea- 
 son's better than last. 
 
 Each year, as we gaze up th' river for th' smoke of 
 first boat to arrive, 
 
88 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iwmiiMiiiiiiiumiiniiMHnuiMNniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiuiiiMiiiiiiiiJiiJiJiiiiiiiMiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiH 
 
 It sure sets me all of a quiver a wond'rin' how long 
 
 we'll survive. 
 Each year when th' first boat breaks open th' season 
 
 we've waited so long, 
 There's been some ol' frien's we'd been hopin' would 
 
 soon 'a' been husky an' strong 
 That we've planted up on th' hill-top — I wonder who'll 
 
 be next to go? 
 Of one thing I'm certain — that, sure pop, there's some 
 
 that won't see no more snow. 
 
FROZEN IN 
 
 On the sixth of November we started, 
 
 'Twas the latest start ever was known. 
 "Captain Sid" had, before we departed. 
 
 Ordered "wood that was dry as a bone," 
 For the slush ice ran thick in the river 
 
 And a light scow ahead we must push; 
 Then a flurry of snow made us shiver, 
 
 So we bundled aboard with a rush. 
 
 II 
 
 Over one hundred souls were aboard her — 
 
 'Twas the little Vidette, if you please — 
 Tho' on shore we left many a croaker, 
 
 We bucked both ice and current with ease. 
 "Captain Sid" on upper deck standing. 
 
 Whistled out one long malamute howl, 
 While the hundreds who watched on the landing 
 
 Thot that sure in the ice we'd soon foul. 
 
90 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
 iiMiuMiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiii»iiuiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiHiiiniiiiMiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiHiiiiiil»uuiiiiniiiiiiiiiiuaiiiuiuiii^ 
 
 III 
 
 Course our progress was slow up the river, 
 
 What with pushing that useless old barge; 
 And it made more than one of us quiver 
 
 When the ice cakes began getting large. 
 Now both banks we kept watching for dry wood, 
 
 For the wood that we'd got wouldn't burn. 
 All night "Captain Sid" and his mates stood 
 
 Thinking sure they'd find some at each turn. 
 
 IV. 
 
 When at last we had reached lower crossing, 
 
 And the dangerous bar lay ahead, 
 We raked o'er all the wood pile, 'thout finding 
 
 Enough dry wood to make us a bed 
 For our fires, and feared our steam would run down 
 
 Before up at the bar we could tie 
 That barge, and reach dry pile that was known — 
 
 But not one of us thought to say die. 
 
 All went fine till we only had farther 
 
 A short eighth of a mile still to go. 
 And then, all on account of low water. 
 
 We all had to get out on the snow. 
 Then once more "Captain Sid" tried to make it, 
 
 Tho' he was forced to give up at last — 
 And then, almost before we had started. 
 
 We were stuck on the bar, hard and fast. 
 
FROZEN IN 91 
 
 iiiMiiiiiiiiiiminuiiiinniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimunumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiMiniiiiiMiiiiiiiiniHiiiiMiiiiiinJiiiiiiMiiiiiiiuiiiiii^ 
 
 VI 
 
 For three days and three nights we remained there, 
 
 Altho' efforts heroic were made, 
 But at last we got clear, and I'll now swear 
 
 That not one single soul was afraid, 
 Tho' the ice that had struck us was heavy, 
 
 Oh the way back to Dawsan. 
 Such a staunch little craft, the Vidette, 
 With a captain and crew that were nervy 
 We tho't that we'd win over it yet. 
 
 VII 
 Now free from the bar, with ice all aroar — 
 
 'Twas ahead, on each side and astern — 
 We fought inch by inch — around point we wore, 
 
 And then once more had dry wood to bum. 
 But days we had lost, we found, to our cost. 
 
 Had lowered the water still farther ; 
 Our progress was slow, and much wood we tossed 
 
 Into furnace — ice getting harder. 
 
 VIII 
 At last we gave up and shelter we took, 
 At spot near a telegraph station; 
 
92 UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 
 
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 Then wired to Dawson and told them we'd look 
 
 For assistance — tho' we had ration. 
 All Dawson turned out to rescue us quick, 
 
 Tho' we told them no need to hurry — 
 We were warm and dry — we'd blankets so thick, 
 
 And some of us coats that were furry. 
 
 IX 
 
 The river at last closed in with a crash 
 And grinding of ice floes together — 
 We'd sawed the boat into safe little cache ; 
 
 
 
 One of the first attempts to reach Dawson by auto. 
 
 And sure we did have some fine weather. 
 Then we set out — those could mush who were stout- 
 
 And those who were weaker were cared for ; 
 A day's mush, about, lay end of our route — 
 
 Then more than one of us was footsore. 
 
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FROZEN IN. 93 
 
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 X 
 
 But — Dawson at last — we'd sure traveled fast, 
 
 And never a one did reproach us. 
 For brave "Captain Sid" a medal was cast — 
 
 We rode out upon White Pass coaches; 
 And still, to this day, the story is told. 
 
 Of brave "Captain Sid" and his doings — 
 He dared once too oft the fierce Northern cold, 
 
 But took with a smile heavy losings. 
 
A LESSON FROM THE BRUTES 
 
 The cariboo run in immense droves across the Northern 
 country every year, literally thousands of them being in a 
 single drove, much as the buffalo used to run through the 
 middle west years ago. The circumstances detailed below 
 actually occurred during one of these great cariboo runs a 
 few years ago. One fine big fellow had been wounded and 
 was unable to paw away the snow to reach the moss, which 
 is their principal food, and my informant actually saw several 
 others paw away the snow so the wounded one could eat 
 and then stand by without eating until he had eaten his fill. 
 
 Now some folks say an animile ain't got no sense at all ; 
 
 That all they ever think of is their grab ; 
 But e'en the hedless cariboo, when they run in the fall, 
 
 An' browse along, from ev'ry little shrub. 
 Can set us all a pattern we'd do v/ell to emulate — 
 
 At least I heerd of one the other day 
 That sure would make some humans blush, leastwise, 
 at any rate. 
 
 They'd orter less'n they're not built that way. 
 
 II 
 
 Of course, I know there's people that sure cannot blush 
 at all. 
 But when they hear this they'll let out the job 
 If they've the sense God gave a louse, or e'en a little 
 ball 
 
A LESSON FROM THE BRUTES 95 
 
 niiMinnjumiiiMHiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMMMiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiJUiriuniii 
 
 Of gray matter, behind their wondrous gob. 
 A friend of mine went huntin', out where the cariboo 
 run, 
 An' tells this story as the Gospel truth — 
 Of how he saw a cariboo, near setting of the sim. 
 But it was sorely wotmded in one hoof. 
 Ill 
 The snow lay thick upon the grotmd, the moss he could 
 not reach. 
 As on three legs he slowly limped along. 
 But others of his tribe near by could us a lesson teach — 
 They saw his plight and came, for they were strong ; 
 They paw'd away the cov'rin' snow till he the moss 
 could reach. 
 Then stood and watched him till he'd ett his fill — 
 How thus those poor dumb critters could such lesson 
 to us teach, 
 Has made me wonder, pard, till I was ill. 
 
 IV 
 I wonder if the car'boo, too, know of the Golden Rule, 
 
 Else why did they stand back while brother ate? 
 I know my tale sounds fishy — that you'll put me down 
 a fool, 
 A wishy-washy, slushy addlepate; 
 But 'tis true what I am tellin' about those poor dumb 
 brutes. 
 While man, for all his church an' Sunday school, 
 Takes out his gun on Sunday — oft without a need he 
 shoots — 
 Don't half so well obey the Golden Rule. 
 
IT'S A LONG WAY TO DEAR OLD DAWSON. 
 
 (Tune— "Tipperary.") 
 
 It's a long way to dear old Dawson, 
 
 It's a long way to go. 
 It's a long way to dear old Yukon, 
 
 To the land of ice and snow. 
 Good-bye, dear old Dawson; 
 
 Farewell, Klondyke Vale. 
 It's a long, long way to dear old Dawson, 
 
 But my heart's on the trail. 
 
Three Fingered Pete, th' foreman, was took sick with roomatiz; 
 He'd been hittin' up th' Bourbon an' now was gettin' his; 
 So he hied him to a hospital, where "Doc." of great renown, 
 Pronounced his case too serious to be treated in that town: 
 Said Pete must hit th' trail again an' journey far "outside": 
 Anyway, he'd been here long enough, an' was due to take a ride. 
 So Pete began a lookin' fer some place on foreign strand 
 That had a reppytation, fer to take his case in hand. 
 He got from White Pass office all th' advertisin' dope 
 
They had on hand, an' read it all, 'thout gettin' any hope, 
 
 Till from a tourist he one day a paper chanced to bum — 
 
 An' it befell he saw an ad invitin' him to come 
 
 An' bring his roomatiz along, to place in Portland town. 
 
 Where soon they'd take it out of him an' do his case up brown 
 
 An' do it all 'thout medicine, with Nature's means alone — 
 
 So quickly then he packed his grip, with man-ya grunt an' groan 
 
 An' bot thru ticket of first class, determined that he'd ride 
 
 In ease an' comfort o'er the trail, since he must go "outside." 
 
 At last he reach'd Old Portland town and place of which he'd read 
 
 And sure enough, he found that they used Nature's means, instead 
 
 Of giving medicine, th' roomatiz to cure, as well 
 
 All other human ailments, too, too numerous to tell. 
 
 He was some skeptic from the start — he simply could not see 
 
 How exercise an' heat an' sech, could take from out his knee 
 
 An' hips an' back, an' all his bones, th' pain he'd learn'd to dread 
 
 Till often he'd been heard to say he'd sooner far be dead. 
 
 But in due time Pete's roomatiz, like all things, came to end: 
 
 His hips an' back an' all his joints he found he now could bend 
 
 'Thout suff'rin' mortal agony each time he made a move — 
 
 Th' swellin', too, had left his hands — he now could wear a glove. 
 
 So in good time Pete hied him back unto th' North again — 
 
 His roomatiz now sure all gone — he hasn't e'ery pain 
 
 An' never tires of tellin' how all cases, as they come, 
 
 "Doc" Nisbeth treats with great success at San-i-tar-i-um, 
 
 An' that his worst in medicine is only aqua pure 
 
 An' that he draws from out th' clouds 'lectric'ty some to cure, 
 
 But treats 'em all, both great an' small, for ailments manifold — 
 
 For nerves, diseases mental, "diabeets," a common cold. 
 
 An' many other ailments, too — well, Pete he sure got his — 
 
 An' Bright's Disease he cures with ease — Oh! yes, an' roomatiz. 
 
kton. Calif 
 
 IAN. 21, 1308 
 
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 IW315145 
 
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