Iowa Old Press
Paullina Times
Paullina, O'Brien co. Iowa
June 2, 1898
ON THE WAY TO THE LAND OF GOLD - Mr. Tjossem's
Pen-pictures of Scenes on the Dyea-Klondike Trail
Remark - The writer, Mr. John Tjossem, left Paullina for the
Klondike gold fields as the special representative of this paper,
on Monday, February 28, 1898, in company with Wells Sutherland
and Will Glazier, both of Paullina. They were joined at Seattle,
Washington, by Tosten Strand, cousin of Tjossem, and William
McCullough of Nebraska. All are athletic young fellows and
capable of enduring much hardship. They will no doubt make the
entire journey together. To enable the new reader to follow the
narrative we will, from time to time describe the route already
traversed by the party. The party left Seattle March 16, 1898,
going to Victoria, B. C., thence to Juneau, and from there to
Skaguay and thence to Dyea, where the land party began. They
reached Sheep Camp about April 1. On April 3, 1898, the party was
camped four miles from the great avalanche which swept down the
side of the mountain and killed about one hundred people. Some of
the party assisted in rescuing the sufferers and recovering the
dead.
Letter No. 3 - Special Times Correspondence
Lake Lindeman, May 3, 1898
Friend Frank - You will see by the heading that we have changed
locations - and a welcome change it is, I can assure you. We have
moved over the summit. The "Rubicon is crossed." Long
and hard has been our work since last I wrote you and now we have
put up camp to stay here for a month or until the ice breaks up.
I received your letter of March 15 on April 29th. I will tell you
something about the great and only Chilkoot Pass. We have read
much of the Pass, its horrors and the hard work of getting over
it, but to fully realize the conditions, one must make the trip.
It is not particularly necessary for one to take it the way we
are doing. He can have all of his provisions freighted over
instead of freighting them himself, but expense is too great. We
had part of our goods hauled, as I wrote you. On this side we
have done it all ourselves, as the charges from the Summit to
Lake Lindeman are two cents a pound and we could take down on a
hand sled from 300 to 450 pounds, so it easily making from six to
ten dollars a day. On the other side we could not make more than
twenty-five cents, in places. I would like to see you make a trip
down the Summit with a load of 400 pounds, the descent is about a
half mile and very steep. But it will not be long before the
sledding will be through as snow is going fast.
We are just now engaged in getting out logs for lumber with which
to build our boats. It is very hard work to get them; the snow is
from three to ten feet deep and in going over it we sometimes
drop through up to our arms. It took Glazier an hour and a half
to go a little over fifty feet. Mac and I got through in better
shape and while Glazier was coming so slowly we told him we would
go home and get him some lunch because at the rate he was going
he was likely to get very hungry before getting home. We are not
getting very large logs but it the best we can do under the
present conditions. We had intended to go farther down the lakes
but the warm weather has melted the snow so fast that it is
impossible to get further. Cariboo Crossing was the place first
thought of, so to make the best of it all we will stay here for a
month at least.
I will try to give you a short description of Chilkoot Pass or
from the Pass to Lake Lindeman. I think that in my last letter
you were told of all the other side. The Pass or Summit is the
divide of the Rockies and when it is a clear day, I am told that
one can see the blue waters of the Pacific fourteen miles to the
south and to the north Crater Lake, the headwaters (one of many)
of the Yukon. I cannot vouch for the truth of the statement that
the Pacific can be seen from the Summit but on a very clear day
when we were there we could not see it, and, judging from the
formation of the mountains, I hardly believe it. But it is a
grand sight to see the valley, or, more properly speaking, the
canyon which leads to the Summit. One can follow its windings
down between the range of mountains which rise thousands of feet
on either side far up above the timber in almost perpetual snow
here and there a glacier will glisten in the sun showing its
beautiful blue colors, and it not seldom happens that some
unlucky traveler is buried up in masses of ice as it comes
crushing and grinding down the mountain slopes. Looking down on
the north can be seen Crater Lake. From its name you can form
some idea what it looks like in shape but you can never know its
scenery and beauty unless you see it as it is on some bright,
clear day. It is said to be of great depth and the bottom covered
with the skeletons of monster mastodons and animals that are now
extinct. Along this chain of lakes have been found large teeth
about a foot long, ivory tusks eight to ten feet, and many other
remains of prehistoric inhabitants of this now desolate country.
It proves that Alaska was once a tropical country.
Down the mountain we go on to the lake which is about a mile
wide, and enter a narrow valley or canyon which takes us to Long
Lake, about three miles long. At the foot of this lake is seen
the first signs of vegetation - small scrub pines, just tall
enough to pierce the snow, which lies in some places in great
depth. Then came Deep Lake - about a half mile - at the foot of
which is the canyon leading to Lake Lindeman, down through which
the water comes rushing, bounding over great bowlders, and while
sitting in camp now I can hear the sound of the water which boils
and foams as it passes over a fall not more than twenty feet
away. You can have no idea of the novelty of such surroundings.
Yukoners have been sledding through this canyon all winter but
now it has almost ceased as the crust of snow has already gone.
About a dozen sleds have fallen into the water today. But still,
no matter how dangerous the trail may become, there are some who
will not go around but pull straight ahead and drop into the
river. I often think that it serves them right for attempting
such things which seem so plainly dangerous.
The total distance from the Summit to Lindeman is a little more
than nine miles. We made the trip in about seven hours. To some
it may seem a small job to walk nineteen miles a day, but over
the rough roads here it is very, very hard work to pull a sled
nine miles. I have overheard men sit on their sleds and talk to
themselves cursing because they had attempted the trip to the
gold fields. But there seems to be a fascination for the work
which draws them on and on, causing them to work like horses.
It is very interesting to note the different articles that are
taken to the interior. Musical instruments are taken in great
numbers, even pianos. A Frenchman was tugging and pulling at a
load today on which were two gallon kegs of olives. Another was
carefully carrying an umbrella, and it often happens that one
will burden himself with articles that are almost useless.
Flour is worth $12 per hundred, bacon, forty cents a pound, but
there are no buyers. Meal is worth $1, while ham and eggs and a
cup of coffee can be had for 75 cents.
There are a number of cases of sickness here but the percentage
of mortality is not near as great as in the large cities, quite
contrary to the reports in the newspapers published in the
states.
Sheep Camp is now almost deserted and when I was there last week
it looked like another town. Most notable by their absence were
the shell-game men - not a one was in sight.
On this side are the Canadian mounted police, while on the other
is miner's law. Provisions were very much safer at Sheep Camp
than they are here. The only reason I can give is that when a
culprit is caught he knows that he has the protection of the
police who generally fine the thief, confiscate his goods and
then send him out of the locality. If caught on the other side of
the Union Jack he knows that little mercy will be shown him.
Whole outfits have been lost here, by being stolen.
We have been told that there are no birds in Alaska, but
yesterday morning while going to work a robin was singing close
to us and myriads of small birds flitted from tree to tree.
Mountain grouse are quite plentiful, pheasants and partridges are
also found. The ducks are commencing to come in and it will not
be long before Glazier will be out gunning.
Clarence J. Berry, the noted Klondiker passed through here a few
days ago. His party were camped close to us. He is taking in a
lot of machinery for use in his mines.
A post office has now been established at Sheep Camp and mail
service will be much better. The Canadian officials have opened
one at Lake Bennett. Mail route is from either Skaguay or Dyea
and through to the Lake Bennett office. We ought to get letters
from home in about two weeks now while before it took months.
We were told that no one was allowed to pass the custom office
without 1,100 pounds of provisions but such is not the actual
fact. It is only a story circulated by merchants on the coast and
transportation companies for the business there is in it. Duties
are not so extremely high; they are very much more reasonable
than our own. On our outfit of 1,200 pounds the duties paid were
a little over $20.
In regard to reports coming from Dawson about the new strikes,
this is how one of them came out. Last winter there was a man in
Sheep Camp who did not do anything all winter and no one disputed
his title to the champion camp-stool warmer in town. About three
weeks ago he went back to Seattle and in a few days the report
came out in great big headlines giving a long account of how he
with several others had come out with several thousand dollars in
gold and many more in certificates; that it took them only
seventeen days out from Dawson. The facts are that the man never
was farther than Sheep Camp, and no doubt he was well paid for
his story.
Yesterday we saw the Spanish flag float from the mast of a sled
going down the canyon. We thought to ourselves that that would
not be there if it only was on the other side. But as it was in
British territory, nothing was done. We are very anxious to know
how war is progressing. But papers are so few and far between
that when they do come they do not last long at twenty-five
cents. If people knew for certain that there is war between
United States and Spain there would be just as big a crowd going
back to the States as are going north. Their enthusiasm is
unbounded and it would make quite an army, too.
On the 22d of last month Wells helped carry a sick man to the
hospital. The Sunday following he died with spinal meningitis.
His body was taken home to Kansas City. All of his partners have
gone home except one who is going into the interior. There is
hardly any sickness but what is spinal meningitis or treated as
such by the doctors. I think that there is a great deal of
nonsense concerning this disease although there are genuine
cases, no doubt.
We heard much about the snow storms on the pass and how strong
the wind blew. When we were sledding our goods from the Summit we
went up one morning when only two or three others besides
ourselves got through. We were met on the way going by many who
had started out ahead of us and were coming back, telling us that
we could not get through and that no living man could face the
wind that was raging. But we kept on, never heeding the warnings
for as far as we had gone it was only a nice snow storm - nothing
what we would call stormy at home. We went through without any
trouble. Those people who could not face that storm certainly
have never been in a genuine Iowa blizzard.
"Swift Water Bill," a noted Klondiker, and two ladies
(?) accompanying him were drowned on Lake LeBarge a few days ago,
according to reports coming to Linderman.
May 8 - Just got your letter. Would like to receive that bunch of
Times and you can be assured that they will be interesting
reading. Your enclosed clipping telling of the great avalanche
also received. Possibly I should not say much about the Federal
troops now owing to the peculiar conditions existing in the
States. But this I can say, and truthfully too, that not one of
the troops stationed at Dyea showed up after the slide nor helped
in any way to take care of the dead or those fortunate enough to
come out of the slide alive. The boys and myself were there
nearly all the time helping in some way and the remark was
frequently made that the Federal troops ought to come up and
help. But not one of them turned out to help and as for the
protection given by them a lot of dummies might as well be in
Dyea. Of course I would not cast any reflection upon the army,
but I do think that there is a great deal of fraud, or whatever
you call it, about the necessity of troops at either Dyea or
Skaguay.
We have just seen an account of the defeat of the Spanish
squadron by the United States vessels in the Philippines. Hurrah
for the United States! The papers sold for seventy-five cents a
copy, dated May 3.
The coldest weather we have had so far is six below zero. We did
not mind the cold. I went about half a mile up the mountain after
wood about four o'clock in the morning bar headed and in shirt
sleeves.
A man from Sioux City, Iowa, was found dead in his tend
yesterday. His name was, I think, John Roshel. This is the second
case of this kind since we started over the pass. It is only a
wonder that not many happen for the work that one does is
something terrible to imagine. I have taken several pictures
showing how some of it is done. Think of a man pulling or snaking
400 pounds on a sled over roots on stretches of bare ground
probably a half a mile long. The trail is much more difficult now
than when we came over it; now the snow is gone in places making
the trail very bad.
We have been trying to get some fish but so far have not
succeeded in catching any as they will not bite a hook yet and
the water is too deep to use a spear. They will soon commence
running and then we expect to have a feast.
About forty claims are staked out at the upper end of Lake
Lindeman but they cannot be worth much. I sneaked out one day and
did some "prospecting" after having gained all the
information I could about the nature of the soil and gravel where
gold might be found. I was successful in finding "tenderfoot
gold" and black sand. I afterward found out that the
presence of black sand was a good indication of gold so the first
day I can mysteriously disappear again I am going to try again.
I understand the Starbuck party are camped on Lake Bennett. Have
not seen any of the men belonging to the party but through
inquiries I understand they are there building their boats. Have
lost track of the other Cherokee boys altogether. Do not know
where they are.
There are four sawmills on Lake Lindeman, small rudely
constructed affairs besides any number of pit saw mills of which
we are the proprietors of one.
It will not be long before the night will be day. It is light
enough now at ten o'clock in the evening to read or write and at
eleven the night commences. It is light again at two so you see
we can put in long days were it not for one trouble, that of
sleeping too long in the morning.
Was talking to a man who has been ten years prospecting in
different portions of Alaska and has been in nearly every known
region. He tells me that the output is not going to be as large
as reported in the papers. He says there is gold enough in nearly
all Alaska but the cost of transporting goods makes claims
worthless. He says that he has made only enough to buy an outfit
each year and when that it gone goes back and takes in another
and has done this nine times, taking in his tenth one now. I
asked him why he kept on doing this when there was nothing to be
made at it. He answered that he could not do anything else, he
had been doing this so long that he could not quit and settle
down to some kind of steady work. He hails originally from south
of Glasgow, Scotland. The next time I write you will be from Lake
Bennett where you send The Times.
Your friend,
John Tjossem
--
Dr. and Mrs. F. Johnson, for seven years missionaries in Ichanfu,
China, will speak at the Presbyterian church on their work in
China, Sunday morning in the interests of the Woman's Missionary
Society.
Louie Swanson, who has been quite sick the past week, was in
receipt of an amusing letter from his father, whose home is in
Denmark. The elder Swanson expresses his hatred for the Spanish
nation and suggests to Louis that he make preparations to leave
America as soon as possible, as the Spaniards will surely own the
country when the war has reached the proper stage. He does not
want his son to become a Spanish subject, hence his great concern
and urgent solicitation to leave the land. Louie says he intends
to stay here anyway.
Births
To Mr. and Mrs. Gus Both, Friday, May 27, 1898, a daughter.
Died
Cook - Mavis Rose Cook, daughter of Robert L. Cook, Sunday, May
29, 1898, aged six years. Little Mavis was a bright and winsome
child, whose sweet disposition made her a precious thought in the
minds of all. Lung complications, the result of a cold, caused
her death. The funeral was conducted by Rev. Hatheway at the M.
E. church on Monday afternoon, and the remains were laid beside
those of her mother in Union cemetery.
--
Gus Ramstead of Benton county is the guest of his brother-in-law,
H. G. Culp.
Mrs. Sutherland and her sisters, Nellie and Lillie Koolbeck, went
to Hospers this week to visit their parents.
Dr. and Mrs. Johnson of Ichanfu, China, are visiting with
relatives in Dale township. Mrs. Johnson is a niece of Hector
Cowan, Jr.
M. L. Peterson, who arrived from Buffalo, Mo., last week, is
working in the Slagle lumber yard. Mrs. Peterson is a sister of
Mrs. Hubert Sprague.
Class of '98 - Four More Graduates of the
Paullina High School Finish the Regular Course - The Exercises
and Orations.
The commencement program which marked the close of the school
year and "ended the first lesson" of the graduating
class of '98 went off without a hitch on Friday evening. The
opera house was crowded even for standing room. The program was
generally complimented, the music being as good as usual. The
orations are considered far above the average school oration and
we print them in full. The four graduates were Clara Ihle, Evah
Carfield, Clyve Adkins and Roy McKinney, and the careful thought
shown in preparation and the excellent style of delivery of the
orations speaks highly for the character of our school as well as
for the capabilities of the class. Following are the orations:
["Elizabeth" by Evah Carfield; "Shakespeare's
Women" by Clyve Adkins; "The Voyage of Life" by
Clara Ihle; and "True Citizenship" by Roy McKinney]
[transcribed by A.N., January 2015]
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Sutherland Courier
Sutherland, O'Brien co. Iowa
June 3, 1898
p 1
Louie Swanson is very sick this week and we understand that his
recovery is doubtful.
Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Cook were called upon to part with their
oldest child, Mavis, aged bout six years. She departed this life
last Sunday, having been sick but a few weeks. The funeral was
held at the M. E. church on Monday afternoon and was conducted by
Rev. Hatheway. The remains were laid to rest in the Union
cemetery.
p 4 col 3
It has not yet been determined whether Sam Wilson will be tried
this term or not.
The case of Dora Hecht vs. J. I. McKenrick was tried to a jury
and resulted in a verdict for McKenrick. Plaintiff charged him
with committing the crime of rape on her.
E. R. Streeter vs. Carter, being a suit over a trunk of clothing
belonging to the notorious Mrs. Streeter, was settled out of
court. It is understood that the attorneys in the case divided
the contents of the trunk.
H. C. Thayer has sued his brother H. E. Thayer for an accounting
and settlement of their differences. The brothers have had
financial dealings for a long series of years and are unable to
agree and so have brought a friendly suit in court to get
straightened out.
p 4 col 4
The court over-ruled the demurrer of defendant in the case of
Aultman Miller & Co. vs. Pape. Defendant was agent for sale
of farm machinery and the same was burned in a fire. Pape had
agreed to keep the machinery insured and because of his failure
to do so the court holds he is personally liable.
Sheriff Coleman secured the arrest of Arthur Eckman at Ocheyedan
Tuesday. His wife charged him with stealing a horse, a watch and
$40 in money. On turning over the property Eckman was allowed to
go and has gone to Minnesota. The couple have not been getting
along well together for some time.
District court is quietly moving along and a large amount of
business is being disposed of. The grand jury made their report
and were discharged. They found several indictments, including
one against Samuel Wilson and his sister-in-law, Kate Mealman,
charged with adultery. Wilson is in jail in default of bail and
Miss Mealman is out on bonds of $200. Indictments were returned
against parties at Sutherland charged with illegal voting but the
same have not yet been made public. The matter is said to be a
result of the bad feeling that has existed between factions in
that town for some time.
p 5 col 1
Wm. Mealman's relatives came down from Primghar yesterday evening
and report that Sam Wilson and Miss Mealman pleaded guilty and
were sentenced to one year each in the state prison. They are to
be taken there today.
One of those mistakes that are sometimes laughable and often
annoying to a printer appeared in the Courier last week. In
speaking of the funeral of Mrs. Dithmer we spoke of Rev. Rall of
Calumet officiating. In the proof the reverend gentleman's name
appeared as Rell. The proof was properly marked, but as the
"typo" was correcting he remarked to someone standing
by that the name would be changed considerably if the
"R" were replaced by an "H". Then
absentmindedly he changed the letters just in the way he had
mentioned. Not until the papers were all printed and mailed was
the error discovered.
p 5 col 2
There was a large attendance at the funeral of Mrs. Kaiser
Friday.
p 5 col 3
Card of Thanks
We wish in this way to assure our friends that we heartily
appreciate their kindness and help so freely given during our
late time of trial and sorrow.
H. E. Kaiser
Chas. Schauer
p 5 col 4
Obituary
Ricke Schauer was born in 1863, and married Henry E. Kaiser March
8,1883. Her death occurred Thursday, May 26, 1989, at the age of
thirty-five years and twenty-two days. Her death was caused by
typhoid-pneumonia. Besides her husband there are three children
to mourn her. One is a girl of thirteen and the others are boys,
aged eight and three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser came here from Freeport, Ill., several years
ago and settled in Grant township. Mrs. Kaiser will be sadly
missed by her neighbors, and to her husband and children her loss
is irreparable. Mr. Kaiser's mother is here from Freeport and
will keep house for a while for him. The family have the earnest
sympathy of many friends.
[transcribed by A.N., May 2012]
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Sutherland Courier
Sutherland, O'Brien co. Iowa
June 10, 1898
p 4 col 3
In John Puhrmann vs. Henry Hibbing the jury returned a verdict
for the plaintiff for $1, thus throwing the costs on the
defendant.
p 4 col 4
Sheriff Coleman left Monday morning via Sanborn over the C. M.
& St. P. Ry Co. with the prisoners, Kate Mealman and Sam
Wilson. The are sentenced to one year each in the state
penitentiary at Anamosa for adultery.
Word has been received here of the marriage of Miss Lottie Duncan
and John Farran at Goldfield, Iowa. Miss Duncan is well known and
liked in Primghar and John Farran is equally popular. Mr. Farran
has a position in a drug store at Goldfield.
p 5 col 1
Warren Armstrong is now a Corporal in his troop of the 1st U. S.
Cavalry. His many friends in this vicinity will be glad to hear
of his promotion.
p 5 col 2
Chas. A. Smith, formerly of Sutherland, is now a corporal in Co.
E of the 51st Iowa Volunteers, and left Des Moines with his
regiment last Sunday, bound for the Philippines.
Paullina Times: Louis Swanson, who has been quite sick
the past week, was in receipt of an amusing letter from his
father, whose home is in Denmark. The elder Swanson expresses his
hatred for the Spanish nation and suggests to Louis that he make
preparations to leave America as soon as possible, as the
Spaniards will surely own the country when the war has reached
the proper stage. He does not want his son to become a Spanish
subject, hence his great concern and urgent solicitation to leave
the land. Louis says he intends to stay here anyway.
p 5 col 3
A Quiet Wedding
As we hinted last week Peter Back and Miss Lena Peters were
married at Cherokee last Thursday. The pastor of the Methodist
church performed the ceremony. Congratulations have been showered
upon them in abundance this week.
Peter went up to Minnesota Wednesday. He is not sure yet whether
he will move up there and go to housekeeping or locate here. He
expects to continue in the land business in either case. We hope
he will find it best to stay here.
p 5 col 5
Fred Warnke and Miss Anna Puhrmann will be married at the German
church in Caledonia township next Sunday.
[transcribed by A.N., May 2012]
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Sutherland Courier
Sutherland, O'Brien co. Iowa
June 17, 1898
p 5 col 1
In a letter to R. L. Smith, Miss Blanche Rhoads writes that she
is with her mother at a sanitarium at Lincoln, Nebraska, and that
her mother is very, very sick.
Sanborn Sun: The celebrated and quite notorious Mrs.
Streeter was in town last week. She informs us that today
(Thursday) she is to be married to a very wealthy German in
Granville. She of course claims to have a divorce from Rush
Streeter, and since she is a female of veracity it would hardly
be the thing to question what she says. She claims that Babcock
is a very bad man, but with all his evil propensities is not
quite as bad as Arthur Walsmith.
p 5 col 2
Sac City Sun: On Wednesday evening, June 8, 1898, at the
home of the bride, in Sac City, Mr. Charles A. LaPort, son of
Amos W. LaPort, of Wall Lake township, was united in marriage
with Miss Sylvia May Ross, Elder H. U. Dale, Pastor of the
Christina church, officiating. The groom has been engaged in
farming, but expects to reside in Sac City.
[transcribed by A.N., May 2012]
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Sutherland Courier
Sutherland, O'Brien co. Iowa
June 24, 1898
p 4 col 3
A marriage license was issued Saturday to Homer Davis and Kate
Morris.
J. F. Boyer returned Saturday from Morrison, Ill., where he has
been attending the funeral of his sister.
The Darland restaurant on the south side has changed hands. Mrs.
Darland has not the time to take care of it since her sons went
to the war. Fox Bros. are the new proprietors.
p 4 col 6
Miss Lulu Howard and Bert Hammond were married at the home of the
bride's mother, on last Monday morning at 6:00 o'clock, by Rev.
Hatheway. They drove to Cleghorn where they took the train for
LeMars to spend a few days visiting Mr. Hammond's parents.
p 5 col 2
Frank Peaker and Miss Nina Magarity were married Wednesday
forenoon at a Sioux City parsonage and went to Omaha on a wedding
trip.
Sidney Fuller, son of W.S. Fuller, formerly of Sutherland, was
drowned in Okojobi lake Friday last. He dove from a boat and it
is thought struck his head on a stone. His uncle, P. D. Fuller,
attended the funeral at Hartley Saturday.
[transcribed by A.N., May 2012]