Yukon Valley News
Vol. I.
RAMPART, ALASKA, NOVEMBER 16, 1904.
No. 15
IS DEAD.
Funeral at Fairbanks on Last
Sun ay.
Fairbanks, Nov. 14.-—The fu
neral of the late Judge Thomas J.
Humes was held at 2 o’clock yes
terday afternoon and was largely
attended.
Judge Humes was a member of
Seattle lodges of the Eagles, Elks,
Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the
World, and Knights of Pythias,
and all these societies were repre
sented at the funeral.
The body was temporarily buried
and will be taken to Seattle this
winter if possible; if not, early
next spring.
Alaskan Traffic.
Seattle, Nov. 5.—The Alaskan
Transportation company was incor
porated today at Seattle to operate
mail and passenger routes from
Feb. 1.
The Northwestern Commercial
company announces that it will
enter the steamboat traffic to Val
dez in February. It is building a
new boat for the Valdez run to be
completed iu July.
ARCHDEACON’S
LONG TOUR
Fairbanks, Nov. 14.— Archdea
con Stuck will leave here alter the
holidays on a general tour of in
spection of various missions, and
will look into conditions in the
Koyukuk with a view of establish
ing a church there. He will tra\el
by dogteam, atul will mush tr< m
Fairbanks to Circl . from Circle to
Kagle, Ir.itn Kagle to Fort Yukon,
and from Fort Yttkou will go by
the Chaudelar trail to Coldtoot and
ltcttles, in the Koyukuk district.
From the Koyukuk he will take
the Hull river trail to Fort Hamlin;
Iroui Hamlin to Kam{i«rt. and back
to Fairbanks The distance to tie
covered is about a thousand miles.
Seattle. Nov. 11. The ship
Burn.sides ta ordered to Si'ka to
repair the cable. She is to Wave
Seattle Nov. 13
CARRIERS WITH 400 POUNDS OF MAIL
ARRIVE FROM UP RIVER.
Alvin Paxson and Fred Harper, bound up the Yukon to
meet the mail dispatched from Eagle Oct. 15, went through the
ice two miles above King slough, and Paxson almost drowned.
Alvin Paxson and Fred Harper
arrived in Rampart yesterday after
noon with 400 pounds of mail.
They report that 800 pounds more
was at Fort Yukon awaiting trans
portation down the river Nov. 5.
WENT THROUGH THE ICE.
Paxson and Harper left Fort
Hamlin, up bound, Oet. 28, with
instructions not to turn back till
they had secured definite informa-1
tion regarding the mail which was
known to have left Eagle in a small
boat Oct. 14 or 15.
At King slough, some fifty miles
from Hamlin, the men tried to
cross the river in order to avoid a
high bank and to also make a cut
off of some distance. The river
was frozen all the way across and
had the appearance of being safe;
but when they were near the mid-1
die the ice suddenly gave way and |
precipitated the men and their dogs |
and sled into the water. One ofJ
the men took hold of the hind end
of the sled for support, which
caused the front end to rise out of
the water, and the dogs, now
scrambling onto the solid ice, were
told to “mush” and quickly drew
the sled to safety.
Harper, near the upper end of
the hole w hich was some thirty
feet across—after many efforts suc
ceeded in finding ice strong enough
to support his weight, and climbed
onto the firm ice in safety.
Paxson was at the lower end of
the hole. He was encimil>ered with
a parka that reached nearly to his
ankles, and the cold, swift "urrent
bore bis hotly so far under the ice
that be was powerless to help him
self.
VERY NEAR DEATH
Harper told Paxson to tread wa
ter anti with hi> hands on the ice
work bis way to the upper part oi
the • pcning. Paxson explained
that he was powerless to do so.
Harper pnrjt tnl to go out on the
tee to assist him, hot Paxson told
him it would he sacrificing bis lit*
to no purpose Benumbed and al
most exhausted, Paxsoti was forced
entirely under the ice with the ex
ception of a hand clinging to the
broken edge; but he drew himself
out. "I can’t stand it much lon
ger,” he said, and dictated some
brief messages for relatives and
friends.
“Hold on just a little longer.”
said Harper; and he ran to the sled
and with leaden fingers undid a
rope and threw it to his unfortunate
friend. The current snatched it
away. Again, again, and again—
and the precious cord hung over
Paxsou’s chilled and nerveless arm.
He took it between his teeth.
Slowly he moved his hand around
in a circle and the rope—in truth a
veritable lifeline—was wound and
crossed many times around the
wrist. Harper hauled the almost i
lifeless lrody out and away from
the water. The frozen rope had
bruised the flesh cruelly—but Pax
son’s life was saved.
Their matches were wet. and
even after escaping from the water
the men must undoubtedly have
died but for the mildness of the
weather. By the circuitous route
they were compelled to travel it
was twelve miles to the nearest
station—Yannert’s.
PAXSON LAID OVER.
Paxson's hand was badly swollen
atid he stopped at Yanr.ert’s while
Harper proceeded up river. Har
per overtook Cairiers‘ Slim” Behn
and M. Yondell at White U)e.
They had left Hamlin CXt. 25. The
three went on in company and met
Norman Marion with 400 pounds
ot mail on a dogsled ten miles be
low Fort Yukou on Nov. ft. He
took the up bound mail from Helm
and the others started on the return
trip, hrtiik.nu', Marion’s load. Ma
rion said Jtoo pounds still remained
at Kurt Yukou.
W HAT All.I D MARION?
Marion lelt Magic iu a small boot
Ovt 14 or 15. He got to Fort
RUSSIA WILL FIGHT TO
BITTER: END.
Country’s Prestige Considered
First of All.
Washington, Nov. 14.—“Russia
will pursue the war to the bitter
end—that is, until she has con
quered.’’
These are the words of Count
Cassini, the Russian ambassador.
He added:
“I make it my duty to repeat
what I have often said, that Russia
will not suspend in any case her
military operations in the East.
All rumors regarding the possible
success of direct overtures for peace
which Japan is said to have made
to Russia, and regarding the posi
tions ot the powers, in my opinion
are statted for the purpose of con
vincing the public that the end of
the war is close at hand. In this
way it is hoped the public will be
led to believe that Japanese loans
offer good investment.
“Russia can no more admit of
interference than Great Britain
could have done in South Africa or
could the United States in her war
with Spain. Where the prestige of
a country is at stake all other con
siderations are and must be put
aside.’’
REV. J. E. HUHN
TO PAY A VISIT
Fairbanks, Nov. 14 —Rev. J. K.
Huhn, the priest in charge of St.
Matthew’s mission, will leave in a
few days for Rampart to get sup
plies for the hospital here. He
will travel by dogteam.
Yukon Oct. jo and laid there till
Nov. 5. Was he ordered to pro
ceed no farther than Fort Yukon in
the boat ? or was he using his ow n
discretion? There was no condi
tion of river to keep him from con
tinuing on to Tanaua He ought
to have done it. The fact that he
did not do it nearly coat two valua
ble lives, and caused much incon
venience to hundreds of people.
Justly or unjustly, the suspicion
lurks that he has presumed on his
kinship to the atari supeiinUtident
to shield him in shirking his duty.