4
ST. HELENS MIST. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 12. 1917
LAND OF THE
MIDNIGHT SUN
Fort Yukon Most northerly Inhabit
ed Place in I n I ted States.
(M. J. Brown)
In the afteruoun our boat crossed
tho Arctic Circle and in tlit evening
we landed at Tort Yukon the laud
of the midnight Bun.
If you will look at your map of
Alaska you will see tliut north of
Fort Yukon there is uotliiiiK not a
habitation, just one waste of white
and desolation to the Arctic ocean.
North there is nothing hut dis
tance, magnificent distance the
greatest silence of tho map maker.
It seemed to me that the little town
on the banks of the Yukon was the
last place on earth tho pluce where
the white man could go no farther.
Two or three stores, a mission and
a cluster of Indian cabins, that was
Fort Yukon. A few white men, two
missionaries, and no women.
Two weeks earlier we would have
seen the miduight sun. As it was Old
Sol went down for a little while, and
before there was any sign of twilight
or darkness, up he roso and started
on another 23-hour shift. It was all
so unreal, so mysterious, so uncanny.
It made mo feel as if I was in some
lar away country. I could not appre
ciate I was in the United States under
the Stars and Stripes.
There is no night in the Arctic
circle, in summer darkness never
comes. For three months there is
almost continuous daylight, and the
people make the most of it to pre
pare for the terrible winter that will
soon set in, when there will be
months of absolute darkness, and
when a cold will come down over this
north land, so intense at times that
no animal can live in the open.
Fort Yukon is a trading point and
supply station for the Indian trap
pers. Once thera was an army post
there, in the days of the gold stam
pede to Nome. Hut today, like all
other Alaska towns, it is going back,
back.
"Do white men ever go north of
here?" I asked a trader. "Yes, thou
sands of them have gone up in the
past 20 years and somo go up every
year," he answered. "Prospectors
have traveled to the headwaters of
Chandlar and Porcupine rivere and
their branches, far up In the Endi
cott, but the trouble is they don't
carry outfit enough, they haven't got
enough cash, and they have to start
on the back trail for grub about as
soon as they get there."
. He told me there was gold in the
land north, and there wasn't any
doubt about it. He said two pros
pectors picked up nuggets at the mid
dle fork of the Chandlar that weighed
from 300 to $500 each, "but," he
said, "the country Is as spotted us a
leopard's hide and men can't take
the time to find the pockets."
He explained in detail the handi
caps of the prospectors. With a small
dog team two men would start out
with all the supplies they could carry.
Or they would start out with a boat
In the summer time. He said there
were no roads and few trails and it
was terribly difficult to prospect, and
that when a man had got to his desti
nation and had started to work on a
prospect, then his grub was running
out and ho must return. Ho said
some day men with capital would
"grubstake an outfit right" and then
"there will be a strike made that will
make Kettles look sick." Hetties Is
a producing mining camp about 150
miles west of Fort Yukon at tho
headwaters of the Koyukuk.
Tho trader told me a graphic story
of a tragedy that happened Just be
fore the break up this spring that
illustrates what men have to stack
up egainst in this forbdiding land.
Two prospectors came in, outfitted
with packs, and started up the Chan
dlar. About 25 miles out the river
winds like the letter U. It is 80
miles around the bend and 25 miles
across the portage, and there Is a
trail. Both men were young, hardy,
and had had years of roughing It in
Alaska. One of them he said was
Tom Wheeler of St. Louis. Ho had
forgotten the other's name.
In a blinding blizzard they missed
the trail that cuts across the big bend
in the river, so they followed the
stream day aftor day when the
younger of tho boys was taken sud
denly ill with a sickness quito com
mou iu winter mining camps ter
rible pains in the back and a great
weakness.
They came to a deserted prospect
or's cabin and put up, and the daily
diary found in the spring told the
terrible story. For days and days
Wilson stayed with his partner in the
hope that he would recover and they
could go on, and then starvation
stared them in the face, and some
thing must be done. So it was de
cided the handful of provisions be
divided and Wilson should start for
help.
Fifteen miles ahead three Indian
families lived, and It could have beeu
reached in a day, but whether the
man did not know this, or whether
he wes dazed with hunger, will never
be known, for ho started back down
the river on the back trail.
In the spring tho Indians found the
dead body of the sick man and noti
fied tho fort. Men went out and
found the diary left by the dead man.
Noarly every day for five weeks a few
lines were written. Then the time
of separation was recorded. After
that there was only one legible word,
"starving," although there were
other scrawls on the page that were
unintelligible.
Days later the bones of Wilsc.i
were found, picked clean of flesh by
tho bears, about 30 miles down the
river, and undoubtedly he starved to
death.
Such are tho tragedies of the grim
North Land, that has no pity and
plays no favorites.
I went out, stood on a knoll and
looked at the great stretch of land to
the north, and I could not help but
think that gold was Alaska's curse.
Whilo waiting for the sun to set
near midnight, I walked up the river
front to the mission. It was open,
but empty. It was a pretty little
church, built of logs and the fixtures
wero neat and clean. On a stand were
two Bibles, translated into tho Siwash
dialect. At an Indian cabin near by
vas a young woman and a tot Of Si
wash, about four years old. I stop
ped and shook hands with the little
Indian, when his mother went inside
and brought out a book which she
showed to me. I took it to bo the
New Testament, but as it was in the
Indian types I could not tell, and I
could not make out why she was so
anxious for me to see it.
Two m otion picture men, repre
senting the Burton Holmes travel pic
tures, crine down on the boat from
Dawson, They had planned to get
tho midnight sun, but two delays,
one a full week in Dawson, had
spoiled their schedule, so they were
going to make 'he best of It and get
what they could. "Who on the out
side will ever know whether it is a
midnight or eleven o'clock sun?" he
asked mo.
About 10 o'clock it began to cloud
up and the operator was frantic. He
walked up and down the river front
cursing. "Good God, if I don't get It
now I will have to stay hero until the
next boat," he wf.lled. I never saw a
more frantic man. Ho said his orderu
were to get the midnight sun, and lie
cad simply "Got to get it." "Any
sun will do, hut I have got to get It
befora the boat leaves," ho exclaimed,
and then he would tear up and down
the one street, looking at the clouds.
I went on the boat and read for
an hour, then came ashore. And Jus,
then the clouds lifted and showed a
heuittiful sunrise, or sunset, for a few
minutes I have never been able to
determine which, as the clouds soon
cbscured tho orb.
The moving picture man was in
ecstacy. He set up his camera and
reeled It off, getting a range so that
it embraced the wierd surroundings,
the frontier log town and the Indians.
Ho declared tho picture would be
"groat stuff." "I came clear hero
from the South Sea islands to get that
picture!" he exclaimed to mo. He
wont down the river to Tanana,
where he met a boat going up, and at
once started back on his course,
2,000 miles to Seattle, aguinst an up
stream current where boats average
about five miles an hour.
And I concluded there wasn't much
choice between the life of a gold
prospector and a motion pletur.i man,
and that Pitch was entitled to a lot
of kind thoughts.
Olio gets a lot of new ideas and
has plenty rf time to cash them on u
trip down the Yukon. Day after day
you sit there, reading, resting lytd
thinking, and thoughts will como
into your head that nover camped
there before. It seems to one he Is
an entirely different person than he
who bought a ticket in Seattle ten or
twelve days before, and that he will
find his former self waiting when he
gets back.
No night is what got me. I couldn't
Hud the place to sleep. Only by my
watch could I tell when 1 should go
to bed and get up, and It didn't seem
.is if the ticker had a right to dis
pute nature. There was no dark
ness, scarcely a tinge of twilight, and
.such kind of doings simply upset the
habit schedule of years and made ine
fee! us If I was in wrong iu a wrong
i country.
I I asked the captain when wo would
J reach Humpart, and he said he
thought we would get there in the
j night. Then I told the waiter to be
sure and call me, for it was In Uam
part that Hex Peach wrote "The Bar
1 rler" and I wanted to look tho camp
! over and see from where ho got his
i inspiration.
! A few miles out of the Fort the
j Yukon turned to the south and we
: again crossed tho Arctic Circle, and
jit was witli genuine relief that I left
j the great silent wastes of tho north
and started on the down river. But
if I hud known the program the fates
and the White Pass & Yukon Co.
: had framed up, I would surely have
stayed at Fort Yukon and taken thu
first steamer on tho hack track.
But I didn't know.
PATIUOTIO WKK.K PltCM I.UMCD
(Continued from Page 1)
! authority in me vested, us governor
of the state of Oregon, I, James
J Wlthycombe, governor, do hereby
: proclaim the week of October 1 4 to
20, 1917, as patriotic week. Oregon
has thus far responded to every up
jpeal. We havo given the flower of
I our young manhood. Let us not ho a
, sordid people. Lot us not place
greater store by our money than by
our men. If our people can only be
lUroused to the necessities of the situ
jntion, we cannot fall to have tho
i co-operation which will spell suc
i cess.
In testimony whereof, I have here
unto set my hand and caused the
ibeal of tho state of Oregon to be
j hereunto affixed tills 10th day of
October. A. D. 1917.
; JAMES WITHYCOMBE.
i Governor.
hkk: kike: kikk: fihki
See E. E. Quick, St. Helens, and
Insure your property In the Oregon
Fire Belief Association of MrMlnn
vllle, Oregon. Don't put It off.
Mch6tf W. I,. WARREN. Agent
S. P. & S. TIME TABLE
Train.
No. 21 . .
No. 25. .
No. 27. .
j No. 23. .
i Train.
I No. 26. .
I No. 22. .
No. 28. .
No. 24. .
Buses
minutes
From Portland
Leaves Arrives
Portland
.... 8:10a.m.
12:35 p. m.
. . . . 6:35 p. m.
6:15 p.m.
To Portland
Leaves
St. Helens
.... 7:68 a. m.
11:21 n. m.
3:56 p. m.
. . . . 8:54 n m
leavo for station about 20
In advanco of abovo timo.
St. Helens
9:11a. m.
1:43 p. m.
6:34 p. m.
7:09 p. in.
Arrives
Portland
9:16 a. m.
12:20 p. m.
5:00 p.m.
9:65 p. in
TRY OUR WANT ADS
For Sato Milk cows and O. I. C.
plgn. C. J. Lursen, Warren, Oro. 43tf
FOR SALE. CHEAP
A 20x5 ft. launch with 4 It. p. 4 cycle
engine. This Is a nice, roomy boat
and perfectly safe.
Also several two and four cycle
engines, carbureters, propellers ami
miscellaneous boat supplies. Como
to my garage and look them over.
You might find Just whut you want
and at a reasonable price. II. M
Terry, St. Helens Garage. Phone 67.
43-tf
You Can Save Money
by dealing at our store. We have a large stock of choice
Groceries, Dry Goods, Shoes and Notions. We pay cash
for our goods and secure the best prices and give you the
benefit. Give us a trial ; it will pay you.
A. T. KIBLAN
West St. Helens (Houltcn) Phone 35
ST. HELENS-PORTLAND AUTO LINE
I'lUXK NIIKPUtU, Prop.
HCHEDII.K
. A. M. P. M.
jLv. 8t. Helens 7:30 1:30
Warren 7:45 1:45
Scappoose 8:00 2:00
, Ar. Portland 9:20 3:20
Lv. Portland 10:00 4:00
Ar. St. Helens 11:50 6:60
1 Hut unlays und Hunduys
Special trip leaving St. Helens 6 p. m
Leavo Portland 11 p. m.
j RELIABLE SERVICE
WHY EXPERIMENT?
BNOW
in competition with ALL OTIIKK MXH'ltS received the highest possible
award, the GI1AXD ritlZE at Panain u-I'u Ific International Imposition
Use the best and you are always satisfied
MASON, EHRMAN & CO., pZl
All Buses Cull at Hotel
Courteous Treatment
STOP AT
ORCADIA
HOTEL
. 'J'HOH. LSlllSTUK, Prop.
Chicken Dinner Hunduy, 3ffc
It.ATKS $1.00 PKIl DAY AND UP
Special llates to Itegular Hoarders
For Sale, Cheap A gentle saddle
pony, well broke, 6 years old. Also
good saddle. B. J. Keelan, Deer Is
land. 43-3-x
For Sale, Cheap A 4 room house
boat in good condition. Recently
painted and pup;red. All furnished
and ready for occupancy. Apply to
James Powers, or at Watklns' Con
fectionery. 43-1
St. Helens Lumber k
Wood and Lath
Electric Lighting
Lumber Manufacturers
ST. HELENS HOTEL
K. A. llOTUKIl, Prop.
For Sale A registered Shorthorn
bull three years old. Price reason
able. J. P. Archibald, tiohle, Ore.
43-4-x I
For Sale Throe grade Jersey hel- i
fers. S. Wellborn, phono 105 F2, '.
Warren, Ore. 43-2 j
For Sute Two fresli milk cows j
Dave Coons, Warren, Oregon. Phone j
108F-11. 41-tfj
Lost or Strayed Ono dark brown
yearling heifer. Has 6 In. horns. Bo-1
ward for information leading to re-j
covery. Notify Mist office. 41-x-3
Pasturage close in to St. Helens'
for rent. Inquire of Bert lloffmau, j
at I read la hotel. 41-tf
. W iriiir-'' -ATI I V' 1
CI
ni
For Sale Wheat and vetch, ulso ,
Pure Bluestem and Bed Russian win
ter wlieut. A-l for seed. C. J. Lar-! Kates
son, Wurreu, Oregon. 3'J-tf1
I buy fat cuttle, milk cows, any size
of stock cattle, calves from 3 days '
old and up, sheep, hogs, pigs ulid I
goats, (iood weighing scales on
ranch. Frank L. Smith, Smlthshlre,
Scappoose, Oro. 35-tf
American and KuropeHO Plan
All ItiiHwa Call st HuW
Kverj llilng Modern Hiram lleuling Plant
Hot anil (Vld WaU'r In 1 looms
Ten dollaru reward for one three-year-old
red and while cow with Ayr
shire crop on ears, and young llol
steln cult. Jack Appleton, Deer Is
land, Ore. 33-tf
I have 30 choice lots to sell. Will
sell all to ono person or one at a
time. Harold P. Boss, Bank Bldg.,
St. Helens.
Wanted Peoplo to know I am
running a car for hire. Mv motto iu
safety first. Phono A-32 or 64. 11. j
J. southard. 14-tf !
(JKO H. SI1INN. Pres.
L. II. IlUTUEUFOUn, Ste.
Columbia County Abstract
Company
ST. HELENS, ORECOII
, Tllc on,y complete abstract system in Colum
bia County, Oregon.
BEST WORK LOWEST PRICES
For Sale Cheap A number of
work horses and milk cows. Address
Jack Appleton, Deer Islr.nd, Oregon.
29-tf
Wo have a second-hand Maxwell
car which we will sell at 650. Has
been used very llttlo and is in Al
shupe; fully guaranteed. Indepen
dent Auto Co.
Found A lady's black fur scarf.
Owner may obtain samo by calling
at Mist office.
For Sale Light team and harness
and delivery wagon. Price very rea
sonable. Thos. Boy, St. Helens, Ore
gon. 40-tf
For Sale Small pigs, 20c per
puond, live weight. Win. sku.le,
Warren, Ore. Phono 10X-K-3. 42-3-x
Hlght weeks old pigs for sale. 8.
L. Butler, aoblu, Oregon. 42-2-X
Typewriter ribbons mid carbon pa
per can he obtained at the Mist office.
A llttlo want ad in the f-t. Holers
Mist will bring results, (ilve them
a trial.
Your
Printing
Your business
is judged by
its quality as
a man is
judged by his
clothes.
No "smudge"
work at the
Mist
We do class
Printing.
Reasonable
prices for
High Class
Work.
The Man Who Keeps His
I MONEY
In tho hnnk while he has plenty creates a
friend In thu bunk to whom h cim turn
when ho has Utile.
Having confidence In u, ,ank begets
Us confidence in you; and wo can't any
of us, get very far on the road to suc
cess without giving mid receiving con
fidences. This bank has fulrly earned your con
fidence through Its :v ... yei.rs of square
dealing and helpful service.
It will appruclato your account.
THE
Columbia County Bank
St, Helens, Oregon
Oldest in the Countj Interest on Savings Deposits
The Celebrated
BERGMANN SHOE
Awarded
GOLD MEDAL
P. P. I. E. San Francisco, 18 IB
The HtronueHt and Nearest VWf
niMuif HlwsA Mucin
FOIl UKUiKHH, t'KUIHKIlS, MILLMKN AND ALL WOKKKw
Tll,:- "NEUMANN HIIOH MFC. CO.
nil Tliiirinnn Htrcet Portland -
ASK FOR THE UKIIQMANN WATERPIIOOF 8IIOE OIL '
Livery, Feed and Sale Stable
DRAY I NG AND TRANSFER
All Business Promptly Attended Tp
PHONE IS
WAf. H. DAVIES
ST. HELENS, OREGON
PROP.