We fully expected last week that we should have a story in this issue of the Weekly Star, written by Geo. Armstrong, one of the party, descriptive of the travels and doings of the big game hunters who left here on May 14 for the haunts of wild animals at the head of the White and Donjek rivers under the guidance of Charley Baxter, but, unfortunately for us, Mr. Armstrong's modesty is so great that he does not care to take the matter up himself. However, he has kindly furnished us with the following data of the interesting, trip, which we will present to our readers without further excuse:
After leaving here the party followed the Kluane road to the junction of Bear creek and the Deasedeash river, where they debouched from the traveled route and went down the latter stream until they reached the O'Conner river, where they expected to find plenty of bear, of which animal Dr. O. H. Evans, the big game hunter of Eagle Pass, Texas, was in search. They were disappointed, however, and only saw two, both of which escaped.
Resuming their journey they crossed Slim river near its source, followed down it until Kluane lake was reached and then proceeded along the west shore of the lake until they got to Burwash landing, the home of the Jacquot brothers. From there they crossed the heads of the Duke river and Burwash creek into the head of the Donjek river, at which latter place they remained for 17 days, and where Dr. Evans killed six grizzlies.
The Donjek region is alive with caribou, moose, mountain sheep and bear, and in the 200 miles from there to the Nazina glacier, 25 miles from McCarthy, the party was day and night in sight of mountain sheep, sometimes as many as 20 bands, ranging from
only a few to 50 in number, being within vision simultaneously. Caribou were so plentiful and fearless they frequently entered camp at night.
Leaving the Donjek they crossed over to Genere river via Wolverine creek. At the head of Wolverine ereek Dr. Evans killed an immense grizzly, which measured nearly ten feet in length.
Thev visited Canyon city, at the junction of Glacier creek and White river, a relic of the days when Ping-Pong Morgan endeavored to boom the copper deposits at the head of White river. Although there are a lot of well-built cabins at Canyon city there is not a single inhabitant, and the immense stores of tools and mining machinery left there when the place was abandoned are being commandeered at will by wandering prospectors, trappers and Indians. Hamshaw's town, on North Fork island, at the head of White river, was also visited, but deserted cabins were all that remained to remind one of past activities.
Outside of Shushanna, which they did not visit, but where about 50 men are engaged in mining, the entire country is deserted. On the entire journey they came across only two people - a man and wife from McCarthy who were out on their honeymoon trip.
In going from White river to McCarthy the party followed the trail over Scolai pass, the Russell and Nazina glaciers and the Nazina river, a route which is familiar to many of our readers through the pictures exhibited here by Dr. L. S. Sugden.
The trail over the glaciers is fairly good and not particularly
dangerous except to pack horses, which frequently, in narrow places, crowd each other off the beaten track into the crevasses and bottomless depressions alongside.
The Nazina river is an exceedingly treacherous stream - swift, filled with quicksands and subject to sudden raises. It has to be forded frequently, and the toll of human life it exacts each season is large.
The Baxtet party struck it at a favorable time and the only mishap they suffered was at one of the crossings when two of their pack horses were swept from their feet and carried down stream for several hundred yards before they conld he rescued.
At McCarthy Mr. Armstrong left the party and returned home by way of Cordova, Juneau and Skagway, reaching here July 30, eleven weeks from the time of his
departure.
