Bellefonte, Pa., January 6, 1922.
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Dr. MEEK COMPLETES YUKON
VOYAGE, AND STARTS ON!
LONG TRIP OVERLAND.
Ruby, Alaska, Oct. 13th, 1921.
My dear Folks:
“The ice is running in the Yukon
today” was the remark that greeted
my ears the first thing this morning.
Of course, I hurried to the window
and saw a few pieces of ice floating
on that broad, still surface at the foot
of the hill. The reflection at the other
side, of the mountains partially cov-
ered with snow, was almost perfect
and, although a little skiff of snow
has turned the hillside and house-tops
white, it has not been cold and I am
still in summer underwear. I have
my blue chambry with my blue
sweater on when I go out and over
that, when out for a long time, put on |
the canvas hunting coat I brought
from home; so you may know it is not
so very cold as yet.
But to go back and take up my
story from where I left you—The de- |
layed message arrived in the morn-'
ing and I was told that a mail launch
had just gone up the river so there
would be no way for me to get further
for some days but that evening one of |
the fast (?) little motor launches
came in and, as we were the only
white women there, every one on
board came up to call. When the old
German captain found that I wanted
to go “up river” but was not quite
ready he offered to wait two or three |
hours longer until I could assort my |
things, pack my goods and get aboard.
Oh girls! Would that you could have
been mice in the corner during the
next four hours! Four strange men—-
a Catholic priest, the old captain
Polte, a young signal-service man,
Peter Lee; a young Irish laborer,
Jerry Kerringan, in search of gold,
watching me upset my things and put
into my small basket hamper such
things as I thought I should need dur-
ing the next six months! The talk
flowed “fast and furious,” Miss
Hughes having to keep them all busy
in order to give me a chance to pack.
At last it was done, my trunk shut
and locked and my “hold-all” with the
left overs—both had to be left there
until such a time as I shall write for
them, and that won’t be until next
spring.
It was a clear, bright, snappy night |
and the frost glistened like diamonds
under the moonlight, the stars seemed
nearer than ever and so bright they
looked blue or even a faint pink as we
walked down to the boat at two o’clock | pounds and five feet eight inches in :
in the morning. The boat was tiny
and hot and had really room for only
four passengers to be comfortable,
| others, all like ourselves, waiting for
| boats to take us farther.
| The Kotlik had broken her rudder
So we were detained there two days
| until it was repaired and then started
on with two more men added to our
i passenger list. The next five days
| were a curious medley of discomfort,
fun, beautiful weather, wonderful
scenery and charming treatment from
| these six men. Of sleep I had only a
| few hours, food in plenty—if one ask-
‘ed no questions about its prepara-
tion—but I fear Bess would have been
horrified to have seen how little care
was taken as to “bugs.” This was a
mail launch so we stopped at any and
every little place where mail was to
be taken on. The captain, one of the
' kindest-hearted men I know, would
ask me if I wished tc meet the
“trader” and, of course, I would ans-
wer “yes” and would be ready to land
| at once when the boat stopped.
Such an experience—watching that
| river captain pick out the channels
| that we would not get on a sand bar,
| sitting at his wheel until nine or ten
| o'clock at night, using the last, small-
| est ray of light, then tying up (the
smaller boats have no front lights)
and snatching such sleep as he could
‘until either the moonlight or early
‘morning light at three would enable
us to be off again. Seeking the
quietest waters that his boat might
' make more speed; doing any and
: everything to reach Tenana, the upper
point he was to make before the
Father of the North Winds would send
his bad
| mighty river and boats caught there
| be held in it until the sun set them
i free next spring. And thus we came
i to Ruby.
i I was glad, glad to get here but sad
We
i had taken on two more passengers, a
| big fat man and his big fat wife who
had been in a far country—up the
Koyukuk river above Bettles on a
small creek. They had been there for
six or seven years taking out gold
until, finally, deciding they had
i to leave that funny little boat.
up a small boat with such things as
they would need and started down
these seven hundred miles to the Yu-
kon. Thus they traveled for four
| weeks, floating with the current, he
| poling or rowing as the need arose;
some nights tied up to the bank and
sleeping on spruce bough beds, on
a tiny stove in the boat.
i was a big stove,
about one foot in diameter. But that
| she had managed to cook substantial- |
i ly their appearances seemed to testi-
fy, his weight two hundred and thirty
| height, while she weighed one hun-
{ dred and ninety pounds and was five
| feet four inches in height. Her face!
little sons to freeze this |
enough—$60,000, to be exact, fitted
other nights, these by far the most !
uncomfortable, sleeping in the boat. |
Cooking over a fire in the open or on |
The stove, !
| if one could judge from the one on |
board the Kotlik, and which she said !
must have been
but I was the fifth and the only WOom- | Jooked as though cold cream would
an. I curled myself up on the cap- {help it a lot but a few days in the |
tain’s berth and tried to sleep and get | jade had changed the rough red to
used to the new surroundings. The | a nice pink. They were going out to
engine was started and we were off. ! stay as they had bought a small ranch
At six the next morning I went out | ,,o5; Medford, Oregon. I hope they |
onto the back of the boat to watch the | \i)j enjoy the outside as much as they
scenery and I wish I could describe it |
: | expect to.
as I saw it—broad, yellow-gray wa-
OE Ea
people themselves would make a Dick-
ens of any one who could write the
things as they are told.
times a day.
I hope will be all right. I am going
down the Kuskowine river to take
But for the first time in my life I | charge of a government hospital sit-
am given food of all kinds. First | uated in a native village, Akiak, by
wild duck (Mallards), then ptarmigan | name. There is a nurse there so I
and fish, “salmon belly” and “salmon | won’t be alone. I will leave here about
strips,” grouse, moose meat, jelly, the twenty-fourth and will be a month
bread, carrots, turnips, potatoes and, or more on the way as I am told it is
last night, a Mrs. Webster, who five or seven hundred miles by dog-
claims Scotland as her birth-place and teams. This will be my last letter
Boston as her home, came in with an from Ruby and I do not know when
arm full of celery. It is all so funny it will reach you, but if not before
and new that one is constantly hav- Thanksgiving or Christmas, do hope
ing something different turn up. you will have a pleasant one.
I have been practicing more medi- ELOISE.
cine in this month than for years at
home. Three days ago a man was
brought in to have a piece of steel re-
moved from his eye. I had only a
pen knife with which to take it out
and have since been caring for it three
Aa
—TI'rance produced 6,000,000,000 ri-
fle cartridges during the world war.
A ‘total of 290,000,000 shells of all
sizes were turned out, of which 208,-
000,000 were for the “75s.”
Children Cry for Fletcher's
TORIA
The Kind You Have Always Bought, and which has been
in use for over thirty years, has borne the signature of
and has been made under his per-
ZA TrTe sonal supervision since its infancy.
zx £4 © Allow no one to deceive you in this.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and * Just-as-good ? are but
Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of
Infants and Children—Experience against Experiment.
Never attempt to relieve your baby with a
remedy that you would use for yourself,
i @ of .
ltr
What is CASTORIA
Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Paregoric,
Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is pleasant. It contains
neither Opium, Morphine nor other narcotic substance. Its
age is its guarantee. For more than thirty years it has
been in constant use for the relief of Constipation, Flatulency,
Wind Colic and Diarrhoea; allaying Feverishness arising
therefrom, and by regulating the Stomach and Bowels, aids
the assimilation of Food; giving healthy and natural sleep.
The Children’s Comfort—The Mother’s Friend.
GENUINE CASTORIA ALways
Bears the Signature of
In Use For Over 30 Years
The Kind You Have Always Bought
THE CENTAUR COMPANY, NEW YORK CITY,
1
It looks fairly well and
4
RSA Ra Soak
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SAN
SSRs
Shoes. Shoes.
SoS: ASRS AS oars, TEES Tea
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Mid-Winter Shoe Bargams
at Yeagers
on
LASn
ye
BRS
Shoes are worth Seeing and Buying
Come and See Them
Maybe You'll Buy
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IEEE EE EEL
Ladies’ Felt Slippers, all colors - - $2.00
Men’s Leather Slippers, good quality - 2.50
Children’s Rubber boots - - - 2.00
Children’s Shoes, good quality, sizes to 11 2.00
Warm Slippers for cold feet - - - 1.25
We have so many bargains, that we cannot tell you all about
them, but we ask you to call and we can prove that we can save
you money.
Yeager’s Shoe Store
THE SHOE STORE FOR THE POOR MAN
Bush Arcade Building BELLEFONTE, PA.
58-27
Come to the “Watchman” office for High Class Job work.
Tie Diffand Theatee Clo.
ters on every side while off to either
side beautiful autumn foliage or big,
bare picturesque mountains met my
gaze. It was a clear, beautiful day,
sky intensely blue, sun hot and, as we
went on a bit farther, the river seem-
ed again to break up and island after
island dotted its broad bosom. Islands
covered with gold-leafed trees would
seem to be thrown straight across our
path or reaching across to a high
mountain cliff, bar that channel, but
the next few minutes would show an
open waterway between. Jerry
brought me my breakfast outside say-
ing he knew I would like it better so,
and I remained watching the wonder-
ful panorama unfolding. Again and
again the inroads of the river on the
banks made me wonder at the devas-
tation wrought, but who knows why
nature grows trees along the river
banks only to be undermined and to
fall into that cruel force? Making
one stop that morning and passing
through as beautiful river scenery as
I have ever beheld, with only an oc-
casional native hamlet of six or less
cabins to remind me of humans, we
arrived at Holy Cross. As there is a
wireless there, I found several mes-
sages awaiting me, one to be answer-
ed immediately. The reply made me
decide to come on up the river on the
Kotlik.
Holy Cross is a flourishing Catho-
lic mission with excellent farms and
gardens and in many other ways
seems quite up-to-date. I went to the
main building on the woman’s side
and asked for food and lodging. The
sisters were most kind and gave me
not only a good bed but three excel-
lent meals and real cow’s milk was
one of the chief features. The
Orphanage has about thirty-five chil-
dren and how many older ones I do
not know. There are seven sisters
and they belong to a French-Cana-
dian order—Sister of St. Anne. They
told me they raised all their own veg-
etables but that, a few years ago, the
river had washed away the best part
of their farm. There are some men
there, too, but how many, I do not
know. The river boat company has a
big side wheeler anchored a little
further up the stream, where I went
my second night. Of course, I gave
the sisters what I thought payment
for their trouble and they showed me
around their place and in every way
were most courteous. At this big side
wheeler, or floating hotel, I met one
of the men with whom I had left Seat-
tle weeks before. He was in khaki
and ready for the trail and I scarcely
knew him. There were four or five
Ruby, I am told, was at one time a
{very flourishing “camp,” so long as
|
{ six years ago, with three thousand in
TRADE MARK REGISTERED
Photoplays oF” Qualify
State College, “Pa.
| tents; today it has perhaps sixty per-
| Sons. Cabins or cottages, many of
| them empty and some with only a
stray man, stand mutely suggesting
| the past. The street down near the
| beach has perhaps a dozen stores and
{ we can buy almost anything needed
i at most fabulous prices, but at that
is better than Russian Mission with
only one; a druggist, a telegraph sta-
i tion (private) communicating with
| the wireless station across the river;
a pool room where nightly a game of
some sort parts men from their gold,
IN
ete. The next street has the postof- ®
| fice, some offices and houses and then
this street upon which stands the cab-
in Ruth had rented at five dollars a
month for the time she would be here. |
It has fifteen buildings on each side,
a school house and Catholic church
being amongst the number. Two fair-
The Book that Amazed and
ly high hills rise on either side, the
river flows just in front and the for- |
Thrilled the Country
| ests extend back indefinitely. Through |
Now one of
| this forest a government road has been | Screen Sensations.
| built for teams out about sixty miles |
and it is along this that we are going |
| next week (the 24th) on dog-teams |
! of the mail carrier. The river is now |
| full of big, floating cakes of ice but
looks no nearer frozen over than four | Colorful desert scenes with wild
| days ago. Although the past three riding and exciting action.
| days have been beautiful sunshiny | pipe Jove theme and characters that
| ones, today looked as though brewing | 4.0 intensely real and convincin
snow enough for all the month yet | 2
none came down. i The festival, like an Arabian
You know now how the town looks. | Night’s Scene, in the Casino at Bisk-
Would that I could describe the peo- | ra—Monte Carlo of the Algerian Sa-
ple! The stories one hears and the hara.
| The haughty English girl in the
| power of the Sheik.
The savage sandstorm in the desert.
The assault on the stronghold of
the desert bandit by the tribal clans
of Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan and the
rescue of Diana.
FRIDAY - SATURDAY
Jan. 6 Jan. 7
Matinee Daily at 2
Agnes Ayres and Hugo Valentino
this year’s Great
THE HIGH SPOTS
WORRIED WIVES—
READ THIS
| Half Sick, Cross Husbands Will be
Helped by Gude’s Pepto-Mangan.
Is he “cross as a bear” when he
Somes home? Is he Jervous and a
it pale and always tired? You can
help him back to health with Gude’s ADDED ATTRACTION
Pepto-Mangan. He is run-down, and LARRY SEMON
Debio angen, Sie Sondertul blood IN
onic wi e right kind of iron in it,
will build him up. Help your husband THE Sr, MOP
get plenty of red blood and he will be
well and good-natured again and
stronger, too. Good blood, good
health, makes happy good humor—
that is the way it goes. If you don’t
give him some kind of a tonic he will
probably get worse—they usually do.
Go to the drug store and ask for
Gude’s Pepto-Mangan in liquid or tab-
let form. It is pleasant to take and
works wonders if taken daily for a
few weeks.—Adv. 67-1
Adults 30¢, Children 15e¢. and tax
The Wondrous,
YHA,
DOUGLAS
FAIRBANKS
presents
Mi i | Ab : rt ee 3
idaptionCostuming Resca I
Direction under Fred Niblo
Photogfraphy under Arthur Edeson
“All For One, One For All”
Here you will see “Doug” ina
genuinely great production of
an incomparable story—in which
he attains the ambition of his
life.
OI
SU
MONDAY - TUESDAY
Jan. 9 Jan. 103
FOUR SHOWS DAILY
Starting at 1, 8:15, 6, 8:15
Adults 50¢, Children 25¢ and tax
COMING: - January 16th and 17th
Mammoth,
“The Queen of Sheba”
Gorgeous Spectacle
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Lyon & Co. Lyon & Co.
January Bargams
We are making January Sales
the largest. This means wonder-
ful reductions of all winter and
seasonable merchandise, winter
goods must be sold now regard-
less of cost.
Coats, Suits, Dresses and Furs at
wholesale, and less in many cases.
This pre-inventory sale of winter
goods means sacrifice of profits
for us, and almost a seasons wear
ahead.
We Extend an Invitation to All
Lyon & Co. « Lyon & Co.