Chapter 2

The rich pay-dirt in which the gold is found lies from eighteen to twenty-five feet below the surface. It would not pay the miners to wait for the short warm season when the frost is out of the ground to make their harvest; so they have found a plan to get at the gold all the year round, no matter how hard or frozen the earth may be.

They build great fires on the top of the gravel, and fix them so that they shall burn all night. When morning comes about eighteen inches of the ground beneath the fire is found to be thawed out. This surface is shovelled away, and another fire built on the gravel where it is frozen again.

They keep right on in this slow and tedious way, until finally the pay-dirt is reached.

The yield from these new gold-fields is something wonderful. It is greater than anything ever recorded in the history of gold mining.

One miner, who is a thoroughly experienced man, declares that he is absolutely amazed at the amount of gold that has already been produced. He says that the work has only been commenced, and that this present find which is setting people crazy is nothing to the gold that will be discovered as soon as the miners really get to work.

He stated that, in addition to the rich pay-dirt we have already spoken of, there were veins of gold in the rocks underneath, which veins appeared to grow richer the farther they were probed. In his opinion the gold deposits of the Yukon region form the mother vein of all the gold in North America.

Many people are hurrying to the Klondike district from all parts, and the excitement is intense.

San Francisco has caught the gold fever. It reached the city through some miners from Klondike, who arrived by steamer, bringing with them piles of shining gold to prove the truth of their stories.

Not one member of this party went up to Alaska with anything more than his outfit and a few hundred dollars. All have brought back stores of riches.

The smallest amount of gold owned by any of these men was valued at five thousand dollars, while several had as much as fifty thousand dollars' worth.

The luckiest people in this little band were a Mr. and Mrs. Lippey, who left New York in April, 1896.

Mrs. Lippey was the first woman to go over the trail to Klondike. She went because she did not wish her husband to undertake the journey alone, preferring to share his hardships with him.

They brought back sixty thousand dollars' worth of gold.

Another party has just reached Seattle, Wash., having come direct by steamer from St. Michaels, Alaska.

In this party there were sixty-eight people, who brought back with them one and one-half tons of gold. This is worth nearly a million dollars.

The gold is found in dust and nuggets ranging in size from a hazelnut to fine bird-shot.

It must not be supposed that this gold is lightly earned. Those who have returned say that the hardships of the life are beyond description. Many declare that no amount of gold could tempt them back, as beyond the hard, rough life, the severe cold, and the constant labor, there is an ever-present dread of starvation. It is difficult for any man to take in sufficient food to last him through the long winter, and there is hardly any possibility of obtaining more when the supplies run out.

A company has been formed to send provisions up into the district, and if this is done the work will be rendered much easier.

The treasury of the United States has already begun to feel the benefit of the Klondike gold discovery.

The San Francisco mint has received half a million dollars' worth of the gold, and expects another half-million by the next steamer.

The Mint Bureau has been informed that Alaskan gold has been received at several of the Pacific ports for shipment to the East, and the ton and a half from Seattle is also on its way.

* * * * *

There has long been a movement on foot to limit the wearing of feathers on hats.

So many charming birds are slaughtered to adorn the headgear of our women folks, that it has been feared some of the songsters might become extinct.

A law has, however, just been passed for their protection in Massachusetts, which forbids the use of certain birds for millinery purposes.

The petition begging that a bill of this character might be framed by the State Senators was drawn up by United States Senator George F. Hoar.

The petition was supposed to come from the birds themselves, and to be signed by thirty-five song-birds. It was written in such a delightful manner that it roused the interest of the Massachusetts Legislature, and the desired bill was prepared and passed in an astonishingly short space of time.

The document is so pretty and graceful in its tone and language that you would certainly like to read it for yourselves.

Here it is:

"_To the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:_

"We, the song-birds of Massachusetts and their playfellows, make this our humble petition. We know more about you than you think we do. We know how good you are. We have hopped about the roofs and looked in at your windows of the houses you have built for poor and sick and hungry people and little lame and deaf and blind children. We have built our nests in the trees and sung many a song as we flew about the gardens and parks you have made so beautiful for your children, especially your poor children, to play in. Every year we fly a great way over the country, keeping all the time where the sun is bright and warm. And we know that whenever you do anything the people all over this great land between the seas and the great lakes find it out, and pretty soon will try to do the same. We know. We know.

"We are Americans just the same as you are. Some of us, like some of you, came across the great sea. But most of the birds like us have lived here a long while; and the birds like us welcomed your fathers when they came here many, many years ago. Our fathers and mothers have always done their best to please your fathers and mothers.

"Now, we have a sad story to tell you. Thoughtless or bad people are trying to destroy us. They kill us because our feathers are beautiful. Even pretty and sweet girls, who, we should think, would be our best friends, kill our brothers and children so that they may wear our plumage on their hats. Sometimes people kill us for mere wantonness. Cruel boys destroy our nests and steal our eggs and our young ones. People with guns and snares lie in wait to kill us; as if the place for a bird were not in the sky, alive, but in a shop window or in a glass case. If this goes on much longer all our song-birds will be gone. Already we are told in some other countries that used to be full of birds they are now almost gone. Even the nightingales are being killed in Italy.

"Now we humbly pray that you will stop all this and will save us from this sad fate. You have always made a law that no one shall kill a harmless song-bird or destroy our nests or our eggs. Will you please make another one that no one shall wear our feathers, so that no one will kill us to get them? We want them all ourselves. Your pretty girls are pretty enough without them. We are told that it is as easy for you to do it as for a blackbird to whistle.

"If you will, we know how to pay you a hundred times over. We will teach your children to keep themselves clean and neat. We will show them how to live together in peace and love and to agree as we do in our nests. We will build pretty houses which you will like to see. We will play about your garden and flower-beds--ourselves like flowers on wings--without any cost to you. We will destroy the wicked insects and worms that spoil your cherries and currants and plums and apples and roses. We will give you our best songs, and make the spring more beautiful and the summer sweeter to you. Every June morning when you go out into the field, oriole and bluebird and blackbird and bobolink will fly after you and make the day more delightful to you. And when you go home tired after sundown, vesper-sparrow will tell you how grateful we are. When you sit down on your porch after dark, fifebird and hermit-thrush and wood-thrush will sing to you, and even whippoorwill will cheer you up a little. We know where we are safe. In a little while all the birds will come to live in Massachusetts again, and everybody who loves music will like to make a summer home with you."

The signers are:

Brown thrasher, Kingbird, Robert o' Lincoln, Swallow, Hermit-thrush, Cedarbird, Vesper-sparrow, Cowbird, Robin redbreast, Martin, Song-sparrow, Veery, Scarlet tanager, Vireo, Summer redbird, Oriole, Blue heron, Blackbird, Hummingbird, Fifebird, Yellowbird, Wren, Whippoorwill, Linnet, Water-wagtail, Peewee, Woodpecker, Phoebe, Pigeon-woodpecker, Yokebird, Indigo-bird, Lark, Yellowthroat, Sandpiper, Wilson's thrush, Chewink. Chickadee,

The bill which was drawn up in response to this petition provides that any one who shall wear birds or feathers for the purpose of dress or ornament shall be fined $10, and that the same fine shall be exacted from all persons who take or kill certain specially mentioned song-birds.

The police are rather worried over the new law, because they are not sure whether they have the right to arrest ladies who are wearing feathers in their hats.

The Chief of Police has sent out a circular (containing a copy of the act that has just been passed) to all milliners and dealers in birds' feathers.

He intends to punish these merchants if they infringe the law, and then, when the law has had time to be generally known and understood, he intends to arrest all women who still persist in wearing feathers in their hats.

New York passed a similar law last year, but the Governor refused to sign it, because the Forest Commissioners did not approve of it.

* * * * *

We told you last week that President McKinley was anxious to withhold the letters that had passed between this country and England in reference to the seal question.

Unfortunately his wishes have been thwarted by the publication of Mr. Sherman's letter to Ambassador Hay.

It is a great pity that this letter found its way into print, for it is most unfriendly in its tone.

It accuses Great Britain of bad faith in her method of carrying out the terms of the Paris treaty. It declares that at the end of the first year the United States discovered that the provisions of the Paris treaty were not sufficient for the protection of the seals, and that this Government immediately asked England to call a conference and reconsider the matter.

Great Britain put off replying to this request for three years, and now, after all this delay, says that there is nothing to show that seal life is in danger.

Mr. Sherman, in his letter, complains that the English Prime Minister bases his refusal on the report of an English scientist named Prof. D'Arcy Thompson. This report Secretary Sherman declares to be so greatly at variance with the reports of Dr. David Starr Jordan and the many observations made by other distinguished naturalists, that he insists that it is not a reliable document, but merely written to suit the political situation.

The publication of this correspondence has called forth much angry comment from England.

The result of the affair has been exactly what the President predicted--the rousing of unnecessary bad feeling between the two countries.

* * * * *

We have had a slight disagreement with the Moorish Government.

The country of Morocco is situated on the northwest of Africa, and is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

The Straits of Gibraltar lie between Morocco and Spain, and the Pillars of Hercules, about which you have probably heard, are the promontories of Europe and Africa which jut out into the Mediterranean Sea at the Straits, and are but eight miles apart.

The European point is called the Rock of Gibraltar; the African, Abyla, or Apes' Hill, from the number of apes that have made their home on it.

Morocco is ruled by a Sultan, whose authority is supreme.

The Moors, as the inhabitants of this country are called, are a very ancient and warlike people, who were at one time a very powerful race.

In the twelfth century they conquered Andalusia, Valencia, and a part of Aragon in Spain, together with a portion of Portugal. In Spain they established the Kingdom of Granada, about which so many enchanting poems and romances have been written.

In the city of Granada they built the famous Alhambra. This magnificent palace and citadel was built by the Moorish kings of Granada in the thirteenth century. The Royal Villa, the Generaliffe, which is also in the city of Granada, was built about the same time.

The Alhambra and the Generaliffe are considered two of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The architecture and the decorations are perfect in detail and execution. You must read some time Washington Irving's "Alhambra." It is filled with interesting legends of these Moorish palaces.

The Moors were driven out of Spain in the fifteenth century.

They are still a very warlike people, and have had frequent campaigns against France and Spain.

Their country is supposed to be very rich in minerals, but as yet it has not been developed.

A great part of the trade of Morocco is controlled by foreigners, and in consequence special laws have had to be made to protect the traders.

According to the treaty between the United States and the Sultan of Morocco, American traders are allowed to employ two natives as agents for the sale of their goods. These natives are given the same protection as Americans.

The trouble with Morocco arose from the fact that one of the native agents, while returning from his rounds, was assaulted and robbed of $1,200, the outrage occurring in broad daylight in front of the consulate.

The merchant for whom the agent was working reported the matter to the Moorish Government, and demanded that the thieves should be arrested and punished.

Notwithstanding that these robbers were well-known characters, the Moorish authorities made no attempt to bring them to justice, and paid no attention to the protests of the Consul.

The agent and the merchant immediately filed a claim for damages against the Moorish Government, and the Consul cabled to this country, asking that an American gunboat be sent to Tangier, to show the Moors that the United States proposes to protect her citizens.

The flag-ship _San Francisco_ and the cruiser _Raleigh_ immediately set out for Tangier, one of the principal seaports of Morocco.

The appearance of these vessels had a very healthy effect on the authorities. One of the robbers was immediately arrested, and the Moors agreed to search for the other and bring him to justice.

* * * * *

A story comes from Oklahoma that gophers have completely destroyed a canal which has recently been built at an expense of $40,000.

These gophers are little animals, striped and spotted, and about the size of a large rat.

The Oklahoma Canal was built to bring the waters of the river through the town, with the idea of erecting mills all along the banks and making Oklahoma a more prosperous city.

It was laid out by expert engineers, and took a large amount of time and money to build; it was five miles long.

When the canal was completed and opened, it proved a great success; there was sufficient force of water to turn any number of mills, and a great era of money-making appeared to be ahead of Oklahoma.

Unfortunately the soil through which the canal had been dug was porous and sandy.

Before the work had been long completed, gophers appeared on the banks and began to burrow their holes.

The water washed into the burrows, and soon a crevasse appeared, and the canal swept through the sandy banks.

Repairs were attempted, and for a long time the people were so anxious to preserve their canal that they continued these repairs at great expense. Finally the Canal Company became discouraged; they could no longer afford to fight the gophers, and so they abandoned the waterway and left the little pests the victors.

In a very short time the canal was gone.

The banks, riddled by the gophers, gave way, and the waters soon flowed back into their original course. Where the canal once ran, farmers are now ploughing and planting their crops, and Oklahoma has lost its fine canal.

G.H. ROSENFELD.

* * * * *

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