Wilderness, A Journal of Quiet Adventure in Alaska

, Decemb

oat. Olson was aroused and turned out to help. There's always much to be carried on a trip to Seward; gasoline, oil, tools, my pack bag-containing clothes, heavy blankets, and spare boots,-an

untain peaks, and we knew that he had risen. It continued calm and mild all the way, but nevertheless I caught myself singing "Erlk?nig," such is my anxiety at carrying Rockwell with me. Rockwell enjoyed the t

eight feet square, and started for the hotel. One of our friends met

l. A little cottage was generously put at our disposal and we were soon comfortably settled there with our mail from home spread before us. I left everything of mine at the hotel untouched and we c

Seward are friendly without being the slightest bit inquisitive, and they are extremely broad-minded for all that their country is remote from the greater world. I don't believe that provincialism is an inevitable evil of far-off communities. The Alaskan is alert

is gloriously acclaimed in the literature of its Chamber of Commerce, numbers its citizens perhaps at half a thousand-the tenacious remnant of the many more who years ago trusted our government to fulfill its promises to really build and operate a railroad into the interior. One's indignation fires

re two banks and several small hotels, a baker from Ward's bakery in New York and a French barber from the Hotel Buckingham. There's a good grammar school, a hospital, and churches of all sorts. There is no public library; apparently one isn't badly missed. Seward's a tradesmen's town and tradesmen's views prevail,-narrow reactionary thought on modern issues

WHIT

t, little presents for Olson-but nothing for Rockwell. He and I must do without presents this Christmas. Then more

ell and spent that evening at his house. The postmaster came too, fine fellow, and we'd a great evening taking turns singing

was annoyed with his "hectoring." At last this joker asked: "Olson, if you bred a reindeer to a Swede what would you get?" "You'd get a Jew," replied Olson.

take no offense at alertness, where enterprise is so common a virtue that i

th the boat. Of course the engine balked for fifteen minutes and then (not "of course") went beautifully. After traveling a quarter of a mil

rounded the head of our cove. Then it sputtered and I had continually to crank it. However, it carried us to thirty or forty feet of the shore when it breathed its last, thanks to the snow that had by now thoroughly we