Adventure Magazine Cover — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘Ask Adventure — Answer, by Mr. Zerr:—The trip you mention is rather risky—uniess you are familiar with the rivers, especiaily the Mississippi—in a home-made Here are some objections to the Missouri River according to Government engineers. Hindrances to easy navigation are snags and shifting, shallow channels; caving banks in every bend are respon- sible. The maximum draft at the shoalest part is _ three feet at mean low water, which is good water for a boat drawing little more than eighteen inches. This depth is from August to November, from Kansas City to St. Louis. From March to the end of August the ruling depth fluctuates from nine to four and one-half feet at the lowest stages. The mileage-from Sioux City to the mouth of the Missouri River is 807 miles; thence to the mouth of thé Red River, 860 miles; thence to New Orleans, — 214 miles; a total of 1,881 miles. As you have practically an open river all the way, you will have gage your speed according to your engine and ne current. On still water in the Pittsburgh ict we have small motor-boats which make a : better than ten miles an hour. At the rate of - hundred miles daily, apart from engine trouble d snags, you ought to reach New Orleans in ,uteen days. In regard to construction. Use a flat-bottomed iff with a good plank bottom, twenty-five feet ong, five feet wide at top and four and one-half feet wide at bottom and about eighteen inches deep. This all depends on the amount of personal freight you carry. Ihave seen Pittsburgh boys make their own boats out of old lumber picked up along the river-banks and scraps from houses under con- struction, and they were excellent. Your Ford engine will fill the bill, providing it is in good condition. Some of the Pittsburgh boats are - equipped with this kind of motive power, and they are doing well. However, it must be remembered that you are on an open river, not dead water, and - your safety depends on a good engine. The Missis- sippi River has its-hazards. As to costs. Well, well, let’s see. Figure it out. How much do-you eat per day? Multiply this by two. Then count the costs of gasoline and oil ye mile. Multiply this by 1,881 miles. Add. Thus ‘you will have about the right idea of the costs from your home to New Orleans. : But let me mention this before you leave: Be sure _ to place a good windlass on your boat and about 200 feet of a good tow-line alongside, to pull you off .possible snags. This should be heavier than the _ ordinary wash-line. ~ a Unless full return postage is enclosed, no reply. | The Cassiar Country GOME prospecting; good trapping—and more grizzlies than whites. What better country could a sourdough aspire to?’ “Question: —“I would like information on a pro- specting trip around Great Slave Lake. What kind _ of minerals may be found there? We do not expect to get rich, Would like to know what is there. We aré a party of experienced men from 38 to 45 ‘years old—in good health. We expect to go next Summer for two years. cured from the Government agent at Glenora. 189° What kind of an outfit would it be best to take? ‘About what would it cost from Buffalo, N. Y.? What kind of a Winter can we expect? What kind of people may we have to deal with? And how can you rough for supplies? _ Is the country rocky or smooth? Has it been prospected to any extent?” — Gro. SNYDER, Buffalo, N. Y. Answer, by Mr. Carson:—I hate to throw cold water on a man’s plans, but I fear that you would be disappointed in a prospecting trip to the Great Slave country. It is not a mining proposition; that is, there is no placer there that I have ever heard of that was worth bothering with. -If you fellows are looking for a bunch of real life — saa in the open why not tackle the Cassiar country? This section is reached by boat from Fort Wrangel up the Stikine River to Glenora, which would be — your outfitting point. Your local ticket-agent can give you the cost of transportation from Buffalo to. Vancouver, and from there it will cost you probably fifty dollars to get to Glenora. You are then right at the front door of the open country. The principal “industries” of the Cassiar district are hydraulic mining and the fur trade. country lying between the Stikine and the Liard Rivers there are probably 150 whites with double that amount of natives (Tehltans), | I find I have overlooked another “industry,” which is guiding the big-game hunters during the. hunting season; for this is the big-game paradise of. the north. About half the entire population of the district is centered around Glenora, or Telegraph Creek as it used to be called, and are engaged in the latter industry. The Hyland Estate and the Hud- son’s Bay Co. both have outfitting stores at the creek as well as on Dease Lake and the Liard River. The climate in Summer is mild, 90 degrees being the extreme of heat, the average being about 70, The Winters have an average of about 15 below with an extreme of 40, and about three feet of snow- fall. This is not too bad when one considers the latitude. There is plenty of timber in the district for cabin- _ building and for fuel, so there is no reason why an experienced party should suffer from the weather. Now as. to prospecting. While no remarkable strikes have ever been made in this section I believe -a man’s chances are as good here as anywhere, since * this entire country is well mineralized and there is always the chance of running on a rich pocket that will at-least pay expenses. Trapping could be car- ried on in the Winter, which would give one an ad- ditional chance to break ahead of the-game. As to the hunting, I believe there are more grizzly bears to the square mile in the Cassiar than in any | other place in North America. When common ordinary tourists can bring out twenty-eight of them in one season as was done one year it states plainly that this is some grizzly patch. Then there | is the big-horn sheep, not so plentiful but still in evidence, as well as the moose and caribou. Goats are also plentiful, while the smaller game is practi- cally everywhere. A hunting license costs you $25, and can be pro- Owing to the scarcity of the human race this is a splendid trapping country, so that if your prospect- ing venture does not pan out all you have to do is to hit the first H. B. C. post and get a trapping outfit and get busy. Injun around a little with your cars ~ ) as « ‘, ASN ty ore In the ~ 1) ala rats 7 ¢ 4 ve As ae Sy seb. “tsb OTA ten e F * ek comicbooks.co Mads) v Ry is ‘ ae Nk ue atte BIN Gy VIR leh 2) y ps ae io ay *& ial RON ey Moe ae Sy P| wets ht min fy tt: ee ag : % ee Li At a ot wil i ihe oe or't ayy ‘pt Feet fi boy be