After Alaskan Bear 
URING the winter of 1908, through 
the medium of Mr. Clifford Little,— 
already referred to in these pages, 
correspondence was entered into by 
the writer with F. Mathewson, pro¬ 
prietor of a general store at Wrangle, 
Alaska, with a view of chartering a 
livable motor-boat and visiting the 
neighboring islands in search of bear. 
Two varieties of this animal can 
be secured in this manner—the one the Alaskan brown bear 
(a species of the grizzly), and the other the familiar black-bear. 
Where, five years ago, a plan such as this would not 
have been practical; correspondence served at this time to 
show that by chartering the launch Lotus, of Juneau—a 
boat of 45 ft.—it was perfectly possible. 
Our party—consisting of Clifford Little, of Victoria; Mrs. 
Fleischmann; my valet, Jules Vincent, and I—sailed from 
Seattle, April 30th, aboard the Steamer Cottage City, Cap¬ 
tain Jensen. This boat is an old hooker, and saw her best 
days years ago. 
Cleanliness was not lacking, however, and, the table be¬ 
ing more than fair, we enjoyed a pleasant trip. Quite a 
number of agreeable people, including Governor Hoggett of 
Alaska, helped make the voyage enjoyable. 
A peculiar custom, noticed by the traveler when, for the 
first time, he makes use of the Pacific Coast Steamship Com¬ 
pany’s boats, is the number and time of meals. There are 
four of these sittings a day: morning and noon, 5.30 dinner, 
and supper at 9 P. M. 
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