Project Gutenberg's The Trail of a Sourdough, by May Kellogg Sullivan

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Title: The Trail of a Sourdough
Life in Alaska

Author: May Kellogg Sullivan

Release Date: June 13, 2009 [EBook #29113]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: _The heart of Alaska in winter_]

THE TRAIL OF A
SOURDOUGH

_Life in Alaska_

BY

MAY KELLOGG SULLIVAN

_Author of "A Woman Who Went to Alaska"_

[Illustration: ARTI et VERITATI]

RICHARD G. BADGER
THE GORHAM PRESS
BOSTON

Copyright 1910 by Richard G. Badger

All Rights Reserved

THE GORHAM PRESS, BOSTON, U. S. A.

SOURDOUGH DEFINED

While the word _Sourdough_ (sour dough) is perfectly familiar to those
in Alaska and along the Pacific Coast it may not be amiss to give a
brief explanation to our Eastern readers.

A _Sourdough_ is a miner who has spent one winter in Alaska and "has
seen the ice go out." Mrs. Sullivan is a _Sourdough_ herself. In all she
has made seven trips to Alaska extending over a period of ten years.

When miners are beyond the pale of civilization, with a supply of flour
but no baking powder, yeast or potatoes, they cut from each batch of
bread dough a little piece, to be kept until it turns sour, and then
used as leaven for the next baking.

It is through this custom that the miners themselves came to be called
sourdoughs.

PREFACE

This little book is my second Brain-child. The first, entitled "A Woman
Who Went to Alaska," has been so cordially received by the reading
public that I have been induced to send another in its footsteps. It is
with great pleasure and perfect confidence that I do this.

To my Alaskan readers it is unnecessary to state that these little tales
are deduced from every day life, as they are easily recognizable. To
those not yet favored by a residence in this Northland I would say that
I have written eac