The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-03-12

The FORT HOPE TRAlL.-Mr G A
johnson II now in Seattle, direct from
the skagit mines. be having gone in
there from Victoria with Messrs VIM
Flied. Jfarrigsr. " Sn.il yell a,
Chss O'HAre. via toe famous Fort Hope
trail. Mr. Johoson il . reliable gen
tleman. and his statements msy be re-
lied on as correct. The party started
from Victori~ December 20. 1879. ard
pr'cseded by steamer to New West
minister, where they encountered 10
much ice in the river that they could
go no further. They then followed
up the south bank OF the stre,m to
within nine miles OF Fort Hope. where
they took canoes. and arrived 1t the
Fort ON New Years Day, II days from
Victoria. While there one Of the par,y.
Nr O'Hsre. WAC accidentally sbo, IN
the arm while on. hunting. aud mon b
was spent in waiting for him to G.4
able TO travel. This. however. was
isally abandoned aud On Feb. 4sh tie
party loaded their provisions aud
blankets OIL tabogans slsd.. and
started over six fest of snow. for Ruby
Creek. TIL. first thirt, six hours they
found the anew hard. but after that
| they had 10 travel altogether on snow.
shoes. The end Of the boss,ed wagon
road from: Hope. % miles inland.
vas reached in four days; tho next
twenty live miles. to the b .und.ry line,
occupied eight days travel; from the
boundary line to where the party first
struck Ruby Geek. estimated at twenty
miles. required nine days travel, thus
they were twentg-o,s foil days from
Fort Hope to Ruby Creek. Two days
OF this time, however. was a delay
caused by IN acciien. to ono Of the
men. who had . very scr. band. TINS
party, relying on the RI RESERVATIONS
made 70 them On the other side that the
Seattle rouo was impracticable. ex.
psc.ed to find the creek deserted. and
thought they wsuid be the first claim
hunters to reach the diggings in 1880.
Imagine their surprise when within Q
few NILES OF Ruby they met two trap
pers who informed them that there
were over hundsei men IN the INNS.
and that thy hal been coming q, d
going ell winter over the trail from
Goodrll's TO Ruby Creek. A soon a.
they struck RUBY Creek. they stored
their provisions. except . weeks sup.
ply. which they packed on q prospect
Ing tour up Canyon Creek After
travelling up Canyon twenty IL lies they
found location that suited ruem. AMI
located claims. hi .her up the creek
THAI any one elss bad been. They
ssnk hole through six feet of snow.
and washed out few p~ns Of surface
dirt. finding in each and every pan
good prospects Of coarse gold, with
which the men were all we'll satisti. d.
Two Of the party located claim, to .e,h-
er. naming their ground the Snow
Sbos Claim The 9th = tw, located a
short distance apart. aai called th,,.
claims rssrestivrly 'C,riboo aud Son
tag Three If Mr. Jnbn.om's compan-
ions returned by the way they came,
but he thought he would rather try
the other route. and feels sgreeabiy
satisfied with himself for 20 doing. He
says: i found the trail between the
mouth OF Ruby and Goodell's very
much better than / expected He met
with several detsn.ious ON his down
trip. such a. missing the steamer ct
Mount Vernon. and having to 60 to
LsconDer TO connect with the Libby.
etc.. aud yet he WAS only Eve days from
the mouth Of Canyon Creek to Seattle.
He says he met about l25 miners b.und
in. II r.quirea about thirty days ~
reach Ruby Geek from Viseoria. while
the trip from Seattle to Ruby Creek
Dan be mad" IN six or seven days. an
the face Ut these stubborn facts. it L.
astonishing With what hardihmd the
Victoria press lauds the imprsct,csble
Fort Hope route, and denounces the
6ksgit route. over Which wtn have
travelled end carried loads back and
forth all winter. as dangerous and i'm
practicable.