The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-20
TO GO TO THE YUKON
By Steamer, Pack Horses and
Launches to Circle City.
NEW COMPANY I'M THE FIELD.
Complete Plans for Quick and Cheap
TRANSPORTATION With seattle
as Headquarters.
NEW COMPANY I'M THE FIELD


the frst OF the month on the Launches 10
be operated By the Yukon Transportation
Company between Dyea and Circle city.
The contract for the construction or hVe
launches has been let to ~ u. SandstrOm-
who began work on them some days ago
at the establishment of Rohlfs s. Scho1er
on First avenue south. Two OF the launrhes
are TO be propelled by gasoline, and the
other three by steam. All are 10 be taken
over the ChiIcoot pass on runners They
are being built of light material. to make
the task an easy one.
The gasoline launches must be completed
by March Il. Each Will be twenty-four
feet over ALL FIVE fact and six inches beam
and two feet six inches draft. The frames
will be of substantial oak, with Nashlng-
ton cedar for the planking. The only iir
in the structures will be the deck and cabin
floors and keel. The engines Will be OF
the LATEST improved for gasoline. and four
horse power. These two boats viii carry
freight and passengers from Chiicoot pass,
at the head of the lakes. 10 White Horse
rapids.
The steam launches will be thirty-five
feet long. eight feet six inches beam, and
three feet four inches draft. The engines
viii be ten horse power These two must
be finished by March - Thev viii Iun
from the White Horse rapids 10 Circle city.
The FIRST two viii carry ten passengers. and
the others twenty-five. For sleeping ac-
commodatiens the boats must tie up at
night, and allow the passengers TO occupy
tents on the shore.
Mr.. Sandstrom, who is building the four
launches. Was the builder of the tugs Mys-
tic. Magic. Virgil Price, Alert, Hornet and
Ella, the yacht kelpie and the schooner
Sea Gull.
+. c. Richards. manager of the company,
in stating its plans 10 Post-Intelligen2er
reporter. said: 1T is our purpose 10 place
a line OF boats on the Yukon river 10 do
general transportation business. The men
who are interested in the company have
means. are all well connected financially,
and what is more. have experience in this
line of business. The articles of incorpora-
ton were filed at Olympia last November,
and within few days l will receive the
necessary legal notice of the election of
officers. which will be filed with the county
auditor.
'The first effortssof the company will be
directed 20 the establishment OF a passen-
ger line between Seattle and Circle City
via Juneau. the Chilcoot and the upper
river. Traffic arrangements will be made
with the boats already plying between Sc
attic and juneau, since the company does
not care to compete on this part of the line
as long as satisfactory arrangements can
be made.
IN March a NUMBER OF men anu NoTStS
with the necessary boats, sleds and sup
plies, will leave Seattle and establish a
pack line from Dyea over the pass to the
foot Of Lake Labarge. The two small
launches. together with light draught
barges win be left on the upper lakes.
above Miles canyon. while the three large
ones win be taken over the ice TO the foot
of Labarge, that being the point at which
the Ice first breaks.
ha fjySs 80
tie in time 10 be taken over the ice at the
foot OF Lebarge. there 10 await the OPEN
Ing of navigation. when two of the
launches. towing well-built barges. viii go
down the river. The second lot of passen-
gers many of whom will be women, will
leave Seattle in time 10 reach Lake Lin
deman on the opening of navigation on the
upper lakes. After this spring the larger
launches VIII be placed on the lakes above
Miles canyon. and their places taken by
two well-constructed. light-draught steam
ers, sufficient 10 accommodate the men
coming out in the fall and 10 supply trad
ing posts that will be located on the upper
tributaries Of the Yukon.
THE rich discoveries of the past few
years have convinced the world that
'Greeley's fee box is exceedingly valuable.
and that the great interior Yukon basin viii
develop into another Eldorado. We hear
much 81 the development OF the agricult-
urai regions, but the trade OF the population
OF 4 large placer field is always heavy. be
cause every man with perseverance. pick.
shovel and pan as his capital. can 10 TO
work and az the close OF day have the prod
uct OF his labor. which viii buy anything
AZ any time ard in any part OF the world
II is a population that spends money freely.
The trade With interior Alaska. for years %
come. II properly cultivated. VIII be -
greater good 20 a greater number Of Heo-
PIE Of Seattle than the trade with China
ard japan.
seattle T. the natural gateway an Ju-
neau the natural door of interior Alssks,
and the establishment 81 comfortable trans
portation accQmmo3ations BY way Or Ju-
reau and the upper akes win bring the
rrosuecfor returning IN the faii ouf BY way
81 Juneau and Seattle. instead % ~ The
mouth y the river and San Francisco.
These men wm leave money herr. even y
they tarrv hut a few days. Thus far only
those Who oouif endure the severest hard
sAin ana exposure have entered the com
try. ana these are usually men 'of little
means. seeking - benefit thelr fortunes.
Wifh tha establishment Of easy coinn'ini-
cations many men viii visit the gold nel1s
with rauitat 90 invest.
'sThe company has made beginning on
this work 81 supplying Transportation AMI
two or three ~ their representatives VII
he here betNesn March I ard II 70 look
over The ground. decide on exact plans Tor
hoa-s hv the mouth % the river. and con
tract for their construction i VII nave
charge % the company until the secretary
arrives in March. when i VIII accom-
rany the expedition that Is 70 carry boats
over the mass