The record-union., 1897-07-27

PORT TOWNSEND CWash). July 26
The steamer City of Topeka arrived
early this morning from Alaska Shf
brings news that the ClOndyke fever Is
on the increase at Juneau, nearly every
able-bodied man there having gone OF
is preparing to go to the rich fields.
Authentic reports direct from Dyea
are that there now is as much freight
piled up at the head of the inlet as the
Indians can pack over the divide II
the next eighteen months.
This amount of freight will be more
than doubled when the steamers Queer
and Mexico. now en- route, arrive.
This condition of affairs practically
precIudes all possibility of hundreds Oi
gold-seekers reaching the mining region
this year.
Frank F. Meyers, a Juneau neWspa-
per man, will leave here in two weeks
for Dawson City. He will go by the
route followed by Lieutenant Schwatka
who conducted an exploring party into
the Yukon valley in 1889.
This rotue starts from Takou Inlet
thirty miles south of Juneau. From
Takou to Lake Teslin the distance is
100 mills over level prairies, and the
country from Lake Teslin is an open
valley through to the Yukon River, by
way of the Hootingua River.
With the aid of pack horses the Ia
kou route is by far the most preferable
1t is probable that stage line will
soon be operated on this route.
Parties who have been over both
routes say a walk of 130 miles over a
level country is more easily accom-
plished than that of fifteen miles over
Chilkat summit.
John G. Brady has taken the oath of
office, and is now Alaska's Governor
HARDSHIPS OF THE JOURNEY.
ST. LOUIS, July 26.-George Wilson
of this city has received the following
letter from his brother, who is row at
The Clondyke diggings:
we arrived here from Dyea after
seventy days of the hardest travel
ever experienced. We had all our pro-
visions in cache at Chilkat Pass. We
loaded everything on three sleds and
turned them loose down the three-mile
declivity. They landed all safe at the
bottom on the Yukon side.
Then we followed, swinging and
fumblfng after. We crossed Lake Lin
derman on the ice all right at the foot
of the moutains, and got safely to
the head of Lake Bennett. BY this time
the weather was getting warmer, and
the snow melting. The snow crust on
the lake would support the sleds, but
we broke through every step, and there
was about a foot of slush under the
crust. After wading this way for two
days, and having traversed but four
miles, we went into camp to wait for a
cold snap, or more of thaw to break
up the ice. We lay in camp three days
and then came a cool spell, the wind
blowing a gale.
when we struck Marsh Lake the
weather had become warm again, and
it took us three days to make seven
miles through eight inches of slush, so
we waded into a good patch of timber
and remained there fourteen days
building a boat. 1t took US six days to
fell the trees and saw the boards out.
When we got to the great Yukon we
1aunceh our little craft and tried her
1n the swift current of the mighty river
"a river as large as the Mississippi,
and found she would answer our pur-
pose very well.
The next day we came to a canyon
called 'NIiHer's Canyon the most dan
gerous place on the river. where many
q party have lost all they had, and
their lives too. It is a steep cut through
the mountain range. The water rushes
Through with frightful speed. There is
a long, devious way round the canyon
by land, which requires four days hard
work to get over. While to shoot the
canyon only takes two and one-half
minutes.
LAS soon as the boat entered the can
yon she seemed to snTver, and then
plunged head foremost into the first
wave and about half barrel of water
came over the bow. Then she straight
ened out and rode through the rapids
without shipping a drop more water.
We continued down the river to Lake
14abarge. thirty-five miles. There our
boat riding ended for the present, the
lake being still frozen solid. 1t is thfr-
~ miles long The ice was smooth as
glass. so We rugged up two sails on the
boat (Which We had deposited on two
eleds).
Two days later we once more
launched into the friendly Yukon, and
floated calmly down the river to Clon-
dyke. a distance of 400 miles from the
last lake, in eight days.
This is q great camp. and a conser-
Tative estimate of its richness sounds
like exaggeration. I have been here
now twelve days and cannot get a hold
of anything. l cannot even buy foot
of ground in the town. not to mention
the diggins, values are so extremely
high. Every foot of ground in this
district is claimed, and there are hum
dreds of prospectors in the adjacent
country looking for other rich ground
The gravel must be very rich in gold
or nobody wants it. From the amount
of gold dust and nuggets l have seen
in Clondyke and the mad hunt for it,
the district must be all they claim for
it.
Both Of my partners have left me
and gone to Circle City to get work, for
there is no work here on the Clondyke