The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-06
OLD NATURE MUST
BE CONQUERED.
SWarms of Tenderfeet Caused the
Congestion,
Lumber Now Held at $50 Per Thou
sand, and None Is For Sale at
That Figure-Five Hundred Men
and Enormous Quantities of
Freight Have Been Landed at
Skaguay Since August 25, and
Still There's More to Follow.

Seattle, Wash, Sept. 1.-THE follow
ing letter mas been received from
skaguay, Alaska, Aug. IS: Sylvester
Scovel of the New York Herald. landed
yesterday morning at Skaguay by
specially chartered tug from Juneau
with two tons of blasting powder and
the necessary tools to equip seven COM
plete crews for rock work on the
Skaguay trail, and as fast as horses
and men could get at it. it was started
10 the front.
In the evening there was a meeting
at the foot of the first hill attended by
over 500 miners who organized for the
work in front of them and elected an
executive committee, consisting OF
James Christie of Portland, president;
Phil Abrams, secretary; c. A Cramer
of Seattle. Mr.. Heacock and Mrs. Day
as superintendents, who in turn
selected experienced rock men for the
work on hills and veteran loggers for
the work of corduroying the muddy
places
also on the trail and they have pitched
in with as good win as any miner
and say that the building of this trail
now viii enable them to get in the
20 tons of provisions in time to build
and provision the mail stations IN their
territory so that they can operate dog
teams all winter, and they agree to
deliver the mail every two weeks from
the Klondille to the American line.
Work is in progress for Is miles along
the TRAN and all travel and packing
has been suspended until it is COM
pleted-
There have been some kiel1ers as
usual, but they are so much in the
minority that they have had to sub
NIT. While believe this trail Will be
complete in ten days so that travel
can be resumed. don't start for this
point expecting to get over for at least
so days, as it VIII take that long after
the trail is completed to get all the
miners over who are now there. There
would never have been so much
sTouble for small parties, but the
swarm of people, So per cent of whom
were tenderfeet and knew nothing
about packing and mountaineering.
has been the cause of congestion 81
this point.
The first reports about this trail were
inspired by interested parties who are
trying 10 start a town here and who
are also interested in the whisky bust
ness. Not nearly so many discouraged
prospectorS are selling their outfits
for a song as has been reported, but a
good many who started for the Klon-
dixie have given up that idea, have
turned V0Wnsfe buyers and are erect
ing all kinds of buildings and estab-
fishing themselves for the winter as
best they can. One week ago lumber
could be got for S27 per thousand Now
ST is $50 and none for sale. even at thai
figure Rubber boots, heavy shoes and
Oh clothing are in demand and fetch
big prices. Hardware of all kinds sell
we'll The Alaska Pacific Express
company has made arrangements tC
open an office here and has appointed
H. E. Rattin. formerly of Portland
agent The steamship Queen, 81
Seattle, steamship Alki and Danube o.
Victoria have landed over 500 pas.
sengers, 500 tons Of freight and 30i
horses and mules since Aug. %, and
still there's mere to follow Thu
KIondike excitement has turned the at
tention of the whole world this way
and VIII result in opening up this ter
ritory as nothing else would have done
On board the steamship Queen OF
this trip are two parties, one organized
in Chicago consisting of four gentle
men. comprising doctor, lawyer, com
mission merchant and assayer al
under the guidance of L. L. Bales, wht
has spent the past eight years il
Alaska as trapper hunter and guide
They will stay along the coast in thu
AleXandrian archipelago this winte
and in the spring will thoroughly pros
pect the Copper river country. Tn,
other party is headed by & H Fishe
Of Los Angeles, Cal, and viii pusl
into the Copper river country thi
winter J. NJ HAGEPTY