The record-union., 1897-09-14

the trip of the Andersen from Dixon's
entrance to Dutch Harbor cannot be
pictured too vividlv"
1t was a remarkable statement that
Captain Chilcott, one of the incorpora-
tors of the company which runs the
Anderson, is reported to have made to
Captain Bonnifield of the Humboldt
this morning. The reported remark was
as follows:
I'VE knew that the Anderson was un-
seawrthy, especially for an ocean voy-
age, but we were bound to get her there,
anyway. We put her in charge of one
of the best sea captains on this coast,
Captain Powers. If anybody could get
her there he could"
The complete passenger list is as fol-
lows: DR.. A. c. POsey, Mrs. E. Cronis-
ter, G.. A. Wanger, E. Turner, J. F.
Crider, W. Urughardt, J. F. Williams,
Captain J. E. Whiteside and wife, w.
B. Price, George Scott, J. n. Scretan,
Mrs. Woodford and five children, j. b.
Rodgers, D. F. Atkins and Mrs. A.
Clark.
HARDSHIPS OF SKAGUAY.
KANSAS CITY Mo), Sept. 13.-F
w. Gates of the ranch firm of Vail &
Gates, Los Angeles, Cal, and Arizona,
who is in the city, has just received an
interesting letter from c. w. Anderson,
whom he grubstaked to go to the
Klondike country. The letter is dated
Skaguay Pass, Alaska, August 9th,
and says, in part:
Il have now been about two weeks
on this trail L cannot describe the
hardships of those who are struggling
and enduring all the hardships that
either man or beast ever endured in
our endeavor to get over the mountain
before the lakes and Yukon River
freeze up. 1t is estimated that there
are about 1000 people on this and the
Dyea trails and camped where the
ships landed them on the beach. Many
are giving up in despair and will try
the Dyea route; others are going into
winter quarters. We have had one con-
tinuous storm for about three weeks
mostly rain and hail. Very few have
been through to Lake Bennett. The
mountains are very steep and rocky;
the fiat places are all boggy. Many
horses have been killed. 1t is impos-
sible to hire packing done over this
trail. Those who are hiring are pay
ing from 80 to 80 cents per pound.
This trail has been greatly misrep-
resented by the sharks and real estate
boomers who are building and booming
a town at Sl1aguay bay. They reported
a passable trail, open for horses, before
[ left Seattle, which caused most every
body coming to ship their outfits this
way. do not know Of but two parties
that have been over this trail to the
lakes yet, and we that are on the trail
are contributing to have the trail made.
MY advice to all who anticipate go
ing to the Klondike is not to come this
route. They say there will be a famine
in Dawson unless the parties going in
take plenty of provisions. So I have
made up my mind to take plenty with
me, and I will be o. K. for the next
year, even If I am compelled to go into
winter quarters before reaching my
destination
COMMISSIONER SMITHS REPORT.
PORTLAND (Or.), Sept. 13.-John U.
Smith, United States Commissioner at
Dyea, writes to the Evening Tele-
gram" under date of September 9TH. He
says:
1.-The air is full Of all sorts of busi-
ness schemes. There are representa-
tives of many moneyed corporations
here figuring on tramways and rail-
roads. The right OF way is what sticks
them all. Alaska is a great country,
but it is very hard to get any more Of
it than you can spread yourself out
over. The trails ought to be i'm
proved, which could be done at small
expense, and would be a great public
Improvement, but Alaska laws are 50
limited that no one can even get the
right to make a trail or get a right of
way for q road.
The matter has come before me
semi officially, and 1 have ruled that
only bridge can become private prop
erty under a squatter's right of pos
session. and that no individual can con-
troll the trails. If anyone builds
bridge he can charge toll, or keep peo-
pie off it.
''The men at Dyea and Skaguay are
the most peaceable and law-abiding
that 1 have ever meta great deal more
so than I expected. There have been
a few fights, but under the present ele-
ments it is wonder they get along as
we'll as they do. There have appeared
in some papers articles that have made
mountains out of nothing.
"The Skaguay trail has been closed
by the miners themselves, in order to
let all turn in and improve it, and
those who did not know Of the ar
rangement have been stopped by work.
No serious trouble has occurred.
1.-THE miners are not getting over the
Skaguay Pass as lively as at Dyea- 1t
is a longer route. and the trail is new
and muddy. There has consequently
sprung up quite a town at Skaguay by
those who have decided not to go over
until spring"