The record-union., 1897-08-20
More Miners Leave for British Co.
Iumbia Gold Fields.
The Steamship WalIa WaIIa Sailed Yes.
terday From San Francisco.
Advices From Skaguay Not of a
Reassuring Character Many
VIII Not be Able to Gross the
Pass This Winter, and Will be
Without Food Before Spring
Arrives.

Arrives.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19.-The
steamer Walla Walla sailed this morn
ing for Victoria and Puget Sound points.
Among the 300 passengers We're about
forty who are bound for the Klondike.
These passengers We're all booked for
Juneau or Dyea, and they will connect
at Seattle with the steamer Queen,
which is scheduled to leave Seattle on
Sunday next.
From Juneau and Dyea the pros
pectors will take small steamers going
to Dawson City and other points near
the gold fields.
The sailing of the Walla Walla did
not attract much attention, owing to
the fact that few fortune seekers were
announced to sail on her.
Interest in departing expeditions for
Alaska is now principally centered in
the gasoline schooner Bessie K. and
the steamer Navarro.
The Bessie K. is now at Mission
street wharf, and it is expected that
she Will sail on next Saturday. She will
carry only twenty passengers in ad-
dition to the eight members of the En-
cinal Yacht Club who are the promot-
ers of the enterprise.
The pretty yacht FL Sueno has been
made a steam launch, and will be car
ried ON the deck of the Bessie K. to ST.
Michael. and convey the passengers and
freight up the Yukon to Dawson City,
where she is expected to arrive about
October 1st
The Navarro is being rapidly placed in
order for her trip to St. Michaels. She
will tow the river steamer Thomas
Dwyer to that point, and the latter will
convey the expedition to Dawson City.
The staunch launch Casper is being
put in readiness to convey passengers
direct to Dyea and the Copper River
Messrs Mohns e. Kaltenbach of %
Market street are agents for the expe-
dition, and are now busily engaged in
booking passengers. Only a limited
number however, will be accepted,
and quite a rush has already COM
menced.
The steamer is announced to sail on
August 21st. The fare has been placed
at $50 and the customary amount of
baggage and supplies will be allowed.
The steamer is a fast craft. and the
.
There will be no necessity of change
or transfer to smaller river vessels, the
entire cargo of passengers and outfit
going through direct. Captain A. B.
Smith of Los Angeles, for many years
an Alaskan explorer and pilot, will
have personal charge of the expedi-
ton.
ELECTRIC LIGHT FOR DAWSON.
TACOMA (Wash), Aug. 19.-Among
the passengers on the steamer City of
Kingston for Alaska last night was
Frank Mccormick of Duluth, a repre-
sentative of the General Electric Com
pany, who is said to have gone with the
idea of looking into the feasibility of es-
tabhshing an electirc light power
plant, etc, at Dawson.
ADVICES NOT REASSURING
SEATTLE, Aug. 19.-Advices from
Skaguay are far from reassuring, and
those who are camped near the trail
are complaining bitterly of the manner
in which they are being treated by the
packers, who seem to have combined
with the idea in view of extorting as
much money from miners as possible.
Many of those who arrived here on the
steamers Queen and Mexico are com
planning that their outfits have been
broken into and goods taken therefrom.
Some even go so far as to accuse the
crews of the various steamers. In ad-
dition to these allegations, it is asserted
that the stewards departments of the
vessels plying between the Sound and
Alaska ports have treated passengers
shamefully. In many instances these
JNG
have been forwarded to various per-
sons in the United States and Canada
in the shape of signed articles.
Those who have tried to go over the
trail at Skaguay have suffered great
hardships Few have been able to hire
a sufficient number of packers, and men
and women toll and struggle over the
trail with heavy packs on their backs.
Scores will have to turn back, and al
ready a. large number have decided to
give UP the trip until next Spring.
Tt is not fifty miles from Skaguay to
Lake Bennett, yet adventures who
started from San Francisco or the
Sound. full of determination. have
weakened before the journey was COM
pIeted and have commenced to talk of
returning home.
Hundreds are camped here. Supplies
are being consumed and there are men
who will be without food before the
winter is we'll over.
This is the plain truth Of the situa-
ton. and to it is added the discourag-
ing report that those who are heading
toward Dawson City by thousands viii
he several hundred miles from their ul-
innate location, for it is clear that gold
hunters will be obliged to strike out for
new fields far from Dawson, which dis
trict is already completely taken up.
BETTER NAIL SERVICE.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 19.-The Cana
dian Government and the United States
has agreed upon cooperation in aug
menting the postal facilities for the
Klondike region, and the result will
shortly be evidenced in a substantial
doubling mail service from the coast
into that re=ion.
The reply of Canada to Acting Post
master General Shamberger's PROPOSE
ton to establish an exchange of mails
at Circle City and Dawson City reached
here to-day. 1t is a counter proposition
made by Canada, the latter agreeing to
perform the service from Dawson City
to Dyea by means Of a contract Of her