Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-13
AT SKAGUAY ANDD YEA
Before Trying the Great Alaskan
Passes.
NO WAY OF TRANSPORTING SUPPLIES
Tons Of Goods Piled Up by the
Ocean Side.
SCARCITY OF CARRIERS
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

From The Stars Special Correspondent.
DYEA, Alaska. August 2S. 1897.
After closing my last letter to The Star,
we left Juneau about o'clock in the af-
ternoor ard proceeded across the arm Of
the sound to Douglas City to put off and
take on freight We were detained here
about four hours, and most of the passen-
gers embraced the opportunity of visiting
the famous Treadwell NINE Here is To-
Gated the largest gold stamping mill in the
world, with two hundred and ninety stamps
in operation. Surrounding the mills are
veritable mountains-not leads or veins,
but absolute mountains-of gold ore, which,
though Of low grade, is free milling. 1t is
so easily reducible and water power is so
unlimited that the profits of this mine are
enormous. But many men have even left
sure and weil-paid positions here for the
-o-the-wisp of the klondike.
Leaving Douglas City between and 10
clCck, We steamed up the Lynn canal
and into Chilkoot inlet and anchored off
Skaguay about o'clock on the morning
of the 18th. 1t was raining steadily, and n
gray cloud and mist shut out everything
more than twenty yards from the steamer
In front Of US blank mountain wall de-
sceEded sheer to the water From point
where rocky road wound out of sight into
the fog rickety wharf had been built out
some ten yards into the water and on the
end OF this stood man wildly gesticulat-
ing and shouting to the captain not to land
Tor fear of pulling down the entire struc-
tcre. This wharf was almost covered with
baies OF hay, bags of flour and meal, sides
OF bacon and all sorts of provisions. all ex-
posed to the steady downpour of rain.
by degrees the fog lifted and through
We oh oin
future city Of Skaguay
Imagine a long marsh her,ped Z, nv
lofty mountains on either side, gradually
rising from the waters edge until about
SIX hundred yards back, the view is OBJ
structed by thick growth Of fir. cedar
and underbrush. Then imagine this low
valley covered with tents of all sizes colors
ana descriptions, with two hut-like frame
houses towering up in contrast to the tents
ana you have Skaguay, the starting point
OF the caravan which is to go, by the White
fass, to It's Mecca in the Yukon country
AS we were not permitted 10 land on the
"harf the steamer was soon surrounded by
small boats of all descriptions, and we were
soon being taken ashore at the rate, of two
bits apiece. The rowers made money at
this rate, taking half-a-dozen at a load. and
making a trip in a few minutes. Once
landed at the edge of the marsh we had TO
wade through mud and water ankle deem
for several hundred yards before we reach
ed the first line of tents Here a dismal
sight greeted US.
Ihere mad been an unusually high tide
the night before Qhe normal tide here is
from eighteen to twenty feeD, and the
tents on the lower ground hal been half
submerged, and all the stores and nroyi-
in,
oughly soaked or foated away Here and
there few logs had been gotten together
and weighted down, and huge stores of
merchandise were piled on then, out of
reach of the water. Proceeding toward the
heart of the city we were met by a huge
post with arms at right angles one marked
Broadway, the other Bond street, and be-
meath it was O board, probably two feet
square, bearing the inscriptions: This lot.
5Ox15O, located by John Smith; corners
marked" Afterward, we progressed.
similar signs met us every few feet These
lots overlap each other to such an extent
that 1t will take a Washington land office
man to straighten them out. We soon came
to store. sheltered by a, large tent, stock
ed with five or SIX, thousand dollars worth
Of provisions, for. sale cheaper than they
can be purchased in Seattle.
w lille We were IN l1e STORE several dis
heartened prospectors came in Offering to
sell their entire outfits for, whatever might
be offered. There are several of these
stores at Skaguay, and all seem to be do
Ing a good business. Proceeding further
We were surprised to find the tents as thick
in the woods as in the open. In fact, the
greater part of Skaguay lis hidden from
the water. The land jumpers placards are
as thick there. top. From the edge of the
woods the trail goes, narrow. heavy road,
through rhe lofty pines and thick under
brush. III 81
Following this for a mile we came to a
rude. fragile bridge crossing the Chilkat
river. At this point two men had been
drowned, one in attempting to guide two
horses across the stream, the other, heav-
lily loaded. was crossing the stream on
dog when he slipped and in moment was
dashed to pieces by the mad current on
the Jagged rocks. Within half an hour
after these accidents the bridge was COM
pleted.
As far as we went, and. as we were told.
for five miles beyond, the trail is lined with
tents. Altogether between the landing
place and the pass there are between 1900
and $500 men. And not one in hundred
is progressing hundred yards day. There
seems to be no settled opinion as 10 tie
relative merits Of the White and Chilkoot
passes. Hundreds leave skaguay every
day for Dyea; and vice versa. It Is said