The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-06
4HE SKACUAY TRAIL
Pushing the Work on the Road to
Rs the Gold Fields.
THE KIOKERs IN THE MINORITY.
The Prospectors Perfect IN Organiza.
tiou For Pushing the Work. and the
I Malcontents Must tSubmit--Canadian
Police Promise Regular Mails.

! Malcontents Must Su Submit--Canadian
Police Promise Regular Mails.
Seattle, Sept. 6.-The following has
been received from Skaguay. Alaska,
dated Aug. 28: Sylvester Scovel. Of the
New York World, landed yesterday
morning at skaguay by specially
chartered tug from Juneau, with two
tons of blasting powder and the neces-
sary tools to equip seven complete
crews for rock work on the Skaguay
trail, and as fast as horses and men
could get at 1t dt was started to 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
flames Christie of Portland. president:
Philip Adams. secretary: G. A. Cramer
Of Seattle. Mr.. Heacock and Mr.. Day.
superintendents, who selected ex-
hills and veteran 1oggers for the work
Of corduroying the muddy places
! There were 80 Canadian mounted po-
Nee also on the trail. They heve pitched
In with a good WILL and say that the
building of this trail will enable them
TO get in the 10 tons of provisions in
time to build and provision the mail
stations in their territory. SO that they
can operate the dog teams all winter,
and they agree to deliver the mail
every two weeks from the Klondike to
The American line. Work is in progress
for Is miles along the trail, and all
travellers packing has been suspended
until 1t is completed.
/ There have been some kickers as
usual, but they are so much In the
minority that they have had to sub
nit. While l 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 1t for ut
least 80 days. as 1t will take that long
after the trail is completed to get all
the miners over that are now there.
There would never have been so much
trouble for small parties. but the
swarm of people, 96 per cent Of whom
were tenderfeet and knew nothing
about backing and mountaineering. has
been the cause of congestion at this
point.
I The first reports about this trail were
inspired by i'll treated parties who are
trying to start town here. and who
are also In the whisky business Not
nearly SO many discouraged prospect
ors are selling their outfits for song
as has been reported. but good many
who started for the Klondke have
given up that idea, have turned to
town site buyers and are erecting all
kinds of buildings and are establishing
themselves for the winter as best they
can. One week ago lumber could be
got for SCI Der thousand. Now it Is
$50, and none for sale even at that
figure Rubber boots, heavy shoes and
oil clothing are in demand and fetch
big prices Hardware Of all kinds sells
well.
The Alaskan Pacific Express COM
pany has made arrangements to open
an offlce here. The steamer Queen, Of
Seattle, and the steamships Alki and
Danube, of Victoria, have landed over
900 passengers, 500 tons Of freight and
800 horses and nuies sincs Aug. rs, and
still there Is more to follow.
The Klondike excitement has turned
the whole attention of the world this
way, and will result In opening this
territory as nothing else would have
done. On board the steamer Queen on
this trip are two parties one organized
in Chicago. consisting of four gentle-
men. comprising doctor. lawyer. COM
mission merchant and assayer, all
under the guidance Of L. L. Bates, who
has spent the past eight years In
ALASKA as trapper, hunter and guide.
They will stay along the coast In the
Alexandrian Archipelago this winter,
and in the spring will thoroughly pros
peot the Copper river country. The
other party is headed by e. H. Fisher.
Of Los Angeles, Cal, and will push
Into the Copper river country this win
ter,