The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-10

| Practical Work of "a Live Newspaper Cor
| respondent In Opening Up the Impassabie
Pass-Ne One to be Allowed to Make the
Passage without IA Contribution of Work
on the ROad-MOunted Police Take y
| Hand.
SEATTLE, Wash, Sept. 6.-The follow
| ing letter has been received from
| Skaguay, Alaska, dated August 2S:
Sylvester Scovel, of the New York
| World, landed yesterday morning at
Skaguay by a specially chartered tug
from Juneau with two tons of blasting
| powder and the necessary tools to
equip seven complete crews for rock
work on the Skaguay trail.
In the evening there was meeting
at the foot of the first hill, attended
| by over 800 miners, who organized for
the work in front of them and elected
an executive committee, consisting of
James Christie, of Portland, president;
| Philip Adams, secretary; c. A. Cramer,
of Seattle, Mr. Heacock and Mr.. Day,
as sup1rintendents who selected expe-
| rienced men for the work on the rock
hills, and veteran loggers for the work
of corduroying the marshy places.
There were 30 Canadian mounted po-
lice also on the trail. They have
pitched in with a good will, and say
that the building of this trail now will
enable them to get in the 20 tons of
provisions in time TO build and provi-
sion the mail stations in their terri
tory SO that they can operate dog teams
all winter, and they agree to deliver
the mail every two weeks from the
Klondike to the American line. Work
=
trail, and all travel and packing has
been suspended untilit is completed.
There have been some kickers, as
usual, but they are SO much in the mi
nOrity that they have had to submit.
While L believe this trail will be COM
plete in ten days so that travel can be
resumed, don't start for this point ex-
pecting to get over for at least 80 days,
as it will 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 trouble for
small parties, but the swarm of people,
% per cent. of whom were tenderfeet,
and knew nothing about packing and
mountaineering, has been the cause of
congestion at this point.
Not nearly SO many discouraged
prospectors are selling their outfits
for a song as has been reported but
good many who started for the Klon-
dixie have given up that idea, have
turned toWn-site 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 1000. 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 Alaska Pacific Express Co.
has made arrangements to open an
office here and has appointed Ii. Z.
Battin, formerly of Portland, agent
The steamships Queen of Seattle, Alki
and Danube, of Victoria, have landed
over 500 passengers, 800 tons of freight
and 800 horses and mules since August
25, and still there is more to follow.
The Klondil1e excitement has turned
the attention of the whole world this
way, and USll 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 gentlemen,
comprising a doctor, lawyer, commits
sion merchant and assayer, all under
the guidance of L. l.. Bales, who has
spent the past eight years in Alaska as
trapper, hunter and guide. They
will stay along the coast in the Alex
andrian archipelago this winter and
in the spring will thoroughly prospect
the Copper River country. The other
party is headed by E. II. Fisher, Of
Los Angeles, Cal, and will push into
the Copper River country this winter.