The Anaconda standard., 1897-12-22
THE KLONDYkE EXODUS
Many Montana Miners Will Join
the Rush to Alaska.
1T WILL BE A STAMPEDE
transportation Facilities Will Be Taxed
TO the Utmost-There Are Not Steam
ers Enough to Accommodate
the Great Crowds.

Butte and Montana generally VIII nelp
to swell the Klondyke movement in the
spring to the extent of several thousand
persons at least. If the inquiries made
daily at the railroad offices in this city
are any indication. Both the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern are making
arrangements to meet the travel west
ward, which is expected to begin early
in the spring.
The transportation question is giving
the railroad and navigation companies
great deal of concern" said A. j. Mitch
ell of Tacoma, who arrived in Butte
yesterday. 1T is also a question that
greatly interests the thousands who in
one way or another are interested in the
Klondyke movement soon to take place.
Even the man who is going thither TO
seek his fortune is vitality interested in
the matter. If there is too big crowd
he may not be able to secure a passage
or to get proper outfit, or be success
full in transporting it into the interior.
He should not trust too much to luck,
nor depend too much upon being able
to travel in the regular way. Certainly,
so far as the regular steamboats, are
concerned, their berths will all be en-
gagged weeks in advance, and the man
who neglectS to secure passage early
may have to wait a long time for his
land trains there is promise of incon-
yenience, if not delay. So great rush,
all in one direction, will tax the rolling
stock of the railroads to its utmost, since
cars will have to go back empty
The lowest estimate of the number of
people who will start for Alaska next
spring is $4,000, while some who have
given the subject much attention place
the figure as high as 100000. At an ave-
rage of 300 to each vessel it would re-
quire 10 steamers to convey the mini
mum number, while $50 would be neces-
sary to accommodate the maximum. To
send 10 steamers in the months of Feb
ruary. March and April would make it
necessary for two to sail each day Not
one-quarter the steamers necessary are
now advertised. The others will no
doubt be provided, for there are numer
Gus transportation projects on foot, but
nothing definite about them can yet be
said. This is sufficient to show that the
man who intends to join the first great
rush by the way of the passes and lakes
should make sure of his passage to Dyea
or Skaguay. AS to the route by the way
of st. Michael and the river, that will
mot be open till June, and extensive
transportation projects now under way
will be sufficiently developed long before
that time to make it well to postpone
any estimate of its resources until later
There are but two weil-knoWn and un-
deniably practical routes to the Yukon
mines. One is by the mountain passes
from Dyea and Skaguay to the lakes,
and thence by boat down the lakes and
rivers, and the other is by ocean
steamer to st. Michael and thence up
the river by light draft steamer All
other routes are yet to be proved, and
all who try them must expect to meet
with the tribulations and uncertainties
that lie in the path of the pioneer. I'm
III fl,a
travellers will try the passes, since the
mines can be reached in this way two or
three months earlier than by steamer
and of these the greatest number will
go over the regular Yukon trail by the
way of Chilkoot pass. the next greater
number going from Skaguay over the
| White pass
1t is well thoroughly to understand
this route and its variations as to the
two passes. Linn canal, about 100 miles
north of Juneau, penetrates NUMBER
of miles northerly into the coast noun
tains the very head of it being divided
into two arms by rocky promontory.
Into the easterly arm flows Skaguay
river and into the westerly arm the
Dyea river Both are rapid, ice-cold
mountain streams, nayigable for canoes
only for several miles. At the head of
these arms are located the new towns
of Skaguay and Dyea. From these
DOlntS 1t is necessary 10 cToSS the IiS IL
mountain divide to Lakes Lindermann
and Bennett, where boats are construct
ed for the journey down the river. Until
the past season the Yukon Adventures
have used the Chilkoot pass from Dyea
exclusively, the Chilkoot Indians pack
ing all the supplies at the usual rate of
IL cents pound. The route is q miles
long, and the summit of the pass is 1920
feet high. The Indians have always re-
fused to pack by any other route, de-
claring this to be the best one. Last
summer, owing to the great rush, and
the eagerness of all to get over at any
cost. the Indians raised their price for
packing, until often as high as 81 a
pound was paid them. This, and the
crowded condition of the trail led many
to try the Skaguay trail, which, al
though IL miles long. was asserted to be
better, because the summit of the pass
was some 500 feet lower. 1t was found,
however that the trail was not so good,
that the river had to be crossed several
times. and that, though the pass was
somewhat loves, the trail lee up al
down hill so mucn THAI the actual Climb
ing done was greater than by the cnll-
koot pass, VIII re tne ascent Was gIad-
ual to the loot of the summit div ide,
when one very steep climb was i.eces-
sary. The practical result was that a
very much larger percentage of these
who tried the Chill.oot pass succeeded
in reaching the lakes tilan of those who
attempted the Skaguay route. Never
| theless, Improvements are now being
made on both trails and both VIII be
extensively used in the spring. it being
much easier to go in then over the
snow when the rocks and mud whicn
| made the trail so difficult last fall are
| covered up.
There are projected improvements for
| 10th of those trails, in the nature IF
railroads and tramways. but as Yet only
| Chilkoot pass shows anything tangible.
! A combined railroad and tramway is
| under construction, and Is to he com
/ pleted by the 1st of February, for the
| taking of freight from Dvaa through 10
| Lake Lindermann. The probabilities are
| that this convenience will be pre- vice
! by that time. or shortly thereafter. The
company operating it purposes To cor
tract to carry freight from Dyea to the
/ lake al a price much below what II
/ would cost to pack ii over, and 70
| handle ii so promptly that by the time
/ tho ca0 walk over the tr..i has