The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-09-26

Jacksonville, ILL.,, who came up on the
steamer with us we found n: the top of
the mn chopping away at the roots for
dear lie, imagining they were bcttering
the trail. J. felt sorry for them when
they get along n little further.
By August IS we had moved our camp
TO miserable little piece Of marsny
ground where several tents were ahead
of US. The work Of moving our goods
is the hardest ever encountered. Many
men give it up, and selling their outfits,
struck out for home, but we vowed TO
get through even though the trail was
simply lndescribablc.
We decided 10 push on and find n good
camp and then come back for our goods
We travelled over two mountains before
we struck 4 place nature must have i'll
tended for camp, just beyond Porcu-
pine creek and on top OF 4 mountain
1t would have been impossible to pitch
another tent near us. The SPOT was
beautiful but the only way We could
make our tent stationary was to tie
rocks to the guy ropes and let them
hang over the edges OF the big rock
which formed the floor, covered with
moss, and fully nifty feet high OH all
sides. with the exception Of one spot,
which Sloped down, making it possible
to climb. There was not q stick or shrub
oii IT, anu Liz ldSl tllttl we "eIc lHOoltu
on top of this circular cliff with weighted
guy ropes WAS cXhiiirating. Down below
We could see the tops of other tents. We
were fourteen miles from the beach,
twenty-five from Lake Bennett, and
eight miles from the big summit At
that time we calculated it would take
us ten days to carry our goods up 10
porcupine camp and onto the summit
and two weeks from there to Lake Ben
nett. and decided by the 18th of Sep
TENDER we would be sailing down the
Yukon.
Each step Of the trail from Camp
Porcupine on grew harder and harder;
our feet were sore and our backs aChcd,
but beyond that we felt well and hope
full. There were so many laden horses
on the trail they obstvucted rapid tran
sit, but if you could see the trail the
wonder would be how q horse could avcr
get over il at all. The poor beasts, after
three trips through TO the lake. are gem
orally useless. Many are killed daily
by accidents The first time we went
down this trail IL made us rather ncr-
vous-it is a change from State stree,
flagging--but we soon grew used to it,,
though there are places so narrow q
horse can barely find footing with n cliff
on one side and n deep canon on the
othcr-onc mis-stcp and all would be
over.
One OF our party pushed on to Lake
Bennett to get authentic Information
and returned with anything but encour-
aging reports. The trail ahead OF Ills
was worse than that we had passed over
That was bad enough-after one mile,
fifty pounds on my back felt like one
hundred, and not one out of one hundred
men who started from Skasuay will get
to their destination this fall. The next
Sunday Two of us walked back to Ska
quay, then fourteen miles behind. 1t
was dreary walk.
In ten days the town had grown con-
sidciably, as five or six steamers had
landed since we stepped ashore. Frame
buildings had sprung up and an air of
business had somehow cnvclnped the
place. But it would be preferable to
camp all winter in the mountains to
staying in Skaguay, which is G. hole Of