Evening journal., 1897-07-21
ROAD TO GOLD FIELDS.
A Wilmington Company Will
Build a Railroad Into
THE RICH YUKON DISTRICT

BEGIN WORK ON THE ROAD, |
WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST IN
ALASKA. AND THE SOLUTION
OF THE PROBLEM OF GETTING
SUPPLIES TO THE GOLD RE
GIONS.
The Yukon Mining, Trading and
Transportation Company, which was
formed in this city a year ago. and
which is just completing final arrange
ments for operations in the Yukon dis
trict, will shortly put into effect plan
which will solve the vexatious problem
OF shortage of supplies and meagre ia
cilities for their transportation into the
klondyke and other mining camps in
the Yukon territory.
The pan proposed by the Yukon Min
ing, Trading and Transportation Com
pany is the result of three years inves-
tigation by exploration parties and the
accumulation of information gathered
from reliable sources In the Spring of
1895 the first exploration party was sent
into the Yukon country by this COM
pany in charge of p. /. Packard of
Portland, Oregon, whose mission in
volved a report to the company regard
ing the outlook for a profitable invest
ment in railroad enterprise. and also
to ascertain the best route by which
nayigable waters of the Yukon river
could be reached from the coast
This party returned after an eight
months tour and reported favorably on
the mineral resources OF the country
and the prospect for a profitable rail-
way investment provided a feasible
route could be discovered, but reported
that the passes at that time used by
the miners were unfit for the successful
construction and operation of a railway
through them. During the trip of the
exploration party, however. Mr.. Pack
ard CLEANED from Indians information
concerning natural pass from the
/ coast to Teslin Lake, at the head Of
steamboat navigation on the Yukon
river, which led him to suggest to the
company an investigation. The COM
pany considered the suggestion favor
ably. and early in the Spring of 1896
Mr. Packard engaged a number of In
dians as guides and packers and was
conducted by them over che route which
follows the Yukon river from the mouth
almost twenty miles south OF Juneau
to its confluence with the Nahkani
river in British Columbia. from which
point a natural pass was found leading
in a nOrtheasterly direction to the
southwest arm of Teslin Lake. Mr.
Packard further learned from the In
dians that this pass had been used by
Them for several hundred years, and un-
til that time only FIVE or six white me1
had tFaversed IT, Mr.. Packard wen
: over the route several times. and in DC.
tcber of last year returned with a ia
vorable report upon it, The pass is
generally known as the Taku Pass.
Mr.. Packard's report so thoroughly
satisfied the company as 10 the availa-
bility of the pass as a railway rOu,t
; that an organization was at once form
ed. and charters were applied for IN
West Virginia, British Columbia and
Canada. all of with were granted The
British Columbia government appreci
ating The necessity for the development
of the Yukon fields by a line of rail
way from the coast encouraged the en-
terprise by not only giving the com
pany a liberal charter. but also made d
grant of 5.120 acres OF land 10 th'
mile of railway to be built. which viii
amount to $4,000 acres To furtlIr th'
} enterprise. however, this land Is lef
b open to prospectors. who have only L
comply with the mining laws of Britsl
Columbia and Northwest territory.
After completing these negotiation
with the different governments Nh
r Packard came to Wilmington las
= month, and, during the last two weeks
q has made the final arrangements b.
b which the preliminary work Of the syn
dicate will be started Immediately. MI
| rsa &c fur nf "a
but will leave this city this week Il
r company with a prominent Easter
civil engineer, who is to survey th
route and report to the company tn
{ cost OF the construction of the roat
They will be joined at Seattle by IN
balance Of the survey party and will g
direct to Juneau. where they will es
tablish headquarters.
In an interview with a Journal II
l. porter to-day Mr.. Packard spoke In a
l. enthusiastic vein of the enterprise o
which he is about to set out The raj
way when completed, Mr.. Packard SAT-
- would be a great boon 10 the minel
- and would lengthen their working Sc;
son from four to six weeks as well Z
greatly reducing the cost of their SUI
" plies and remove the present dangerol
At delay to their transportation up the "
l. kon river. The road will be about II
miles long and will pass through se
D. tion Sbounding in rich gold-bearir
4 quartz. At present the men in the "
kon district who have already locate
placer claims can work them to adval
q tage during the Winter season, but
u' majority of them do not possess claim
ID only prospecting for them, and wh'
the Winter season sets in and ever
90 thing is covered by snow. it is imposs
n BILE to prospect satisfactorily, and tho
M men who cannot find employment wi
the mine owners are obliged either
remain idle in camp at an enormous G
is panse or make the long and expensi
di trip to the coast, whence they retu
the following Spring. The complete
Id of this railroad will. Mr.. Packard sal
open the quartz mines along its lint
a and will give these men employmei
g and avoid the necessity for their
.le parture from the country.
tv The road will connect with steame
from San Francisco and Puget Sour
and points at Taku Inlet on the Ala
NJ kan coast from which passengers a
IT, freight will in a few hours ride
an nlaced on connecting steamers at Il,