The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1897-09-27

the Outlook IN ALASKA.
The following excerpts are from
letter written by Mr.. Leslie Butler from
Skaguay, under date of Sept. 18th:
We lett Portland just after midnight
on Sunday, Sept. 9Th, on board the
Elder for our second trip to Alaska. We
have on board about $50 passengers,
sixteen of whom are ladies and five
children, some of them like ourselves,
bound for points on the coast, but most
of them are headed for the Yukon. We
landed at Astoria at 8 a. m. Monday,
and left at 10: :35, crossing out over the
bar without hardly knowing it, the sea
was 80 smooth, but after we were out a
few miles the sea grew a little more
boisterous and several OF the passengers
''felt little worse" We made no land
ing until we reached Mary's island.
Here all vessels, British or American,
have to stop at the custom house.
On Tuesday afternoon we met the
steamer Bristol towing the Eugene back
to Victoria. 1t is reported that they
had some trouble with the British Off
GERS. The Eugene, you will remember,
is the boat Mr.. E. B. Mcfarland and
others in Portland were taking around
to st. Michaels to run on the Yukon.
Our next landing was at Metlakahtla,
where DIR. Dunkan has a lot of Indians
colonized on an island. They have
churches, schools, saw mill and a
salmon cannery. They have no horses,
cattle, hogs or chickens; nothing but
dogs, Indians, missionary, doctor
and some teachers. They do not allow
liquors of any kind to be landed on the
island and they look like a prosperous,
we'll kept people.
The next stop is Ketchikan, and the
only industry here is sailing salmon,
but they do a whole lot of that.
Fort Wrangel, at the mouth of the
Stikeen river, IS our next stopping place,
and here we find quite trading post,
four good general stores, hotel, restaur-
ant, bakery, saw mill and salmon can
merry, all run by white people. Three oi
expecting to go up the Stikeen river
They have eight horses and provisions
for year.
We find ourselves next at Juneau, al
present the largest city in Alaska
From Juneau we crossed the bay, dis
tance of about one mile to Douglas iel
and, where are located the famous
Treadwell mines, the largest gold mine
| in the world.
Then we stopped at Seward city
About sixty miles from here are tn,
mines that are owned by the Portland
Cracker Company and other Portlan,
people.
And then we came to Skaguay, land
ing here at 8 80 Sunday p. M, just
week after we left Portland. 1 thinl
Skaguay will be a city, and that YER
soon. There are no less than 100 house
going up now, carpenters are getting
to 81 per day, and everyone is busy. !
is the general opinion, however, tha
there will be a lull for a time, as tn
weather will be too bad to work at any
thing. One can hear almost anytbin
here; some are DISCOURAGED and goin
back, others are going on through an
more are coming on every boat. A
kinds of business are fully represented
We have been here one week and it ha
rained every day, and the wind blows
gale nearly all the time. We met NJ
Chipp and Mr.. Settlemier here TO-DAY
They are all The Dalles people we hav
found so far.
The following are the distances frol
Portland to places on the way: Mary
, Island. 907 miles; Metlakahtla, 94
miles; Ketchiken, 961 miles; F
r Wrangel, 1850 miles; juneau, 1le
miles, and Skaguay, 1898 miles.
Yours truly,
LESLIE BUTLER.