The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-31
OVER SKAGUAY TRAIL
GOLD HUNTERS ~ NoTELY ARRAY
CREEP ALONG THE PASS.
Few Eaergeffe PARTIES Crowd
Through the ssrsxgfinx Mob. and
Reach the Lake-frfendships
Soon Broken by the Annoyanees
and Trials of the Great W bite
Pass-Hen tn the North Warn


SKAGEAY, Aug. z3s--The lam = broken
On the Skzgaay trau q number Of cut
Cts have gotten over. and there j. a steady
stream II moving humanity mixed - n
an almost iflsiiseTIoabls uzass OF horses
Of al sizes. ages and previous conditions.
mules. sfeerA. milk cows. angora goats
and dogs also vehicles OF every eeserlp-
ton and kind 10 Be iEDsEf1ed- Three
steamers are now unloading on lighters.
which convey the freight as near he
SHIRE AS possible where Il j. loaded On
wagons OF carried above high tide. Two
pale drivers are At work Of another dock
which is intended 20 he q substantial
AFFAIR
: new saw mill got up steam for the
first time this morning. Rough lumber
t. worth 20 per fhocsannt but can not
be got half fast enough at any price.
The city * tents IL not being displaced.
bat reinforced ~ q city Of stacks Of al
E sizes and degree OF finish. Ss<aguay is
the boom town Of Aiaska. Every man
whose heart failed hin when he en-
caunferea tfe first hardship has turned
fownsite boomer. -Four weeks ago Ska
gEay was not xHswn. today there are not
less than 800 people here IN addition 20
those on the ships IN the harbor They
have surveyed the towasite- The nTSt
corners having first choice Toe United
States commissioner IS issuing some kind
81 q certificate, fee. s., surveyor. another
IS. ana then the esluatisr sticks up MS
tent, shack or corral and Is ready TO skin
the first fenaerf1ot that comes along.
'gFsL.Afers-oy quit ciain-are quite coaa-
3son aud az high as sec has been paid
Tor choice location.
There II no danger OF famine here,
though tnors rsay be shortages In ceT-
tain lines. On All sides smiling plenty
as II c3ajared By some enehanter" here
abounds. Great piles OF nay. grain. -four.
bacon. sugar and all the necessaries are
In stock, apparently 10 last for some time
20 come.
There are not less than 200 horses at
work on the skaguay trail, bat it is hard
10 get any one 10 contract 20 deliver you
over the summii-at any price-but you
can get over for about % cents pound il
you are willing 10 wait and contract by
sections. The packers at this end Of the
trail do not like TO contract farther than
the FIRST hill. six miles out. then one has
20 hire another outit.
At Dyea the Indians are moving the
freight Ia an almost unbroken stream
from the landing TO Lake Llnderman. and
u Is no trouble TO contract TO get ones
entire outfit put over at one trip for 90
70 IS cents per pound. No one should
come expecting to get over this fall for
less rate. ard no one should bring boats.
There are boats set up Knocked down,
IN sections and single boards on both
trails from landing 70 base OF summit.
bnt not one has yet been taken over.
J. NJ. HAGERTY.
No Chance for Newcomers.
sKAGuAY TRAIL Aug. a.-Tonight
iinds VA ten miles only from Skaguay.
tired and weary and almost Disguised with
things as they exist here. / would say to
every man who Is thinking Of coming. no
matter il he has engaged passage. TO stay
away until spring. unless he wants 10 win
ter on the trail. There are fully 1900 men
on this trail tonight with. perhaps. 500
horses and the trail is almost completely
blocked from the bay to the summit. a dis
lance of twenty-five miles: there are hun
dreds OF places on the trail where It is Inn
possible for two horses TO pass. and the
only way TO do Is 70 so from one stopping
place 20 another and wait.
oftentimes person is obliged TO wait
from one 10 two hours for pack train to
pass, now and then they are caught along
the trail whore Il Is almost Impossible 10
go either way. this ia especially so along
a chain OF lakes where the tran Is very
narrow and runs IN and out along lts very
uneven shore. There Is never a day passes
but from one 10 i've horses are showed
/ on into this deep Lake. while trying TO pass
one another. Very seldom II IS though
that they are drowned. for as soon as one
goes ever the word goes both ways on the
trail that horse Il down. and all who can
leave their animals come. and with their
ropes and al they ere generally able 10 Ift
them right up and out. Some horses taken
out Of the lake have been cut and bruised
very badly on the rocks. and VIII not be
able 70 go again on the trail for months
~
~ three hours, az least one-hslf OF this time
was spent in waiting and passing pack
trains; during one waiting hour I counted
l6i loaded horses.
Thc start II Easy.
I speak OF this trail only as far as have
been and have seen with my own eyes
Tho tran Is a good wagon road from
Skaguay. 70 what Is called the foot OF the
mountain, distance Of four miles. There
are several double teams which might be
engaged 10 haul goods these four
miles for from s. 20 s. per hundred. pro-
Wiling they can he secured az an. as they
are rushed night ana day. one mue from
Sk2guay city The wagon road crosses the
Skaguay river. which teams are Obliged TO
ford, bat a small bridge IA there for horses
ard tootmen. A person fortunate enough
30 aave horse Is enabled here
en this only level road to nrst
lines, new ard stubborn horses They
generally next Resort 20 two-vheel push
cart sech as were being sold on the streets
- Seattle. which are very scrviccahlp for
theS~ four miles only. there are many 9TH
CT handmade rigs which are showed and
pashed ard carried by the men, the pack
strap IS. % course used az al times.
Ctty ON the Mountain side.
Nearly every one attempts 20 move All
+ bis goods q the base cf the mountain hs-
fore beginning she ascent. 90 here there IA
apdther city ~ tents. Vita about so occl-
pants all the time. Here e ls thar the tran
begins Ter a hair mile nearly STRAIGHT 40.
There arc muddy places where the horses
almost So eat q sight; thea The path leads
ever haulasrs go thar 81 81 ali a mar empty
banded ear So ga Ciirh let af10a ths, POOR
}oaaied horses, when she top IS reached
thc trail rUns for abcut a mi}s over luits
levfl ground. h1i from constant travel Il
has necerna very soEEv. ana the horses
often mlre ard the racks have 70 BE- emf
81 before thcy can he gotten oat.
~ here Horses Iese Their Footing.
We taen reach 5he chain a. small lakes.
here tao traH Is very narrow ami Il
takes q s3re-fc1tea horse te krsv from,
falllus iuto ere water Erom here the tran
3n the ReNt mlle ftSes about I 80 feet sad
thsm rmrt Ser about onn-half fngla over
Z comparative level hut rocky ground ard
then 6uWa TO wnst Is called porcup.na
efeek
q IS en- tha descent ~ thgs hHl which &.
called thr xwltrhhack thar the rsesss an
ser Re encountered as Ear rs hnve b..an
along ;te trail 1aas yesterday while On
cur Way 8own the hiil Ne3nr ln a train ~
haTsaE PERHAPS fyec u1l3es Icing ~, ws~a
STARTLED hv fhe cry. ''IsaoA cut fslesy.'.
locking OF We saw acrso turuins over