The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28

hundred or more Of the .soIid citizens
with their wives and families. Dancing
is usually feature Of these gatherings
The town appears TO be most orderly
place. There are three dance houses. bat
they are conducted with remarkable dis
erection for such places. 1t Is not mat
ter of surprise that town OF Skasaass
origin should support so few OF these
places, as men who are able 20 make q
trip to Alaska with the expectation of
reaching the interior are usually raen Of
character. Any one who comes here with
the supposition that drinking and gam
bling is the passion OF the people will
soon learn the magnitude of bis error.
There are no hobos. and the manly class
IF men is common here. Eyeryb BODY seems
10 have plenty OF money and a desire TO
mind his own business.
DIR. IT. r. Littlefeid. chairman Of the
original citizens law and order committee
said:
SO many false reports have gone out
about the character of this place. about
the murders. robberies, suicides etc, al
legged to have been committed mere that
Skaguay feels that il Is about time TO call
a halt in some fashion TO such SANDERS.
Every resident of the town has been irri-
tated to degree by the continued publiea-
ton all over the country of interviews with
men who have gone back TO the states
and lied about the character of the place
TO excuse their failures, when If The facts
were known 1t might be learned that they
never got further on the trail than the first
gambling establishment 1t has been the
fashion with everybody, correspondents
and others. sending news to the states to
exasgerate II as much as possible. in or
der to make a lively story. But you never
see gun play. Nobody but some tender
foot just off the boat walks about with
}...ff sat.
the rampage here. There have tcen no
vigiiantes. and nobody has been hanged by
any committee. or anybody that l have
heard of. Why. the place cannot be COM
pared with hundreds of Western towns for
crime. It's peaceful in that respect
any New England village"
Ihe skagua. Trail.
Now, about the Skaguay trail. All but
"A few OF the most unreasonable partisan
people here agree that the trail by this
route. as used last summer, Is Impractical
bic. Another rush over 1t must produce
practically the same conditions. conges-
ton and great hardship. and dead horses
by the thousands.
People can go, have gone. and are yet
going over it. but il will never do for
the rush next year, and none recognize
this 80 well the people OF Skaguay.
But the people of Skaguay also recognize
structed over this pass which will possess
advantages superior to any at present
found on any route to the northern inte-
rior. and IL is because of the knowledge
that such a thoroushfare viii be con-
structed In time To meet the rush, that
Skaguay is so sure OF It's position. and
capital is staying there.
A first-ciass wagon road to connect
Skaguay with Lake Bennett is now prac-
ffNas to IA he f.f
s,ruction is already begun. some thirty
five or fosty men being at work. and 800
feet OF the road. sixteen feet wide. in two
days. at cost of 800, completed, along
the broken rock bank skirting the val
ley on the right. The road from Skasuay
TO the summit will be a little over sew
enteen miles long, and the grade will not
exceed per cent. except possibly at a few
points. where for a very short distance
IL may be as high as 10 per cent, but
not greater. 1t Will follow the Skaguay
river the greater portion Of the way. As
the incline Is fairly uniform, II Is obyi-
Gus that rise Of $500 feet tthe altitude
OF the pass. in seventeen miles will make
Il grade that should take but little more
power 10 overcome than TX the load were
drawn over level ground.
The distance from the summit 10 Lake
Bennett is over twenty miles. or about
thirty-seven miles for the entire distance
AS Is well known, the natural grade from
the summit TO the lakes Is very uniform
80 but little work will be needed to per-
feet the road on that side OF the divide
The road will have rock bed much of
the way, and elsewhere will be thoroughly
corduroyed. 1t escapes the DOGGY ground
of the old trail and when completed it's
capacity VIII he practically unlimited.
The Skaguay Yukon Transportation
Company Is the name of the concern un-
dertaking this work Ii is Incorporated
under tho Washington state laws and cap
itallxed at s5taao. T. NJ. Ward is presI-
dent. The work Is handled through an
executive committe composed of u. Mel.
Brown manager OF the Seattle Bridge
Company: II, sampson. of Skaguay, ard
eX-Nayor George A. Bracket. of Mime
spoiis, \ large number OF the people Of
Skaguay are stockholders, 1t Is estimated
that ne, over $780, 100 viii he required 20
put the road In shape for use To the sum-
NIT
Horse Tramway
Another enterprise for transporting mer-
chandlsc over the Skaguay pass is that of
the Skaguay Il Lake Bennett Transporta-
ton Company. H. T.. Battia. of Portland
president. II. {. Ash. of Philadelphia Sec
rotary and treasurer. r. \. Webster of
Portland, is manager of construction. II
Is understood that this tramway VIII be
t'ot~fF1Fkft Win FAi4S OF WOODEN poles
spiked on ties. the tramcar TO run on
wherix with ccncave rims, AS horse
tramway r. imprsctcable on n steep grade
X Is probable that a chile will be used in
getting oyer the steep places. The work
has been somewhat retarded owing 10 de-
lay ~ the ARRIVAL or funds, hut Mr. Rat
tin stated ;his evening that money had ar
rived by he A1-Ki and that the company
VIII have its first payday tomorrow. He
said further. We have forty men at
work. and about four miles Of the way
has beer cleared and the ties ready We
expect - put about $50 more men a;
trawway ia operation 10 the summit by
March l."
Ntnter Trail Anyhow.
Fvcn should The completion Of both the
wagon rcsd ana the framway he DELAYED.
SkaEuay IS confident ~ being able TO ham
/ die ,iS share 81 the rush" business FOR 3
say tAe citizens. we have got = splendid
winter trail When The Skaguay river IT.
frozen ana the storms have eased up there
| Will p, ahou1 two months when IL VIII Re
! cAni's play 20 sled a. on the snow and
/ tcc risht az the frozen bed - the skagtay
river, There Is no steep climb 80 the SUM
| VITA these conditions. and shev wish last
probably until the road Is completed 80
We are going 10 be In II, any way the cat
Z Jumps"
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