Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-06

Fort Wrangell, where everybody went
ashore to The village and the totem
poles. We made extensive inquiries in re-
gard to the Stikeen river route. which. it
is believed by many, will be the best,
easiest and most popular route to the head
waters of the Yukon after this winter. We
obtained very reliable information, as fol-
lows The Stikeen river Is navigable for
light-draught stern-wheel steamers from its
mouth, 126 miles. to Glenora, and under
favorable circums tances to Telegraph
creek. twelve miles further. 1t Is open to
navigation from the LIST of May to the mid
die of November. There is good grizing
for horses and cattle from April to De-
cember. From Glenora or Telegraph
creek to Lake Teslin. the source of the
Hootalinqua river. the trail is about $50
miles. There is little or 10 climbing to be
done. The provincial government has been
working on this trail all summer and by
spring will have an excellent road through
a comparatively level country. 1t is even
possible that a railway will be built be-
tween Glenora and Lake Teslin and that
steamboat line will be plying on the lake
and rivers by spring, as companies to
buld the railway and steamboats, have al
ready been chartered and organized. From
Lake Teslin to Klondike is only $50 miles
by water. AS we have not yet seen the
Ia1ya and Skaguay trails we are unable
t, to make ma COMPARISONS; but from all We have
pears to be by odds the best route.
we would advise those who intend to
go by this route to purchase their entire
outfits in Victoria. They can be purchased
cheaper there than in the United States:
the freight to Wrangell will be less and
the goods will go through in bond and
across the Canadian frontier free of duty,
which will in itself be a saving of 30 per
cent. A reliable merchant of Victoria
made us an estimate, including a years
provisions. pack animals. passage money
and freights from Victoria to klondike, at
$780,
Arrival at Juneau.
AT 10 O'Clock on Tuesday night we reach
ed Juneau. This is three hours later than
Washington time, yet it is broad daylight,
the sun having set but few minutes be-
fore. Here We encountered our first delay,
berg met at the wharf by a strike for
higher wages on the part of the roust-
abouts We had a large amount of freight
10 load and unload. and the captain after
vainly searching through the town for
other laborers binding none, because all
have gone to Taiya and Skaguay) finally
gave IN to the strikers. But this delay
cost US an entire DAY, for instead Of leav-
ing early Wednesday morning we will not
leave till Wednesday night
Al Juneau we met several miners who
are back from Tafya and Skaguay, and
tney bring sorry news. They say that at
each place there are at least 1900 pros
pectors encamped, with an immense amount
OF provisions. Very few are making any
progress at all. At the Chilkoot pass there
ing 50 cents pound for packing goods
across the pass. 1t is impossible to use
horses there, and yet there are no burros
AT Skaguay the conditions are quite as
bad. NO one, so far as we could hear, has
yet been through the White pass. There
are about 1000 men there and about 600
horses. but the road is in such wretched
condition that no progress is being made
II Is estimated that it would take 15OO
horses seventy days to carry through the
provisions now at Taiya and Skaguay and
that the cost of such carrying would be
*oo.oo0. A great many casualties are re-
ported Several men have been drowned
IN attempting to cross streams; one In
dlan mas been killed, and several men Or
aered out OF camp under threat of hang
ing Those who have been to the passes
say that not more than ) per cent of those
VINO are at the passes will get through this
year YET every day adds hundreds to the
thousands already there. 1t begins to ap-
pear that those who went around by St
MlchaeIs stand the best chance of getting
into the klondkc this year. ]. S. r.