Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-16

sucked through mighty opening in the
hills to the right. mountains rising on
either side to a height of between 1900 and
5000 feet. Lynn canal lies between noun
mile in width, and the prevailing wind is
always cold. The first and only stop made
between Juneau and Skaguay is at Haines'
Mission. small Indian village twenty
miles southeast of Skaguay, and on the
north side of the canal. This marks the
entrance to the Dalton trail, a route usual
iy taken by those who have cattle, horses
or sheep to drive to the interior of Alaska.
This trail is about 600 miles long, and en-
tiers the interior by way Of Chilkat Pass,
to the north of Chilkoot Pass.
Those who were on the beach the morn
iLg we landed at Haines' Mission claim
there is abundant pasturage for live stock
all along this trail. The trail has been
used for several years. and usually with
success.
By the time we arrived at Skasuay the
wind had increased perceptibly, and like
wise the rain. The steamer dropped an
Choir, and a small tug brought out q scow,
ON which the goods Of the steamer, were
hShtered. Ordinarily, passengers can wait
and land from the scow, or take passage
with one OF the numerous ferrymen in row.
boats, at cost Of from Is cents to so
cents per trip, according to whatever the
terryman can wheedle out of the victim
The landing of goods from the scows is
no snail matter. The scows are lowed at
high tide to the beach. and at low tide
teams are driven alongside and the goods
hauled to higher ground. The tide rises
and falls twenty-six feet, and it not infre-
quently happens that a wagon will be load
ing at scow when the tide comes in SO
fast that before the loading Is completed
the water will be up to the wagon box.
Skaguay itself Is conglomeration Of all
Eationalities; all kinds of buildingstor,
rather, lack of buildings-are in evidence
The first requisite in Skaguay Is a pair of
rubber boots-good long ones; for Broad
t1n v>~fv 30
less than six inches deep in mud. Side
walks are unknown-one just wades and
wades. Broadway is practically the begin
ming of White Pass trail. Following Broad
straight line for half a mile. when it sud
denly comes to an abrupt halt through the
location in the center Of the street of a
big saloon and gambling house, known as
the Pack Train Saloon. Then Broadway
makes another brave attempt to keep
straight for quarter Of mile, and finally
winds up in a AgZag trail that Is part and
parcel of the trail over the mountains.
Along each side Of the main street are
ranged the business houses. There are
about twenty saloons, eleven blacksmith
shops, thirty restaurants and bakeries, fif
ty miscellaneous lines dance halls, hotels.
custom house, etc, while the territorial
surveyor ana his deputies find room to do
a good business. This is a veritable Mecca
for the Spectator. On one corner the dis
mayed prospector. who had QUILTED COM
don his trip and is selling his flour for per-
haps 80 cents per sack. Within fifteen min
Utes after he has sold the flour the specu-
lative purchaser Is Offering it for from 81
to 81 per sack. Many lines of staple goods
would be bought in this manner for less
than they cos. in Seattle. Thus: Hay, $50
per ton: oats. $23 per ton; cabbage, cents
per pound; beans, l to cents per pound /;
eggs, 80 cents per dozen; bacon. to Is
cents per pound; potatoes, 70 cents to 81
per sack of 100 pounds.
In case a person changes his mind as to
the route preferred, and the Dyea trail is
chosen, accommodating boatmen will trans
fer his goods from Skaguay to Dyea for
IS per ton. the distance being six miles.
and the price almost much as that
charged by steamers on freight from Seat
tie to Skaguay, a distance of nearly a
thousand miles. In case you prefer to ride
rather than walk, the fare will be from 81
to s., according to the number in the party.
From Skaguay to Juneau the fare is So;
returning, $40: freight SO per ton.
Skaguay now has about 100 frame build
ings. a population approaching 1.2O0 and
committees for almost every known object,
from committee on removing dead horses to
committees to look after the numerous cor
respondents of eastern dailies. the latter
committee having even more to do than the
dead horse committee.
An Orderly Town.
Skaguay is really an orderly town from
a frontier standpoint. Comparatively few
robberies are reported, when the great
number of miscellaneous humanity who
have rushed in there is considered. To be
sure, probably not half the population know
when Sunday arrives-in fact, there is no
Sunday in Skaguay. Saloons and all kinds
of gambling games-keno faro, black Jack,
poker, roulette-flourish by day and by
night; seven days and seven nights each
week without interruption. The only cloud
that appears on the gamblers horizon is
the appearance of the deputy United States
marshals, which usually threatens n seiz-
ure of liquors. providing there is an over
abundance The liquor traffic presents
peculiar complication at this place. 1t is
not an offense the law is administered,
to sell whisky, except to Indians; but if the
liquor is found in persons possession the
liquor is liable to seizure. Most saloon men,
therefore, carry very small stocks lin