The record-union., 1897-09-26
A SACRAMERTAN At SKAGUAY
GRANT DRIVER DESCRIBES
THE SITUATION.
AIE Kinds OF People There, but
Good Order Prevai1s-The
Pass Now Open.
tspec,al Correspondence Of Recora-Union.)

Especial Correspondence Of Record-Union0
Skaguay, Sept. 13, 1897.
Eds. ''Record- Union" I win give
you a. correct account of the condition
ofsafTairs in Skaguay. I have read the
accounts published in some OF the pa
pers. Some are more or less correct.
but most Of them give the pubic a
very different idea of affairs from what
they really are.
I came here from Sacramento nearly
three weeks ago. The town, which may
be properly called a mushroom"
town, was then composed entirely OF
tents. There was but one wooden
structure in the town There We're be
tween two and three thousand people
here, all living in tents. Now there
are about one hundred and fifty wood
en- buildings being constructed. Mostly
business houses. There are three large
hotels nearly completed, and plenty OF
stores and saloons, and some dwellings,
All classes of society are represented
here. Laboring men, prc~-~-Sslonal men,
confidence men. gamblers. and
thugs, all are here making the
most they can from the business
they represent. And yet there is or
der. Life and property are as safe here
as they are in Sacramento. A vigil
lance committee has been organized,
and the man who steals ham will re-
ceive the same punishment as the one
who kills his neighbOr- The fact that
this committee has had nothing to 90
is proof that this is a very orderly town.
The streets have all been surveyed and
named.
There is a great deal of talk now
about a railroad being built from here
to the lakes. There has been a survey
made of the pass for that purpose, but
whether the plan viii be carried out or
not remains to be seen. There are at
present three companies building
wharves. The Oldest company is from
Victoria. and has spent more than SI4,-
600 here already. and has not half COM
pleted it's wharf. This wharf is built
against a cliff about a thousand feet
high. The approach to it is about half
a mile in length. The other two COM
panies, one from Juneau and the other
from Seattle, are building their wharVes
about half a mile out, with the ap-
proach reaching as far as the high tide
Wages here are anywhere from 81 to
80 per day. The wharf companies pay
SO per day and board the men Pack
ers get SO cents per pound. At that
rate some make as high as S15 per day.
The pass between here and the lakes
has been very bad, but it is now in fair
condition The representatives of the
New York eWorld" have taken the
matter in hand, and, with the aid OF
men wishing to pass over and the sub
scriptiUns of the business men, have
opened the trail, and made it possible
for those who have means and courage
to pass through
The greatest obstacle in the way Of
the traveller to Klondike is encountered
at the lakes There is no timber in
that vicinity for boat building, and it is
impossible for one to go into the gold
fields without one. Boats on Lake Ben
nett are selling for from $3.50 to $500.
oat-builders are Offering 500 for
ten-inch saw log. Men are offering
$500 each for seats in small boats down
the Yukon
The steamers Queen and Alkf arrived
to-day with more miners for the Klon-
dixie GRANT S. DRIVER