The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-28
The GOLD FIELD RAILROAD.
Willard Salisbury, one Of the Directors,
Tells What the Delaware Company
Proposes to do.

Willard Salisbury, one of the directors
of the Delaware Company which proposes
to build railroad to Alaska gold fivld,
yesterday afternoon fully discussed the
project saying;
build u railroad from Tsku Inlet to Teslin
Lake, which line will be within Canadian
or end Of Alaska, along tho Taku to
juneau, the great QUILTING point at pres.
ent for the Yukon. klondike miners.
Steamers from San Francisco, Seattle,
Tacoma aud Vancouver will be able the
whole yoar to land at the company's
wharves and discharge freight to BIO car
ried over the railway 100 miles to Teslin
Lake. whence steamboats, will distribute
1t TO all lake and rivor points. Teslin Lake
Is largo body of water and the real reser-
voir of the Yukon country.
"The time required to reach Klondike
when this line Is In operation will be
about three or four days, while the quick
est communication tho Canadian Govern.
ment has been able TO make under tho
most favorable circumstances with its
surveyor, William Ogilvie, now at Klon-
dixie, has heretofore been six weeks.
ut costs now about $40 per ton to get
freight from Seattle or Victoria. d. c., to
tho klondike and passage via st. Michael
Island and the mouth Of tho Yukon, about
5000 miles, Is $3.50. Freight cannot be got
into the couatry now In any other way
and tho rates fare prohibtive except for
food and absolute necessities
1t takes practically whole season for
passenger on the river boats to get into the
country. The mouth of the Yukon Is
frozen up md filled with leo long after the
headwators $500 miles away and much
further south are clear, and four to six.
NJ n n fpp
miles when boats carrying freight down
stream from Tesin Lake would DO aided
by the current when loaded and run back
light when breHstingit.
ut Is more than likely that the NOR.
chants and business men Of Juneau will
establish pack trail over the Taku route
pending the completion Of tho railway and
so hold their trade. a pack trail for
mules from the head of the canoe -naviga.
ton on the Taku to Teslin Lake could DO
readily and cheaply established and would
itself almost revolutionize the methods Of
getting into tho Yukon fields.
Leaving the steamer 80 miles from Ju.
neau the miners would canoe some 90
miles and then with mule train 80 miles
to Teslin Lake, when bouts could again be
taken to any Yukon River point. This
would hold tho Yukon trade for Juneau
and with the Taku-Teslin Lako..road built
self, the future Of that thriving town as q
distributing centre would be assured,
"While the klondiku is the centre Of the
present largo gold finds. some other find
will likely soon equal or surpass it, and it
is especially interesting to read The late re-
port of William Oyilvie, ID. l.. S, of the
Canat,t.n Government, resident until re.
comfy at Fort Cudahy, that rich finds Of
coarse gold have been found on the Hoota-
the immediate outlet of Teslin Lake.
1T is especially noticeable that the
miners arc all working uE- stream from
the old diggings, Circle City and Forty
Mile, the first rich finds are almost de-
serted, and as tho streams fur, her south
(up-strenm) are prospected, the richest
finds are mado. This strongly supports
The reports of tho projectors OF the Teslin
Lake Railway that the Yukon gold fields
are only northern continuation Of tho
old Cassiar fields, and tho western slope of
tho Cassiars, which has never been pros.
pected, may be readily reached by the
laku and Tcsin route "
Mr.. salisbury has copies of oil official
reports and maps of the country, and pri.
vnie reports and dat. furnished the com.
pany by the explorers they have employed,
and says that these reports state that the
Taku route is entirely practicable and
comparatively very easy for railroad con
Mr.. salisbury continued: "Mr. Pack
ard has covered the distance on foot from
Teslin Luke, about 30 miles, travelling
light. to The head of navigation on tho
Taku, in 80 hours, actual travelling time,
about 3 milcs per hour, practical demon
stration hat the country is not SO bad to
travel over.
"ro this company, known as the Yukon
Mining, Trading and Transportation Com
pany, the Parliament Of British Columbia
at its last session gave full powers to
build its line, and q land grant of 100 900
acres, which grants were confirmed by the
Dominion Parliament ut Ottawa in May
last, with additional privileges and con-
CeSSlOnS.
Mr.. salisbury, who visited Ottawa in
the interest Of the company at the last
session of Parliament ridicules :he idea Of
the Canadian Government treating Ameri-
can miners harshIy.
The Canadians want the count ry dcvel.
opod, he says. and there Is gold enough in
the Yukon to occupy the adventurous gold
seekers OF tho world for twenty years in
washing its placer beds while gold bearing
quarz lodges have been found for hun.
dreds of miles running from ten dollars
to ono hundred dollars to the ton Tho
possible gold output is simply fabulous,
ANA Mr.. salisbury expects the present re.
port; to be greatly exceeded when this
season. wash is reported