The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-12
FROM TAKU TO TESLIN.
RAILROAD Iyro THE YUKON SURE
TO BE BUILT.
W. Il Pratt. the En9aneer. Refarns
and Says He Has FcanA = Feas-
fble Roate-vast Deposits Of Min
erAa SamPled-Bfs CoEcessfona.

W. A Pratt. the engineer who WIS sent
10 the Northwest Territory by the Yukon
Mining. Trading ami Transportation Com
pany. OF Wilmington. Delaware. 10 make
q reconnaissance for a railroad into the
Yukon country. returned yesterday morn
Ing from the north on the steamer City
or topeka, having accomplished the raSs-
he TOOK the afts-n Ron overland train Tor
the east Accompanying him was ris as
sistant, Mr.. T. g. Janney, Of Baltimore
The result OF Mr.. Pratt's investigations
were 50 satisfactory from an engineering
point OF View that IL is altogether likely
that few weeks viii see several parties
OF engineers on the ground laying out the
railway line
and the route runs from the head OF Taku
inlet TO Lake Teslin n the Interior. Lake
Tesiin Is al the head OF the Hootahnaua
river, one OF the principal tfou aries OF
the Yukon. and both are navigable. so
that the line viii be from salt water nayi-
CATION 10 steamer navigation on the river
Speaking Of the proposed line, Mr.. Pratt
said:
II found very favorable route indeed
for tae line. IL goes up the Taku river
TO the junction Of the Clocioheen and Ma
kina rivers, thence up the latter river 10
Silver Salmon river and finally overland 20
the head Of Teslin lake. The highest
grade Is per cent and the route Is re-
markedly direct for a mountainous coun-
try. Il viii not be an expensive road 70
construct. the only difficulty helng the
trouble and expense Of getting in sup
crossed the elevation is 5000 feet, but the
ascent Is gradual and the summit Is a
table land. | shall advise the company
not TO attempt to build more than one
half OF the road the first season, and put
on pack train for the remaining dis
lance. completing the entire line the year
following
Mr.. Pratt says that II will take ell Of
next year to build the first half OF the
line. The locating surveyors Will go 10
work as soon as the snow comes. and
have the route ready by the opening OF
spring. He also says that there are vast
deposits Of mineral along the route. and
many specimens for assay were secured.
Us timber is scrubby and poor but there IS
luxuriant growth of grass on the table
land. The surveying party consisted Of
four white men and three Indian pack
ers They saw three black bears and
much other game.
The yukon Mining. Trading and Trans
portation Company has secured conces-
sions from the Canadian government OF
5.ao acres Of land for each mile OF road
built. IL has a bill in congress now pro-
viding for rights at Taku Inlet. which is
In Alaskan territory. The company is
composed OF New York and Wilmington
capitalists. among whom are Preston Lee
and Willard Salisbury of the latter city.
Mr.. Pratt is professor of engineering in
the Delaware State College at Whining
ton. He for a number of years was divi-
sion engineer on the Il. a. o. railway.
Accompanying Mr.. Pratts party into
the interior were j. T. johnson and part
ner. two Yukoners who dreaded the psrils
of the sleeper passes. They kept up with
the engineer until the head OF canoe navi-
cation on Taku river. During the time
that the surveying party was making the
remainder Of the journey and back again,
Mr.. johnson had made fifteen miles. The
two men had heavy outfit and they will
doubtless be all summer in reaching Lake
Tesln.