The San Francisco call., 1897-08-01
share OF the business prosperity original.

Dy me mlQCle OF the uay eApfcSS Wo6-
o ms began bringing baggage for the squad
OF rushers booked for passage. 1t doesn't t
take much experience to spot klondyke
baggage ON wharf. though it is done up
in so many ways. 1t has sort OF going
out-roughing-it style. They don't take
trunks 10 Dawson. bv the Juneau route
Many carry valises, but the majority take
their effects in bags and bundles. those
who know what they are doing favor long
cylindrical sacks Of canvas or stout OIL
cloth, eighteen inches in diameter and
four feet long, with stout puckering
strings at one end. These may be made
practically water proof, and they are ca
pacious and easily packed. An apparent
improvement on them appeared yesterday
in the shape of big canvas mail bags.
with tops that closed fiat like mail sack.
The bags, bundles of blankets and valises
accumulated in piles on the wharf, and
then on the decks. A great many are
taking rifles In leather cases.
At noon the first squad of donkeys for
the steamer arrived. There was bunch
of nine of them-funny little beasts-and
each was tagged for 'sF. r. Cook, Dyea, !"
written on the backs of old election cards
proclaiming the candidacy OF L. A. Rot
tanzi and Frank j. Murasky. A few hours
later the twenty o. so mules and blrros
that accumulated afforded the one sensa-
tion of the day. Four of these burros came
from the PARK, where the band has been
multiplying beyond the needs OF the
children's play ground, and the little fel-
lows will soon be packing 200 or 00.pound
loads over the passes beyond Dyea in
stead of packing fond babies around the
flower beds.
There was no difficulty in getting Fed
eral permission for the Willamette to run
as passenger vessel, as the requirements
were complied with, though the 100 cubic
feet OF air TO which each passenger Is en-
Titled was largely in The hatchways ana
above deck and not wholly about the
hunks. Six big boats, four life RATS and
;everal hundred life preservers were
hustled on deck during the afternoon.
The cabin" passengers on the willamette
have rough, ia.tiy constructed bunks,
which fill the big vacant spaces OF the first
lower deck in closely set rows and entirely
open. There are no staterooms or parti-
tions Three small hunks rise one above
another, supported by four posts atthe
corners. A hasty coat of red paint covers
the rough woodwork, but on each one of
the 400 cabin berths is comfortable
mattress and clean white linen and cover
lids. The open cabin hunks are built
around the smokestack, along both sides
of the butchers long table. and the fellow
that has bunk 28S can reach out his hand
and start donkey engine at his side.
The steerage passengers have rougher
quarters farther below, in the capacious
hold, but no kIondyker is going to kick
At roughing 1t a little in the steamer.
Tons OF beef il quarters and loads of
vegetables and other provisions went
aboard with force of cooks and walters,
and four French ranges were made fast
amidship. And amid and at all this
small army crowded and worked. One OF
the cooks went to cutting up quarter of
beef on one end of table that a carpenter
was finishing at the other end and men
with bedclothes met and jawed rushing
cooks with loads in narrow passageways,
while carpenters waited for them to
get by.
By the middle of the afternoon two or
three thousand people had gathered to see
the departure. which was set for P. NJ. A
large force of police kept the big covered
wharf pretty clear and there was poor
chance for sightseers. But at P. NJ. the
freight was not all aboard and 1t was two
and half hours before the vessel got
away.
About P. NJ. fun began with the getting
aboard OF The fifteen donkeys. half dozen
mi nd ho foyu
that were being taken along by ndivid-
ua!s and parties for packing over the
passes by men who saw money in the
packing bus mess up there. Each animal
had to be got into a high nalro box with
gate at one end, which was hoisted high
in the air by donkey-engine, swung
over the forward and lowered to where
the animals were 10 ride Not solitary
mule proposed to GO into that box, and it
took dozen longshoremen to get each
struggling mule in with ropes and clubs,
while the crowd cheered each success and
donkeys brayed frightfully.
Most of the gold-seekers had friends to
bid good-by and the adieus came with oc.
casional tears and flowers with the end of
the loading operation. Finally at 80 P.
~, CVCiy iulH was dpOhid Al uiS-
order on every deck ard the ship was
cleared of visitors. There were d few:
hastY KISSES much shouting of badinage
and ad leus, the ganeplank was heaved
ashore and Captain Holmes gave a whis-
tie blast, The big vessel moved out into
the bay and rounded with increasing
spced toward the Golden Gate cheered
again and again by the several hundred
on the wharf bile the departing crowd
cheered inreturn. rs. II. . +. s..
80 As the Willamette sailed away she had
accomm odations ready for all on board,
but there was great deal TO be done 10
make ready for. the vastly bigger crowd
waiting for her at Seattle, and a force of
workmen went along to work away on
bunks, ETC., during the three days of the
journey to Seattle. But the ship was in
harmony throughout with the KlondyKe
rush. /"
When the collier gets to the Sound she
will have ready accom- modations fol-. 500
steerage and 400 "cabin" passengers alto
gether, and these are already sold. 1t is
reported that when the definite announce
ment of the VILLA mette's special trim was