The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-09-07

sioner Smith. at pyea, gives some amrsins
incidents of the formations and ,lissoiu-
tions OF partnership contracts by men start
ing out TO prospect IA the treasure regions
The, almost invariably qGsrrea as soon
as they reach the SkagBay tran. They
are tounh 10. qhetenSion upon htnlah ma
tsre in the attempt TO get to tie summit
is 800 great 10 withstand. A man VIII
quarrel with binsself. with his companions,
| with his dog, his aaff, his oetfit, with
everything animate or inaniniate. HS
simply caaf help it.
The letter conveying this peaceful spirit,
one toward the other, says, however:
.Reyond d doubt tie cream of society of
| the United States and the world is in the
] rush 10 the Yukon. Take the Yukoners s in a
bunch and shak them up, and no nncr body
OF men could be foan! ia any city or settle
nent All urciessieas and trades are Well
represented, and there are plenty offurmer
! governors former ledtes former senators
sad for1uer ma yoTs, besides politicians and
business Iaeb OF all kinds those who Fave
| been successful and tlrose who have failed ia
other places.
There are brokers and bankers an1fortu-
nate capitalists as well a. those W no have
/ seen better days. Lawyers are here who
! have ahal,aoned their lucrative practice, as
! wei as sorle who have come from "A stary-
1 ing ;9lrntaee. All arrive a. the bleak ports
4 of Dvc2 and Ska quay and disappear one
! by one up the trails and over the passes
1 toward the Yukon.
Nearly ell of them come to my office to
/ explain their position In life back home.
/ Then they build their boats, get their stuff
Gell upon the trail, come back FOR their last
! load. say eood-by, shake hands over and
! over q gain, beg that ueil from their friends
/ bc forwarded witi;oHt delay and regardless
/ II cost, say rol d-i,ye again and goon. one
RAN, whose acquaintance l made hut a
5onth ago shook hands with Inc at least
twenty Uinrs daring the last hour OF his
! stay. His supplies had gone on ahead, bat
! he wasloath - leave. He finally got away.
with tears in his eyes.
1T Is iike going 10 war: many viii re-
Turn. but some viii not. Many ties OF
friea .lShip VIII l,e formed. bat taose VINO
: start cut as frieads and dissolve partner
4 snip i,eoo1Ie p. D.5;ci enemies. A quarrel origi
natang osel The getting or yrood for camp
Tires will make enemies for life Of men.
4 THey could not become Friends again IL they
shoull return 10 CIVILIZATION and become
ueighbors Some companies have broken
| up because one ueTaber could not carry AZ
G,ii as Others. This is like crossing the
Alps | wonder IL Napoleon could have
/ led his army aaG dragged HE artillery over
/ 5lte ChlIloot Pass Coald Grant have taken
las troapS over the muady white pass with
Dus waiting for a winter night TO freeze the
! gromds Could Washington Lave crossed
The YHkua when taa ic- as breaking up in
the spring?
To illustrate the doubt n Ire minds OF
men tho get so m any stories, all conflict
/ iHg. about which tTail is best VIII tell
yoa tlIat tor.ay c0iautittee which had becn
appointed by party of thirty, all from
! the same town. TO examine The Two trails,
/ returned t. make its report. An engineer
| aud a slrNevOr were members OF The con,-
mit'ee. They Were cat three days, took
| -,esSpren. .enfs. estimated distances, ele
vstfpnS, ETC., and handed IN a unanimous
report The other twenty-fosr members
Of the party reJeCted the conaBiIce's re-
| port and decided to go oct and exa n4ine the
route Cor themselves.
Il have been here several weeks and have
! learned one thing about the tFsiis, and that
/ isif YOU " aut t. avaidhis eternal enrnit ydo
not advise any IA an Il take a certain route,
4 for n he follows your advice he viii curse
| vou every step OF tie way. A man who hsSs
! gone over both trails is Just as much at sea
| when he returns as before he started.
/ talked oonfiGentially with such man a
| few dave ago. / assured him that never
| expected to 20 over either trail, and asked
| him a. a person al favor to tell me for my
own satisfaction VIII at hc thought of the
| trails lie studied a few minutes, SCI atched
his head and finally said / really do not
| know which is the worse trail OF the two.
And still rucn are going in every day in
| limited numbers. and VIII continue TO do so.
although il takes d hustler and man or
nerve to do it. But it can be done. You
often hear a weakling say, so and So will
never getover the trail.' Thenext You hear
of SO aah SO Ire is over the summit, and
the weakling is still Ia camp. And 50 it
goes. Like business; like everything; the
men WITT push. energy and strength of pur-
| pose and with nerve get there, and their
weaker brothersfan 10y the wayside. Those
OF tie former class have too much pride to
return 10 their constituents without hav-
ing accomplished anything.
Tho far-seeing ones are preparing for
| winter trail, Tor beyond doubt the strug-
1 gle will go ON continuously all winter
Wien the SHOW falls and is beaten down,
then horses can stiT go over The white
OF Skagaay Pass. Wien the zoe is on the
river sleds viii take along the stuff, and
1 am sure that the rates For trans portation
viii be lower in the winter than now
/ Transportation is everything, and the trip
over Ice and snow is easier than through
mud aud water. There will be a couple Of
montl s, perhaps, OF slush and mud, when
nothing can be done. but after that the
| field win be open for travel Better wait
and ma Ike the start in the middle of winter
when ole is prepared for it, than be over
taken by il when YOU are away down
stream, or nowhere
The boom is Oh at Skaguay in earnest
Lu'nber for building purposes cannot be
| gathered fast enough Owners of lots are
hurryiag off to Juneau oget in early orders
for humber and building supplies. Rough
lumber has advanced S. a a:housandl feet al
ready, and the demand cannot be supplied.
| Wien a man succeeds in getting lumber il
| cannot be brought from him at any price.
When any article OF merchandise is wanted
| at Dyea or Skaguas ii is wanted badly and
any price will be paid for it. Flour and
baoSn, however. are now at discount
there.
Tide Table.