The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
HORSES AND MEN MIRED
sKAGUAY TRAIL STILL IMPAssABLE
AT LAST REPORTS.
Three Thousand Men at the Foot of
the First Hill Unable to Get Over
Uncle Sam Defrauded.

SEATTLE, Wash, Sept. All efforts to
break the blockade at Skaguay have failed
utterly. Advices received by the steamer
Rosalie, which left Skaguay Monday last
and arrived here to-day, state that when
the trail was opened Monday morning 1000
men and horses were striving to get over.
Soon the path was in as bad condition as
it was before repaired Where the road
had been corduroyed over the miry places
the logs slipped out and horses went foun-
dering into the mire, many of them never
to emerge. These statements were made
to-day by Harry Fredericks, well known in
this city, who spent some weeks at Skag-
uay, and returned to-day. He says that
hundreds of those at Skaguay have given
up all hope of getting through this winter
and will stay till February at the foot of
the pass. Hundreds are coming back from
the trails, stopping at Skaguay or Juneau
for the winter. A few more adventliresome
will try to go over when the first freeze
covers the boys with ice.
A letter to the Seattle Times from John
w. Trey at skagnay R 5gs h eSea ths uncle
Sam out of the duty on their horses. When
the Bristol arrived passengers who owned
foreign horses were staf ar se6 py a the wo ah
be levied. The manifest or the otncers OF
the Kingston. on which steamer the horses
been
turned over to the Bristol and was in the
possession of the purser. 1t was easy TOT
the American managers of the BRISTOL ex-
petition to- fit out these horses OF foreign
birth with Seattle shipping receipts ana
American clearance papers. The passengers
were more than willing to pay the Brlstol
people $40 for each horse when by SO d0lns
they avoided the payment of $50 to their
own government. %
letter dated Skaguay, Alaska, Aug. 80,
says: The miners of the Skaguay tran put
in two days work on the trail blasting out
the rocks and corduroying the wei places
and last night decided to throw the trail
open. The work already done has mace
a wonderful Improvement fully 100 per
cent. for the first fifteen miles; put llItle
work was done on the third hill, the worst
one on the trail, and last night at meet
ing it was proposed to levy toll OF 80
per head on each man going over for the
purpose Of hiring men TO open a eut0H
where considerable blasting has 10 be
done but which would save three ana a
half miles and dodge the worst part OF the
entire trail. The meeting broke up IN a
row however, and nothing was accom-
plished. The former proposition TO throw
the trail open TINS morning carried by
default w Snd crowded fro@ the bessch to
the foot of the first hill with swearing
miners anxious to be first TO get over the
hill / predict that by tonight there VIII
be 8 900 men and horses at the foot or the
first hill unable to get over and after they
have had a day to consider they will go TO
work on the cutoff and put 1t through.
Mr. Scovel has stored the remainder OF the
blasting powder and tools at the foot of
the hill where they can get II as soon as
they are ready to use IT,
THE first robbery OF any account &C
Cured Yesterday morning at the foot of the
first hill w. H. Davidson, Of Seattle, lost
81 400 in gold taken from his tent While ne
was temporarily absent taking care OF
sick horse. No clew could be obtained of
the thief, and Mr.. Davidson had 10 SEND
home for more money,