Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-14
Hundreds on the Trails Who Are Alb
solute Lunatics.
WANTS A POST OFFICE
ChiIkoot Pass Traversed by Thou
sands.
MAIL FOR THE KON

the trails who are absolute lunatics, gone
stark mad of the craze for gold. Many of
them are pitiable objects, but they declare
they will not turn back, but will either
achieve fortune or leave their bones In
the frozen wilderness. Many men have
aged years in a single month. Many more
have SO overtaxed themselves in packing
that they are physical wrecks. Among
the packers on the White pass is young
man, who, early in August, stout, ruddy
end healthy. came here on the same boat
with me from Seattle. I saw him yester-
day. but would not have recognized him
had he not spoken to me. He is emaciated
and hollow checked, and appeared to be
in the last stages Of physical exhaustion.
In answer to my inquiries. he said that he
had been packing, and had made about $50
a day for awhile. Then his strength began
to flag. and he could work only every other
day. Now he is working about half day
out of two. But what are you doing it
fCr?' l said: you are killing yourself"
"Oh." he replied. ''in another week will
have enough to buy an outfit for myself
and go through to the Klondille." They
will have to bury him before long.
Along with the pathetic sights there are
many ludicrous happenings. There is an
old pack steer here who runs away about
once day, playing havoc in the camp
and stampeding whole train Of pack
his horn in the flap of a tent, and pulled
the tent along with him, poles. stakes and
all, upsetting two men at dinner and scat
tering their provisions to the four winds.
Away he went, the tent hanging to his
horns. his pack slipping under his belly.
stampeding a dozen horses and knocking
aside as many men. until at last, freed
from all his impedimenta, he quietly stop
ped by the roadside. several miles up the
trail. and began placidly to Craze 1 am
afraid he is no more. for 1 have not seen
him since. and a hundred men swore VEN
geance.
1t rains here almost continually, and on
the pass it is showing. Already the noun
tains which flank the pass are covered with
three or four feet of snow, and every
morning there is a skim of ice at the edge
a the river.
In October ard November they have ter
rifle wind storms, and when these storms
begin to come Gown the narrow valley
there will be. ! believe, considerable of an
exodus from here.
The people here are anxious that a post
Office be established The nearest office is
at Dyea, which is about six miles away
by water, and unless one owns ones boat
the round trip costs So. There is self-ap-
pointed postmaster here who obtains from
the Dyel office all letters directed to Ska
quay and delivers them for ) cents apiece.
He also receives letters and delivers them
aboard the mail steamers for the same fee.
All postage must be prepaid. and it is diff
cult to obtain stamps. Newspapers will not
be touched.
The Scene ut Dyea.
A trip to Dyea showed a very different
state of aft airs. While there is evidence
that there VIII be a small permanent set
Element here there only few hundred
people not on the move. 1t was thought
for a while that burros could be used
across the Chilkoot Pass. but this has been
proven mistake. 1t is true that few
burros and horses have been taken over
ha6 IN no aEar loo1 dol md 4
vas only with the greatest difficulty that
they were gotten over the steepest- places.
However. as Ear as Sheep Camp. about
eleven miles up the trail al corts of pack
animals are being used to great advantage.
We saw horses. mules, burrCs, oxen and
even dogs packing over this part Of the
trail. The dogs get along with the least
trouble and carry heavier packs in pro-
portion &c their size, than either man or
horse. The Dyea trail is right up the CEN
ter OF a narrow valley between the two
branches Of the Dyea river. This river
divides some distance up the trail and flows
down in two streams. on either side of
the valley, leaving broad dry strip OF
land be.weel; 1t is upon this strip of land
that the trail Is made. Many of the In
dian packers load their canoes and carry
goods up the river. They load the canoe
ana attaching two ropes to the bow they
tow 1t up stream. one Indian on one side
one on another. They carry many times as
much as other packers and make faster
progress.
Sheep Camp. eleven miles from Dyea
and nearly half way to Lake Lindeman. is
the largest permanent camp on the trail.
iEere are number of log and frame
houses here 1t has two well-stocked stores,
two restaurants, three saloons, and it's
average population is about 100 OF course
this population is daily changing. The
next camp is at Stone House. SO called
from huge boulder resembling a house
At Dyea we met the proprietor of one &C
the eating houses at Stone House, and he
says that by careful count about $500
rrospectors have gone over the Chilkoot
Pass since spring. Shortly after leaving
Stone House, the timber line is passed, and
from there to the lakes there Is no wood
Of any description. For this reason no
camp can be made on this part of the trail
AT the southern end of Lake Bennett there
Is a saw mill where boats are built. The
cheapest beats are SIS and some sell for
$CO. For a while the mill would build
boats for any prospector, who would cut
and bring to the mill enough timber to
make three boats. but now they can only
be had for cash. The timber on the lakes
is sparse and very small. the largest trees
being not more than six inches in diameter
Between the summit of the pass and
Lake Lfndeman are a number of small
lakes. Heretofore the trail was around
these lakes, but of late quite a ferry bust
ness mas sprung up on them Early in the
season prospector going through with his
famiiy and quite party carried along
snail knock-doWn boat. When he reached
Crater Lake he determined to save the dis
lance around the lake by putting his boat
together and floating his goods across AS
he was starting over with the last load an
other prospector came along and offered
him $40 for lift across While he was
Loading this mans provisions another came
along and made the same offer; and so on
until he saw that he had gotten into
profitable business. He followed this for
about month. during which time he
cleared more than 5000; and then he sold
the boat for 1890. In the meantime his
family, established at the further end Of
the lake, had been baking pies and selling
them for one dollar apiece. About the
middle of August he returned to Sheen
Camp. replenished his depleted larder, and
having large and substantial boat built
at the mill he went on his way rejoicing.
Few Big Strilkes-Clnims Taken.
At Dyea 1 me: klondiker. who made
one of the big strikes last spring. He said
that when he left the Yukon country there
was 10 great excitement, and the people
there had no idea Of the rush that had
commenced. He said that his first knowI
edge OF it was gained when he met the nd
vance guard Of the great army on the
Lewis river. He says that when he left
there were about 900 men on the Klon-
dixie. that very few had rnade h;y S4r;lxo.