The San Francisco call., 1897-08-16
GOING AFTER GOLD.
Letters From Those Crossing the
Passes State The Trip Is
a Terrible One.


port this morning at the first peep OF
daylight, and about 10 o'clock left for Ia
coma, where it was expected that she
would coal, butt being unable to procure
fuel there, she returned to this city about
5 o'clock this evening and ran into the Ore
gon improvement Company's bunkers.
She had expected to get away for st.
Michael early in the morning, but as
there is considerable freight to take on
board there will likely be some delay,
Captain John Roberts stepped from the
steamer Farallon at Schwabacher's wharf
at 1 O'Clock this afternoon, four days out
from San Francisco and way ports. lie ex-
poets to leave tomorrow evening for
Dyea with 120 passengers eighty head OF
horses and considerable freight. part Of
which. as we'll as fifty passengers, came
from California.
The steamer AL Ki was expected in from
Dyea to-day, but nothing has as yet been
heard from her. 1t is presumed that a
loss of time in unloading has resulted in
a slight delay in her return. She is booked
10 leave again for the north on Tuesday,
and should she arrive here tomorrow 1t IS
ex xlremeIy doubtful if she gets away be-
fore Wednesday, as big passenger list
and heavy freight cargo will go north on
her.
Superin tendent Trowbridge OF the Pa
cihc Coast Steams ship Company states that
no steamer has been secured to take the
place of the Mexico.
Robert Meilke of Everett has written
his brother, and relates his efforts to reach
the klondike as follows:
II am at Lake Linderman. I took thlr-
teen days of hard work TO cross the di-
vide. There are about 200 Indians at
Dyea, and you can hire them TO pack your
outfit over the divide al II cents pound,
and it's worth it. Part of the time we
had to wade through water that was deep
enough to wet you to the hips. 1t was
running at the rate of ten miles an hour
and as cold as ice. July 1, after having
crossed the summit and borrowed sled,
we hauled our stuff about four miles. By
packing our outfits ourselves we made 81
per day. Thete are about thirty tents on
the shore of the lake, and like ourselves
the people are ali building boats. We
have our boat built. 1t took Us Just five
days to rip out the lumber and build it,
and she's a dandy, too-twenty- two feet
long, two feet wide on the bottom and
three feet on the top, and pointed at the
front end.
eve leave here for the north tomorrow
morning. The current is quite swift and
with the aid OF a sail we expect to m AXE
good time. There are several dangerous
rapids above here, but we are not going
to take any chances; we are going to pack
1t 49, -
with rope.
"Klondike is about 555 miles from here,
and it Will take us about two weeks to get
there. We expect to sail day and night
At this time of the year there is scarcely
any night here, as it is broad daylight at
10 o'clock at night and 2 clock in the
morning. 1t is quite warm during the
day-about 75 degrees. The nights are
cool. The country all around is noun
tainous. l haven't seen level piece as
big as an onion patch yet. Living is high.
paid so cents for two-pound can OF to-
matoes, and tobacco is about four times
as high as back there. There are lots OF
wild ducks here, ana we will have fresh
meat soon.".
A. II. Eddy of Snohomish County re-
and strongly urges people not to attempt
the Klondike trip at this season of the
year. He says that the trip across the
pass is a terrible one at this particular
time, and that 'the moss has grown up
from two to three feet high, and every
time you step on it you will sink away
down, and IL is very slavish work walking,
even without q pack on your back. The
rivers will all be frozen over the latter
part OF September and the ice on them is
so rough that shedding is impossible.
There will be no snow till January, but
the weather is bitter cold. 1t is terrible
undertaking for any one who has never ex-
perienced the hardships of that country"
Mr.. Eddy, with r. C. Johnston, dis
covered the oil and coal fields about 300
miles northwest of Sitka, which have
caused sucn widespread interest. The
company which was formed in Seattle 10
work these fields includes sixtyfour men,
with an equal number of claims. In
speaking of the discoveries Mr.. Eddy says:
THE talk about lake of oil, as origi-
nally published is mistake. 1t is true
that there are holes in the ground, or
ponds, which are filled with oil. In some
OF these several hundred barrels of crude
petroleum can be dipped out, but there is
no such thing as lake OF oil. There is
no doubt about i. that the supply is prac-
tically inexhaustible. The quality is
much better than that of Bradford or Oil
City, Pennsylvania. 1t is a far better
lubricating oil than has been found in the
Pennsylvania oil fields, and is therefore
much more valuable.
Our company is not making any effort
to develop the oil holdings now, but is
turning its attention solely to getting out
coal. We have splendid anthracite vein
of eleven feet in thickness. 1t is very con-
venient to tidewater and can be easily
mined and shipped TO Pacific Coast points
at good proht. 1t will cost something
to get in shape to ship the oil. In the
first place ships will have to be built, pro-
vided with oil tanks, and they will cost in
the neIphborhood of 500, 600 EACH, The
oil feature is going to be big thing and
we will come to it in due time"
Mr.. Eddy tten exhibited several photo.
graphs showing view of the harbor and
the oil and coal territory. The ground
was uneven and contained what appeared
- ha seuara1