The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-24
YUKON TOO RISKY.
EXPERIENCE OF AN INSURANCE
AGENT IN ALASKA.
Sherwood Gfilesry Takes . Conpcs-
ffe Picture of Skaguay-Indtans
say the boston Man VIII Die-An

would insure man going 70 sissssT
Not under any consideration" Sherwood
Galssspy. % the Mutual Life Insurancs
company. returned Wednesday after
noon from saEaguav on the steamship
Queen and Il was with the recollection q
what he saw there strong upon his mind
That he spoke so paintedIv yesterday.
made an inspection which satisfied
me- IN my own mind that : number ct
men VIII die this winter CT the Yukon.
talked with 4 number OF Indians ST
skaguay and they said. The Boston man
VIII Gle this winter There Is no use
talking. white man not hardened from
birth 20 all kinds OF exposure can not
stand the hardship OF LIE in the northern
part OF Alaska The Indians say that 4
derse fog settles over the country about
skaguay and Dyea the first % November
IN each year This fog is frtzen and be-
Genes mass OF Icy vapor against which
the thickest clothing is vulnerable. Why,
even on Sept. Il. while the Queen was
there. Il was freezing cold in the mora
ing. The snow Is already below the tim
Der line and winter with all its terrors Is
fast app coaching. How foolish the whits
prospectors are would appear from the
fact that even this early the natives are
all leaving that part az Alaska and trav-
cling southwark. Even the prospect ~
making big money at packing can nor
tempt them 20 remain and face the cold.
What was my impression Of the trailf
Wen. ! only went over the first four or
five miles. or what is called In gTiTn hui
NOR the cinder path. \ picture took
Is being developed which will give you q
good idea OF the town Of Skaguay and
the trail 4 friend loaned ne his camera
and told me 70 take = few shots. I turned
the lens here and there and snapped the
thing about six times. When my friend
returned he asked what had done. I
told him I had taken six pictures Are
you sure You managed the plates right7
he asked. II soon developed that I had
taken six distinct pictures on one plate.
They said in SkaEuay that had the best
picture Of the place ever taken.
THAT about describes my impression OF
the town. II is a little mixed-up affair.
with shaeks. tents. log houses. mud and
people. all huddled together.
There Is one thing people going North
should know. They should see that the
bill Of lading OF their outfits specifies that
the freight shall be landed above tide wat
er. They want their stuff on shore. and
not In the midst of mud fats IN which you
could sink to your hips. Bills OF lading
have read heretofore simply 'Dyea inlet
The freight IS in many cases dumped out
two miles from dry land. and an exorbi-
tant price Is charged the prospector for
hauling the goods ashore. IT Is a most
melancholy sight to witness the departure
of a scow load Of people and freight from
steamer 10 the shore. A scow left the
Queen while we We're at Skaguay with ESQ
tons OF freight and 100 people. A change Of
tide would be liable TO drift such scov
load TO sea. Some time there viii be big
accident at Skaguay or Dyea, II the pres
ent system OF landing passengers and
freight is not changed
uay while we were there over an article
antagonistic to the interests Of Skaguay,
sent out by an Eastern newspaper rep
resentative. An indignation meeting was
held among the merchants and saloon
keepers. and q resolution was adopted that
the writer should be lynched. The crowd
started to carry out this summary iudg-
ment. but was stopped by the presence OF
United States marshals. Several OF these
were IN Skaguay with warrants from the
district attorney for the arrest Of all sa-
loon keepers and gamblers. What the re-
suit Of the raid was l do not know. All
places of that description were running
when the Queen left.
II stopped In Skaguay only day, and
during that time / was offered SIS for a
new pair of boots 1 had on. High boots
especially those OF rubber, are IN great
demand and sell az good prices. Ben
Trenaman. formerly athletic instructor
OF the Seattle Athletic Club. Is making
about 500 week trading ia such erti-
Giles. He has log cabin almost built and
on the outside is a bulletin announcing
what he has for sale. On all kinds of
produce the market Is glutted. Horses
are being cut loose and allowed 10 go
where they will. A dozen could be pur-
chased for SIS.
"A number OF people are turning back
Many are going 10 Fort Wrangel TO try
the Stickeen trail. When the Queen passed
up Wrangel narrows we passed q boat
load OF prospectors coming down II was
amusing TO hear them yell: Go backi
Go backF They were very much In car
nest George Barrett a young man
whose father IA superintendent OF the
Cornell Steamship Company, OF New
York. lost seven horses on tho summit
His party has broken up, and ali viii
return by the Bristol He is a mechanical
engineer and has been prospecting IN
California But the White pass was too
much for him. He said it was hell on
earth
Coming down on the Queen I became
acquainted with A. II. Taylor. a man re-
turning 10 civilization after four years
In Circle. Dawson and the mining camps
OF the Yukon. His checks and ears had
been frozen, but he said; I don't mind
that II is my business. But the tender
feet who are coming In Will perish under
such exposure He brought down no
gold, saying that while he had claims.
the storekeepers had all the MONEY He
told me that at Dawson hundred men
We're waiting for one mans work. lie
predicted big necktie party on the Yu-
kon this winter because. he said. tho
miners were highly iueensed at the Al
aska Commercial Company for bringing
In whisky instead OF food.
- L