The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-17
Joaquin Miller Lands at Dyea
With His Pack.
About to Commence His Trip
Over the Mountains.
MANY TURNING BACK
Land at Skaguay and Find No
Trail Open.
The Man Who Sells Town Lots
and Whisky.


est from Joaquin Miller is as follows:
Dyea, Alaska, July 81, via San Fran
cisco, Cal.-Here we are at last; the only
navigation beyond this is few miles of
eanoeing-and no canoes at this. time or
Indians to paddle them. But let US look
back at the landing. Skaguay, five miles
back as the crow flies. There is con-
gestion there, a case of aggregate pneu-
monia, to speak, for the new pass is
no pass at all, or at least is not open at
the other end.
A big steamer made the FIRST landing
there a few days before US, and left about
200 miners along with almost as many tons
of freight; also some horses. 1t now turns
out that the trail is not open. All sorts
of stories are afioat. We had our
steamer much freight and many miners,
as well as horses and dogs. 1t would
seem that the new trail was advertised as
open by its proprietors some weeks ago.
1t now appears that the surveyors of the
trail only landed here last week. OF
course all this is confusing and costly to
the miners, they cannot get from
Skaguay to Dyea because of the rocky
walls that reach down from the clouds
and snow to the waters edge. Just
stolid old German came up and said
dolefully:
Dis is Won dom rocky country
AS we have been toiling and striving for
nearly five days between walls of inacces-
sible rock, 1 think 1 shall agree with
him that it is.
To return to the congestion of Skaguay
Our captain had no option but to land
goods they had been billed, for he
kindly offered to bring all who wished to
come on here to Dyea, that they might
take the old road. He landed almost half
our miners and their equipments. They
will go into camp there and set to work
Ill
about fifty are doing already. There are
about seventy-f1ve men and a few women
in camp at Skaguay. Much indignation
is felt and openly expressed against the
proprietors of the trail. They have a
store, all sorts of things to sell, includ-
ing town lots and whisky.
Almost thirty miners have turned back
to the scenes of their childhood, or atleast
to their homes, wherever they may be. You
will hear from them, of course. This sort
of thing always happens. Tt came to pass
in 1S49. I have seen men turning back
and making things blue with curses in
Idaho and Montana when within a few
miles of mines, think you will find men
turning faint of heart as far back as
Moses. This turning back signifies noth>
ing. Those men who have turned back at
the base of the mountain have heard
nothing, seen nothing at all of mines
ahead. They have not even wet their
feet in the snow. 1t is best for them and
for all that they have stepped out and
given place to brave men. This is to be
a case of the survival of the fttest."
A strong company of Montana and
British American miners, with such men
as the Bond brothers. Pierce and Mar,
shall, landed and stranded at Ska
quay. OF course they have plenty of
money, horses, dogs, and tons of supplies.
They are cool and resoIute men, and L
think will get through in time a part of
their outfit company came up with US.
They are only an example of those tied
up at Skaguay. They have no way of
leaving there, and are not the sort of men
to turn back. Pierce told me of man
who had sold his outfit to lone woman
a cook, at Seattle prices, boats and all.
man from San Francisco offered
his $500 outfit for $50, a steerage return,
Now, mark you, this discouraged man
has not heard one word from the mines
beyond the mountains, good or bad since
the first rich reports which came before
we all set out. OF course I did not want
| his blood my hands and would not
buy. He found a buyer, however. in the
man in charge of the store who sells
town lots and whisky.
The man paid $50 for his outfit and
weeks work the trail. 1 have heard
| said that if the man who has been getting
| miners IN SuCn I1OuDI6 Dy MS stories
| about new road was at the other side of
! the mountains, which is in Canada, he
must not be in any particular danger OF
being hung. However, the American boys
| at Skaguay are all mighty good-natured;
| better natured or more serenely jolly men
| I have never known, and if they do hang
| the man with a new trail and town lots
and whisky they will be good-natured
about it and hang him as pleasantly as
| they possibly can.
| The situation along here is dramatic
Comedy is here today, plenty of it. There
| possibly may be tragedy, but I think
! nothing of the sort will be. The men of
| Skaguay must get through and they are
| of the sort that will if they must. For
| tunately we have the finest weather in
| the world. But this is not California
climate We may have rain and rain
almost any day. And I hear that the
trail, the one and only open trail, is mud
| dy to the knees. However, you can hear
almost anything. The only way is to
| pick up your pack and go ahead, and then
you will really and truly know, and then
only
we were long time landing, away out
in the water; no wharf at Skaguay: had
to boat off all the stuff and let the horses
down on raft in boxes by block and
| tackle. Strange to say, we have landed
both here and at Dyea hundreds OF. little
sheet iron stoves. We land rubber goods
| by tons and tons.
Dyea is in a long, low marsh lying be-
| tween snow-covered walls of granite
The marsh is almost half a mile wide
| trees of good size fill the gorge little
farther up, and away from the bay and
marsh, but the trees all along here, as q
rule are small, larger than a leg Oh
arm and almost half of them are dead OF
| dying If one cared to look on the gray