The San Francisco call., 1897-08-26
FEW WILL GET THROUGH.
Men Returning From Dyea and
Skaguay Tell of the Crowds
and Bad Trails.

Skasuay Tell of the Crowds
and Bad Trails.
SEATTLE, WASH, Aug. 25.-The
steamer Willamette which was sighted in
the straits last night and reported to the
world as being the gold-laden steamer
Portland from st. Michael, arrived in this
port at IL o'clock this morning from Dyea
and Skagray. After leaving her ports of
landing she made the run to Sitka, and
took the outside route home. This move
on her part was unexpected, and as a re-
suit when a strange steamer was seen in
the straits the news went broadside that
it was the Portland. To- day nothing
more is known about the Portland than
was known a week ago. She is Tia bic to
poke her nose IN the straits at any time
but there are many who believe that she
will not arrive before the end Of the
month.
The Willamette brought down i'm
portant news from the north which will
be read with great interest by the world at
large. In a nutshell it is that between
1000 and 10000 men are at Skagnay. Atout
10 per cent of them will get over the
mountains before winter. They consist OF
those who have money. The efforts OF the
miners TO close White Pass until 1t was
improved failed and miners are daily at
tempting to cross it. Uniform packing
rates O not exist and the man who has
the most money and horses will get over
the passes. The poor man who will camp
at Skaguav or Dyee or return to civiliza-
ton. Some are already returning. Re-
ports conflict as TO condition of the passes
making any progress.
Purser ii. w. Skinner says that while
there are almost 10000 miners at
Dyea and Skaguay hundreds will not get
over the mount tains before winter sets IN.
II know" said the purser, "that hun
dreds VIII not get over. They would not
get over level road if they had car
risge | saw men sitting bout and COM
planning because they were not making
progress. All the time dozens of others
were crossing the passes. Ii men want TO
get over this winter they will do it. Big
rates are being paid to Inoian packers. A
newspaper correspondent paid 80 cents
pound to get his outfit and supplies over
Chilcoot. Another asked the Indian pack
ers what they would charge to take his
answer was 81 pound. Ii men have de-
termination, horses and money they will
get over all right; if not, they will stay
this side OF the mountains this winter. [
think the secret of failure of the majority
is lack OF money. Some of the men are
too lazy to try to get over. They have con-
cluded that it would be too hard work to
climb the m ountains this fall and are
going to camp until spring. In my judg-
ment, one-tenth of the miners will get 10
Dawson City before winter"
Purser Skinner reports that just as the
Willamette was about to start south two
men, he did not know their names, came
to him ard asked for passage down.
They said they had ust come from Daw-
son City, having walked all he way.
''They had packed cut $4,000 in gold
dust and nuggets" said the purser, land
wanted me to take personal charge of it.
l had no safe and r. fused, but offered
Them stateroom. They said they feared
trouble and wanted the com pany to take
charge of the gold dust and assume all re-
sponsibility. l would not consent and
the last l heard they were arranging to go
to Juneau in a small boat and there take
one of the Pacific Coast steamers or the
sound. / asked them as 10 the reported
great finds on the Klondike and they
said: We got our money on Bonanza
Greek. There is more gold in the streams
OF the north than can possibly be taken
out in 100 years. We have more back
there and will take it out as soon as we
can get supplies and return to our
claims"
Arthur Needham, a prominent Il er-
chant of Shelton, Wash, who went north
and returned on the Willamette, confirms
the stories told by Purser Skinner as to
condition OF tie passes. Needham is in a
better position to speak the truth con-
corning White Pass than is any other man
who has returned this year from the
Skaguay. He went over the pass Just out
of curiosity, and to find out whether or
not the stories from the north as to the
irightiul condition OF White Pass were
true. One thing he advises, and that is
that miners going north in the future do
not take boats with them. 1t is almost
impossible to get them over the noun
tans. He says he saw dozens of boats
that cost from $50 to $100 on the Sound
sold for 81 SO and S5 at Skaguay and
Juneau. If once the miners are over the
mountains, Needham alleges, they can