The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-29
By WAY OF DYEA.
THE COUNTRY ENCOUNTERED IN
MAKING THE FAMOUS TRIP.
The Details OF the Long Journey
Given Come From an Extensive
SearchiiGht. and Are Considered
Correcs-Jaek Carr Gives Advice.

c. n Stoitenberg OK the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company. in book on Cion-
dyke gold fields. which he has just issued.
publishes the following from the Alaska
Searchllght which IS said 10 Be one Or
the most reliable articles in connection
with the route by way OF Juneau 20 Daw-
son City. yet published:
TIE valley Of the Yukon may be reach
ed from juneau by four different routes,
crossing the coast range OF mountains
through as many passes. the Dyea or
Cnilkcot pass. the Chilkat, Moore's or the
White pass, and Takou. As the Chilkoct
IL the only pass used to any extent, X IS
this route the miner will select. From
Juneau to the summit OF the Chilkoot
pass Is a distance Of lis miles. Small
steamers ply .rregularly between here and
Dyea. the head OF navigation. 100 miles
north OF Juneau. During the early spring
these boats sail day or two after the
arrival Of the mail steamers from the
Sound. The trip IN good weather is made
In twelve hours il there IS no towing TO
be done. and the regular fare is SO, each
passenger furnishing his own blankets
and provisions. II the party il q sarge
one. with considerable baggage, = scow
IL loaded with the miners outfits; IL the
tides are high the boat sometimes goes
over the bar at the head OF Douglas
island. thus saving nearly twenty miles
OF travel. besides avoiding the rough
waters OF the Takou. II the tides are
not high the scow may be towed over by
the little tug Julia. and the steamboat
VIII take its course around the lower end
OF Douglas. In rounding the point Of the
island the vessel Is often subjected to
the fierce winds which sweep down the
valley of the Takou river. II there Is q
strong north or northwest wind, like
demon IL comes roaring out from the
Takou. flashing the water into foam IN its
rage and tossing volumes Of spray clear
over the top Of Grand island. When the
steamer has come around to the head OF
the island II takes the scow IN tow. and
Ia about twenty hours after the time or
leaving II enters the mouth Of the Dyea
river near Ch.lkeot. the saltwater jour
ney IL ended.
Here. on a sandspit, about a mile below
Healy & Wilson's trading posts, the
outfits are taken from the scow and piled
upon the beach Each man must look out
for himself now-the guardianship or your
baggage by any carrying company - end
ed. Juneau Is nearly 100 miles behind you
Immediately in the foreground Is the
ranch and store owned by Healy & Will
son. and beyond. In their NANTES Of snow,
rise the coast mountains. cold and severe
striking a feeling OF dread into many a
there stretches away hundreds Of miles
the vast country Of the Yukon an ex-
panse 50 wide that 1t Is limited only by
the extent Of mans endurance But haste
must be made in the sorting OF outfits
and getting them above tide water Most
miners camp near by In the edge OF the
woods. perhaps taking one or two meals
at the trading post. which can be had at
the price OF 30 cents each: others find
both board and lodging there until they
are ready to push en-.
Now for the first time the miner begins
to size UP his belongings and begins to
realize that a proper outfit for trip or
this kind is the result Of experience, ana
the longer he has been In this country
and the more thoroughly he knows It,
Just 50 much more care is used in the Sc
lection and packing Of his outfit A care
ful and thorough examination should be
made to see that nothing has been lost or
forgotten. There Is his Yukon sleigh
without which further progress would be
we'll nigh impossible, skeleton AFFAIR
made from the best hard wood ana shod
with steel ground runners. II is seven
feet three inches long and sixteen inches
wide-just the proper width to track De-
hind snowshoes. and II costs from 81 to
$H. Steel is preferable TO iron for the
shoes. as Il slides more easily through the
fine. dry snow one finds In the early
snowshoes, tent. blankets or fur robes
besides tools for bodybuilding and plenty
OF provisions. and row an Ingenious little
sheet-iron stove has come TO be almost an
indispensable luxury. An ordinary outn.
will weigh 40 pounds to the man, al
though some have been taken IN which
would tip the scales at fifteen hundred
weight Such large outfits are no longer
necessary or advisable. as compe-
ttion between the trading COM
psnies at Forty-Mile has 50 re
ducsd prices that II does ner nav
70 take In more than a generous allow
ance for the journey, as Il Is easier 10
buy the provisions FOR the seasons pros
pecting there. If anything Is lacking n
Is we'll 70 remember that this post is tho
last store until the Yukon Is reached.
rnless the weather Is stormy one night Is
All that Is spent IN camp here and in the
morning the outfit Is moved ahead. Unless
II = vetv small this must b. done in Sec
tons and II Is necessary 70 "douhletrip''
IL. IN miners rarlance. that IS. make two
or mere loads OF the OUTFIT moving q mart
s'sad 20 some point. then unloading n
and returning for the rest On leaving
Healy Wilson's with the last sleigh
lead. enc bids farewell to hotels. restau
rants. steamboats, and steres-fr fart 70
civilization and Is a free man" to pu-
sue his course how and whore he will.
srfoiH All CoHFeNIoraiCeS OF s0riefy
ard practically beyond all law so far "a
/. IS tbs cutgrowth OF organized govern
ments
Going up the Dyes river FIVE miles On
she lee, VIII bring one 10 the mouth ~
ire canyon. Here IN the woods a corn
fortaAle camp can be easily rraopo,
The tent Is pitched on top of the snow
me reles and pins being pushed Down into
II While some are huslly engaged IN
eu'lains a fire and making bed. the hes,
COOK or IN" party Prepares the s4ppar
III you have no stove a cainp-Sr must be
hEae. either or an exposed point Of rock
or In hole dug 6ewn in the snow. n vo,,
rave stove Il can be quickly arranged
on 'gridirou" inside ,re tent. the rr,s-
ron consisting o. three poles some slx
Or eight feet long, and laid in tie snow
on which IRE stove is placed. The hear
from the stove will soon melt hole IN,
aeruea'h. bat there viii b enough fir,
snow under The ends Of TIE roI.ss
70 hold Il up. Fer the bed h.r,lo-L
brush is cut and Laid or the sro~ "a a
depth CT a foot or more. ard this is eov-
cred with large square % canvas -
which ths blankets sr6 robes ara nu..
when finished it forms natural s,,rs,,-
bed. which -ill eTe- grateful rest a.+.r
hauling a s'sd al day.
Dy~s canyon /. about two miles lang
sn1 perhaps Hfty feat ~iSe A boa. -
not 80 through e. but 81 ths esriv xv,-i,,.-
r2usrs - through o. the See A~s.osr-
~tth ro3es tn@ dangerous places ~ nTar.
I f1es After tn@ tce srssks up II ia nares
1 Ssry - 80 aver this ira an fNa 49,. 90