The record-union., 1897-10-05
JACKSON'S COMPANION.
Ben Bul1ard Also Writes an Inter
esting Letter.

The following letter, from Ben Bull
lard who is with Jackson, was re-
ceived yesterday. 1t is full of inter-
esting details of their journey:
Lake Linderman, Sunday, Sept. g.
This, we now calculate, is the eve of
our departure down some 160 miles of
lakes, and thence down the Yukon Riv-
er. However, as heretofore remarked,
plans for the future are uncertain. It
is storming to-day, as usual, and to-
morrow the storm may be so severe
that we may have to postpone our de-
parture.
Rain alone would not prevent our
sailing but if the wind is too high we
shall have to tarTy here some time
longer, as the wind at times is so high
that navigation Of these lakes becomes
very dangerous. We may start and
then he hung up part of the way down
the first lake, or at any time. That
will probably be the situation often be-
fore we get over all the large lakes.
Once in the river, it is calculated that
we will have little or no difficulty on
account of storms.
We'll no doubt you think we have
made very slow progress from Dyea
here. having been eight days making
the trip, not counting the days we laid
by on account of the severity of the
storms. But let me tell you that we
really made quick trip, for the freights
paid. Our freights We're about $125,
and We saved S65. OF course, if we had
hired Indians clear through, we could
have come in three days barring ex-
cessiye storms. No others on the trail
passed us.
Two parties of two persons each
kept right along with us, and it was a
strife between us to see who made the
trip the quickest. We came in second
best, the other party having less lug
gage than we by 200 pounds. The win
! ners only beat us a half day, and we
scarcely beat the third party, who had
a couple of hundred pounds more than
we. Neither of the contending parties
have yet started down the lakes, and
now il appears We will get started first.
We passed many parties On the trail
who came up on the Elder with US,
and who commenced the day after the
Elders landing to cross this pass.
1T is estimated that since the ex-
citelnent of July 18th last, which was
occasloned by the arrival of the Excel.
sior with that $500 600 in gold dust.
that not more than 100 persons in all
have started down the lakes from this
and the White Pass both. Things have
now so far progressed that about ten
are leaving here daily, and not one
half SO many by way of White Pass.
''On this trail there are probably 1900
men trying to get through, 300 of whom
have reached here. and are building
boats; 200 are at Sheep Camp; 200 at
the head of navigation, 200 between
| Dyea and the head of navigation. and
100 each at Crater, Long and Deep
Lakes.
The balance are scattered all along
the trail All are industriously en-
gagged in some sort of labor-some
packing for themselves, some for, hire,
others building boats, and others run
ming ferries on the lakes. There are
many more on the White trail, but
these are making little or no progress.
''All these various stations present
picturesque appearance. mean such
stations as Dyea, Finnigan Point,
Sheep Camp, Crater, Long, Deep and
Linderman Lakes, for at each place is
a village Of tents of varying sizes.
Here at Linderman are 10 tents.
Few, if any. things are for sale when
one has progressed thus far At Dyea
you can buy anything, but here scarce
ly anything is for sale. Occasionally
you hear of 81 sack Of -four being sold
at $50, few beans. bacon or sugar at
from % TO 70 cents per pound, and
pitch, oakum and nails at from 81 to S5
per pound. What prices may be at
Dawson you as we'll as I can conjec-
ture.
WHAT We can see Of the scenery is
wild, weird and grand The mountains
are precipitous and barren of vegeta-
ton, and the canyons are deep. esrk
and gloomy. AT a certain elevation