The San Francisco call., 1897-09-05

Dalton struck out due north tor Fort Oei-
kirk into a country 120 miles across. never
before explored or trod by white man
and totally unknown.
Such is the wonderful instinct OF this
man that the entire party came out OF ths
wilderness at point directly behind the
buildings at Fort SeIkirk, on the Yukon,
at the mouth Of the Pelly River. where
the Yukon proper begins. Plenty OF
grazing for the cattle was found The
country is characterized by comparatively
low and rolling mountains. over which
the party went. and succession OF Alpine
valleys extended the other direction.
Surveyor Macarthur said that the tops OF
these mountains were bare of moss so lar
as he could see and were covered with
quartz stringers. He said the whole coun-
Try seemed TO be composed of granite and
quartz. The cattle gained 1000 pounds in
weight on the journey. and arrived at Fort
Selkirk about August Is. Thirty OF
drove of cattle which were taken In on
this trail by Cameron of Victoria, B. g.,
following the trail of the Canadians,
stampeded and were lost.
These cattle were subsequently rounded
up by Indians, and are now being sold
in steaks at Skaguay and Dyea. Nc
Arthur says it is natural cattle route TO
the Yukon. The drove OF twenty eight
cattle taken in by Barker of Seattle car
ried packs, and were only one day behind
the Dalton drove. In McArthur's opin-
ion wagon road from Pyramid Harbor
on Lynn Canal 10 the Yukon over this
route can De made for $4,000. At Fort
Selkirk they met the mail-carriers going
to Dawson City and told them about the
new trail. The mail-carriers will come
over /: on the way out and use IL perma'
nentiy in the future. The Canadians re-
turned over the same route to the lakes,
and then proceeded down the Norden-
skiold River to the Lewis River. This is
the practicable wagon auG mail route. At
the mouth of the Nordenskiold trail, the
road must cross TO the farther side Of the
Lewis and proceed along that river to the
Yukon. This is the route over which San
Francisco capitalists propose 10 lay a
cable telephone line to Dawson City.
These will be the facts of Dominion Sur
eyor McArthur's official report to the
Government at Ottawa. The surveyin G
party will leave in few days to inspect
the Chicoot and White passes and those
two trails to the lakes. Mr.. Macarthur
thinks the Canadian Government will put
a wagon road through TO the Yukon. With
a large force of men it could be rushed
through in one season. The surveying
party went only to Fort Selkirk. but heard
that Dawson City is growing rapidly and
booming in every way. Reports at Fort
Selkirk, brought up by two Indians, were
10 the effect thas the mines continued to
pan ont as rich rs at first reported, and
that there seemed to be no limit TO the
uust and nuggets in some of the claims
bedrock on Bonanza Creek was stiil out of
sight, and that the fartl er down the gravel
was taken out and washed the heavier
with gold it became. Several newcomers
had struck il rich in three very small
creeks on the mountainside farther up
the ktondike. where the pay ground is
very limited but the Indians could give
no figures. All they could say was "Hiuh
chickamun," which, translated means
much, plenty gold. HAL HOFFMAN.