The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-09-16
A DIFFICULT JOURNEY
Chances at the Dangers and Difficulties
Of the Skasuay Trail.
IT is 4 HARD STRUGGLE FOR WEALTH
MANY Obstacles lie In the Path Of
she North.Bound Gold Hunter
Hut Those From Yakima are all
Right and VIII SUCCEED.

AHo lcttero from uumDer OF akl-
imans now on the Skaguay trail, which
were published exclusively in THE HER.
AID last week created much favorable
comment about town. A great deal Of
satisfaction was expressed at the excel
lent progress that they had made in the
face of the almost overwhelming
obstacles that prevail in that land Of
ice and snow.
The settlement at. Skagusy, consist
ing Of a little cluster Of houses and a
large number of tents, is said to be the
toughest camp on record. Col. +. s.
Chodburn, state harbor commissioner Of
California. in speaking Of it says:
"The whiskey smugglers, ve-keepers
and saloon men OF the place are in COM
bination with the thieves and confidence
men to keep the trail blocked. They
hope to make the thousands of gold seek
ers now hopelessly waiting q chance to
get to the Klondyke, pass the winter at
the camp, and thus become easy prey
to their devices. These people are a
power for harm and they stop at nothing.
They spread dissension everywhere and
do all they can to block the progress Of
the gold hunters. The place is the Mecca
OF the lowest elements of the coast, and
confidence operators and thieves ply their
vocation day and night.
"There is but one way to solve the
question presented to the authorities at
Skaguay, and that is to break up the
camp. Collector Ives was preparing to
raid all the saloons and gambling joints
when l left. l learned of his plans
at Skaguay and Sitks. He proposed to
clean out the nest of law breakers at
Skagusy, demolish the saloons and con-
fiscate the liquors. Confidence operators
were to be arrested and dealt with sum
marily. If this is done, the authorities
believe that the town will dsntegrate
and the miners, or those who cannot cross
the summit will 60 to Junea Sitka or the
Sound to spend the winter. All that
keeps the town there is the whiskey men
and if these are wiped out, it is believed
that quiet will be restored and those who
are prepared to get over to the lakes will
go about their business, while the less
fortunate ones will 60 elsewhere to spend
the winter.
"Sksgusy is located in the most bleak
and uninviting spot ever saw. If peo-
pie continue to camp there this winter,
high tide will come up the beach some
DAY and wipe out hundred or two of
the tents. The tide there has an ebb and
flow Of twenty six feet, and during a gale
it runs up the beach. Such q thing lie
liable to happen during the first storm of
the eauinoctial period, and then we'll
hear of several dozen gold hunters being
washed into the sea. Old-timers there
know the true condition OF affairs, and
admit that such catastrophe 10 liable to
happen"
In speaking OF the trail that leads over
the mountains from Skaguay, Mr.. Geo.
B. Kittenger, of Seattle, says that "words
are inadequate to describe it's true con-
dition. Men of superior nerve under Or
binary circumstances have given way
under the trying ordeal, and now they
hang around and wonder where they are
going TO winter. If there were only 300
men, instead OF 5000, waiting for the first
opportunity to push past the distractions
on the hill and get into the lakes, it would
be an easy matter. But as fast as one
portion Of the trail is made passable, hun.
dreds crowd to it and on to the next
place. and those following blockade the
path until further progress is out OF the
question.
THE trail 10 absolutely the worst |
ever saw in my life. cannot describe 1t
to you nor give an ineligible picture of
, it as il really is. The road leads over a
rock formation, slippery with moisture,
and covered with thin blanket of moss
The pass is a succession Of steep hills,
and between them, in the crevices OF the
rock, is lodged mud and mire as deep as
a mans waist. You think you can step
around such places, but 10 a minute,
plash you 90. up to your neck in mire
and water.
| Camp life on the trail is not one unal-
Logged dream OF pleasure. You eat in the
rain, work in the rain and sleep in the
rain and mud. The chill fogs and rain
are something awful TO men and horses.
Up on the heights there is a cold, pene.
trating fog much Of the time, and it rains
continually. These hsrdships combined
with days and nights of weary struggling
against insurmountable obstacles. have
broken down the spirits of many strong
man. have seen great, strong fellows
sitting by the side OF the trail, utterly ex
hausted, their nerve gone and their cour
age utterly vanished. One poor devi
who had gotten his goods and his single
horse part way up the hill, came to tn,
place where he found he could not get {
step fart her. He had no feed for hi,
horse, and stoically led him to the edg'
Of the bluff, shot him and watched til,