The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-19

WILDLY Depicted ny Sfafixtfcfan Dun
ham. of the Labor Bureau

er. acting commissioner OF labor. today
gave the Associated Press a copy of a let
ter on the terrorx OF trip across Alaska
20 the gold fields. The letter was received
from Samuel G. Durham. statistical ex-
part OF the government department of Ia
bor. Mr. Durham says: Il left Dyea
on Nonf1y morning and reached Lake
IAnderman on Tuesday evening. When
reached the foot Of the summit a terrible
storm was raging. I carried only hand
baggage weighing forty pounds. I had
an awful experience in crossing the sum-
NIT, struggling along. The head of navi-
cation for canoes is six miles from Dyea.
and | was forced TO pay an Indian pack
er 81 10 carry my grip to camp. one-half
mile from Dyea. i spent the night In
this camp. started Tuesday morning In
driving rain and paid the packer SIS TO
carry my grip TO Lake Linderman. / re-
mained in bed all day yesterday, too
thoroughly worn out to move
THE tran up TO the summit ascends at
an angle of Is degrees. skIrting precipices
where a m.sstep would hurl one a thous-
and feet below. crossing the face OF
glaciers as smooth as glass. and in many
places traversng the polished surface Of
granite boulders hundreds of feet in ex-
tent. Every few hundred yards mountain
torrents fed by glaciers rush across the
trail and have 10 be wsded knee deep.
Add 10 this gale Of fifty miles hour.
with slest and snow and a temperature
of 30 degrees. and you have a faint idea
OF the horrors Of the trip"
The sun has just made its appearance
and oid-timers say We are likely TO have
good weather by tomorrow. This climate
Is very treacherous. changes being very
sudden. On the OCEAN side of the mount
aims it rains more than half the time and
rains hard. On account Of the continuous
rains. the soil washes down from the steep
mountain sides and wherever there is a
level place you viii find bog into which
man or horse sinks to the knees at every
step. This Is one of the worst features of
the trails. and makes IL almost impossible
20 use horses. Many of the DOGGY places
have been corduroyed. and | suppose by
next summer the Skaguay trail. which is
now practically impossible on account Of
the hogs. viii be In fair condition. At
present the condition Of affairs on both
trails is terrible. and hundreds of men are
bound 10 starve and freeze 10 death II they
continue 20 come this way.
I passed at least thousand men be-
tween Dyea and here. and not more than
loo have got their outfits this side of the
summit. Every fifty yards along the tran
are piles of goods. and | suppose there are
provisions 10 the value of SEQ .no scattered
along the tran. Prices for packing and
for all kinds of service are practically pro-
hibitory for most Of those who are at
tempting 10 get In. and many are carrying
over their own outfits. Some of the indi-
ans carry as much as 200 pounds al one
load. and make the trip from Dyea to Lake
Llnderman In two days. returning TO
Dyea on the third day. thus making two
trips week. White men carry
from seventy-flve to 100 and i25
pounds. and II takes man with an
adequate outfit a month 10 get to the lake.
There are many here who have been five
or six weeks packing their outfits over
and are not ready 70 start down the river
vet All who have come 20 Sksguay or
Dyea within the last week or two who
have come tn With sufficient outat. have
paid 70 cents or more a pound or DO not get
In Mt all.
There are about 800 men here, and forty
tents. Probably three or four boats are
getting away every day with frcm two 20
FIVE passengers There Is one sawmll
here. with capacity 81 i0o0 feet day.
and Il has all the orders IL can ill IN three
weeks Lumber Is 500 per go and rising.
great many whipsaw their lumber two
men turning out about l11 feet day A
boat carrying three men sells for SEQ 10
$40 according 20 the nurse Of the pur-
chaser. Wages Of carpenters are sle50 a
day and board. Everything Is high in
price. when you car get 81 az all Whisky
l. - cents drink. and s. bottle. and
POOR stuM at shat Alcohol Is worth so a
sall0n. II makes zen cations Of Lake LIN
deTrnan whisky. Meats cennot be had for
money. rs every one IS holding on TO his
provisions.
never saw so much selashness any
where rs Is displayed on This trail You
pass @ hundred people without receiving
q response 20 wour respectful Good morn
ing," and sooa learn g Keep yoar month
shut, Tocre arc So many on the trail
that tt ts Ike walking along the streets
Of a cily-thc Individual Is los5 On the uass-
lng faraUs and you are recognized only
by acgusforsuees. II you ask Cor food
In nine eases ont OF ten IL VIII BE- refused.
close this letter with the exclamation
thas Il has bsen wra ten under greas mental
stress ard pBgsical suffering I have
tried 20 give YOU fair idea OF the hard
s1tTS q IkiE country. hHt feel my fut-sus-
hiuty % paint rs terrous Il 4 nut Of
Icy hce. ! VIII simply say .hat no one
Who has wl4tten On the subject has ever
stated us dif@esitieA = man Who gos in
tossay over the SNssU3y trail saws that u
IS even worse, Pfc counted IL dad horsss
along re trail. and several fnen fsvs m,
Nith severe accidents. sach as q hrakap
aaNlr. leg. e.e. Several deaths fra,
drowning eAve occurred OF both trails
tae ~~ifi current carrying packers aay,r
stream al1a thciE pacAs rendering faer,
a@slifso Some movement ought Ia bn
made a. etacc 70 relieve the zlnersrg sas,
Is saAnt to follow. Evary ete4uss4fp fl,at
h3> or1uEht people up v.fli have All i 80,
DC Tor az least 1870 trips in esrr,.sy,ss
she unsuccessful peop}e sack n rfvtizss
tl20 and ,htrc caCai CO bo sonse ~-av -
force thea to perform the service ws,hr,,.
conpau<8lsoC.