The San Francisco call., 1897-08-14
Trails to the Klondike That
Are Yet Impass BILE for
Gold-HunterS
STRUGGLES THAT WILL RESULT
IN DISASTER.
N NotWith standing Frequent Stories
of Peril, There Is No Lull in
Northward Travel.

A'4- y 4 LIZ W iaH11-i AOs- ia LhOuS
the most prominent and welI-versed men
in Alaska is G. B. Swinhart editor of the
Mining Record at Juneau. He arrived in
Seattle on the City of Topeka Wednesday,
and Will go TO Portland 10 purchase print
ing material for q newspa per TO be pub
Iished al Dawson City. When interviewed
to-day Mr.. Swinhart exTres ssed the opin-
ion that II IS high time far the rush to the
kjondike to cease until next spring. With
over 5000 men now at Dyea and Skaguay
endeavoring to cross the summit, and
with the number increasing by the hun
dreds nearly every day, he thinks it fool
hardy for additional men to make the at
tempt to get over to the lake and down
the river before the winter freeze.
Three weeks ago Mr.. Swinhart was at
Dyea, and then all the travel was over
Chilcoot Pass. There is about mile near
the summit where pack horses cannot be
used but OH both sides they are advan-
tageousIy worked. Mr.. Swinhart further
said:
withstanding the reports to the
contrary, the trail over White Pass from
Skaguay remains uncompleted and is
entirely impossible after the summit is
resched. Yukoners who attempt to cross
by this route TO the lakes are obliged 10
return at great expense to themselves anG
take the Dyea route. 1t is daily reported
that the trail will be com pleted in a day
or two, but the facts are that It's compile
ton In time to reach the river before it is
ozen is practical imposs billty.
Yukoners should avoid this alleged route,
as 1t is i'm ossibe to reach the lakes over
II. The White Pass road is a project OF
Captain Moore, who has built wharf at
Skaguay, eight miles this side of Dyea.
! expect Moore opened the trail to the
summit and found a much easier grade
than at the Chilcoot Pass, and at once
concluded that the other side was as easily
travelled as the other up the Chill
coot, and the White Pass road was soon
advertised. AS a matter of fact three
weeks ago no one had been along the en-
tire route. Enough had been ascertainea
to know that it lay across a ten-mile
swamp, and in crossing it one horse be-
came ompleteIy swamped. Since then
the miners have taken the trail in hand,
and after passing the White Summit they
are working a trail to the left along the
base of The mountain in expectation of in
ceed III this, as they probably will, pack
animals can be u ed along the entire trail,
and the distance is about five miles further
tnan BY he Dyea route. The country be-
yond WhiLe Pass summit is marshy and
filed with small lakes. but it is I'm practi-
cable, il not i'm possible, to float from one
5,i them into any OF the lakes that are part
of the Yukon waters"
The report is current, although Mr..
Swinhart does not know 1T to be true, that
toll is extracted from those who go over
.he White Pass trail. The blazing of the
trail was originally private enterprise OF
CAPTAIN Moore, mail-carrier for the
Canadian Government.
The passengers on the wrecked steamer
Mexico have given expression to their
grateful appreciation of the efforts OF the
officers of the boat in their behalf at the
time of the wreck. A testimonial was
adopted and signed by ali the passengers
as follows:
METLAHKA AHTLA ISLAND, Aug. z. 1897.
The undersigned passengers on the steamer
Mexico during her last voyage to ALASKA, and
at the time she was lost at sea, desire to eX-
press their deep sense of gratitude and
thanks 10 Captain H. c. Thomas and every
officer for their prompt, brave ana conSplCu-
ouslv cool action in getting the passengers TO
the boats; their consideration and anticipa-
tion of possible delay in reaching land, by
nroyidipg each boat with an ample supply OF
provisions and water, and their untiring care
and devotion to the comfort and wants of the
passengers after reaching land. We desire
further to offer this as testimonial to Cap
tam Thomas and Purser Rush for their urbane
manner. kindness and attention while on
shipboard contributing as far as possible TO
the comfort and enjoyment OF each and every
passenger.
This afternoon the little steamer Edith
left for Mary Island, Dyea and Skaguay
with eight horses and considerable freight
belonging to passengers that went up on
the Rosahe last night. The E iith will be
run in connection with the Rosalie and
Citv of Seattle. The latter will make her
first run to Dyea on Tuesday next ana
has a capacity of 500 passengers, loo horses
and 800 tons OF freight.
Charles E. Peabody is manager OF the
Alaska Steamship Company, which oper-
ates these steamers, and when asked thls
morning if there was an apparent cessa-
tion in the demand for transportation 10
Alaska he replied that ii is on the increase.
Every day there are additional appllca-
tions for passage to the gateway to the
Klondike, and he expects to see 1t con-
tinue all winter. If the Portland comes