The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-08-26
THE TERRORS OF
SKACUAY TRAIL
Reports by the willamette Say 0n!y
the Half Has Been Told.
MEN POISONED AT sITKA
DOeiored khisky Did the vigilance
Committee at Sklguay-0nly OBe-
tenth Will Get over rass.

Seattle. August Zj.-The steamer wa
lameite returned today from skaguay
and Dyea. 4 number Of the W.llametJe's
sailors deserted at skaguay. The Villa
mette brings conflicting stories as to the
condition Of the Skaguay trail.
The city OF skaguay is described as
place of 500 people. For miles up the
trail there are tents all aloag on both
SIDES, but the greater share OF the people
have never been any distance at all up
the trail Rain and mud and discoltent
AID confusion prevail everywhere. The
men have a severe respect for the vigt-
lance committee. but refuse TO obey any
authority when 1t comes TO working on
the trail Buildings are going up rap
idly and stores and saloons are opelink
every day. On the outside OF one OF
the dance houses Is a tree upon which
several significant notices are posted.
and from tho limb OF which bangles a
NV one-lnch rope with a moose. This
was put there by the vigilance commit
To-. and It is more effective than a
hundred volumes Of statutes against
crime
Three Of the notices read;
Free dancs toCsght" Packers want
ed on the trail: apply to Mack & Co"
Saddle horses wanted; no cheap hat
racks"
There are many restaurants at Skag-
uay but the fare is poor. While ua-
loading OF ,he Willamette was in prog
ress an exciting incideat occurred. At
Skaguny about thirty men from ashore
were employed to help unload They took
the places OF the men who had quit and
they heard that the fare aboard the
willamette was fresh beet. About that
tine the steward ordered a change OF
diet on the BOAT TO pork AID bans. This
was a change for the crew but !; WAS
decidedly dis;asteful to the new men
who had been living on those succulent
low after dinner, mounted the hurricane
deck OF the steamer. and drawing and
tiourish-ng a big revolver In the air. an
nounced that the next meal would con-
tain a liberal supply OF fresh meet or
there would be a young graveyard START
cd. No one seemed to take the aanounce-
mea seriously. and at the next meal the
bold bad man scrambled into the mess
of pork and beans as meekly as the
others.
According to some accouats the terrors
Of Skaguay trail seem to have been only
half related Thomas Stanton, who came
on the boat. says: THE Skaguay trail
is the worst place you ever saw. There
is one place that greenhorns don't seem
to know about They Pile a pack on a
horse and when the horse gets to this
had place the pack hits against the
rocks and Of course makes the horse
step out to keep his balance. Down
goes his feet and over goes the horse.
saw one mule rurn three complete
somersaults, and the owner never went
after his pack or anything"
Purser H. w. skinner, of the Villa
mette. says that only one-tenth of the
miners at Skaguay and Dyea will get
over THE passes.
Arthur Needham. Of Shelton, Wash, !
made an examination Of the trails
Il went over with forty pounds" he
sa ..,.a a., ,,,,. ivlCt,aut ff rOen
has horses there is absolutely no rea-
son why he should not get over before
winter sets in. \ man should use the
White pass If he has horses; If not he
should take the Chilkoot,"
Stamps are worth five ceats each in
Skaguay, and going up. Wages at pack
ing are from 81 to SO per day. Potatoes
are scarce and bring $3.50 to So a sack.
The willamette brought down about 200
lerters.
Sylvester scov.ue the New York
World correspondent, had to pay sl.OOo
for having his >00-pou Il outfit taken
over ths pass and down the river. SEQ
VILE expected to make the lakes in five
days. and the Klondike in fifteen more.
W. r. Nelso4 says that Collector Ivey
was making it warm for liquor sellers at
Skaguay and Sitka a raid was made
the day the Willamette left and $500
worth Of liquor was seized.
Two Cinnamon who went to Skaguay
from Dyea in a small boat were prompt
ly run out Of the town.